Helping teachers learn : principal leadership for adult growth and development ; foreword by Susan Moore Johnson

"Drago-Severson has created an indispensable resource for anyone who wants to learn how to be a school′s ′principal adult educator.′" —Robert Kegan, Meehan Professor of Adult Learning and Professional Development Harvard University Graduate School of Education " Helping Teachers Learn is a remarkably ambitious and comprehensive work that describes how principals may effectively exercise leadership in support of teacher learning within schools. The book is an extraordinary treasure chest of real-world examples, insights, and uncommon sense." —Richard H. Ackerman Author, The Wounded Leader A new learning-oriented leadership model to help principals support teacher development and growth! How can you, as a principal, create opportunities for teacher learning that really work to support teachers with different needs and preferences? There is wide agreement that the best teacher development is informal, diverse, democratic, school-based, and continuous. The best programs ignite and sustain teachers′ excitement in learning, growing, and changing their classroom practices. Drago-Severson presents case studies from 25 diverse schools across the U.S. and examines strategies that help shape a school climate of teacher support, growth, and learning. In addition, she suggests many creative solutions to secure any resources needed to implement this learning-oriented professional growth model. Concepts covered in Helping Teachers Learn include: A new model of learning-oriented leadership that can be tailored to particular settings or individuals Adult learning principles that inform teacher growth and development, and why they are essential to effective teacher development programs The Four Pillars: teaming, providing leadership roles, engaging in collegial inquiry, and mentoring Real-world examples of principals sharing leadership, building community, and managing change Enhance your professional development model to better support teacher growth and development, as well as your own self-development as a principal. Developing a new model of school leadership for teacher learning Constructive-developmental theory and adult development Principals as climate shapers The impact of financial resources on support for teacher learning Teaming : learning opportunities for individuals and organizations Providing leadership roles : opportunities for leadership and learning Collegial inquiry : a practice for talking and thinking about practice Mentoring : a powerful means of facilitating learning Bringing it all together : a case of learning-oriented leadership in action Leadership for learning's wellspring : self-renewal through reflective practice Leading in the 21st century : new opportunities for learning TeamingProviding Leadership Roles; Engaging in Collegial Inquiry; Mentoring; Underpinnings of the Model: Adult Learning and Development; Chapter Summary; Reflective Questions; Chapter 2 - Constructive-Developmental Theory and Adult Development; About Transformational Learning; Kegan's Constructive-Developmental Theory; Basic Principles; Ways of Knowing; Why Ways of Knowing Matter When Supporting Teacher Learning; About Holding Environments; Constructive-Development Theory: A New Foundation for Teacher Learning; Chapter Summary; Reflective Questions; Chapter 3 - Principals as Climate Shapers Lessons from Current ResearchThe Core Principles That Ground Leadership Approaches; Challenges to Building Positive School Cultures; The Pressure to Improve Test Scores; Avoiding a "One Size Fits all" Model: Attending to Individual Needs; Strategies for Building a Positive School Climate; Finding Time and Money; Informal Structures; Providing Food for Conversations; Rewarding Teachers in New Ways; Honoring Teachers' Strengths and Contributions; Promoting School Mission; Valuing and Modeling "Respect for all"; Growing the School as a Community Center; Attending to Individual Needs and Values Cover; Contents; Foreword; Preface; About Professional Development; School Leadership; Organization of the Book; Acknowledgments; About the Author; Chapter 1 - Developing a New Model of School Leadership for Teacher Learning; The Study; Origins of This Work; Methods; Participant and Site Selection; Research Questions: What Did I Want to Learn?; Data Collection: How Did I Investigate the Research Questions?; Interviews; Documents; Data Analysis: Making Sense of the Learning; Strengths and Limits of This Study; A New Model of Learning-Oriented School Leadership; The Four Pillars of the Model Encouraging TeamworkChapter Summary; Reflective Questions; Chapter 4 - The Impact of Financial Resources on Support for Teacher Learning; Challenges Posed by Limited Financial Resources; Providing Adequate Teacher Salaries; Teacher Turnover and Teacher Retention; Budgeting for Teacher Professional Development; Benefiting from Discretion over Resource Allocation and Hiring; Allocating a Percentage of the Budget to Professional Development; Harnessing Additional Resources for Professional Development; Sharing the Professional Development Budget with Faculty Establishing Priorities for Limited ResourcesInviting Teachers to Establish Priorities; Using Funding to Hire Additional Staff; Creative Strategies for Coping with Limited Financial Resources; Encouraging Faculty to Write Proposals; Traveling for Development; Locating Grants from Outside Sources: A Low-Cost Learning Initiative; Instituting Sabbaticals; Harnessing the Power and Generosity of Alumni; Building Partnerships; Visiting other Schools; Bringing in Reform Experts for Conversations; Chapter Summary; Reflective Questions 'Helping Teachers Learn' presents a model of principal leadership that applies adult learning principles to school-based leadership practices in support of teacher development Chapter 5 - Teaming: Learning Opportunities for Individuals and Organizations