Fearless Conversations School Leaders Have To Have

Step out of Your Comfort Zone and Really Help Kids To meet the needs of today's learners, fearless leadership is required to support and empower the adults who work with these learners. Written to help leaders build a culture of learning and improve academic achievement for all students, this guide to recognizing and using strategies will encourage staff to work at their full potential, build trust, and strengthen collegiality. Readers will find - interviews and case studies to illustrate effective practice - strategies to help them move from traditional methodologies toward stronger transformational leadership - examples to ignite additional thinking to facilitate achievement for all students

This book identifies the six fearless decisions that school leaders need to make to be successful. The author analyzes the top fears that impede effective leadership and lower student achievement, then provides a step by step antidote that will change fear into intention, increase confidence, and produce positive results in your school. In this book, you'll learn how to: * approach difficult classrooms and solve the problem of low-performing teachers * gain the strength to accept judgment when making controversial decisions during the change process * offer trust and gain it from your staff * use reflection questions and techniques to align thoughts with your best intentions * "re-wire" your thinking as you examine the risks that come with change * take action on standardized test results to improve student learning * feel comfortable making and implementing tough decisions Learn how to change fear into intention so you are able to act with confidence and get the results you really want.

Fully revised and updated—the national bestselling communication skills guide that will help you achieve personal and professional success one conversation at a time. The master teacher of positive change through powerful communication, Susan Scott wants you to succeed. To do that, she explains, you must transform everyday conversations at work and at home with effective ways to get your message across—and get what you want. In this guide, which includes a workbook and The Seven Principles of Fierce Conversations, Scott teaches you how to: • Overcome barriers to meaningful communication • Expand and enrich relationships with colleagues, friends, and family • Increase clarity and improve understanding • Handle strong emotions—on both sides of the table • Connect with colleagues, customers and family at a deep level Includes a Foreword by Ken Blanchard, the bestselling co-author of The One Minute Manager

This book examines some of the most important challenges facing administrators and other professionals in PreK-12 schools today: safety and security, hiring and evaluating members of the faculty and staff, dealing with students’ academic and behavioral challenges, assessing student performance, responding to disengaged or overly engaged parents, and handling external pressures from the community. It also explores ideas for how to design the types of school our students will need in the future and cope with the realities of trying to develop these schools in a difficult educational environment. Preferring practical advice over unsupported hypotheses and adopting clear, instructive language rather than educational jargon, the authors draw upon their own experience as well as some of the best research currently being conducted in the field of educational leadership. The book is suitable for self-study, workshops, education courses, and in-serve programs. The target audience is current and prospective PreK-12 administrators, teachers, student teachers, and staff.

From the author of the acclaimed book Fierce Conversations comes the antidote to some of the most wrongheaded practices of business today. · “Provide anonymous feedback.” · “Hire smart people.” · “Hold people accountable.” These are all sound, business practices, right? Not so fast, says leadership visionary and bestselling author Susan Scott. In fact, these mantras — despite being long-accepted and adopted by business leaders everywhere — are completely wrongheaded. Worse, they are costing companies billions of dollars, driving away valuable employees and profitable customers, limiting performance, and stalling careers. Yet they are so deeply ingrained in organizational cultures that no one has questioned them. Until now. In Fierce Leadership, Scott teaches us how to spot the worst “best” practices in our organizations using a technique she calls “squid eye”–the ability to see the “tells” or signs that we have fallen prey to disastrous behaviors by knowing what to look for. Only then, she says, can we apply the antidote.. Informed by over a decade of conversations with Fortune 500 executives, this book is that antidote. With fierce new approaches to everything from employee feedback to corporate diversity to customer relations, Scott offers fresh and surprising alternatives to six of the so-called “best” practices permeating today’s businesses. This refreshingly candid book is a must-read for any manager or leader at any level who is ready to take a long hard look at what trouble might be lurking in their organization - and do something about it.

What does it take to have fearless schools? It starts with psychological safety-students, teachers, and leaders who know that mistakes are the source of learning, not shame or embarrassment. In order for great learning to take place, we first must build the trust and resilience needed to produce fearless students, teachers, and leaders-and ultimately create fearless schools. "If we are truly going to make schools inviting places for all students to come to and flourish, then the status quo, the 'normal, ' is not good enough. To build the trust, the collegiality, the aspirational expectations among educators for this to happen-we need to be fearless. Doug Reeves outlines the conditions for such fearlessness: not tolerating mediocrity, confronting reality over wishful thinking, listening and candor, and resilience and learning together from errors. Written with passion, this book invites you to develop the courage to create schools that are fearless such that all (educators and students) are improving, aspiring, and are part of a learning organization." -John Hattie, Emeritus Laureate Professor, Melbourne Graduate School of Education; Chair, Board of the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership "In Fearless Schools, Dr. Reeves tackles an urgent issue facing our children and the staff members who work with them. Fear of the virus, fear of change, and even fear of interacting with others will create a critical need to address these fears, reduce anxiety, and generally tend to the social and emotional health of children and staff." -Chris Lee Nicastro, PhD, former Commissioner of Education, State of Missouri

Many urban educators live in fear: of their schools being labeled failures, of increasingly punitive sanctions, of loss of respect and livelihood. This fear pervades the entire school community, affecting the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of its members. The authors of this guide to transformation in urban schools are convinced that the key ingredient for school renewal is fearless leadership. Fearless leaders work in schools under-resourced and overburdened and serve disproportionately large numbers of children who live in poverty and face racism daily. They are ordinary educators committed to proving that demographics need not be destiny. This inspirational yet practical book will help you bridge the divide that separates urban students from their birthright of a high-quality education. You will learn how to * Adopt a leadership approach, consisting of affirmation, inspiration, and mediation (AIM), that will transform your school into a flourishing learning community. * Build a leadership team of important stakeholders--including students--that is committed to improvement. * Tap into the resources that already exist in your school and jettison institutional arrangements that prevent your school from becoming an enriching and creative community. * Create supports that enable teachers to nurture their students' potential to meet high standards and become self-actualized learners. Each chapter closes with reflections and activities that will help your leadership team produce its own roadmap for change. Succeeding in the tough landscape of urban schools requires more than just passion and a sense of urgency; it requires real skills. Aim High, Achieve More provides insights gleaned from real-world experiences that will enable you to create a successful, vibrant learning environment.

When people share their stories and ask their questions, something beautiful happens. Relationships deepen, and people begin to see God at work in their lives, and the lives of others. But how do "deep" conversations begin? Through grappling questions and respectful discussion. That's what "Fearless Conversation" Adult Sunday School Curriculum is designed to do?build relationships through authentic conversation. Looking to the Bible for the truth, "Fearless Conversation" guides participants through genuine discussion that digs deep into what God has to say. This easy-to-lead, low prep curriculum is saturated with Bible content and will: Help people get to know God and each other better by exploring "wondering" questions.Encourage people to look to the Bible and seek answers to their biggest questions.Foster participation so everyone is a valuable part of the dialogue. People want to talk about their faith. Give them the opportunity to openly share their stories, ask their questions, and connect with others in a safe environment. You?ll be amazed at what can happen. This participant guide contains all the lessons and notes for the second 13 weeks of Fearless Conversation: How Can We Be Fully Faithful When Were Fully Flawed? Participants will explore 1&w Samuel, 1 Chronicles and Psalms. "Fearless Conversation" features a 2-year Scope and Sequence and will work for any size group. The second 13-week title, How Can We Be Fully Faithful When Were Fully Flawed?, releases 9/16/2014. Subsequent titles will be released quarterly. You can start with any volume you choose!