In today's political environment with the emphasis on testing, standards, and accountability, teachers can easily feel frustrated by the amount of time and resources left over for teaching-for guiding students not only in academics but also in character education. Educators can find themselves losing focus of what initially inspired them to teach. Teachers as Servant Leaders provides pre-service teachers and those currently in the profession with a renewed perspective of not just being a content expert or classroom/behavioral manager, but leaders within their own classrooms, school buildings, and local communities.

This book illustrates how the ideal of servant leadership can be applied in your school today. With real-life scenarios, discussions, and self assessments, this book gives practical suggestions to help you develop into a caring and effective servant leader.

SERVANT LEADERSHIP FOR HIGHER EDUCATION "Given the myriad of complex problems facing higher education, it is difficult to imagine that an administrator at any level of the institution could be effective without engaging in servant leadership. Higher education is a service industry and, consequently, this text is a must read for practicing administrators who are committed to effective leadership." MARY LOU HIGGERSON, Ph.D., vice president for Academic Affairs and dean of the college, Baldwin-Wallace College "Finally a thoughtful book on servant leadership with direct application to higher education. Includes many strategies for developing servant leadership in self, others, and organizations." DR. GARY L. FILAN, executive director, Chair Academy "With Servant Leadership for Higher Education Dan Wheeler brings the gauzy platitudes sometimes associated with servant leadership down to earth in a set of field-tested principles. I finished the book fantasizing about how much better off our colleges and universities would be if our leaders behaved like this!" JON WERGIN, professor of educational studies, Ph.D. in Leadership & Change Program, Antioch University "This is a must read for anyone thinking about becoming an academic leader. In the academy, it is not about command and control it's about serving your colleagues. Dan Wheeler's book 'nails it' as nothing is more critical to leaders than success in serving their colleagues." WALTER GMELCH, dean and professor, School of Education, University of San Francisco

"Case studies of exceptional principals as servant-leaders"-- Provided by publisher.

The term “teacher leadership” is not without its problems, since some interpret it to have both corporate and hierarchical implications. Stewardship as Teacher Leadership: Portraits from the Profession discusses the impact of changing that language to stewardship, a term that is more inclusive, more professional, and more morally-based. At a time when the work of teachers is critiqued and denigrated, the concept of stewardship within the profession better supports the efforts of all teachers, but particularly early career teachers. Stewards have the best interests of the profession at the forefront of their actions. Through the “portraits” of a variety of teachers, readers of Stewardship as Teacher Leadership will engage with and recognize how teachers are stewards as they make intentional and deliberate choices in their daily work that have lasting impacts on their relationships with colleagues, their school programs, and the profession in a multiplicity of ways that traditional teacher leadership models often miss. Perfect for courses in: Foundations of Education | Introduction to Teaching | Student Teaching Seminars | Teacher Leadership | Educational Leadership

To lead is not to be “the boss,” the “head honcho,” or “the brass.” To lead is to serve. Although serving may imply weakness to some, conjuring up a picture of the CEO waiting on the workforce hand and foot, servant leadership is actually a robust, revolutionary idea that can have significant impact on an organization’s performance. Jim Hunter champions this hard/soft approach to leadership, which turns bosses and managers into coaches and mentors. By “hard,” Hunter means that servant leaders can be hard-nosed, even autocratic, when it comes to the basics of running the business: determining the mission (where the company is headed) and values (what the rules are that govern the journey) and setting standards and accountability. Servant leaders don’t commission a poll or take a vote when it comes to these critical fundamentals. After all, that’s what a leader’s job is, and people look to the leader to set the course and establish standards. But once that direction is provided, servant leaders turn the organizational structure upside down. They focus on giving employees everything they need to win, be it resources, time, guidance, or inspiration. Servant leaders know that providing for people and engaging hearts and minds foster a workforce that understands the benefits of striving for the greater good. The emphasis is on building authority, not power; on exerting influence, not intimidation. While many believe that servant leadership is a wonderful, inspiring idea, what’s been missing is the how-to, the specifics of implementation. Jim Hunter shows how to do the right thing for the people you lead. A servant leader or a self-serving leader: Which one are you? With Jim Hunter’s guidance, everyone has the potential to develop into a leader with character who leads with authority.