Through this heartwarming parable, bestselling author Todd Whitaker reminds you of the importance of keeping your focus and remaining true to yourself. When a veteran teacher and former student reunite, they confront the separate and unique challenges that have knocked them off course. Through each other, they find their way back on track with a message that will resonate with everyone. This moving story: Leads you to reflect on whether you've "taken your eye off the ball" Helps you confront your own personal and professional priorities Challenges you to prioritize the things you value most Engages you with a beautiful visual narrative Includes closing questions for further book study or self-reflection The Ball tells the story of a declining business from the perspectives of the new owner, Bill, and a former customer, Annie, who happens to be his former teacher. The lesson of the book is to stay focused on your priorities keep your eye on the ball in both your professional and personal life.
Book In the second edition of this renowned book, you will find pearls of wisdom, heartfelt advice, and inspiration from one of the nation’s leading authorities on staff motivation, teacher leadership, and principal effectiveness. With wit and understanding, Todd Whitaker describes the beliefs, behaviors, attitudes, and interactions of great teachers and explains what they do differently. New features include: Meaning what you say Focusing on students first Putting yourself in their position DVD Bundle This bundle includes a DVD featuring Todd Whitaker speaking about what great teachers do differently. It runs for approximately two hours and is the perfect addition to teacher training events and professional development meetings/workshops. Filled with pearls of wisdom, humor, and practical strategies, the video will motivate your staff and inspire them to be the best they can, each and every day. The DVD comes with a free copy of What Great Teachers Do Differently as well as a Facilitator's Guide.
Learn all the essentials for making your first year of teaching a success! In this exciting new book, internationally renowned educator Todd Whitaker teams up with his daughters--Madeline, an elementary teacher, and Katherine, a secondary teacher--to share advice and inspiration. They offer step-by-step guidance to thriving in your new role and overcoming the challenges that many new teachers face. Topics include: Learning classroom management skills such as building relationships and maintaining high expectations and consistency Setting up your classroom and establishing procedures and rules Planning effective lessons and making your instructional time an engaging experience Managing your own emotions in the classroom and dealing effectively with misbehavior Working with peers, administrators, and parents to build support and foster collaboration The book is filled with specific examples and vignettes from elementary, middle, and high school classes, so you’ll gain helpful strategies no matter what grade level and subject area you teach. You’ll also find out how to make tweaks or hit the "reset" button when something isn’t going as planned. Things may not always go perfectly your first year, but the practical advice in this book will help you stay motivated on the path to success! Bonus: As you read the book, get even more out of it by discussing it with others. Free study guides for practicing teachers and student teachers are available as eResource downloads from our website (www.routledge.com/products/9781138126152).
What are the beliefs and behaviors that set great teachers apart? In this internationally renowned bestseller, Todd Whitaker reveals 19 keys to becoming more effective in the classroom. This essential third edition features new sections on why it’s about more than relationships, how to focus on a consistent, engaging learning environment, and the importance of choosing the right mode—business, parent, child—to improve your classroom management. Perfect for educators at any level of experience, for independent reading or for schoolwide book studies, this practical book will leave you feeling inspired and ready to do the things that matter most for the people who matter most—your students.
For the Love of Teachers is a tribute to those who possess the remarkable ability to exercise patience and understanding and to offer guidance along an unfamiliar path. The influence these dedicated teachers have is reflected in many of the goals their students set and achieve every day; whether learning to tie their shoes, memorizing multiplication tables, or excelling on the SATs—all basic steps which are vital to their growth and self-esteem. For this reason, among many others, the importance of these positive role models in our children's lives, as well as our own, can't be stressed enough. For the Love of Teachers is the ideal way to express the admiration and appreciation we share for them. The reasons why someone chooses to teach isn't always clear, but what many teachers have in common is the desire to make a difference in the lives of others—a task that can be bittersweet. For the Love of Teachers is filled with inspiring stories that do just that. Some are warm, humorous, and heartfelt, while others illustrate difficult or unexpected situations with the lessons learned along the way. Readers will identify with many of the students who recall that special teacher who challenged them to find their hidden talent, motivated them to push a little harder, or to simply surpass their own expectations. For the Love of Teachers is a special way of saying thanks to all the teachers who've sacrificed their time to better the lives of others.
Written to accompany the third edition of Todd Whitaker's bestselling title, What Great Teachers Do Differently, this study guide can be used by facilitators and participants in workshops, webinars, book study groups, or other professional development events. The guide features a variety of strategies and activities that will help teachers apply the book’s concepts to their own classroom situation, so they can get the most out of the book and increase their impact in the classroom. Each chapter includes: Key Concepts Discussion Questions Journal Prompts Group Activities Application Strategies With this study guide, teachers will have a fun, collaborative, meaningful tool to assist with professional growth.
