This is the second post in a series designed to share the best free resources for educators. Each installment will be tailored to a different role. You can read our post about resources for teachers here.
Our last post in this series was all about the best resources for teachers. It was chock full of online games, apps and tools teachers can use in the classroom to make learning fun and more effective. This post is a little different—it focuses primarily on resources that address the “how” over the “what.” It also features several resources intended to connect like-minded administrators for collaboration and support. We hope you enjoy and let us know what your favorite resources are if you are a principal or school administrator.
A Principal’s Reflections is a blog about “digital leadership, pedagogy, learning and transformative change in education,” run by Eric Sheninger. Sheninger is an Associate Partner with the International Center for Leadership and Education, but prior to this, he was the award-winning Principal at New Milford High School. The blog is simple but packed with dense information and insight for school administration. Real educators and administrators frequently share their personal experiences in posts. Post topics include “Personalized Learning in Action,” “Removing the Stigma of Observations,” and “Mitigating EdTech Issues in the Classroom.
Connected Principals is another must-follow blog for principals and school administrators looking for best practices information. Unlike A Principal’s Reflections, this blog boasts dozens of contributors who are all school administrators. With so many contributors, topics run the gamut from culture and morale to effecting change and developing relationships with students. You can follow #cpchat on Twitter to connect even more.
Learning Forward, also known as “The Professional Learning Association” is an organization with a mission of building the capacity of (school) leaders to establish and sustain highly effective professional learning. It is the only professional association that works exclusively in education and is committed to its vision of equity and excellence in teaching and learning. So what exactly does Learning Forward offer? It offers standards for professional learning, grants and scholarships, and a wealth of resources and other programs for school leaders.
- National Association of Elementary School Principals & National Association of Secondary School Principals
The National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) and the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) are both national organizations for principals that promote excellence in school leadership. NAESP and NASSP offer programs and school reforms that build support networks for principals and give students a voice. Other programs and resources offered by these incredible organizations include magazines, blogs, professional learning opportunities and buyers’ guides. NAESP and NASSP are behind two of the best-known principal-focused publications, Principal Leadership and Principal Magazine.
There are so many amazing books out there for school leaders, but if we had to choose just one, it would be “Better Schools: The Grassroots Revolution That’s Transforming Education,” by Ken Robinson, Ph.D. In this book, Robinson argues for a “highly personalized, organic approach [to transforming schools], that draws on today’s unprecedented technological and professional resources to engage all students, develop their love of learning, and enable them to face the real challenges of the 21st century.” Looking for a different title? Check out these other 22 best books for school principals.
School administrators have a tough job, but tapping into these resources that connect school leaders and support them is invaluable. If you are a principal or school leader, will you let us know the most valuable resource you’ve discovered?
