Search results for ""Author Jen Schwanke""

Today's school principals face unprecedented challenges that can overwhelm even the most dedicated among them. What can they do when their initial enthusiasm for the job begins to deflate, when the demands of the job seem to outnumber the rewards? How can they regain the energy that propelled them early in their career? The Principal Reboot answers these questions with specific advice on how to reignite passion in addressing the many aspects of the principalship, including: Defining a school's values and mission through rebranding. Strengthening relationships with staff, students, and communit. Leading renewed efforts to improve instruction. Developing teacher leadership. Using data effectively and innovatively. Improving operational procedures and processes. Sharing the wisdom gained from colleagues and her own experience as a principal, author Jen Schwanke offers an engaging, accessible account of the ups and downs of the job, along with helpful, step-by-step suggestions for how to reinvigorate a flagging career and restore the joy that comes with making a school the best that it can be.

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A principal's job is astonishingly complex, and its competing demands can be overwhelming, especially in the first few years. In this book, Jen Schwanke, a principal herself, provides a mentor's guidance to steer new principals through the period of adjustment and set the foundation for a long and rewarding career. The topics you wish your graduate program had covered are covered here—directly, practically, and without the jargon.Drawing on her own experience, Schwanke provides strategies for tackling the most common yet most daunting challenges of the principalship, including: Establishing productive professional relationships. Building and maintaining a positive school culture. Resolving conflict among staff and parents. Providing effective instructional leadership. Supporting students' social-emotional needs. Conducting staff evaluations and delivering feedback. Keeping up with district, state, and federal mandates. Managing the facility and the budget. Providing focused and effective professional development. Prioritizing responsibilities. Learning from student and schoolwide data. Planning for growth and change. Working through behavior and discipline issues. Hiring high-quality teachers and supporting new ones. Leading effective meetings. Maintaining balance. The standalone chapters provide easy access to the solutions you need for the situations you face. Along with real-life scenarios and critical tips for success, you'll find helpful models of what to do, what to say, and how to say it. This book is a source for ideas any time you encounter a problem and think, "Now what?" It's the beginning of an ongoing conversation about the wonderful and rewarding work of being a principal.

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What motivates teachers to put forth their best efforts in the classroomHow can principals understand what drives each teacher and use that information to encourage practices that lead to the best outcomes for students?If teachers are struggling, what can principals do to help them succeed?These questions and many more are thoroughly explored in The Teacher's Principal, an invaluable roadmap that all principals can use not only to support teachers who are doing good work, but also to help those who are faltering to get back on track. Taking a compassionate, holistic view of what drives teachers, veteran educator Jen Schwanke explains their three key motivators:Purpose, which reflects teachers' foundational values and reasons for teaching;Priorities, which reveal how committed teachers are to student learning; andPatterns, or the visible habits and routines that propel teachers' daily decisions.Understanding these "three Ps" will help principals ensure that teachers' practice aligns to what's best for students--and that teachers are happy, motivated, and effective at their jobs.Filled with real-life examples, practical suggestions, and hard-won lessons, this book walks principals of all grade levels through dozens of powerful strategies for supporting teachers in ways that benefit everyone in the school community.

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