Book Description
Practical pointers for maximizing meetings and motivating team members!
At their worst, meetings can waste time, lack focus, foster a combative spirit, or be just plain boring. At their best, meetings can be a positive, dynamic experience that nurtures individual strengths while inspiring teamwork to successfully accomplish an established task. The fate of a meeting lies in the skill of the facilitator, and this easy-to-use guide has all the tips and tools necessary to make you shine in this challenging role.
Anyone charged with navigating a group of people toward a desired objective will benefit from this book’s indispensable features, which include:
- Templates for easy implementation at every stage of the facilitation process
- Straightforward tactics for managing difficult participants and emotionally charged situations
- Realistic examples to help you avoid pitfalls
- Surefire methods for delegating in a meaningful and respectful manner
From pre-meeting preparation, to the meeting’s critical first few minutes, to its conclusion and beyond, this manual provides step-by-step guidance for the entire facilitation process. It is packed with proven do’s and don’ts based on psychological principles, research, real-life experience, and field-tested best practices. The user-friendly strategies focus on such key areas as team building, brainstorming, motivating, overcoming problematic situations, reaching goals, and assessing results.
Customer Reviews:
The facilitator's Bible: cultivating and creating........2004-12-11
Finally, a book that is easy to follow, addresses the most common problems encountered by facilitators, and offers practical advice to both novice and pro alike in creating effective group work. Eller gives tips on how to manage difficult individuals with everyday gestures and postures and ways to diffuse a tense environment. Every chapter from "What am I getting into" to "Reaching Peak Performance: connecting their minds" and more is well-designed and deals with every complexity and situation imaginable for those involved in education. Whether you are looking for strategies to enhance the environment that the group will meet in or ways to make sure that the task at hand is not forgotten, this book contains ideas and contemporary models to put the facilitator's mind at ease and allow the team members to focus on the agenda, not petty problems. In addition, the author introduces in chapter seven a concise and clear path to attain the desired goal and does so in a manner that proves to be innovative and stimulating. Most of the books on the shelf that offer the reader suggestions tend to be rather dry and boring or use techniques and situations that haven't occured in many decades. Poignant and refreshing. Mr Eller gets an A+.
Book Description
"I feel that this is a book that principals will be interested in purchasing and reading. It has practical advice and relevant examples of how the advice can and has been implemented."
Phillip Silsby, Principal
Belleville West High School, Belleville, IL
"I could hear the voices of some of the principals who were interviewed speaking to me. The author clearly knows how to gather information and present it in a meaningful way."
Bonnie Tryon, Zone 2 Director
National Association of Elementary School Principals
"This is a powerful guidebook for new principals. More than that, it also contains valuable insight and examples to assist veteran principals in growing and improving professionally."
Kimberly Kay Janisch, Principal
Watertown High School, Watertown, SD
How can principals raise achievement levels, energize teachers, and get results? How can you remain productive and effective in this age of accountability?
Highly effective principals have strong communication skills, high levels of knowledge about teaching and learning, and the ability to provide instructional leadership. This excellent, new resource provides principals, administrative teams, and educators with tremendous resources to hone these skills and traits.
Ten Traits of Highly Effective Principals contains ideas, reflections, behaviors, habits, and stories from the trenches to guide and inspire as you seek to increase your own effectiveness. Each chapter in this resource describes an essential component of personal effectiveness. A highly effective principal is
- A
communicator—listen, empathize, and connect
- An
educator—with a depth of knowledge; motivates intellectual growth
- An
envisioner—focused on the vision of what schools can be
- A
facilitator—building strong relationships
- A
change master—flexible, futuristic, and realistic, and can motivate change
- A
culture builder—communicating and modeling a strong, viable vision
- An
activator—with motivation, energy, and enthusiasm to spare
- A
producer— building intellectual development and academic achievement
- A
character builder—whose values are trustworthiness, respect, and integrity
- A
contributor—whose priority is making contributions to the success of others
Transform your school into a community of learners, set high academic and behavioral expectations, and create a culture where children feel special and safe.
