10/11/2021 Principal's Note
Good morning everyone; what a blessing to have another week in God's grace with you!
I love seeing our teachers at work! Studies have shown for years that general praise, i.e., "Good job," or, " "Way to go," is ineffective at motivating people. Up until now, I have only been able to give general praise to our teachers; I have not really had the opportunity to see them teach a whole lesson, or observe how they manage their classrooms. After today, I will be able to give teachers much more effective specific praise, like, "I saw you did ______ in your lesson today; that really helped the student you were working with!" Classroom observations also open a dialogue between the teachers and me so that we can make sure everyone is constantly improving.
Normally, Mondays are a bit sluggish at school; everyone is tired from all the fun they had over the weekend. Perhaps students and teachers did not get as much rest as they were hoping! Today, however, I am excited! This week I will be observing in your children's classrooms for the first time this school year.
I love seeing our teachers at work! Studies have shown for years that general praise, i.e., "Good job," or, " "Way to go," is ineffective at motivating people. Up until now, I have only been able to give general praise to our teachers; I have not really had the opportunity to see them teach a whole lesson, or observe how they manage their classrooms. After today, I will be able to give teachers much more effective specific praise, like, "I saw you did ______ in your lesson today; that really helped the student you were working with!" Classroom observations also open a dialogue between the teachers and me so that we can make sure everyone is constantly improving.
I will schedule a full 50-minute observation with every teacher at Emanuel four times per year, but I will also informally visit their classrooms without notice at random times between those formal observations. This will allow me to get a better picture of what happens in their classrooms on a daily basis.
I know this Principal's Note is not as much of a devotional thought as the others have been, but there is a biblical connection to what we will be doing this week. Proverbs 27:17 says, "As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another" (NIV). At Emanuel, we will push each other to be better because we want to serve our God as effectively as possible. God wants us to use our abilities to his glory, and my prayer is that I can assist our teachers in doing just that.
God bless you all this week and always!
In Christ,
Principal Bill Fuerstenau