What are the attitudes and actions that make great principals stand out? In this internationally renowned bestseller, Todd Whitaker reveals the 20 keys to effective school leadership. This essential third edition features helpful new strategies for recruiting talent through better interview and reference questions, as well as tips for retaining talent. It also offers a new section on how leadership is not an event, but rather requires a consistent approach to affect the climate and eventually shape the culture of your school. Perfect for new and experienced principals, for independent professional reading or for leadership courses, this practical book will leave you feeling inspired and ready to do the things that matter most for the people who ultimately matter most—the students.
Being a cheerleader for innovation or change is great. Implementing specific strategies to increase the likelihood of success is essential. In this key book from bestselling author and speaker Todd Whitaker, you’ll discover clear ways to lead and manage school change by setting realistic goals, planning your approach, and tracking your progress. You’ll also find out how to work effectively with others, overcome resistance, and gain widespread acceptance. Whether you are a district leader, building leader, instructional coach, or teacher-leader, you’ll come away from this book with all the tools and inspiration you need to make a positive, immediate, results-oriented change with the support of your staff. Bonus: This enhanced second edition includes a special Action Plan and Implementation Guide. The Action Plan will help you apply the ideas, step by step, to your own situation. The Implementation Guide can be used for independent reflection or as a study guide with book groups or professional learning communities.
Communicating with parents is one of the most challenging and potentially stressful tasks that teachers face on a daily basis. Whether trying to resolve a heated argument or delivering bad news, it is essential to know how to handle difficult situations and establish positive relationships with your students’ parents. In this updated second edition of the bestselling Dealing with Difficult Parents, award-winning educators Todd Whitaker and Douglas J. Fiore help you develop a repertoire of tools and skills for comfortable and effective interaction with parents. The book’s features include: Tools to help you understand parents’ motivations and how to work with them rather than against them; Detailed scripts for dealing with even the most stubborn and volatile parents; New strategies for increasing parent involvement to foster student success; An all-new chapter on the role that social media can play in interacting with parents; and A new chapter on initiating contact with parents to build positive credibility. This must-read book will equip you with the skills you need to expertly navigate even the most challenging encounters with parents, and walk away feeling that you have made a positive and meaningful impact.
This book provides tips and strategies to help school leaders improve, neutralize, or eliminate resistant and negative teachers. Learn how to handle staff members who gossip in the teacher's lounge, consistently say "it won't work" when any new idea is suggested, send an excessive number of student to your office for disciplinary reasons, undermine your efforts toward school improvement, or negatively influence other staff members. Don’t miss the revised and expanded third edition of this best-seller!
Inspire yourself and others with the second edition of this best-selling book. With heartfelt advice, practical wisdom, and examples from the field, Todd Whitaker explains the qualities and practices that distinguish great principals. New features include: Developing an accurate sense of self Understanding the dynamics of change Dealing with negative or ineffective staff members One of the nation’s leading experts on staff motivation, teacher leadership, and principal effectiveness, Todd Whitaker has written over 20 powerful books for educators of every level. Discover what you can do differently.
Designed to be used by facilitators and participants in seminars, book study groups, or other professional development events, this book guides critical thinking, collaboration, and professional growth based on the concepts in Todd Whitaker's best-selling title, What Great Principals Do Differently (2nd edition). Each chapter includes: Key Concepts Discussion Questions Journal Prompts Group Activities Application Strategies With this Study Guide, you can gain a deeper understanding of Whitaker's acclaimed book and learn how to apply his concepts and ideas in daily practices.
Written to accompany the third edition of Todd Whitaker's bestselling title, What Great Principals Do Differently, this study guide can be used by facilitators and participants in workshops, webinars, book study groups, or other professional development events. The guide features a variety of strategies and activities that will help principals apply the book’s concepts to their own situation, so they can get the most out of the book, increase their professional growth, and have a greater impact as school leaders. Each chapter includes: Key Concepts Discussion Questions Journal Prompts Group Activities Application Strategies With this study guide, you can gain a deeper understanding of Whitaker's acclaimed book and learn how to apply his concepts and ideas in daily practices.
