Your First Year as a Principal Revised 2nd Edition: Everything You Need to Know That They Don't Teach You in School

by Atlantic Publishing Group

Overview

As you sit at your desk behind the door ominously marked “Principal’s Office,” you are suddenly struck with a feeling of terror; what have you gotten yourself into? Being a principal is a difficult job filled with great responsibility and stress. Before you panic, you should know that most principals survive the first year. However, Your First Year as a Principal will help make the first year easier, providing you with all the information you did not learn in school.

With the help of this extensively researched book, first-year principals will learn how to step out from behind the previous principal’s shadow, how to make changes without changing too much too soon, and how to deal with teachers, parents, and students. You will also learn how to handle the stresses of the job, how to find a mentor, and how to plan for public relations.

You will learn about the common mistakes first-year principals make and how to avoid them. You will learn about all of the duties that fall on your shoulders and how to handle that responsibility. You will also learn how to build strong relationships with teachers and staff, how to pick your battles, how to handle bullying in your school, how to boost staff morale, how to discipline students, and how to deal with conflicts.

Ultimately, you will clearly understand what comes with being a principal. You will be able to clarify and define your roles, expectations, and responsibilities. Novice and veteran principals alike, who have all previously been in your position, offer their advice and tips on surviving your first year and excelling beyond. Also included are from-the-headlines blurbs to help you handle recent education policy changes.

Whether you are the principal of a small, large, public, private, charter, urban, rural, or suburban school, Your First Year as a Principal will be an indispensable companion. With the help of this book, not only will you survive, you will also enthusiastically look forward to your sophomore year.

Atlantic Publishing is a small, independent publishing company based in Ocala, Florida. Founded over twenty years ago in the company president’s garage, Atlantic Publishing has grown to become a renowned resource for non-fiction books. Today, over 450 titles are in print covering subjects such as small business, healthy living, management, finance, careers, and real estate. Atlantic Publishing prides itself on producing award winning, high-quality manuals that give readers up-to-date, pertinent information, real-world examples, and case studies with expert advice. Every book has resources, contact information, and web sites of the products or companies discussed.

This Atlantic Publishing eBook was professionally written, edited, fact checked, proofed and designed. The print version of this book is 288 pages and you receive exactly the same content. Over the years our books have won dozens of book awards for content, cover design and interior design including the prestigious Benjamin Franklin award for excellence in publishing. We are proud of the high quality of our books and hope you will enjoy this eBook version.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781601386243
Publisher:	Atlantic Publishing Company FL
Publication date:	04/30/2013
Pages:	288
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.80(d)

Table of Contents

Cast of Characters 13

Former First-Year Principals 13

Veteran Principals and Exceptional Leaders 14

Forward 17

Introduction 21

Case Study: Preliminary Advice for First-Year Principals 24

Chapter 1 Assessing the Situation 27

Case Study: How Former First-Year Principals Assessed Their New Institutions and Chose Curricula 29

A Principal's Priorities 33

Case Study: Their Top Priorities as Principals 34

Case Study: Common Mistakes to Avoid 40

Following in the Previous Principal's Footsteps 42

Case Study: The Importance of Mentors 46

Using Your Staff 48

A Clear View 51

Case Study: Things They Wish They Had Known Before Starting the Principalship 52

Chapter 2 The Gap Analysis 55

Case Study: Determining the Best Resources for Your Teachers 60

Where to Go From Here 62

A Contagious Vision 63

Hiring and Firing Teachers 67

Case Study: Advice on Hiring Teachers 69

Your Strategy 73

Case Study: First-Year Principals on What They Hope to Achieve at Their New Institutions 75

Chapter 3 The Standards 77

Honoring the System 78

Case Study: How Well Does College Prepare You for the Job? 81

Chapter 4 Politics in Education 87

No Child Left Behind 88

In the News: President Obama's Vision for Education 92

Case Study: Thoughts on Laws and Litigation in Education 95

Inclusion 97

The Watchful Eyes Upon You 102

Case Study: Advice on Dealing with The Watchful Eyes 108

In the News: Race to the Top 109

In the News: Budget Cuts 112

Chapter 5 Communication 117

Developing the Lines of Communication 118

In the News: Education Technology 120

Case Study: The Importance of Mutual Respect 125

Your Community and Public Relations 125

The Media 133

Case Study: Dealing with the Media 137

Chapter 6 Your Teachers 143

Your Relationship with Teachers 143

Case Study: How to Best Lead Your Teachers 147

Teacher Conflict 151

Case Study: The Firing Process 152

Case Study: Dealing with Conflict 157

Chapter 7 Your Students 163

Your Relationship with Students 164

Student Discipline 168

Case Study: Disciplining Your Students 172

Bullying 177

In the News: Use Caution in Cyberbullying Cases 178

Chapter 8 The Parents 185

Your Relationship with Parents 186

Chapter 9 Focusing on You 197

How Important Are You? 197

Taking Care of You 204

Know Your Limits 209

Chapter 10 Closing the Gap 219

Measuring Success 221

Case Study: How Do You Judge Your Success? 229

Leadership and Mentoring 230

Case Study: The Biggest Challenges Faced by Today's Principals 236

Future Outlook 239

Case Study: Parting Pearls of Wisdom 243

Conclusion 245

Appendix A The Teacher Handbook: An Example 247

Appendix B Word from the Experts 251

Implementing New Curricula in Your School 251

Why They Became Principals 252

How They Define Their Roles as Principals 253

Words of Wisdom That Helped the Veterans Through Their First Years as Principals 254

How Important Are the Teachers in Your Success as Principal 256

Challenges Caused by the Previous Principal 259

The Most Rewarding Part of Being a Principal 261

Things They Feel Should Be Changed in the Education System 263

Advice Concerning Standardized Testing 268

Appendix C More Resources 271

Bibliography 275

Author Biography 283

Index 285