Leadership in Schools: Tips for Educators in a High Stakes Age
by
Book Cover & Preview Text
Fear: The Uninvited Guest that can Stymie a Leader Each of us faces fear and its nagging partner, anxiety, with some regularity. This generally unwelcome visitor may arrive in the form of a surge in heart palpitations when you think about meeting with a particular person. Fear can creep into your existence when you awaken at However, on the other hand, there are things to be afraid of. Without a fear reaction our species would probably not have survived. Fear can cause our natural instincts to heighten and prevent us from making catastrophic mistakes. There are people, places, and circumstances to fear. The key remains locating those fearful realities and not confusing much of our normal daily life with them. For leaders, conquering fear is a keynote skill. In a leadership role complex decisions will be thrust upon you. People will expect guidance and results. Conflict will occur and you will have to be able to cope with it. Beyond these natural occurrences, leaders are placed under pressure by a variety of publics, demands, and realities. To expect otherwise is to bury your head in the sand and head straight for disaster. Therefore, the key is to understand fear and develop coping strategies to address it.
Formats
Book Details
About the Book
Leadership in Schools is designed to provide educators practical tips about the broad and complex issue of leadership. Schools are a vital social institution in this, or any, society. However, the difficult economic times school staff face, linked to the changing roles society have given to educators, makes leading in this day-and-age a very difficult proposition. In Leadership in Schools educators are given pragmatic suggestions related to topics that confront supervisors and teachers on a daily basis. How do you deal with conflict? How can I avoid the burn out that plagues many educators? Are there strategies for working with angry children? In what way can I be a more centered and balanced person in my work? These and many other questions are addressed in this work. Leadership in Schools, while a book geared toward practitioners, is also one that offers a philosophical element. Sections of the book provide lessons drawn from disparate sources and that afford educators new ideas they can apply to their practice. Sources mined for this information within the pages of Leadership in Schools include classical philosophy, Buddhist teachings, politics, literature, and psychology. In Leadership in Schools readers are offered a menu of leadership strategies that can be of assistance to them not only in their work but in their broader lives as well. Readers will come away from this book with a realization that while work is a vital part of life it cannot be the center of it. No person is solely defined by their work. Rather, to be effective in work you must be effective in life. It is with this theme that the authors of Leadership in Schools structure the essays that make up this practical look at the complex subject of educational leadership.
About the Author
Both Greg M. Romaneck and Dr. Jack Barshinger have been educators for over twenty-five years each. In their careers both authors have served in various leadership roles. Dr. Barshinger has worked as an elementary teacher, principal, assistant superintendent, board of education member, and superintendent. He is currently working as a superintendent in Elementary District #41 in the