Book Description
Data Driven Decision Making for Effective School Leadership is a brief supplement for K-12 inservice teachers (especially those served by ASCD). It explores the role of data in making effective instructional, financial, and administrative decisions in schools. This is a significant issue in Educational Administration, and, in today's standards-based testing environment in K-12 education.
The book covers concepts and foundations of data-driven decision making, basic applications, and basic statistical concepts.
For inservice K-12 teachers, especially those served by ASCD.
Book Description
This book provides a bridge from learning the theory of school administration to the practical problem solving in which school principals and other leaders engage.
This book continues to be based on the research indicating linkages between educational leadership and productive schools, especially in terms of outcomes for children. It supports the understanding that formal leadership in schools is a complex, multi-faceted task that requires continual learning and that effective school leaders must be strong educators focused on the central issues of learning, teaching, and school improvement. School leaders must also be moral agents and social advocates for the children and communities they serve while working with community stakeholders to create learning communities that value and care for others as individuals and as members of the educational community.
For those aspiring to become principals or hold leadership positions.
Customer Reviews:
Practical Ideas.......2000-09-20
I used this book in my classroom. The reading was easy and the ideas were very practical. I was able to understand the difference between managers and leaders.
Book Description
"Leading Every Day: 124 Actions for Effective Leadership, Second Edition
underscores the cumulative effects of particular day-to-day leadership acts as practiced throughout the organization. The kinds of actions recommended by the authors of this practical and valuable book shape the school community and nurture a commitment to continuous improvement no matter how challenging the environment in which a school resides."
-Dennis Sparks, Executive Director, National Staff Development Council
"The new edition is an indispensable resource for the practiced leader…(with) contemplations that can guide, inform and challenge all school leaders' thinking and . . . moral ethical actions. With the investment of just a few minutes each day, the reader can have an in-depth consideration of why we do this work."
-Randall B. Lindsey, Director, Education Leadership Doctorate Program, California Lutheran University
"Among the plethora of resources on leadership, this book stands out for its simple, profound way of connecting personal reflections on leadership to the actual work of leaders to improve teaching and learning. It is a must-have resource for anyone committed to leading, supporting, and sustaining research-based and data-informed improvements in education."
-Page Keeley, Senior Science Program Director, Maine Mathematics & Science Alliance
Inspire the leader in you and positively influence the people around you!
As our society faces more complex challenges, the demand for effective leadership grows. Leaders, especially education leaders, often need to solve complicated problems quickly with limited resources. Understanding their own leadership styles, roles, and practices enhances the impact that leaders have every day. In this follow-up to their best-selling 2003 NSDC Book of the Year, the authors provide four full months of contemplations centered on the major areas in which leaders work.
Leading Every Day offers direction on providing high-quality leadership amid turbulent times. Modeling the philosophy that leadership exists in all of us, the authors inspire educators to lead in big and small ways. This second edition offers:
-
Inspirational stories illustrating effective leadership
-
Cogent quotations for educators to carry with them each day
-
Actionable advice that can be implemented today
-
Invitations for larger discourse that can change the lives of leaders and the lives of those they lead
-
The latest research on best practices in leadership, change, professional development, and group leadership
Exploring leadership and leadership potential is an important step for everyone. This book highlights a path of exploration for veteran and aspiring leaders alike.
See
Facilitator's Guide to Leading Every Day, Second Edition
Customer Reviews:
A unique and "user friendly" guidebook.......2002-10-07
Collaboratively written by education experts Joyce Kaser, Susan Mundry, Katherine E. Stiles, and Susan Loucks-Horsley, Leading Every Day: 124 Actions For Effective Leadership is a unique and "user friendly" guidebook written especially for administrators and teachers. Offering a wealth of tips, tricks, techniques, as well as practical and applicable advice in a day-by-day absorption format which is aptly complemented by daily reflections and space for personal notes, Leading Every Day is recommended as an excellent supplementary resource offering sound advice and solid practices.
Book Description
Discover the qualities that yield exceptional performance and far-reaching success!
