For veteran principals, new principals, and aspiring principals, this book is a valuable resource for building instructional momentum during the beginning of the school year. Educational leadership expert Shawn Joseph guides administrators through five key areas: Vision Instructional Leadership Politics Data Planning With detailed timelines, practical advice, and ready-to-use resources, Joseph explains the essential steps to leadership success that will continue throughout the school year. Supplemental Downloads available to book-buyers!

"I wish I′d had this useful desktop guide to help me through the challenges of my early years and as a reference guide for the later years. The authors have done a remarkable job of anticipating the daily needs of principals and offering practical suggestions that can be used within minutes! This book is eminently useful, up-to-date, and full of rich professional perspectives." —Ella Reiss Urdang, Elementary Principal Tenafly, NJ Public Schools "The school leader′s position is often the loneliest position in any school, but this excellent resource is the equivalent of having a mentor 24/7. This book should accompany all newly appointed school leaders into their new positions." —Neil MacNeill, Principal Ellenbrook Primary School, WA, Australia Creative, real-world approaches for responding to the fast-changing demands of school leadership! Designed for the busy administrator, The Survival Kit for the Elementary School Principal addresses daily challenges faced by all elementary school principals and offers expert solutions for virtually any leadership or administrative issue. Based on the authors′ extensive experiences in public and private schools, this easy-to-use kit includes time-saving forms, sample letters, charts, and checklists for successful day-to-day school administration. The book is a complete desktop reference with solutions for immediate problems or challenges. The authors′ pragmatic, tested strategies assist readers with: Systems thinking Negotiating the maze of NCLB requirements Using data to inform practice Understanding the key role that new technologies play in schools Succeeding as leaders, arbitrators, evaluators, disciplinarians, and more Gathering support through positive parent and community relations Suitable for diverse settings and school sizes, this comprehensive resource is a virtual library of essential information and support for effective elementary school leadership. All forms, letters, and checklists available online upon publication.

This hands-on school leadership guide for new and veteran principals and administrators offers practical advice for leading a school successfully. Want honest student input? Try texting. Got a group of angry parents? Arrange one-on-one meetings—you’ll avoid a mob scene and give each family the attention it deserves. Trying to make a teacher feel appreciated? Shoot a quick email after stopping by his classroom and describe something cool you saw him do. It takes ten seconds but has a big impact. These tips and hundreds more are the collective wisdom of three experienced principals who know how to connect with kids, staff, families, and stakeholders, and help students succeed.

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.

Social media has exploded onto American culture — including our schools — giving educators a unique opportunity to shape this phenomenon into a powerful tool for improving educational leadership practices. With real-world examples and practical tips, this essential guide shows school leaders how to address both the potential benefits and common concerns presented by social media. It is written in a clear, reader-friendly format, and covers important topics, including: Responding to student safety issues, such as cyberbullying and sexting Improving school management, communication, and professional growth Instructional innovation Twenty-first century learning Preparing for future social media trends This is a must-have resource for school leaders who want to stay current and provide the best possible educational environment for learning in the 21st century.

This highly regarded book is a must-have resource for all graduate level students and prospective school leaders enrolled in courses in instructional supervision. It is also a valuable guide for anyone currently in a leadership position with responsibility for supervising student teachers. Dr. Zepeda provides both practical tools and strategies needed for classroom observations and pre- and post-observation conferences, laying a strong foundation for effective instructional supervision in preK-12 schools. The updated third edition includes... research-supported strategies to help supervisors work successfully with teachers,authentic case studies, classroom examples, and field experiences, in-depth coverage of professional development and its link to teacher evaluation, reflection prompts, pragmatic tips, self-assessments, and suggested activities

Every school leader will benefit from this must-have book by award-winning educator Pete Hall. In it he shares his wisdom, insights, and lessons lived and learned with educators at all stages of their careers. His lively, readable style makes it easy to follow his practical tips and strategies for taking action, goal-setting, motivating others, gaining perspective, and so much more! The ideas for motivational strategies jump out from the pages, and combined with the common-sense approach, make this a go-to, appealing reference for educators to use over and over again. Timeless lessons in this book include: Making It Fun Again Hope Ain't a Strategy The Power of Positive Phrasing And many more!