Improving Your School One Week at a Time

Dr. Jeff Zoul is a principal with the Forsyth County School System in Cumming, Georgia. Prior to becoming principal at Otwell Middle School, Dr. Zoul served as a classroom teacher for 20 years at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. In addition, he has served as an administrator at all three levels and has extensive coaching experience. He also teaches as an adjunct professor at North Georgia College and State University.Dr. Zoul has also been published in the area of teacher collaboration and speaks on school climate and culture, building professional learning communities, and positive classroom discipline. He earned his doctoral degree from the University of Alabama and holds additional degrees from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Troy State University, and the University of Southern Mississippi.Dr. Zoul is married to Jill Zoul. They reside in Cumming, Georgia, and are the proud parents of one daughter, Jordyn. Dr. Zoul can be contacted by phone: (770) 887–8134; or mail:Forsyth County Schools, 605 Tribble Gap Road, Cumming, Georgia 30040.

Part 1 The First Quarter; Chapter 1 Opening Day; Chapter 2 What Makes a Good Teacher?; Chapter 3 Effort-Based Ability; Chapter 4 The Dreaded Homework Dilemma; Chapter 5 The Impact of a Teacher; Chapter 6 Effective Listening; Chapter 7 Bullying Prevention; Chapter 8 School Safety; Chapter 9 Questions, Questions, Questions; Part 2 The Second Quarter; Chapter 10 Parent-Teacher Conferences; Chapter 11 Student-Led Conferences; Chapter 12 Teacher Observations; Chapter 13 Learning How to Learn; Chapter 14 Teaching: Art or Science?; Chapter 15 Giving Thanks; Chapter 16 In the Middle; Chapter 17 K.I.S.S.; Chapter 18 The Big Rocks; Chapter 19 God Bless Us, Every One!; Part 3 The Third Quarter; Chapter 20 Managing the Classroom; Chapter 21 Strategies for ESOL Students; Chapter 22 Working with Special Needs Students; Chapter 23 More Classroom Management; Chapter 24 Responding to Learners; Chapter 25 Striving for Great; Chapter 26 ESOL Revisited; Chapter 27 Differentiation: Inconvenient but Inescapable; Chapter 28 Test Time; Chapter 29 Pirates; Part 4 The Fourth Quarter; Chapter 30 Professional Learning Communities; Chapter 31 Choosing Positive; Chapter 32 Extraordinary Teachers; Chapter 33 Making the Connection; Chapter 34 ”I” Messages; Chapter 35 Teaching People, Not Content; Chapter 36 My Parents’ Expectations; Chapter 37 A Culture of Success;