20 Biggest Mistakes Principals Make and How to Avoid Them is specifically designed for principals as a means of reflecting on their personal behaviour and experiences as principal. The mistakes reported in this book reflect a collection of conversations with teachers, administrators, and the author's own personal experiences as both a teacher and ......
A grab-and-go guide for busy principals While many books outline the attributes of successful school leaders, few describe how those traits manifest in daily practice. The Daily Practices of Successful Principals goes beyond the outward picture of excellence and provides a compendium of daily practices used by successful principals in various settings. Written by former administrators who have walked in your shoes, this handy guide's strategies are based on interviews with successful leaders and are applicable in multiple contexts. Inside you will find guidelines for: Examining your values, educational platform, and personal style Establishing learning as a common purpose Identifying and leading school change Effectively managing staff and student relationships Developing teacher leaders The authors understand that principals are expected to have the patience of Job, the tenacity of Atlas, the compassion of Mother Teresa, and a sense of humor. The recommended daily practices will help you stay focused on the most important things-leading effectively, promoting student achievement, and making a positive difference in students' lives.
"A straightforward and easy read about what it takes to become a tech savvy leader in today's educational setting." -Nathan Flansburg, Principal Valentine Hills Elementary School, Arden Hills, MN "The topic is timely and this book is practical and relevant to K-12 schools across the country. The tables, checklists, rubrics, research-based models, and website recommendations are terrific." -Minjuan Wang, Associate Professor of Educational Technology San Diego State University Don't just ride the technology train - drive it Today's children would rather text than talk, use apps instead of maps, and carry their phones, computers, cameras, and stereos in their palms. They need an active classroom, interdisciplinary curriculum, and project-based instruction that mirrors their lives outside the classroom. Author Marilyn L. Grady offers a cut-to-the-chase approach for busy principals who want to successfully lead with technology for enhanced student learning. This helpful resource shows school leaders how to Develop a technology leadership team Implement professional development Assess technical needs, student learning, and teacher performance Address cyber safety effectively Included are field-tested tools in digestible "bytes" that bridge theory and practice, including a Principal's Exploration Agenda that outlines how to build capacity by taking just 15 minutes a day to explore recommended websites and blogs. Staying ahead of the technology curve is essential, and this book is written with an understanding that changes in technology are constant. The variety of principal experiences and vignettes will show you how to guide the way as your school's chief instructional leader.
"As I read this book, I found aspects of myself-my personal and professional behavior-on almost every page! I was able to put the coping strategies in the book to immediate use with little effort and great results! A must when our time is so limited." Kaye L. Peery, Administrator Springer Municipal Schools Springer, NM "School leaders are subjected to stress in all aspects of their work. Brock and Grady present a realistic approach to dealing with stress that can benefit every school leader." Ron Joekel, Executive Director Emeritus Phi Delta Kappa International Much has been written on teacher stress and how to cope with it . . . but now best-selling authors Barbara L. Brock and Marilyn L. Grady turn their expert attention to administrator burnout in this unique and powerful new "how-to" book. Avoiding Burnout presents real-world success stories from individual school administrators across the country. How do they handle stress and burnout? What can be learned from their individual challenges and solutions? Principals at all levels will learn a great deal about: The nature of stress Stress triggers and response mechanisms Capitalizing on work stress Effective time management and interpersonal skills Career renewal Caring for yourself . . . including a set of comprehensive resources that offer additional tools for self-assessment and taking action. A unique and useful new guide that offers school leaders at all levels an important opportunity for professional development and personal reflection.
"This book reflects a true understanding of the different personalities administrators face and clearly outlines what each leader can do to establish a positive environment for their employees and students. This is one book no administrator should be without." -Patricia Bowman, Retired Principal, Los Angeles Unified School District Adjunct Professor, University of California, Los Angeles Proven solutions for toxic behaviors! Unconstructive staff behaviors can disrupt a thriving school environment. School leaders need positive, generative communication strategies that can defuse negativity and inspire teachers to change their behavior and become contributing members of the learning community. From Difficult Teachers...to Dynamic Teamwork examines the underlying basis of problematic behaviors and provides proactive, proven strategies for building teamwork and a positive school culture. Leaders will discover strategies for enhancing their interpersonal skills, determining if their own behavior is contributing to the problem, and encouraging behavior change in teachers and staff. Based on interviews with more than 50 experienced principals, this valuable resource connects content to practice via: Key tools, practical resources, organizational charts, and behavior assessment forms Sage advice and quotations from experienced educators Sample dialogues to help identify behavior challenges "Take Action" sections for specific implementation strategies Maximize the effectiveness of your staff by building a culture of shared leadership, collegiality, and teamwork!
