‘There is such authenticity when educators speak from true experiences. I found myself unwilling to put this book down. There are so many ways this book can be used by educators, but probably none more important than by the individual principal seeking support, affirmation, and inspiration.’
—Stephanie Hirsh, Executive Director
National Staff Development Council
‘Williams and Richardson bring to life the abstractions and aspirations of the ISLLC standards through helpful explanations, vivid examples, and compelling stories. Their reflective questions and use of journal writing honor the uniqueness of each reader, and the authors offer practical suggestions for further learning and action.’
—Dennis Sparks, President
Thinking Partners
The guidance and inspiration principals need to take on the challenges of leadership!
Offering a personal leadership coach in book format, this valuable resource provides scenarios for rich conversations to strengthen a leader′s capacity for problem solving and for handling the day-to-day challenges of the elementary principalship.
Written in a very personal voice and based on the authors′ experiences as principals, this engaging book is perfect for elementary school leaders to use on their own or as part of formal professional development. Each chapter focuses on a particular ISLLC standard and features real-life scenarios, mini coaching sessions, journaling sections, and professional development opportunities. The authors guide principals to:
- Reflect on the lessons learned from the stories and challenges faced by actual principals
- Deepen their understanding about their own practices through powerful coaching questions
- Write about and reflect on their own thoughts, stories, and practices
- Engage in proven professional development activities with their staff
With this book as a portable coach, elementary principals can develop their practice, grow in their positions, and become the remarkable leaders their schools need!
Jadual kandungan
List of Tables
Preface
Extraordinary Gift Haiku
Acknowledgements
Foreword
About the Authors
1. Stewardship of a Vision
2. Negotiating a School Culture of Advocacy for Students
3. Managing an Effective Organization
4. Leading a Diverse Family and Community Connection
5. The Ethics of Leadership
6. Tuning In To the Larger Context
7. Bodies of Work for School Improvement
References
Index
Mengenai Pengarang
Diana Raney Williams, Ph.D., PCC is a leadership coach with Coaching For Results, Inc. where she serves as Chief of Evaluation Services and as a member of the Board of Directors. She consults across the country in professional development activities related to school improvement, school leadership and leadership coaching. She served as an urban educator for over thirty years in the Columbus, Ohio City School District. In addition to being an elementary teacher and evaluation specialist, she also served as a principal, a staff development supervisor, and a central office administrator for Effective Schools. She designed and implemented a parent and community involvement initiative for the district. She has authored several articles which have been published in The Journal of Staff Development including ‘Kent Elementary-A School that Can’ and ‘Building Systemic Change through Staff and Community Collaboration.’ She was a featured principal in an article entitled ‘Principals as Staff Developers: A Portrait of Diana Williams.’She served as a member of the Board of Trustees for the National Staff Development Council and is a Past President of the Board. She was co-founder and Past President of the Staff Development Council of Ohio. She was awarded the prestigious Distinguished Service Award from the National Staff Development Council in 2005. She served as a program coordinator and a leadership coach for The Ohio State University. There she supervised students and provided leadership coaching to accelerated administrative candidates. She also served as Editor for the Ohio State University Web Publication, The Principal’s Office. In addition to her work with educators across the United States, she has presented and consulted in China and Africa.