Discover how to be a successful school leader and manager! Exploring 15 vital topics, as well as offering strategies and examples, Jane L. Sigford demonstrates how effective schools are a marriage of management and leadership. Organized into three sections-management and leadership theories, managing the school, and managing yourself-this resource helps administrators understand the complexity of leadership and addresses the application of effective management skills to create successful learning communities. Written for new and veteran school leaders, this essential guide: Acts as a handbook, which contains an overview of individual components of school leadership normally scattered among many textbooks and resources Provides suggested resources for more in-depth study Offers individual reflective practice questions throughout for personal use Suggests questions to help facilitate professional development group discussions, especially among peers The Effective School Leader's Guide to Management illustrates how school administrators can run a school efficiently, balancing their roles as instructional leaders and effective school managers, while still having time to improve professional development, foster parent and community relationships, make data-driven decisions, and nurture personal growth and leadership.
Recognize and promote exceptional teaching based on how students learn! To improve teaching, school leaders must understand how students learn. Authors P. Karen Murphy and Patricia Alexander explore key psychological dimensions of learners and explain how these dimensions can be incorporated into more effective teaching strategies. Their accessible overview of classic and current educational research is part of the Leadership for Learning initiative of the American Association of School Administrators (AASA). Understanding How Students Learn provides guiding principles that school leaders can use to help their teachers develop a learner-centered approach to instruction that enables all students to learn at high levels and do well on common measures of academic achievement. Concepts explored in-depth include: Learner growth and development Acquiring knowledge and understanding Cultivating learner motivation Strategic teaching and strategic learning The power of shared learning In addition to outlining specific guidelines for research-based action, the authors provide leaders with an understanding of student learning that empowers them to work more productively with teachers, parents, community leaders, and students. Designed for principals and school administrators who have assumed the role of instructional leader, this book will also be an invaluable resource for those contemplating a career in school administration or teachers concerned with improving academic performance.
"Full of wonderful information, and very thought provoking!" -Susan E. Fisher, NBCT Douglas County School District, CO "Cuts through all the jargon." -Stephanie A. Slowik, NBCT, Nationally Certified School Counselor Wake County Public Schools, NC "Gives a better understanding of what the standards mean, what to do with the standards, and what to do if standards aren't being met by a school." -Shannon Journell, Teacher Enon Elementary School, OH "Not only am I an educator, but I am also a single mom of two. I read this book from both perspectives and was enlightened by the information. Every parent should be aware of the information in it, especially those who move frequently." -Stacy Slomko, Teacher Perth Amboy High School, NJ The essential resource for parents who want to help their children succeed in school! Expert educator and award-winning author Donna Walker Tileston helps parents take the guesswork out of understanding educational standards, mandated tests, No Child Left Behind, and the myriad other issues affecting their children's schools today. Within this concise, reader-friendly guide, parents will find a wealth of easy-to-understand information, including: How to understand and access local and national standards Five things parents can do to improve standards-based teaching and testing Ten guides to asking the right questions at open-school events and parent-teacher conferences Three ways to help children master high stakes tests What to do if schools don't achieve adequate yearly progress A glossary that defines the buzzwords that mystify non-educators With this one handy guide, all parents can become active, informed, and involved participants in their children's education.
The third in its series, What Every Principal Should Know About Ethical and Spiritual Leadership recognizes that effective headteachers possess a sound ethical and spiritual foundation in their leadership styles. Headteachers influence, promote and encourage the personal, academic and worldly learning potential in every individual - students, staff and parents alike. In this book, aspiring, new, and experienced headteachers will learn how to find the core values that drive their leadership, reflect on and renew the moral imperatives of the headship, and hone their abilities in resolving dilemmas in sound and ethical ways.
