Todd Whitaker

This new supplement to the bestselling Dealing with Difficult Parents, 2nd Edition is designed to help you with the specific challenges you face as a school leader when dealing with parents. The main book, Dealing with Difficult Parents, 2nd Edition, shows how your teachers and other educators can communicate with parents more effectively. With this new supplement, you’ll learn how you, as a leader, can--and must--support and coach teachers along the way. Topics covered include how to… Make sure your teachers understand the families they’re dealing with; Help your teachers communicate effectively with parents by being positive and proactive, so problems don’t escalate to the main office; Establish expectations for dealing with parents, so teachers understand how to be appropriate even when a parent is not; Ensure your teachers feel supported by you when they’re dealing with difficult parents; and Help teachers become more confident and empowered in challenging situations. With these practical books, you’ll be able to get parents on your side so they can become a positive force in your school’s success.

Communicating with parents is one of the most challenging and potentially stressful tasks that teachers face on a daily basis. Whether trying to resolve a heated argument or delivering bad news, it is essential to know how to handle difficult situations and establish positive relationships with your students’ parents. In this updated second edition of the bestselling Dealing with Difficult Parents, award-winning educators Todd Whitaker and Douglas J. Fiore help you develop a repertoire of tools and skills for comfortable and effective interaction with parents. The book’s features include: Tools to help you understand parents’ motivations and how to work with them rather than against them; Detailed scripts for dealing with even the most stubborn and volatile parents; New strategies for increasing parent involvement to foster student success; An all-new chapter on the role that social media can play in interacting with parents; and A new chapter on initiating contact with parents to build positive credibility. This must-read book will equip you with the skills you need to expertly navigate even the most challenging encounters with parents, and walk away feeling that you have made a positive and meaningful impact.

Every good teacher strives to be a great teacher - and this must-have book shows you how! It's filled with practical tips and strategies for connecting with your students in a meaningful and powerful way. Learn how to improve student learning with easy-to-implement daily activities designed to integrate seamlessly into any day of the school year. This is a readable, hands-on guide for both new and seasoned teachers - complete with "20-Day Reality Checks" so you can reflect on your progress and identify areas for improvement.

Want to know a secret? Regardless of what classroom challenges, standards or initiatives you’re faced with from year to year, there are seven keys to great teaching that never change—and that are often overlooked! In this bestselling book, internationally-acclaimed authors Annette Breaux and Todd Whitaker reveal the seven simple secrets of effective teaching that can be applied in any classroom. Whether you’re a new or experienced teacher, you’ll gain valuable insights on improving instruction, classroom management, discipline, student motivation, and much, much more! This updated Second Edition contains timely topics such as incorporating technology to enhance your lessons and using social media appropriately. Special Features: Easy-to-use format: The book is divided into seven secrets shared by highly effective teachers. Each secret is then divided into seven parts filled with practical information on why the secret matters and how to implement it effectively. Reflection questions: At the end of each section, there are seven questions to help you determine whether you have mastered each secret. Bonus lists: This special new section contains lists on the qualities of effective teaching and why these qualities matter. These lists can be copied and used during book studies, PLC meetings, or staff meetings to provoke thoughtful discussions and enhance teaching and learning. Study guide: A study guide is available to help you extend your learning independently or with colleagues. www.routledge.com/books/details/9781138783621 Companion website: For more inspiring, informative books from Todd and Annette, check out our special site, www.routledge.com/cw/breaux, going live this summer. Throughout the book, you’ll find practical examples and heartfelt advice to encourage you as you implement the seven secrets. As you improve your teaching, you profoundly influence the lives of those who matter most—your students!

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 personal and professional learning network to share resources and ideas, gain support, and make an impact on others. By customizing your professional development in this way, you’ll be able to learn what you want, how you want, when you want. Best of all, you’ll become energized and inspired by all the great ideas out there and how you can contribute, benefiting both you and your students. Whether you are a teacher or school leader, you will come away from this book with step-by-step advice and fresh ideas to try immediately. Being a connected educator has never been easier or more important than it is right now!