As all educators increasingly face the pressures of accountability, filling our schools with effective teachers skilled at fostering outstanding academic achievement has never been more important. In this quick-read resource, Elaine McEwan explores the ten characteristics that lead to success in the classroom, increased school morale, satisfied parents, and eager, high-achieving students.
This highly organized and user-friendly guide shares practical insights into these ten crucial traits through real-life examples, experiences, research, and personal reflections from students, parents, and educators at all levels.
Administrators will value the numerous tools that Ten Traits of Highly Effective Teachers provides for hiring, coaching, mentoring, and motivating effective teachers, while new and experienced teachers will be inspired to fully embody the ten traits and renew their zeal for teaching.
Special features include:
- Numerous graphic organizers to clearly illustrate the ten traits
- More than 50 interview questions based on the ten traits to help administrators and teachers prepare for the all-important interview process
- Dozens of exercises for principals to use to energize experienced teachers, empower new teachers, and nurture the ten traits
- Examples from research that highlight the relationship between the traits and student achievement
Customer Reviews:
10 Traits all teachers should consider before teaching.......2004-04-05
When I first chose to read this book, I wasn't sure how much of it would pertain to mentoring. My concern increased when I received the book and it listed only one chapter dealing, officically, with mentoring. My concerns quickly vanished as I began to read. This book is an excellent book for new teachers to read or for mentors to share with them. It focuses on all aspects of teaching and stresses the importance of the well rounded teacher and their ability to be a real person. It states that the intellectual abilities are just one component of an effective teacher and encourages teachers to be respectful, empathetic, creative, and to have a sense of humor. There are also suggestions on how to encourage and empower experienced teachers. This book comes with graphic organizers that can be used to create presentations for in services or new teacher orientations and the author has granted permission for such usage. Ten Traits of Highly Effective Teachers makes a great addition to my professional library.
Has anyone read this book?.......2004-01-14
The two reviews (so far) for this book were obviously written by the interns at the publishing house or publicist's office.
Tells you everything you need to know.
Keep on moving, folks. Nothing to see here.
What makes an Effective Teacher?.......2003-04-09
10 Traits of Highly Effective Teachers by Elaine K. McEwan is well put together book, with lots of graphic organizers to clearly illustrate the ten traits. It concisely lists and explains the traits that make administrators and teachers effective. This book provides tools for teachers, administrators, and mentors to help others and themselves become more effective.
Principals and administrators will find ideas to help them improve instruction, become more able mentors, and motivate effective teachers. Teachers will find information and inspiration to define personal definitions of effective teaching. The book will give every teacher a renewed sense of mission and vision of what teaching can be.
McEwan's book divides the traits into three categories: personal traits, teaching traits, and knowledge traits. She introduces you to each trait through real-life examples, personal vignettes, and reflections of students, parents and educators. She provides many lists, questions, and exercises to empower teachers and nurture the ten traits.
EXCITING ANSWERS TO WHAT MAKES EFFECTIVE TEACHERS.......2001-12-02
10 TRAITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE TEACHERS by Elaine K. McEwan is bound to be a best seller. The American public is tired of pie-in-the-sky theory; they want no-nonsense answers about what makes administrators and teachers effective so that these traits can be emulated and transferred to the next generation of educators.
Ms. McEwan admits in the book that she likes lists; and the busy reader profits from her lists because they contain substance. Her lists are not full of superfluous rhetoric but are nuggets of digestible truth.
What traits should quality teachers seek to develop? McEwan lays them out concisely. What should principals do to encourage classroom teachers? McEwan tells the inquiring reader. What questions should a principal and/or a committee ask when hiring prospective teachers? McEwan spells them out through helpful snippets of real-world scenarios. How can a teacher develop his own teaching style? McEwan gives fascinating examples. How can a teacher manage instructional time to the maximum? McEwan illustrates actual experiences from her own life as an experienced educator.
McEwan's book is not wordy, and it can be consumed in small bites which is a must for over-committed educators. However, her content and style make the reader want to keep reading. Having been a classroom teacher for over 29 years, I found myself saying "Amen" again and again; but I also found myself learning new information to which I had never been exposed.
