How High-Performing Principals Create High-Performing Schools
A complete guide to administrative and instructional leadership, Handbook of School Improvement poses two key questions for discussion: "What is a high-performing school?" and "What does a head teacher do to create a high-performing school?" This illuminating text provides answers to those and other critical questions via findings from a ground-breaking study of exceptional head teachers who have created high-performing schools. Reflecting in-depth interviews with 20 head teachers of outstanding or significantly improved schools, the authors discuss individual and group activities that can be used by council and school administrators, staff developers, teachers, and parents working together for school improvement. This resource also presents an array of top resources that include books, articles, Web sites, standards, videos, kits, tools, workbooks, career-planning materials, and interviews with experts.
Practical advice from the teacher's perspective! Learn what effective principals do to influence, motivate, and empower teachers. Based on an in-depth study in which teachers detail the strategies extraordinary principals used to help them become more effective in the classroom, this third edition incorporates the most up-to-date literature and includes easy-to-follow guidelines in each chapter. An ideal resource for experienced or aspiring school principals, thisabook offers strategies and related practices that illustrate how to: Use the power of praise Influence by expecting and involving Encourage professional autonomy Lead by standing behind Suggest rather than direct Use formal authority positively
"Reading this book is like having a conversation with several great colleagues sharing their ideas and expertise. The ideas and suggestions are clear, relevant, and doable. This book is inspiring!" -Pam Newell Bradley, Principal Irving Elementary School, Muskogee, OK Teachers reveal how principals can empower them to perform their best! What strategies do great principals use to influence teachers, students, and classroom instruction? This best-selling book by Joseph Blase and Peggy C. Kirby, now in its third edition, provides the answers from the teachers themselves. New material in this revised edition compares the authors' original research findings with recent literature on transformational leadership, school productivity, and adult learning, as well as the ISLLC and ELCC standards. Such comparisons underscore the continued timeliness and timelessness of this teacher's-eye view of effective school leadership. The book offers strategies and related practices that allow leaders to Use the power of praise Influence others by using expectations and involvement Encourage professional autonomy Lead by standing behind Suggest rather than direct Use formal authority positively Ideal for experienced or aspiring school principals, this enlightening and compact resource provides invaluable perspectives on how to motivate and inspire classroom teachers.
A Guide to Peer Consultation for Administrators and Teachers
Boost teacher-to-teacher collaboration and learning as a means of informal, but powerful professional development! Most teachers have experienced some kind of formal mentoring or induction program. What these programs can miss is the meaningful daily interaction with peers that builds mutual trust and instructional collaboration-the organic, coachable moments that boost professional learning. Based on a unique investigative study of nearly 300 teachers, this powerful new resource provides informative teacher perspectives of informal, naturally occurring, teacher-to-teacher professional development. Jo and Joseph Blase use this research to identify the following five teacher behaviors that can positively influence other teachers' morale, teaching skills, and professional growth: Building healthy relationships by communicating, caring, and developing trust Using five guiding principles for structuring learning experiences Planning and organizing for learning Showing and sharing Guiding for classroom management This excellent resource helps school leaders promote a culture that encourages lasting professional development. Each chapter presents practical concepts and strategies that can occur in and out of the classroom. Educators share specific experiences and examples, showing each skill in action. School leaders will learn what strong teacher peer "consultants" actually do that leads to improved teacher confidence and motivation, enhanced trust and mutual respect, and reflective instructional behavior among their colleagues. These cost-effective, authentic strategies will build camaraderie and leadership in your school, engaging colleagues as a team in the vital mission of all schools-educating our youth.
A Guide to Peer Consultation for Administrators and Teachers
Boost teacher-to-teacher collaboration and learning as a means of informal, but powerful professional development! Most teachers have experienced some kind of formal mentoring or induction program. What these programs can miss is the meaningful daily interaction with peers that builds mutual trust and instructional collaboration-the organic, coachable moments that boost professional learning. Based on a unique investigative study of nearly 300 teachers, this powerful new resource provides informative teacher perspectives of informal, naturally occurring, teacher-to-teacher professional development. Jo and Joseph Blase use this research to identify the following five teacher behaviors that can positively influence other teachers' morale, teaching skills, and professional growth: Building healthy relationships by communicating, caring, and developing trust Using five guiding principles for structuring learning experiences Planning and organizing for learning Showing and sharing Guiding for classroom management This excellent resource helps school leaders promote a culture that encourages lasting professional development. Each chapter presents practical concepts and strategies that can occur in and out of the classroom. Educators share specific experiences and examples, showing each skill in action. School leaders will learn what strong teacher peer "consultants" actually do that leads to improved teacher confidence and motivation, enhanced trust and mutual respect, and reflective instructional behavior among their colleagues. These cost-effective, authentic strategies will build camaraderie and leadership in your school, engaging colleagues as a team in the vital mission of all schools-educating our youth.
How Successful Principals Promote Teaching and Learning
From the Foreword of the First Edition: `A treasure trove of knowledge about instructional leadership. Rich descriptions bring to life such concepts as inquiry, reflection, collaboration, empowerment, and learning community. The authors enable the reader to encounter the spirit of schools where these ideas have become a reality' - From the ......
Overcoming the Problem of Principal Mistreatment of Teachers
Recognize destructive behavior and cultivate constructive support! The detrimental effect of abusive principal behavior not only deteriorates teacher morale and performance, but also erodes school effectiveness, student learning, and quality of life for everyone involved. Unfortunately, this type of mistreatment-with its devastating implications-has largely been ignored and treated as a taboo subject. In this groundbreaking book, Blase and Blase begin the critical dialogue about abuse by exposing the various manifestations of mistreatment, and offering practical solutions for its prevention and correction. The invaluable information presented is based on findings from the first-of-its-kind study conducted by the authors, in which they interviewed elementary, middle/junior high, and high school teachers from rural, suburban, and urban areas across the United States and Canada. The text masterfully provides the tools necessary to identify destructive behavior and raises awareness of this common phenomenon in order to break the cycle of abuse. It is the crucial first step toward preventing further mistreatment and fostering teacher development, student achievement, and school improvement. Key features include Real-life examples and testimonials Specific forms and indicators of mistreatment, categorized into three levels Detailed description of the effects on schools and teachers, professionally and personally Solutions for overcoming this problem, including six survival skills, "Bullyproofing," "Bullybusting," and other individual, organizational, and legal resolutions
This in-depth study of grassroots politics - `micropolitics' - in schools, which includes examples from the UK and the USA, explores how teachers, administrators and their students use political power to protect their interests and to bring about change in the status quo.
`Joseph and Jo Blase write directly to aspiring and present principals who believe in the wisdom, care, and commitment of faculty to make difficult decision together about good education for all students' - From the Foreword, Carl D Glickman, University of Georgia This book is written for practising and prospective principals who want to empower teachers. It is about what successful principals do and the "transformative effects" that such principals have on teachers' work both in the classroom and in the school generally. In this considerably expanded second edition, the authors have included data and insights from recent research, literature, and national reports; added additional figures, models, tips, and reading lists; and emphasized elements of instructional leadership as related to facilitative-democratic leadership.