Recognize and promote exceptional teaching based on how students learn! To improve teaching, school leaders must understand how students learn. Authors P. Karen Murphy and Patricia Alexander explore key psychological dimensions of learners and explain how these dimensions can be incorporated into more effective teaching strategies. Their accessible overview of classic and current educational research is part of the Leadership for Learning initiative of the American Association of School Administrators (AASA). Understanding How Students Learn provides guiding principles that school leaders can use to help their teachers develop a learner-centered approach to instruction that enables all students to learn at high levels and do well on common measures of academic achievement. Concepts explored in-depth include: Learner growth and development Acquiring knowledge and understanding Cultivating learner motivation Strategic teaching and strategic learning The power of shared learning In addition to outlining specific guidelines for research-based action, the authors provide leaders with an understanding of student learning that empowers them to work more productively with teachers, parents, community leaders, and students. Designed for principals and school administrators who have assumed the role of instructional leader, this book will also be an invaluable resource for those contemplating a career in school administration or teachers concerned with improving academic performance.
Modeling Effective Writing, Reading, and Thinking Strategies for Student Success
Everybody wins when you practice the workshop approach in high school English! Do you find that preparing for standardized tests interferes with teaching advanced thinking, reading, and writing skills in a meaningful way? Do you want to balance test preparation with more creative activities? Success in school and beyond depends on one's ability to read fluently, write coherently, and think critically. This handbook uses the workshop model for exponentially increasing adolescents' abilities in these three key areas. This practical guide addresses the daily running and practice of a workshop-based classroom, using research and the author's own experiences to illustrate how to establish a workshop that: Fosters lasting learning while reinforcing the skills needed for standardized tests Teaches audience and purpose as a vehicle to style and structure Provides a supportive and lively environment in which students are comfortable enough to take risks and share original ideas Try Urbanski's approach to teaching literacy analysis and mentoring student writers, and discover just how rewarding the workshop experience can be!
"Purposeful, realistic . . . and clearly written....the book renews my excitement for teaching writing, and for new teachers, the text offers suggestions from a voice of experience-all within the framework of NCLB legislation for differentiating teaching based on learners' needs." -Julia Weinberg, Instructor University of Nevada, Reno Give students the power to express their thinking in writing and to use writing as a process for learning! How can we improve students' ability to write "constructed response" to high stakes content area test items? How can we open for them the writing pathway to exploring and understanding informational texts? How can we help them develop the essential traits of proficient writing? Nationally recognized experts in literacy with experience in elementary, middle school, and university classrooms as well as consulting expertise, Barone and Taylor meld theoretical and practical considerations about writing instruction to explain how to teach each child to: Self-monitor to improve writing skills Grow in ability to write successful constructed response Use writing to process and stretch their own thinking Prepare for high stakes writing assessment Improving Students' Writing, K-8 brings together real-life examples, rubrics, reproducible aids and how-to's for getting the most out of your writers.
What's Necessary, What's Nice, and What's Got to Go
Dig out from your desk and discover a refreshing new world of school leadership! Do you find yourself so busy digging a ditch with a spoon that you don't have time to go back to the tool shed and fetch a shovel? Are your in-box and daily schedule at maximum capacity? Does it seem impossible to include those extras that would make your job more enjoyable and satisfying? Conquering overload is a constant challenge for 21st-century school administrators. This book breathes fresh air into the often murky world of priority management. Setting Leadership Priorities teaches busy professionals how to distinguish between information, activities, and situations that must be retained, those that might be refined, and many that should be relinquished. Drawing on more than twenty years of experience as a teacher and administrator, Lovely understands that reducing frustration and overload helps administrators by: Increasing retention rates and improving success on the job Allowing them to redistribute leadership by delegating Creating balance in their daily lives and in their long-term professional journey When the emergencies outnumber the victories and you can't see the door over your towering in-box, it's time to reshuffle your priorities and let clarity emerge.
A Guide for Teachers and Parents of Children Ages 5 to 14
Formerly published by Peytral Publications Educate the whole child with these fun and thought-provoking activities that promote and maintain physical, cognitive, and emotional/social balance in children. Using the authors' flexible guidelines, teachers can help children develop attributes such as kindness and courage, love and joy, and a sense of meaning and interconnectedness.