This two-part Implementation Guide will help to deepen your understanding and sharpen your ability to implement each of the strategies discussed in Leading School Change: Nine Strategies to Bring Everybody on Board. Part One offers discussion questions and activities which focus on each of the nine strategies. They can be completed by an educator working individually or addressed collaboratively and interactively by a group or leadership team from a school, district, or organization. This guide will greatly enhance your group’s ability to implement any change you would like to make in your organization. Part Two consists of a Quick Start Step-By-Step Action Plan. It is for individuals and leadership groups to use once they have a full understanding of the nine strategies and are ready to start implementing the changes they need to improve their organizations.
Recharge your batteries and rekindle your excitement about teaching! This new, updated edition of the best-selling book, Teaching Matters: Motivating and Inspiring Yourself, offers practical advice on working with colleagues for inspiration, using social media to connect to other professionals, and adding fresh new appeal to your lessons. The practical ideas and inspirational examples in this book will help you keep your passion for education alive and thriving in your classroom. Get use-now tips on everything from creating a positive atmosphere in the classroom to dealing with difficult peers. This is truly a must-have motivational resource for all educators!
Todd Whitaker, Jeffrey Zoul, and Jimmy Casas are widely acclaimed experts on teaching and leading and are pioneers in the education twitterverse, and now they are sharing their best practices! In What Connected Educators Do Differently, they show how being a connected educator—by using social media to connect with peers across the country and even across the globe—will greatly enhance your own learning and your success in a school or classroom. You’ll find out how to create a personal and professional learning network to share resources and ideas, gain support, and make an impact on others. By customizing your professional development in this way, you’ll be able to learn what you want, how you want, when you want. Best of all, you’ll become energized and inspired by all the great ideas out there and how you can contribute, benefiting both you and your students. Whether you are a teacher or school leader, you will come away from this book with step-by-step advice and fresh ideas to try immediately. Being a connected educator has never been easier or more important than it is right now!
Teachers deal with change on a regular basis, but there are some principles at the core of teaching that remain constant and that have the biggest impact on student achievement. In this inspiring book from Danny Steele, creator of the popular Steele Thoughts blog, and Todd Whitaker, bestselling author and speaker, you’ll learn how to focus on the most important things in the classroom, not just the "current" things. The authors reveal essential truths that will make you a more effective educator in areas such as student relationships, classroom management, and classroom culture. The strategies are presented in digestible chunks, perfect for book studies, in-service sessions, mentorship meetings, and other learning formats. With the inspiring anecdotes and insights in this book, you’ll be reminded of your greater purpose – making a difference in students’ lives.
Want to know a secret? Regardless of what classroom challenges, standards or initiatives you’re faced with from year to year, there are seven keys to great teaching that never change—and that are often overlooked! In this bestselling book, internationally-acclaimed authors Annette Breaux and Todd Whitaker reveal the seven simple secrets of effective teaching that can be applied in any classroom. Whether you’re a new or experienced teacher, you’ll gain valuable insights on improving instruction, classroom management, discipline, student motivation, and much, much more! This updated Second Edition contains timely topics such as incorporating technology to enhance your lessons and using social media appropriately. Special Features: Easy-to-use format: The book is divided into seven secrets shared by highly effective teachers. Each secret is then divided into seven parts filled with practical information on why the secret matters and how to implement it effectively. Reflection questions: At the end of each section, there are seven questions to help you determine whether you have mastered each secret. Bonus lists: This special new section contains lists on the qualities of effective teaching and why these qualities matter. These lists can be copied and used during book studies, PLC meetings, or staff meetings to provoke thoughtful discussions and enhance teaching and learning. Study guide: A study guide is available to help you extend your learning independently or with colleagues. www.routledge.com/books/details/9781138783621 Companion website: For more inspiring, informative books from Todd and Annette, check out our special site, www.routledge.com/cw/breaux, going live this summer. Throughout the book, you’ll find practical examples and heartfelt advice to encourage you as you implement the seven secrets. As you improve your teaching, you profoundly influence the lives of those who matter most—your students!
Educator's spend so much time taking care of others that we sometimes forget to take care of ourselves! This book will help teachers, principals, professors, and all educators find time in our busy schedules to focus on our physical self. You will learn how to make time for exercise in your hectic daily schedule, learn how to feel your best every day, eat right even when on the go, keep your fitness momentum going all year, and turn your daily routines into healthy habits.
Written to accompany the second edition of Todd Whitaker's best-selling title, What Great Teachers Do Differently, this study guide can be used by facilitators and participants in seminars, book study groups, or other professional development events. The variety of activities and strategies in this book will help teachers engage in critical thinking, collaboration, and professional growth. Each chapter includes: Key Concepts Discussion Questions Journal Prompts Group Activities Application Strategies The Study Guide not only improves your understanding and appreciation of What Great Teachers Do Differently, but also assists professional growth for teachers and principals at the K-12 levels.
