Dr Shannon Burton Principal

As a teacher, dealing with students with shortened attention spans can be difficult. Not only does it feel like you need to work harder to keep them on task, but they can act disruptive if they get bored and makes things difficult for the rest of your class. And yet, it’s not impossible to reach students who can’t always pay attention for long, especially when you keep these tips in mind.
Switch In-Class Activities Frequently
Since you can’t expect students with short attention spans to stick...

Kids and parents love camps, whether they are summer camps or things they can do after school. But some of the best camps are run during the summer. We are quickly approaching the start of the new school year, but it’s never too late to start thinking about next summer.
Thanks to technology, kids can choose from day camps, overnight camps, or virtual camps. Choosing the right camp can be difficult, but the following breakdown will give you an idea of some of the available camps for your child...

If you want to prepare your child for success in kindergarten testing, it’s important to invest time with your child to help them improve in various areas of development and learning. Preparing your child for kindergarten testing will help them have a higher level of success when the time comes. As a parent, you are their most valuable resource when it comes to helping your child succeed. The following tips will help you prepare your child for kindergarten testing.
Independence
It’s important...

Serving as a school board member is a huge responsibility. But, it’s also a great way to serve your community. Government laws delegate power to the boards to make school budgets and set the curriculum. They help manage school facilities and employ the superintendent. In some areas, they even have some say in collective bargaining agreements. This position sounds compelling to some. So, here are some tips to be a great school board member.
Have a Clear Vision
Vision is essential for any leade...

Working as an educator is one of the most rewarding jobs you can have, but it also demands a lot of energy. Burnout is a very real problem among teachers, even those who genuinely love their jobs. The last few months of the school year are the hardest since that’s when it feels like everything comes to a head, but it’s also why the summer break is so welcome. It’s your chance to take a break from teaching and recharge your batteries. How you go about that will be up to you, but here are some ...

When most people think of the role of a principal in a school, they think about their run-ins with a principal as either a student or a parent. While principals can certainly stay busy just dealing with unruly behavior, that is only one of many roles a principal fills in a school and the educational system in general. Here are three other common but much less visible roles a principal also plays in education.
Chief Visionary
While this has not always been the case, today’s principals take on ...

As parents, we owe a debt of gratitude to our children’s school teachers. Think about it. While we are all hard at work in our regular offices, or now because of COVID-19, our home offices, our children’s school teachers are hard at work in their virtual or in-person classrooms, keeping watch over them and helping them grow through learning. It’s a big responsibility. And while teaching may seem like a thankless and low-paying job, the school teachers always seem to find a way to make it work...

Everyone reacts differently to virtual learning. Some people can take it and find great success in it, while for others, there is a large learning curve, and it takes time to find success. What works well in a traditional classroom setting may not work as well in a virtual classroom setting. Regardless, they both have the same goal; to engage students and develop subject matter knowledge.
Before a successful virtual classroom can be set up, knowing what a virtual classroom is how these platfo...

Despite being a year full of constant disruptions, 2020 gave rise to several important digital solutions developments, especially in education. Indeed, the current covid-19 pandemic has certainly changed the way individuals teach and learn. At the present moment, online schooling, hybrid learning, and the rise of apps’ usage are becoming the most prevalent trends and are certainly replacing the traditional pen and paper teaching method.
Several educators are shifting towards these trends beca...

Over the years, numerous studies have concluded that their parents most heavily influence students’ success in school. The parent plays a tremendous role by promoting and encouraging education and learning. They can also help the students set goals for themselves and become more involved in their school and extracurricular activities. When parents are not as actively involved, the child suffers on multiple levels. The following ways can be used to help increase parent participation in student...

A career in early childhood education poses several unique challenges. Aside from curriculum requirements, there are also complex interpersonal needs that must be addressed. Creating a healthy and inclusive classroom environment is essential for the benefit and wellbeing of all students.
Model Compassion
An open mind is essential for an educator to create an inclusive atmosphere. Teachers must model open-minded behavior and compassion for others. As students and staff alike witness such perso...

Reading comprehension skills are an essential part of a growing reader’s repertoire. Early readers should start with picture books, and as they get older, it will help them understand chapter books, newspapers, textbooks, and other more challenging texts. The following tips will help your young reader master reading comprehension!
Reading Aloud
Reading aloud forces your child to read at a slower pace and gives them more time to process what they are reading. When they read aloud, they do not ...

This year has been tough on all of us, but kids have been significantly impacted. Many schools have closed or switched to online instruction, catapulting students and caregivers into the world of remote learning. Keeping kids engaged with remote learning involves some creativity and a lot of patience.
Get Offline
Remote learning kids spend hours on the computer each day, so breaks from screen time are essential for their physical and mental health. Create opportunities for them to get active,...

Pets play a unique role in our lives. Many of us have come to think of our pets as more than just companions. They enrich our personal lives to such a great extent that we often consider them to be honored members of our families. They show us unconditional love and acceptance in a world that is often judgemental. Due to these very traits, having classroom pets can make such a tremendous positive impact on schools.
New Enthusiasm for Learning
Having a classroom pet, regardless of species, can...

COVID-19 has forced educators to reimagine the delivery of lessons in a new age of digital instruction.
To conform to social distancing guidelines, school districts across the country have switched to either fully digital or part-digital models. Students receive instruction via the web from home or other locations.
This has resulted in widespread interest in digital education tools. Here are a few of the most popular for engaging, effective digital teaching.
Animoto
Animoto is a DIY, web-base...