The Dock School Leader Podcast

The process of becoming a better teacher holds so much potential for enjoyment and inspiration, especially when a group of teachers grows together. An administrator can help give this process the vital initiative and structure needed to unlock the potential. In this video, Howard Lichty gives his advice and suggestions for staff development, drawing from his experience as a school administrator at Countryside Christian School. He reflects on the importance of seeing one’s own role properly, of delegating responsibility and drawing out the specific expertise of teachers, and of making growth a shared endeavor. He gives many practical examples of how to work toward these goals.

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Classrooms are greenhouses, students are plants, and teachers are gardeners. This analogy introduces a five-part video series by Becky Bollinger on diverse learners and learning disabilities. In this introductory video, Becky outlines the purpose of the series, establishes some foundational terms and concepts related to learning disabilities, and discusses the drawbacks and benefits of diagnostic labels. As teachers study their students in light of established research, they become better equipped to meet individual student needs with knowledge and empathy.

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What does making a Renaissance-era dome out of newspaper or role-playing a labor strike have to do with school? Learning, of course. In this video, Deana Swanson shares some ideas and tips for making your classroom a lively site of learning that engages students not simply in reading and thinking but in making and handling. With enough creativity, forethought, and flexibility, active learning can happen in any subject.

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Learning grammar doesn’t have to be a soul-crushing exercise in memorizing arcane rules and terms as Spencer and his students demonstrate in this video. Grammar songs not only make learning more lively and fun, they aid with memorization, helping students retain knowledge they might forget with more rote forms of learning.

Spencer used grammar songs from these resources:

* Well-Ordered Language Level 1A & 1B Songs & Chants

* Well-Ordered Language Level 2A & 2B Songs & Chants

* Well-Ordered Language Level 3A & 3B and Level 4A & 4B Songs & Chants

* Audio Memory Grammar Songs CD & Workbook Set

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Do your English students struggle with diagramming sentences? Sentence diagramming is a classic method for helping students see the structure of a complete thought, but the process can get messy, especially for some students. In this video, Deana Swanson demonstrates some teaching methods for making sentence diagramming effective and enjoyable for students.

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A well-managed classroom serves students by keeping the focus of class activity where it belongs: on learning. But classroom management takes effort, especially in larger classrooms. Amy Zimmerman shares some practical tips and methods for keeping classrooms running smoothly, including how to communicate expectations, practice procedures, and manage homework. With adequate planning and practice, even large classrooms can become lively sites of learning.

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Transitions of leadership are always difficult. But do they have to be as disruptive and stressful as they often are? How can an outgoing administrator effectively pass on his knowledge to a new administrator, especially if that knowledge was accumulated over years of experience? In this video, Howard Lichty and Joseph Shantz offer recommendations and share perspectives from their current transition of leadership at Countryside Christian School. With deliberate planning and adequate foresight, periods of transition can be more than smooth and non-disruptive. They can even be times of innovation and improvement.

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Dysfunctional homes directly impact schools. While some situations cause only minor annoyances, others hinder the student’s and the school’s ability to function, and thus demand more significant intervention. In this video from CASBI 2019, Jonathan Erb discusses how schools can respond well to a range of issues stemming from dysfunctional home situations. Listen to Jonathan’s complete presentation here.

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Music is a powerful teaching tool because it involves the entire person: body and mind, sense and soul. In this video, Kyla encourages teachers to harness the pedagogical power of singing by making it a central part of their curriculum and classroom culture. As students sing Bible verses, math facts, or the countries of Western Europe, they internalize knowledge in their bodies as well as their minds—which is not only more effective but also more fun!

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For the sheet music and audio recordings mentioned in the video, see this series:

Canticles Divine Volume 1, Psalm 119

All teachers deal with the question of student motivation, but teachers in more individualized classroom arrangements face some unique challenges. If a student lacks internal motivation, what external motivators can help develop this capacity? How can a teacher get students to complete homework if homework completion is not reflected in the final test grade? And what about that student who relies too much on help from the teacher? David Miller offers some helpful tips for all of these questions and more.

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