Full Description
"The information presented is true to life; school principals will see themselves on every page. The strategies presented to 'fix' or avoid our mistakes really do work! You don't have to be a new principal to benefit from this one."
Kaye Peery, Superintendent
Maxwell Municipal Schools, NM
"I wish this book had been written many years ago to help me with my first principal's position. It is an indispensable resource for new and seasoned principals to avoid the pitfalls of administration."
Ron Joekel, Executive Director Emeritus
Phi Delta Kappa International
Learn to navigate the principalship by avoiding the major roadblocks that can arise along the way!
Don't let bad decisions and unnecessary oversights ruin your school day—or worse, your career! Marilyn Grady examines the twenty most critical mistakes principals make, and provides the strategies you need to avoid them. By surveying both teachers and administrators, and applying her own experiences as both teacher and a principal, the author examines the crucial errors from the following seven key categories:
People Skills—managing interpersonal relationships and communication
People—working with staff and parents Principal—examining professional behaviors inherent in the position
Job—juggling time demands and heavy workloads
Tasks—looking more closely at administrative duties
Personal Issues—focusing on family and health
Fatal Attractions—addressing judgment errors that can be disastrous for your career
While everyone makes mistakes, you'll have the crucial insight needed to avoid the biggest ones!
Contents
Introduction
Acknowledgments
About the Author
I. The People Skills
Mistake 1: Interpersonal Shortcomings
Mistake 2: Communication Flaws
II. The People
Mistake 3: Neglecting the Professionals
Mistake 4: Mismanaging Parents
III. The Principal
Mistake 5: Being Too Bossy
Mistake 6: Inconsistency
Mistake 7: Displaying Weakness
IV. The Job
Mistake 8: Endless Work
Mistake 9: Mismanaging Time
V. Tasks
Mistake 10: Ignoring the Preparation
Mistake 11: Displacing Goals
Mistake 12: Decision-Making Dilemmas
Mistake 13: Change Dilemmas
Mistake 14: Professional Development Vacuum
Mistake 15: Failing to Supervise
VI. Personal Issues
Mistake 16: Forgetting the Family
Mistake 17: Ignoring Health Issues
Mistake 18: Succumbing to Stress
Mistake 19: Etiquette Gaffes
VII. Fatal Attractions
Mistake 20: Errors of Judgment
VIII. The Leader's Response
Response 1: Never to Err Again?
Response 2: Over the Horizon
Resource A: Building Visibility in the Community
Resource B: Verbal Skills Self-Assessment
Resource C: Principal Access Self-Assessment
Resource D: Principal Self-Assessment
References
