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Who Said School Administration Would Be Fun?
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Who Said School Administration Would Be Fun?
Coping With a New Emotional and Social Reality

Second Edition

June 2005 | 136 pages | Corwin
"The book is unique in that it addresses the socioemotional stages of professional transitions…this was an easy read that had me highlighting passages on almost every page or citing relevant quotes I want to use or share with others. The material is well integrated so you can see the more global picture of administration, yet allows the reader to focus and actively reflect on the very real scenarios used as examples."
-Michelle Kocar, Principal
Liberty Elementary School, North Ridgeville, OH  

"I found myself making stars in the margins or writing YES!, Been There, Done That, I can relate!, Interesting, Good Suggestion, True..."
-Ann Porter, 2002 NAESP National Distinguished Principal
Lewis & Clark Elementary School, Grand Forks, ND

When you maintain your perspective, you find fun in the most unlikely places!

Are you apprehensive about leaving the realm of teaching for the world of school administration? Do you wonder how your current relationships will evolve with a change in job title? School administrators fill a crucial need in education, but all too often their social and emotional worlds turn upside-down when they make this momentous career move. This second edition provides an insightful look at the unwritten and unspoken rules of school administration, helping new and sitting administrators work through the initial adjustment and discover the satisfaction that comes with success.

Who Said School Administration Would Be Fun? is filled with real-life examples, exercises, and strategies meant to guide school leaders through the motley challenges that they will encounter each day. Sigford draws on years of experience as teacher, leader, and administrator to develop tactics for:

  • Maintaining perspective through humor
  • Managing and leading like a successful systems thinker
  • Transforming school culture into a climate of trust and compassion
  • Responding to all levels of accountability faced in today's schools

Fun may not be the first word to describe school administration; however, understanding and self-reflection will lead to the fun of success and satisfaction.


 
Dedication
 
Preface
 
Acknowledgments
 
About the Author
 
1. Why Is It So Chilly in the Teacher's Lounge?
 
2. Change Isn't a Flowchart: It's Broccoli
 
3. Positions, Like Shoes, Need to Fit
 
4. Learning the New Rules of Communication
 
5. Maintaining Control of Time
 
6. Developing Your Emotional Teflon
 
7. Maybe You Should Wear a Striped Shirt: Refereeing Conflict
 
8. Everything You Didn't Know About Adult Learners
 
9. Looking Into the Mirror of Humor
 
10. Power Is Like Love - The More You Give Away, the More You Have
 
11. Leading in the Age of Accountability
 
12. Becoming a Self-Assured Administrator
 
References
 
Index

"The book is unique in that it addresses the socioemotional stages of professional transitions…this was an easy read that had me highlighting passages on almost every page or citing relevant quotes I want to use or share with others. The material is well integrated so you can see the more global picture of administration, yet allows the reader to focus and actively reflect on the very real scenarios used as examples."

Michelle Kocar, Principal
Liberty Elementary School, North Ridgeville, OH

"I found myself making stars in the margins or writing YES!, Been There, Done That, I can relate!, Interesting, Good Suggestion, True..."

Ann Porter, 2002 NAESP National Distinguished Principal
Lewis & Clark Elementary School, Grand Forks, ND

"This user's manual for new and seasoned principals covers both inter- and intrapersonal issues faced by administrators, including the transition from teacher to principal, leadership skills, organizational culture, and how administrators can provide leadership while keeping accountability in perspective."

Curriculum Connections, Spring 2006

This is a great book for my principalship course. It helps students understand the reality of the job. The book is a casual, fun book to read that complements well with another book I've chosen for the course.

Dr Jeanne Surface
Educational Admin Superv Dept, University of Nebraska at Omaha
November 14, 2010

For instructors

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