Written to accompany the second edition DVD of Todd Whitaker’s best-selling title, What Great Teachers Do Differently, this facilitator’s guide is a practical resource for teacher workshops, study groups, PLCs, and school improvement teams. It features thoughtful discussion questions to help educators reflect on and apply the concepts from the DVD to their own schools or classrooms.
In their follow-up to School Culture Recharged and the best-selling School Culture Rewired, Steve Gruenert and Todd Whitaker go deep into the roots of culture change and explore how school leaders can positively shift their cultures in a sustainable way. Drawing from the authors' extensive experience and research, Committing to the Culture - Unpacks questions around the nature of culture, including the importance of vision and climate and how the tension between the past and the future can keep a culture stagnant. - Explains how toxic cultures come about, why they can be so resistant to lasting change, and how not to change those cultures. - Describes how to build a positive culture based on trust, collaboration, and commitment rather than fear, competition, and compliance. - Offers advice to help leaders ensure that positive change endures, withstanding fads, toxic mindsets, and other threats. The authors provide real-world scenarios to illustrate how their ideas and approaches work in practice. Leaders will gain profound insight into how to create meaningful change, with the goal not just to "transform" their school but also to get all members of the school community to commit to culture change—and make sure that change sticks.
Why do some schools succeed while others struggle? Why do policies and programs often fail to deliver what they promise? In this follow-up to their insightful School Culture Rewired: How to Define, Assess, and Transform It, authors Steve Gruenert and Todd Whitaker offer practical advice and strategies that help you build positive energy to reinvigorate your school’s culture and staff. Written as a standalone guide, School Culture Recharged clarifies the difference between culture and climate and zeroes in on key school improvement efforts, including * Moving from the culture you have to the culture you want; * Using the school’s culture to improve teaching, job satisfaction, and morale; * Maximizing the intentions of professional learning communities; and * Developing organizational habits--rules and rituals--that can contribute to positive change. For education leaders at all levels, this book delivers a compelling message: Understanding and harnessing the transformative power of school culture can propel your school into the kind of place where teachers want to work, administrators can focus on what matters most, and students can thrive.
Over 600 insightful, witty nuggets to motivate and inspire you and everyone else at your school. Teachers, display these quotes in your classrooms! Administrators, insert them into your faculty memos and share them at staff meetings! Why is this book unique? It includes over 100 original quotes from internationally acclaimed speaker and educator Todd Whitaker, features real quotes from real students which echo wit and wisdom for educators, and each quote has a direct connection to your life as an educator.
This book helps you sharpen your ability to hire better teachers for your school, improve the ones who are already there, and keep your best and brightest on board.
Note: A newer edition of this title is available. Your school is a lot more than a center of student learning—it also represents a self-contained culture, with traditions and expectations that reflect its unique mission and demographics. In this groundbreaking book, education experts Steve Gruenert and Todd Whitaker offer tools, strategies, and advice for defining, assessing, and ultimately transforming your school's culture into one that is positive, forward-looking, and actively working to enrich students’ lives. Drawing from decades of research on organizational cultures and school leadership, the authors provide everything you need to optimize both the culture and climate of your school, including "Culture-busting" strategies to help teachers adopt positive attitudes, outlooks, and behaviors; A framework for pinpointing the type of culture you have, the type that you want, and the actions you need to take to bridge the two; Tips for hiring, training, and retaining teachers who will actively work to improve your school's culture; and Instructions on how to create and implement a successful School Culture Rewiring Team. Though often invisible to the naked eye, a school's culture influences everything that takes place under its roof. Whether your school is urban or rural, prosperous or struggling, School Culture Rewired is the ultimate guide to making sure that the culture in your school is guided first and foremost by what's best for your students.
This book helps teachers, principals, superintendents, and all educators develop a repertoire of tools and skills for comfortable and effective interaction with parents. It shows you how to deal with the parent who is bossy, volatile, argumentative, aggressive, or maybe the worst - apathetic. It provides specific phrases to use with parents to help you avoid using "trigger" words which unintentionally make matters worse. It will show you how to deliver bad news to good parents, how to build positive credibility to all types of parents, and how to foster the kind of parent involvement which leads to student success.
