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How to Identify a Good School?
It’s back to school season and Parents with children not yet in school are in search to find good schools. The COVID- 19 Pandemic has changed the way schools operate. However, the metrics for identifying a good school has not changed. Here are some ways to Identify a Good School.
Read Also: 5 ways to help you remember what you study:
Good Teachers
Good schools have really good teachers! And, really good teachers work to meet the individual needs of students (working to ensure students’ academic as well as social-emotional success).
Caring administration
Good schools should employ administrators who are connected and accessible to all constituency groups within the school. They should also provide space for teachers to do their best work for students.
School culture
Parents should consider a school’s culture as an indicator of fit and ask themselves: Do students and adults seem happy in school? What kind of activities are offered outside of the academic day? Are the activities inclusive?
While it can be difficult to discern the feeling of a school, it is an essential part of determining if it is a fit for you and your child.
Parental involvement
Good schools understand the importance of the home-school connection; therefore, I always suggest to parents that they look at schools that understand the importance of that partnership.
Enrichment activities
Look for “signs of enrichment outside the classroom”. These could also mean “the extracurricular activities”. Extracurricular Activities foster a child’s natural talents and interests.
For instance, are there opportunities outside the classroom to explore writing for students who love to write?
If your child loves sports, are there opportunities that can help the child grow that passion?
Support services
Good schools also understand that it takes a village to raise a child; therefore, look for schools that understand the need to have lots of adults within the school (teachers/staff) working with students and families.
What kinds of services are offered outside of the classroom for students?
Technology integration
Good schools look for ways to use technology to help expand the learning process inside the classroom for students while helping them develop digital literacy. Think of technology as a tool to be used every day not just for the teacher’s use, but (more importantly) for students to actively use to enhance their own learning.
GOOD SCHOOLS USE PASSNOWNOW CLASS NOTES
When good schools use technology, they do it to foster a child’s sense of self-discovery, personalize student learning, as well as nurture student creativity and imagination.
Safety:
It goes without saying that I agree that a safe learning environment is a top priority of any good school. It is essential because I believe children perform better (and take more academic and social risks) when they feel safe.
However, safety in a school is not just about the physical setting. More and more, the safety of students is also about a student’s emotional well-being. Thus, establishing close relationships with students should also be a priority of good schools.
Preparing children for the future:
A good school maintains its focus – students– while finding ways to remain viable in a changing 21stcentury landscape. No matter the changes in society, good schools will always have a role to play in helping students develop the skills needed to be future leaders.
