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schools
must
have
exceptional
leadership
with
strong
and
community
members.
Schools
have
huge
understand
what
the
message
was
saying.
If
there
is
his communication with the students more effective. Students have a home
room in which he is able to relay information to the teachers, where the
teachers pass on the information. As long as the teacher is passing the
information correctly to the students, it is a much more efficient way to
communicate with the students. Another way that he is able to communicate
with the students is using an intercom system. An intercom system is made
for one way or two way communications. Usually there is a microphone at
the main office for speaking into and announcing through speakers located in
the classrooms and sometimes hall ways of a school. This allows someone to
relay a message to the whole school at one time. Some schools have
microphones located in the areas like classrooms that allow personnel inside
of the classroom to communicate back. Usually when Mr. Rudolph uses the
intercom it is for sharing information about activities, daily happenings and
for student recognition. When Mr. Rudolph gives recognition it is usually to
relay the results of extra-curricular activities or if someone has won an
award. Currently, SRRMS is working on a television broadcast system that
the media specialist and students will run. This television broadcast system
will have some announcements that will be played throughout the school. He
is planning for classrooms and service areas to be capable of showing the
broadcast.
Being
the
principal,
Mr.
Rudolph
has
the
challenge
of
about current and future agendas. Mr. Rudolph says that they have a great
relationship and feels that he is supported by his superintendent. He also
feels that he has a positive relationship with the school board members,
which is important because the school board is responsible for many items
such as; figuring out the schools budget, negotiating staff contracts,
approving curriculum and what should be done with the schools themselves
(build new ones, close them). Mr. Rudolph is responsible for making the
school boards visions come true and implementing their recommendations
and incentives.
In order to implement the school board and superintendents
incentives and recommendations the principal is faced with the task of
communicating with the staff. He requires the teachers use google docs for
weekly updates that he needs them to be aware of. Google docs is relatively
new, it is similar to an email. It is a little different because it allows a sender
to send information to recipients and they are able to edit the information.
The sender is able to allow recipients to edit what was sent while other
people are able to see what changes were made and by whom. This works
great for working collaboratively. Much of the information that he shares via
google docs is logistical information. He also has weekly meetings; this is
where he is able to collaborate with the staff. In these meetings there can be
a lot of challenging discussions about different views and ideas about how to
get different things accomplished. Having these meetings is also a way to
see emotion. Using mediums that do not allow people to be face to face
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on Mondays
level/department
meetings that discuss teaming. SRRMS has two teachers for each subject;
the reason why they have two teachers for each subject is because the
students are broken up into two sections/teams A and B. This makes it
simpler to keep the students organized and keep class sizes smaller. Tuesday
and Wednesdays are called Team Days this is when the teachers of the
teams get together and discuss problems they have been having, new
strategies and collaboration take place. For instance, if the students were in
a technology class learning about architecture and will be learning about how
to find the total area of a home, the technology education and math teachers
may find a way to have lessons similar to each other. This allows the student
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to use and see how Math and Technology Education both relate to real world
problems and to each other. Thursdays are often set for everybody to get
together, this does not occur every week so it is a day where people are able
to get together as needed. Friday grade level and teams get together to
discuss things that went well, and things that didnt work that week. They
then set goals for the next week and discuss ideas to solve problems that did
come up.
One of the teachers main jobs is communicating with students. This an
important task, for both teacher and students. Communication is one of the
most important ways of being an effective teacher. Teachers communicate
though gestures, body language, speaking and writing. At SRRMS, the
average class size is about 34 students.
An essential component of teaching is assessing the students learning
making sure that they have an understanding of the information that is being
taught. This can be challenging when the students have various learning
styles and abilities. When students are exhibiting learning difficulties which
can include learning and behaviors, teachers are required to provide
intervention and document the results of the known as Response to Teacher
Intervention, RTI. SRRMS has three levels to RTI. The first level of
intervention is usually managed by the classroom teacher and does not
include any modifications to the curriculum or the learning environment. The
second level usually includes resources outside of the classroom such as
supplemental teachers for reading and math and/ or support staff (social
7
IEPs at
level where guests have the highest level of filters. Teachers themselves
have very little filters, but are monitored to make sure they are using the
internet appropriately.
SRRMS currently has a goal of having a one to one goal of each student
having a laptop, or a tablet. Their goal is to have each student to have one of
these devices by the next school year (2015-2016). The price that each
student will have to cover will be around sixty dollars a year. Currently there
are computer labs located throughout the school. These computer labs have
either windows based systems or Macintosh systems. Depending on which
system the students are using, they are able to use different application such
as Microsoft Word.
Teachers communicating with parents is crucial, it is as important as
communicating with the students. Parents want to know how their child is
doing, and if there has been any problems. SRRMS has parent teacher
conferences twice a year. These conferences are student led, meaning the
student runs the conference. Students will talk about how school is going,
their grades, goals and performance. This allows the student to talk about
how they are going to maintain their grade or improve it. There are about
80% of families that do come to the conferences. Not only do parents see
how their child is doing, but it allows the parents to ask questions. Most
teachers at SRRMS have their emails easily accessible for parents to ask the
teacher questions or comments. Parents at SRRMS are able to log into
Skyward, this is a school administrative software where each students
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with a key, everyone else has to use the front door. The front door is also
locked but visitors are able to be buzzed in. On the buzzer is a camera and
microphone which is used as a medium to contact staff personnel to let them
in.
Tornado procedures are a little different than the fire and lockdown
procedures because it relies on an outside warning system from the sound of
the city civil defense warning system or it can be announced by an
announcement with the intercom system. Staff and students will proceed to
their designated areas. The areas that they are designated to go to are to be
free of windows and flying debris. Everyone is to sit on the floor with their
heads and faces protected. They need to remain in this position until they
are told that is safe.
Occasionally there are unplanned school closings due to weather,
especially living in Minnesota. Announcements are made usually between
6:00 a.m. and 7:00 a.m. on that day. These are made using the radio via Sky
Alert and WJON (1240 AM), WCCO (830 AM), KCLD (104.7 FM) and online at
the district website. Also many news stations on television will broadcast
school closings.
SRRMS has a discipline policy that parents and students are able to
access in the students planner. There are many different offenses that a
student may be disciplined for. It could be as small as disturbing a class to as
large as bringing a weapon to school. Every offense is looked at and
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suspension,
expulsion
or
other
consequences
may
be
deemed
safety, which can be hard because it is not only physical safety but also
emotional
safety.
Mr.
Rudolph
assisted
me
in
understanding
how
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