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 classrooms of all grade levels and subjects. Strategies include:How to make students more responsible How to nip potential problems in the bud Learning what to overlook Establishing classroom rules and procedures Teaching in small bites (It makes students hungrier!) As student behavior improves, so too will the quality of learning in your classroom. With this book, you can begin to introduce a host of new strategies into your teaching practice today! Companion Study Guide Available

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 activities raise the energy level in your school -Maximize the holidays, open house nights, and other special events the make your staff feel special

Transform your classroom from teacher-centered to learner-centered! This book shows you how with eleven easy-to-implement strategies you can use immediately to put students at the center! Get your students geared up for success and high achievement with great ideas for providing a roadmap; giving the work back; differentiating daily instruction; communicating for your audience, not to your audience; giving students choices; planning intentional engagement; asking better questions, and so much more! For each strategy, you get a clear example of what it looks like in action, as well as a breakdown of how to make it work in your classroom!

Recharge your batteries and rekindle your excitement about teaching! This new, updated edition of the best-selling book, Teaching Matters: Motivating and Inspiring Yourself, offers practical advice on working with colleagues for inspiration, using social media to connect to other professionals, and adding fresh new appeal to your lessons. The practical ideas and inspirational examples in this book will help you keep your passion for education alive and thriving in your classroom. Get use-now tips on everything from creating a positive atmosphere in the classroom to dealing with difficult peers. This is truly a must-have motivational resource for all educators!

Deftly handle the sixty most common problems classroom teachers face Quick Answers for Busy Teachers presents some of the most common challenges teachers encounter in the classroom, and provides expert help toward solving those problems. This easy-to-read guide is organized into short, discreet chapters, making it an ideal quick reference for on-the-spot answers, with practical advice and concise, actionable solutions. Readers will develop systems for dealing with issues that repeatedly crop up, from handling the out-of-control class to falling out of love with the job. The book offers innovative methods and techniques that improve student achievement and behavior while minimizing stress on the teacher. Recover from challenging situations with parents, students, coworkers, or administrators, implement a system that keeps those challenges from happening again, and learn to relax and enjoy this richly rewarding profession. Teaching is difficult. Educators must grapple with a roomful of diverse students, an evolving curriculum, massive organization of books, papers, and supplies, and ever-changing technology. They must deal with challenges from uninvolved parents, overinvolved parents, administrators, and fellow educators. This book helps teachers avoid some of the frustration by providing solutions for the sixty most common challenges teachers face. Deal with the student pushing your buttons, and get that student actively engaged in meaningful learningKeep students on task, and deal effectively with poor test performanceSpeak your mind at faculty meetingsDeal with negative coworkers effectivelyHandle problem parents without embarrassing students or sacrificing professionalism As a teacher, igniting young minds is only a small part of the battle – it's usually everything else that makes teachers occasionally reconsider their career choice. With solutions and systems in place ahead of time, readers can handle challenges swiftly and skillfully with Quick Answers for Busy Teachers.

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 personal and professional learning network to share resources and ideas, gain support, and make an impact on others. By customizing your professional development in this way, you’ll be able to learn what you want, how you want, when you want. Best of all, you’ll become energized and inspired by all the great ideas out there and how you can contribute, benefiting both you and your students. Whether you are a teacher or school leader, you will come away from this book with step-by-step advice and fresh ideas to try immediately. Being a connected educator has never been easier or more important than it is right now!

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 best-seller!

This Study Guide provides thought-provoking questions and easy-to-implement activities to help you apply the concepts in the bestselling book, Seven Simple Secrets, 2nd Edition. Step by step, it walks you through considering what you’ve read, taking action to implement the secrets and strategies of highly-effective teachers, and sharing your learning with others—all leading to improved teaching and learning! You can work on the guide independently, in book studies, in professional learning communities (PLCs), and in professional development sessions. This guide will help you to take full advantage of the seven secrets and implement them immediately in your own classroom!

Want to know a secret? Regardless of what classroom challenges, standards or initiatives you’re faced with from year to year, there are seven keys to great teaching that never change—and that are often overlooked! In this bestselling book, internationally-acclaimed authors Annette Breaux and Todd Whitaker reveal the seven simple secrets of effective teaching that can be applied in any classroom. Whether you’re a new or experienced teacher, you’ll gain valuable insights on improving instruction, classroom management, discipline, student motivation, and much, much more! This updated Second Edition contains timely topics such as incorporating technology to enhance your lessons and using social media appropriately. Special Features: Easy-to-use format: The book is divided into seven secrets shared by highly effective teachers. Each secret is then divided into seven parts filled with practical information on why the secret matters and how to implement it effectively. Reflection questions: At the end of each section, there are seven questions to help you determine whether you have mastered each secret. Bonus lists: This special new section contains lists on the qualities of effective teaching and why these qualities matter. These lists can be copied and used during book studies, PLC meetings, or staff meetings to provoke thoughtful discussions and enhance teaching and learning. Study guide: A study guide is available to help you extend your learning independently or with colleagues. www.routledge.com/books/details/9781138783621 Companion website: For more inspiring, informative books from Todd and Annette, check out our special site, www.routledge.com/cw/breaux, going live this summer. Throughout the book, you’ll find practical examples and heartfelt advice to encourage you as you implement the seven secrets. As you improve your teaching, you profoundly influence the lives of those who matter most—your students!

