About: Jon Konen

Jon Konen is a high school principal and freelance writer in Columbia Falls, Montana. He has been a superintendent and has taught most all grade levels K-6, and has been an instructional coach. In addition, he has been an elementary and middle principal. As a 5th grade teacher, in 2010 he won the Presidential Award for Elementary Math and Science Teaching (PAEMST). As a principal, his school won the 2012 Blue Ribbon Award. In 2018, he won the National Distinguished Principal Award (NDP). In 2019 he won the National No Kid Hungry Breakfast Hero Award. He is the author of three guides published on teacher.org: An Educator's Guide to Combat Bullying & Bully Prevention; Teacher Evaluation: A Transition Guide to Exemplary Performance; and You are the Wild Card: Infusing Fun Back into Curriculum. He has authored a children's picture book that was released January 2019 titled Benjamin’s Visit to Principal Reads Office…again! (available at www.archwaypublishing.com)

10 Ways to Empower Bully Prevention Defenders in Your School

child riding on an adult's shoulders in a superhero cape and mask, both with fists raised at sunset

Bully prevention defenders are students who step in or tell a trusted adult to keep a classmate safe, not to get anyone in trouble. Building that culture starts with explicitly teaching the difference between tattling and reporting, then backing it up with consistent recognition, clear reporting routes, and staff modeling. [xyz_feat_school] Back to the main…

Hand holding a red marker drawing a prohibition circle and slash over the handwritten word BULLYING

Teaching bullying prevention effectively matters to the success of any program a school adopts. Relatable content, active student participation, deliberate lesson design, real-world application, and honest assessment all shape whether a curriculum reaches students. Requirements for prevention policies, staff training, and curricula vary by state and district, so follow applicable law and local policy. [xyz_feat_school]…

Student holding up a white card printed with a red prohibition symbol over the word BULLYING

Dealing with bullying as a teacher starts with a one-on-one conversation with the student who reported it, not with immediate consequences for the student accused. Gather the full picture, bring it to a school team, address the behavior directly, set a written plan for what happens next, then follow up. [xyz_feat_school] Back to the main…

group of smiling elementary school students giving thumbs up together in a classroom

Bully behavior is an aggressive, intentional action that involves a real or perceived power imbalance and typically repeats over time, not every scuffle, one-time argument, or hurt feeling. Schools that dig into the specific behavior rather than labeling every incident "bullying" can develop individualized intervention plans and track whether they're actually working. [xyz_feat_school] Back to…

The Daily 5 is a literacy framework built around five independent components: read to self, read to someone, listen to reading, word work, and work on writing. Developed by Gail Boushey and Joan Moser, it teaches students to work independently while the teacher provides small-group and one-on-one instruction, rather than assigning every student the same…

Close-up of a man in a suit holding up a card that reads KARMA

The difference between ISS and OSS is location. In-school suspension keeps a student on campus in a supervised room, still doing assigned work. Out-of-school suspension sends them home for a set number of days. Students usually consider OSS the lighter consequence. The research on behavior outcomes does not support that. [xyz_feat_school] After garnering a job…

Woman looking out a window with her chin resting on her hand, her reflection visible in the glass

These eight reflection questions for teachers move from your hardest recent decisions to your most successful ones, then to what you can actually control. The author works through them weekly, and the value is in the pattern that emerges across sessions. That's what shifts you from reacting to what hits you to planning for it.…

Woman taking a selfie with her son in his navy varsity football jersey on the field after a night game

Teaching manners in the classroom works best as direct instruction, not assumption. Name the manner, model it, practice it, then recognize students who use it. One principal's 13 manners, from kindness and eye contact to telling the truth and taking turns, grew into a schoolwide program of 19 rules taught one per day. [xyz_feat_school] My…

abstract 3D figures connected by red arrows showing a team collaboration network

A teacher team rubric scores how well a grade-level or subject team actually collaborates, from Level 0 (no teaming at all) to Level 4 (weekly meetings built into the schedule, with shared goals and real accountability). Score your team honestly against each level, then use the gap to set one concrete goal for improvement. [xyz_feat_school]…

Man in classroom holding a clipboard and pen, smiling in front of a chalkboard

The best professional development for teachers isn't a single class: it's finding the specific speakers and authors whose ideas still hold up in your own classroom years later. This veteran teacher's list of seven career-changing PD sources includes Todd Whitaker, the Kagans, Rick Wormeli, and Carol Ann Tomlinson, chosen for ideas he still uses today.…

About: Jon Konen

Recent Posts by Jon Konen

10 Ways to Empower Bully Prevention Defenders in Your School

Teaching Bullying Prevention: 5 Reasons Instruction Matters

How to Deal With Bullying as a Teacher: 6+ Steps

5 Reasons Why We Need to Define Bully Behavior and Stop Generalizing Events as “Bullying”

What Is the Daily 5? 5 Reasons It’s the Best Reading Structure

ISS vs. OSS: What Each One Means for Students

8 Reflection Questions for Teachers and School Leaders

Teaching Manners in the Classroom: 13 My Mom Taught Me

The Teacher Team Rubric: How Would You Score Your Team?

Best Professional Development for Teachers: 7 People Who Shaped Mine

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