School principals are constantly being pulled in different directions. How do you focus on the things that matter most? In this inspiring book from Danny Steele, creator of the popular Steele Thoughts blog, and Todd Whitaker, bestselling author and speaker, you’ll learn how to center your leadership on your core values and the practices that have the biggest impact. The authors reveal essential truths that will make you a more effective principal in areas such as school culture, appreciating teachers, and empowering your staff. The strategies are presented in digestible chunks, perfect for book studies, professional development sessions, and other learning formats. With the inspiring anecdotes and insights in this book, you’ll be reminded of your greater purpose – making a difference in students’ lives.
Every student deserves a high-impact, well-qualified, and governance-driven school board. In this helpful book, best-selling authors Ryan Donlan and Todd Whitaker show you as a school board member how to make smart, worthwhile decisions that will lead to positive change in your district. The School Board Member’s Guidebook addresses the challenges of making realistic choices that will truly benefit the school and have a lasting impact. Topics include: How to work and communicate effectively with the superintendent during the year; How to find common ground with colleagues; How to represent the interests and needs of the community at large; How to keep your constituencies focused and informed through strategic planning and structured committee participation; How to host constructive and cordial school board meetings; How to capitalize on individual talents and strengths; And more! Each chapter offers strategies, tips, and sample scenarios. With these resources and the practical advice throughout the book, you’ll be able to make a lasting difference in the lives of every student in your district. You’ll be a Difference Maker.
This book provides tips and strategies to help school leaders improve, neutralize, or eliminate resistant and negative teachers. Learn how to handle staff members who gossip in the teacher's lounge, consistently say "it won't work" when any new idea is suggested, send an excessive number of student to your office for disciplinary reasons, undermine your efforts toward school improvement, or negatively influence other staff members. Don't miss the revised and expanded third edition of this best-seller!
Your school is a lot more than a center of student learning—it represents a self-contained culture with traditions and expectations that reflect its unique mission and demographics. In School Culture Rewired, education experts Steve Gruenert and Todd Whitaker offer strategies and advice for defining, assessing, and transforming your school's culture into one that is positive, productive, and actively working to enrich students' lives. Drawing from decades of research on organizational cultures and school leadership, the authors provide everything you need to optimize both the culture and climate of your school. In this revised and retooled second edition of their bestselling book, Gruenert and Whitaker * Explore the difference between school culture and school climate. * Show how to ensure developmentally appropriate culture change. * Contrast collaborative and toxic school cultures. * Address the symbiotic relationship between culture management and leadership. * Present a framework for pinpointing the type of culture you have, the type you want, and how to bridge the two. Though often invisible to the naked eye, a school's culture influences everything that takes place under its roof. Whether your school is urban or rural, proficient or struggling, School Culture Rewired helps you make sure its culture is guided by what's best for your students.
This Study Guide provides prompts and checklists to assist you as you reflect on the Seven Simple Secrets. It also serves facilitators and staff developers as a tool to help you organize book study groups.
Todd Whitaker, Sam Miller, and Ryan Donlan (@ToddWhitaker, @SamMiller29, @RyanDonlan) This entertaining parable provides leaders with a non-threatening tool to discuss problematic attitudes in schools. In the updated edition, you'll find a reader's guide to help you identify habits and traits that can propel you and your team to success.
Every good teacher strives to be a great teacher - and this must-have book shows you how! It's filled with practical tips and strategies for connecting with your students in a meaningful and powerful way. Learn how to improve student learning with easy-to-implement daily activities designed to integrate seamlessly into any day of the school year. This is a readable, hands-on guide for both new and seasoned teachers - complete with "20-Day Reality Checks" so you can reflect on your progress and identify areas for improvement.
With wit and understanding, Todd Whitaker describes the beliefs, behaviors, attitudes, and interactions of great teachers and explains what they do differently."--Publisher.
This new supplement to the bestselling Dealing with Difficult Parents, 2nd Edition is designed to help you with the specific challenges you face as a school leader when dealing with parents. The main book, Dealing with Difficult Parents, 2nd Edition, shows how your teachers and other educators can communicate with parents more effectively. With this new supplement, you’ll learn how you, as a leader, can--and must--support and coach teachers along the way. Topics covered include how to... Make sure your teachers understand the families they’re dealing with; Help your teachers communicate effectively with parents by being positive and proactive, so problems don’t escalate to the main office; Establish expectations for dealing with parents, so teachers understand how to be appropriate even when a parent is not; Ensure your teachers feel supported by you when they’re dealing with difficult parents; and Help teachers become more confident and empowered in challenging situations. With these practical books, you’ll be able to get parents on your side so they can become a positive force in your school’s success.
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