Video Blogger, Kate Cohen takes a few minutes to try and convince you about the importance of social emotional learning (SEL) in our schools. If you are already convinced, then she hopes that she can inspire you to look into getting an SEL program in your school.

It’s about this time of year that the attention of our students begins to focus elsewhere. Spring is in full swing and the blooming flowers let them know that summer is just a month or so away. Summer vacation, almost three months of no school, is on their minds. And, the kids are thrilled.
By this time of year, there have been almost one hundred and fifty days of classes and everyone could use a break. Everyone in the school building is counting down the days. And it’s not only the students. Teachers and school administrators need to recharge. Anyone who has taught or administrated knows of the massive expenditure of focused energy that is needed on a daily basis in order to sustain the levels of excellence we strive to provide. Time away from the grind of teaching all day, every day, is a necessity.

Perhaps it wasn’t a fair question. And, in all the years that I asked, they were unsure of the answer I wanted. But, to me, it was the best way to know if the teacher I was interviewing was the best person for the job.

Sure, I would check for mastery in the subject matter to be taught and make sure they had the training required to be successful in the classroom. Experience was a plus but not necessarily a deal breaker. Strong character, professionalism, strong work ethic, honesty and integrity were, however, a must. But, that wasn’t my BIG question.

Why the reasons for such high principal burnout, leading to such high principal turnover rates?

Technology in the classroom has advanced in some schools to the point of virtual classrooms. Whether instituted to control class size or offer students a wide variety of learning options, E-learning has become an important component in schools from primary grades to high school. Are we moving towards an age of virtual schools?

Administrators play an important role in bully prevention programs. They need to be the first line of defense by helping the school community to establish a policy addressing bullies in school. Bullies can only be stopped with a strong administrative initiative to tackle the bullying epidemic.