We are surrounded by narratives, in fiction and in our everyday lives. In this colorful collection of ideas, the author argues that understanding the components of our favorite children’s stories can lead to a lifetime of critical thinking.Beginning with the elements of the universal coming-of-age narrative, “Kid Lit” shows young readers and general readers alike how to recognize story structure, class, gender, symbolism, trauma and Orientalism in children’s narratives.Of v...

Poor employees get a disproportionate amount of attention. Why? Because they complain the loudest, create the greatest disruptions, and rely on others to assume the responsibilities that they shirk. Learn how to focus on your good employees first, and help them shift these “monkeys” back to the underperformers. Through a simple but brilliant metaphor, the author helps you reinvigorate your staff and transform your organization.

Like the best-selling first edition, this book is filled with strategies to motivate your staff and maintain a high level of energy at your school. This guide will help all educators approach work every day in an enthusiastic, focused, and positive state of mind. This book will help you: -Motivate your faculty with the Friday Focus--a staff memo that works! -Understand the power of praise and how to best utilize it every day -Make sure staff meetings, teacher evaluation, and daily activiti...

This book provides tips and strategies to help school leaders improve, neutralize, or eliminate resistant and negative teachers. Learn how to handle staff members who gossip in the teacher's lounge, consistently say "it won't work" when any new idea is suggested, send an excessive number of student to your office for disciplinary reasons, undermine your efforts toward school improvement, or negatively influence other staff members. Don’t miss the revised and expanded third edition of this ...

New from best-selling authors Annette Breaux and Todd Whitaker, 50 Ways to Improve Student Behavior: Simple Solutions to Complex Challenges is a must-read reference for teachers, both new and experienced!In a lively and engaging style, Annette Breaux and Todd Whitaker share 50 simple, straightforward techniques for improving student behavior and increasing student cooperation, participation, and achievement. Each practical, well-defined strategy can be applied in classroom...

Teachers deal with change on a regular basis, but there are some principles at the core of teaching that remain constant and that have the biggest impact on student achievement. In this inspiring book from Danny Steele, creator of the popular Steele Thoughts blog, and Todd Whitaker, bestselling author and speaker, you’ll learn how to focus on the most important things in the classroom, not just the "current" things. The authors reveal essential truths that will make you a more effective ed...

Every student deserves a high-impact, well-qualified, and governance-driven school board. In this helpful book, best-selling authors Ryan Donlan and Todd Whitaker show you as a school board member how to make smart, worthwhile decisions that will lead to positive change in your district.The School Board Member’s Guidebook addresses the challenges of making realistic choices that will truly benefit the school and have a lasting impact. Topics include:how to wo...

Quick, easy, specific steps that make a difference in teaching and learningBusy school leaders need an easy-to-apply resource to increase teacher effectiveness quickly and efficiently. This book shows principals and staff developers how to improve teaching school-wide through high-impact inservices lasting only ten minutes—incorporated easily into weekly staff meetings. Written by popular education consultants Todd Whitaker and Annette Breaux, this important book o...

Why do some schools succeed while others struggle? Why do policies and programs often fail to deliver what they promise? In this follow-up to their insightful School Culture Rewired: How to Define, Assess, and Transform It, authors Steve Gruenert and Todd Whitaker offer practical advice and strategies that help you build positive energy to reinvigorate your school's culture and staff.Written as a standalone guide, School Culture Recharged clarifies the difference ...

Todd Whitaker, Jeffrey Zoul, and Jimmy Casas are widely acclaimed experts on teaching and leading and are pioneers in the education twitterverse, and now they are sharing their best practices! In What Connected Educators Do Differently, they show how being a connected educator—by using social media to connect with peers across the country and even across the globe—will greatly enhance your own learning and your success in a school or classroom. You’ll find out how to create a pers...

There are dramatic differences in the quality of teachers in every school. Every building has teachers who consistently engage students and deliver high-quality instruction. Every building also has teachers with varying ranges of ability. If all teachers could be more like the best teachers, then we would have significant improvement in every school.In this important book, Todd Whitaker demonstrates how this can really be achieved. With inspiration, humor, and practical advice, Whi...

Looking for a powerful, unique way to engage your staff or team? This parable from best-selling author Todd Whitaker offers a refreshingly different form of professional development.It is a beautifully designed short story about a veteran teacher who reconnects with a former student who manages the local grocery store which has fallen on hard times. They reunite and confront the separate and unique challenges that have knocked them off course. Through each other, they find their wa...