The Principal's Guide to Early Childhood Education
'In one relatively small volume, the authors have organized information on just about everything a school leader needs to get a well-designed program off the ground and make sure it will get better as time goes on' - Harriet A. Egertson, Early Childhood Consultant Early Childhood Assessment Consortium, Council of Chief State School Officers Prepare our youngest students for future learning success with effective ECE programs! To ensure that young children are ready to enter kindergarten, elementary schools are becoming increasingly involved in early childhood education (ECE), and more and more principals have to deal with ECE issues. Now this practical manual shows principals what successful ECE programs look like-and how to achieve quality results in their schools and communities. The authors provide an inside view of the field, touching on key areas of operation and discussing ways to avoid common pitfalls. Blending research-based content with practical applications, this accessible guide helps principals and other administrators: - Gain a foundational understanding of how very young children learn - Create quality environments and practices for teaching early learners - Provide the kind of feedback staff need to improve - Work successfully with ECE agencies and providers - Easily implement the strategies outlined using reproducible forms, templates, and checklists This comprehensive resource presents the information principals need to become key players in educating our nation's youngest learners!
Praise for the Second Edition: "Finally, a book that is realistic and provides superb assistance. A must for every principal." -Ronald Jockel, Executive Director, Phi Delta Kappa International "Compelling rationale and practical steps for developing a first-year teacher induction program." -Linda L. Lyman, Associate Professor, Department of Educational Leadership and Human Development, Bradley University Help new teachers be the best they can be! Beginning teachers are often filled with self-doubt and questions regarding school culture and principals' expectations. From First-Year to First-Rate: Principals Guiding Beginning Teachers, Third Edition helps you answer teachers' questions and gain strategies to prevent the isolation that many new instructors experience. Updated to meet the challenges facing new teachers today, this revision of the bestseller helps administrators develop a first-year induction plan to help teachers succeed. This vital resource provides: Ideas for initial orientation Strategies for measuring program success A greater focus on practical applications for the classroom You hold the key to the professional development of your teachers. Use it to unlock their potential for growth!
'Grady's book encourages principals who are perpetually pressed for time to get to correspondence that languishes at the bottom of their to-do lists. My own correspondence has doubled since getting my hands on this book!' - Cathie West, Principal, Mountain Way Elementary School, Granite Falls, WA 'The letters cover a wide variety of topics and give administrators ideas on what kind of letters to write. After going through the letters, I realize that I need to send more letters of appreciation to parents and organizations' - Gina Segobiano, Principal//Superintendent, Signal Hill School District 181, Belleville, IL As the key communicators for schools, principals write a wide range of correspondence-from thank-you letters and congratulations to best wishes and other personal notes. Yet, this critical responsibility can easily fall victim to every administrator's busy schedule. Marilyn Grady's updated and expanded collection of letters is truly a timesaving starter kit, with user-friendly and easy-to-personalize templates to revitalize every busy administrator's communications repertoire. This practical resource provides jargon-free templates useful for o Improving communication with parents, teachers, and other school stakeholders o Initiating a "letter-a-day" plan to improve school culture o Advancing parent education, health and wellness, and safety initiatives, among others o Reminding you to communicate with all stakeholders o Evaluating your current written communication o Identifying areas where you could communicate more This targeted collection will add a new level of organization, efficiency, and effectiveness to your communication tasks. Unlock the secrets of effective communication and watch relationships on all levels flourish! Includes a PC- and Mac-compatible CD-ROM containing all letters for easy customization.
Help teachers move past the grind of daily survival to the fulfillment of career-long professional development! Imagine someone telling you that, within three years, your new teachers would leave the profession for which they trained so hard. That's what is happening to 30% of today's promising new teachers who are not given the mentoring, ......
