Vintage Knowledge For Principals

Principals need wisdom. The knowledge built up over time leads to authoritative solutions, resolutions, and actions. In Vintage Knowledge for Principals, over a hundred short entries define a single piece of wisdom, describe its benefits, and provide an example of the wisdom in action. Recommendations based on real-world experience are inexpensive and accessible. In minutes, principals will maximize the performance of their schools, their people, and their roles as administrators and leaders. Enrich your school. Encourage your people. Empower yourself with words of wisdom from an educator who has been where you want to go.

Now more than ever, school principals are on society's front line. Every day, they deal with the needs of special learners, exceptional academic minds, and students affected by problems at home. At the same time, they must monitor the security of the campus and implement new safety initiatives as needs arise. To gracefully manage such diverse challenges, principals need resources that allow them to access decades of experience at point in their careers. Vintage Knowledge for Modern Principals offers tools and inspiration for authoritative solutions and unique resolutions. With a concise approach to creative solutions, the action items in this book lead to effective results. Common challenges are addressed with inexpensive and accessible ideas grouped into three key areas. "Wisdom for your School" considers the school's operations, infrastructure, and property. "Wisdom for your People" utilizes opportunities that arise while managing teachers, students, parents, and staff. "Wisdom for You" enhances leadership, self-awareness, and relationship-building skills. Vintage Knowledge for Modern Principals maximizes results for today's schools, teachers, students, and principals.

Despite the administrative leadership that most principals receive in university courses, their most useful learning occurs once they are on the job. The new knowledge--much of it the result of trial and error--is gained in relative isolation. This second edition provides ideas, approaches, strategies, resources, tools, techniques, and reflective opportunities for principals to facilitate educational improvement on a daily basis. It retains the essence of the first edition while adding new strategies for addressing state and national standards, incorporating social and emotional learning, supervising and evaluating teachers to enhance the quality of student work, developing a love for learning in students, using brain-compatible teaching practices to maximize learning, using technology in meaningful ways, making data-driven decisions, sustaining effective professional development, practicing ethical leadership, and managing crises. Chapters are divided into seven parts: (1) "The Principal's Role"; (2) "Critical Skills for Effective Leadership"; (3) "Honoring the School's Mission"; (4) "Working Together to Build a Learning Organization"; (5) "Keeping the Pipes from Leaking: Adding Meaning to Traditional Practice"; (6) "Understanding Your Constituencies"; and (7) Professional and Personal Issues." Each chapter concludes with a set of reflective questions. (Contains 138 references and 14 additional readings.) (RT).

"The most important work of the school leader is to promote profound levels of learning in students and faculty, but only principals who know how to promote their own learning on the job can foster the learning of others. Here′s how!" —Roland S. Barth, Founding Director Harvard Principals′ Center "Finally, a book for administrators that validates their role in the area of action research! All administrator preparation programs should use this book." —Margarete Couture, Principal South Seneca Central School District, Interlaken, NY Become the "head learner" in your school by engaging in action research! While much has been written about the effectiveness of action research for improving the practice of teachers, few resources exist for leading principals through the process to strengthen their professional development and their role in school improvement efforts. Best-selling and award-winning author Nancy Fichtman Dana guides principals in identifying and exploring areas of interest for research, including staff development, curriculum development, individual teachers, community/culture building, leadership skills, building management, and school performance. With a step-by-step approach, this resource: Helps principals develop a question, collect and analyze data, and share the results of their inquiry with school faculty, the district, and the broader education community Includes numerous examples of actual principal inquiry to illustrate each step of the research process Provides exercises to guide principals through their own inquiry projects Use this proven method of professional development to continually cultivate your craft and improve school performance!

Harry Wolcott's ground-breaking anthropological study into the life of an elementary school principal is now reprinted in a new edition. One of the first studies of its kind, Wolcott uses an mircoenthnographic approach to analyze a single occupation within urban American society. Originally written in 1973, the text skillfully applies anthropological concepts and methodology to the realm of education. This new edition features an updated preface written by the author.

This book shows principals how they can accelerate their impact and make a difference from day one. Speaker and author Dr. Brad Johnson offers new and experienced principals authoritative advice on how to succeed in key areas: understanding the best leadership traits; developing positive relationships with staff; building a dynamic team culture; and creating a unified vision. Each chapter includes inspiring stories and practical examples for leaders in all types of school districts. Using these strategies, you will learn how to immediately maximize your influence over yourself, your staff, and the entire school culture.