What Matters Most for School Leaders : 25 Reminders of What Is Really Important

by Robert D. Ramsey

• ISBN13: 9781412904520
• ISBN10: 1412904528
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-10-28
• Publisher: Corwin Pr

Summary

Reawaken, refocus, and recommit to your career as a school leader! If you are a school leader who has ever felt lost, confused, or disheartened, then this single, compact, survival guide is for you! A primer of what is truly important for todaya??s school leaders at all levels, it is a how-to book made up of twenty-five fundamental insights and baseline beliefs that never change. Staying focused on what really matters, each page reminds administrators of the simple, guiding truths and timeless values that made them want to become educators in the first place. Each section acts as a compass that showcases: Commonsense, cornerstone principles Life lessons from school leaders Real-world examples from successful administrators Practical tips on how to concentrate on what counts, and apply whata??s most important on the job everyday What Matters Most for School Leaders contains hard-earned wisdom and forgotten truths that are freshly viewed and packaged in modern-day terms. Call it a pep talk or a refresher course, it reawakens, rekindles, renews, and refocuses on the perspective, passion, and priorities of school leaders, reviving their sense of purpose and enhancing their image in the educational field.

Table of Contents

Preface: Why This Book? Why Now?	vii
Acknowledgments	ix
About the Author	xi
Introduction: Some Things Never Change	1	(2)
What You Do Is Special	3	(8)
Primero Los Ninos: Children First	11	(8)
There Are No Throwaway Kids	19	(6)
Strong Schools Make a Strong Nation	25	(6)
Schools Are Sacred Places of Hope	31	(8)
Teaching Is the Greatest Profession	39	(8)
Passion Is the Engine That Drives School Leadership	47	(8)
What Matters Most Costs the Least	55	(8)
Schools Are Only as Strong as the Community Allows	63	(8)
When It's Your Own Kid, It's Different	71	(6)
That Pesky Golden Rule Still Works	77	(10)
Someone Has to Be the Grown-Up	87	(6)
Good Leaders Learn to ``K.I.S.S.'' and Enjoy the Happiness of Subtraction	93	(8)
You Can't Have Too Much Integrity	101	(8)
Common Sense Is Better Than a College Degree: The Grandma Test	109	(8)
Sometimes Kids Need Candy More Than Milk	117	(6)
A Chicken Doesn't Stop Scratching Just Because Worms Are Scarce	123	(6)
The Reverse Side Has a Reverse Side	129	(8)
The Best Leader Is a ``Servant Leader''	137	(8)
Your Mother Didn't Raise You to Be a Bureaucrat	145	(8)
Politicians and Armchah Quarterbacks Don't Get it---So You Have To	153	(8)
If You're Not Having Fun, You're Doing It Wrong	161	(12)
Things Are Never as Bad as You Think They Are; and You're Braver, Stronger, and Smarter Than You Imagine	173	(8)
You Work to Live, Not Live to Work	181	(10)
It's Worth It!	191	(2)
A Final Word: The Ouija Board Effect	193	(2)
Resource A: What Others Say About What Matters Most (in School and in Life)	195	(4)
Resource B: Other Books About What Matters Most	199	(2)
Resource C: Other Lasting Truths That Couldn't Be Squeezed Into This Little Book	201	(2)
Index	203