Elaine McEwan is indeed a teacher of teachers, a leader among administrators; and her book should serve as a quality textbook for those who want to follow one of the highest callings in life.
Book Description
Establish collaborative learning communities that foster high academic standards!
Today’s school leaders face a difficult reality: the pressure to meet national standards often eclipses the pursuit of additional academic goals. This groundbreaking text seeks to remedy this conflict by enabling practicing and prospective school leaders to build collaborative, constructive environments that not only help schools achieve national standards, but also help the school community realize high academic standards.
Sullivan and Glanz put forth a conceptual framework centered on modeling reflective practice. This framework and the authors’ suggested strategies and techniques provide school leaders with:
- Approaches that can be employed at all educational levels
- Materials that educate leaders about themselves
- Tactics for building a reflective learning community
- Suggestions for promoting individual and group development
Discover the techniques that foster collaborative learning communities in which all members of the school community advance high academic standards.
Book Description
A unique guidebook, training tool, and reference work for new and experienced administrators!
The role of the assistant principal is one of the least researched and least discussed topics in educational leadership … but the importance of the position in the day-to-day operation of the school site is growing every day.
This first-of-its-kind work addresses the multiple needs of students, instructors, and practitioners alike, helping new and experienced assistant principals develop the skills they need to move up the leadership ladder.
A specially designed questionnaire was administered to 100 assistant principals to assess their needs and knowledge; The Assistant Principal, unlike any other book of its kind, is the result of those field-based research findings. Educators and administrators, L. David Weller and Sylvia J. Weller, have created a practical and useful work that can help on a variety of levels:
As a comprehensive examination of the role, The Assistant Principal provides a fresh and valuable exploration of this increasingly important administrative position, identifying its strengths and potential weaknesses through real-life research-based data and the first-hand experience of 100 administrators.
As a professional development program, this book will be invaluable to teachers preparing for the role of assistant principal and assistant principals preparing for the principalship or related positions. Theory and field-based research are combined into one volume, complete with case studies, exercises, and examples.
As a reference guide for practicing assistant principals, Weller and Weller give readers a wealth of best leadership practices and practical examples that work, provided by practitioners in the field, as well as samples of surveys, evaluation instruments, and more. Designed for immediate application and easy use.
Weller and Weller address all the major issues that assistant principals face every day, offering strategies, tactics, and exercises for improvement, including:
- Leadership knowledge and skills
- The transition from manager to leader
- Informal leaders and groups in the schools: developing a power base
- Public relations and community power agents: successful networking
- Effective communication and listening skills
- Leadership for instructional improvement
- Effective leadership through effective staff development
As a reference guide, a training tool, and an examination of the profession, this all-in-one volume is essential for every administrator.
Book Description
Praise for Randi Stone’s Best Practice collections:
"Will live up to its title and become a favored reference for any teacher, whether in a primary or public, rural or urban, or preschool through high school setting."
-Wisconsin Bookwatch, July 2004
"A priceless tool not only for teachers but also for mentors and administrators."
-Danny McPherson, Principal
West Columbus High School, Cerra Gordo, NC
"Just what the teacher ordered."
-CHOICE, November 2002
"Offers practical, down-to-earth advice."
-Letitia Abram, Media Specialist
Canal Winchester High School, OH
Join award-winning teacher leaders as they discuss their best ideas for today’s professional learning communities!
Best Practices for Teacher Leadership chronicles the many and varied ways in which award-winning teachers create professional learning communities through collaborations with colleagues, mentees, faculty groups, learners, families, and neighborhoods.
Join them as they share their best ideas for achieving excellence in education through staff development, hands-on learning, new technologies, mentoring, parent involvement, and more.
Book Description
Now you can do more than just deal with the "crisis-du-jour".
Leadership is learnable, and this comprehensive guide will show you how to be proactive, prevent crises, create dreams, push the envelope, and focus on the future instead of just reacting to crises, spending all your time putting out fires, or coping with the current system—whether it works or not. In this updated second edition, best-selling author Robert D. Ramsey gives you just what you need to avoid "simply managing" and to become a true leader instead!
