Haralson County teachers put their teaching skills to the test as they read “7 Simple Secrets: What the Best Teachers Know and Do.” The book study intends to offer teachers a chance to tap into the best practices by their peers and is part of the system’s ongoing goal to provide quality education to students.

Haralson County Public Schools Information Officer Kersha Cartwright said the book study is a county-wide effort being taken on by teachers at the primary and elementary schools. Some of the administrators have even jumped on board to read the book, which serves as a kind of manual that offers an array of practical strategies that can be utilized across the board.

“This book places an emphasis on classroom management,” said Buchanan Primary School Principal Gail Ray. “This is an area I really wanted to focus on this year.”

She said Buchanan Primary started their book study early this year as she noted the benefits of professional learning, which teachers are already beginning to see. Ray added tips from various chapters of the book, such as attitude and professionalism, instruction, classroom management and effective discipline, have been tied into some of the teachers’ daily routines.

Many of their improvement efforts come from after-school meetings they hold every Wednesday in order to discuss two chapters and brainstorm on how to incorporate the strategies into their lesson plans daily. Buchanan Primary is just one of the schools in the system that’s showing signs of improvement, which has even been reflected in the Criterion-Referenced Competency Test (CRCT) scores this year. Seeing mathematics scores increased this year by 13 points compared to last year, participation in the book study is expected to maintain the system’s continued journey toward improvement. Mathematics scores went from 72.8 to 85.9 this year, according to CRCT testing reports from this year. Through incorporating more helpful tools provided in the book, teachers hope to see even greater test scores and all-around improvement.

Cartwright noted Buchanan Elementary, West Haralson Elementary and Tallapoosa Primary Schools will also begin the book study at their locations later this month. Meanwhile, Ray advised that her counterparts should look forward to joining in the book study, adding that it’s simply a refresher for teachers within the system.

“The teachers seem to like it,” Ray said. “These are things we know and just need to be reminded of.”