Unlike other manuals that give you bits and pieces on how to develop a particular curriculum or handle specific day-to-day discipline problems, this unique handbook offers administrators practical, time-proven lessons on how to think, act, plan, set priorities, manage time, and make decisions—skills that will help you navigate through the unique challenges of leading in a school environment. Included are guidelines on:
- Getting the most out of people
- Bringing about change
- Handling politics
- Dealing with setbacks
- Thinking, looking, and acting like an effective school leader
- Communicating effectively
- Practicing ethical leadership
Being a school leader can actually be exciting, rewarding, and fun again, once you’re equipped to tackle today’s challenges!
Other books by Robert D. Ramsey:
What Matters Most for School Leaders
School Leadership From A to Z
How to Say the Right Thing Every Time
Well Said, Well Spoken
Customer Reviews:
Reviewing the school leaders' practices.......2005-09-26
Ramsey, R.D. (2006). Lead, follow or get out of the way: How to be a more effective leader in today's schools (2nd. ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.
We have a perceived crisis in education at present, in that it is harder to find high quality school leaders. As professional educators it is our collective role to mentor the next generation of school leaders and ensure that the students of the future get the best possible education. With that in mind I took a look at Bob Ramsey's book- "Lead, follow or get out of the way".
Being a principal is a complex job and I am sceptical of books in the management genre that simplify management to a list of rules and procedures. I was happy to find that Ramsey's book was far better than that. I was buoyed by the common-sense approach that the author has and it is accompanied by an economical and purposeful writing style. I was buoyed too by his observation that apart from authenticity and passion all of the leadership roles are learnable.
Clearly this book has an educative role for the neophyte school leader. It is comprehensively informative. The lists and checklists are very useful and provide a great starting point for discussions about specific aspects of school leadership. If I were mentoring a school leader I would find this a useful text.
A second role for the text is as a reflective tool for the experienced school leaders. None of us is perfect and it is rare to have a "significant other" in the near vicinity with whom reflection is possible. In a vicarious sense, Ramsey's book does this.
What the book does not do, in detail, is address the two key issues of schooling- pedagogic and curriculum leadership. Not withstanding this, the book is a very useful addition to any professional library. This book is my book of choice for our school leaders' reading group.
Corwin Press is to be thanked for producing good quality and topical books for educators, at a reasonable price.
Great easy read for Principals to be.......2005-09-01
This is a very useful and good book to read for educators seeking new admin positions. The fashion in which Ramsey lists things and pin points facts makes remembering and recalling his facts easy.As an educator with 15 years of teaching experience, I thought I'd explore the field of administration in education. I have taken several Principal's courses which are the first steps to getting into a Vice Principal's position, but I've never built the courage to apply for such a position. Several friends who have moved into such admin positions ask me why I don't make a move in that direction and I also ask myself why I'm not taking any steps in that direction. I never had a clear answer until I read this book by Ramsey. It really hit a nerve with me. In simple words it opened my eyes to the fact that at this point in time of my career I need to GET OUT OF THE WAY. The rest is yours to read. I highly reccomend this book to educators seeking positions in the admin areas.
Books:
- Emergency Response Planning for Corporate and Municipal Managers, Second Edition (Butterworth-Heinemann Homeland Security)
- Employment Law (3rd Edition)
- Frank Lloyd Wright The Houses
- FYI: For Your Improvement, A Guide for Development and Coaching (4th edition)
- Graphic Guide to Frame Construction: Details for Builders and Designers (For Pros by Pros)
- Growing Great Employees: Turning Ordinary People into Extraordinary Performers
- Health Behavior and Health Education: Theory, Research, and Practice
- Health Behavior and Health Education: Theory, Research, and Practice
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
Books Index
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General
| Education
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
"Sit and Get" Won't Grow Dendrites: 20 Professional Learning Strategies That Engage the Adult Brain
Energizing Staff Development Using Film Clips: Memorable Movie Moments That Promote Reflection, Conversation, and Action
30 Reflective Staff Development Exercises for Educators
Strategies That Work: Teaching Comprehension for Understanding and Engagement
Now, Discover Your Strengths