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. Benefits: Find out how and why responsible, hardworking employees often get saddled with too many monkeys--the responsibilities, obligations, and problems of unmotivated peers-and how that imbalance can undermine organizational success. Learn how leaders can put monkeys back where they belong and focus on supporting and cultivating the best employees. Discover the critical issue at the heart of many dysfunctional organizations--a culture and workflow dominated by the complaints, excuses, and poor performance of a few people. Examine the top nine excuses and techniques people use to shift their monkeys. Then, equip yourself with strategies for deflecting each. Contents: Chapter 1: It's a Jungle Out There Chapter 2: Out-of-Place Monkeys Chapter 3: Where Is the Monkey, and Where Should It Be? Chapter 4: Treat Everyone Well Chapter 5: Make Decisions Based on Your Best People Chapter 6: Protect Your Good People First Chapter 7: What Monkeys Do You Shift? Epilogue: Keeping Monkeys on Your Mind

Parents and Schools Together shows administrators, teachers, and parents how to work together to produce high achieving students in urban school districts. We all know that in this fast-paced world of standards and commitments, it’s easy to forget what schools and parents are all about. There are things that schools can do to show parents the way to raise successful students. Parents have to help in order for schools to be high performing. Schools, especially schools of poverty and low achievement, have to have parent help if they are going to make it. Parents can’t use the excuse that they don’t know what to do or I’m not going to do that anymore. When schools enlist the help of parents, schools can begin to harness the full effect of all adults tag teaming together to raise students up to the levels they are capable of. Parents and School Together shows that it’s not just the school’s job to raise kids and it’s not just the parent’s job to raise kids. It takes both working together to raise successful students and kids.

Parents and Schools Together shows administrators, teachers, and parents how to work together to produce high achieving students in urban school districts. We all know that in this fast-paced world of standards and commitments, it’s easy to forget what schools and parents are all about. There are things that schools can do to show parents the way to raise successful students. Parents have to help in order for schools to be high performing. Schools, especially schools of poverty and low achievement, have to have parent help if they are going to make it. Parents can’t use the excuse that they don’t know what to do or I’m not going to do that anymore. When schools enlist the help of parents, schools can begin to harness the full effect of all adults tag teaming together to raise students up to the levels they are capable of. Parents and School Together shows that it’s not just the school’s job to raise kids and it’s not just the parent’s job to raise kids. It takes both working together to raise successful students and kids.

The secret of effective leadership can elude even the best principals. In The Secret Solution, How One Principal Discovered the Path to Success, a principal travels a journey through four distinct leadership styles as he works to transform a school. On this journey, he encounters characters familiar to all of us who have worked in education, including superstars, fence-sitters, and even bullies. This quick-reading parable provides practical guidance for both current and future administrators, immediately relevant in applying knowledge to practice. Readers will quickly recognize staff from their own buildings who come to life in this engaging story.

The secret of effective leadership can elude even the best principals. In The Secret Solution, How One Principal Discovered the Path to Success, a principal travels a journey through four distinct leadership styles as he works to transform a school. On this journey, he encounters characters familiar to all of us who have worked in education, including superstars, fence-sitters, and even bullies. This quick-reading parable provides practical guidance for both current and future administrators, immediately relevant in applying knowledge to practice. Readers will quickly recognize staff from their own buildings who come to life in this engaging story.

Book In the second edition of this renowned book, you will find pearls of wisdom, heartfelt advice, and inspiration from one of the nation’s leading authorities on staff motivation, teacher leadership, and principal effectiveness. With wit and understanding, Todd Whitaker describes the beliefs, behaviors, attitudes, and interactions of great teachers and explains what they do differently. New features include: Meaning what you sayFocusing on students firstPutting yourself in their position DVD Bundle This bundle includes a DVD featuring Todd Whitaker speaking about what great teachers do differently. It runs for approximately two hours and is the perfect addition to teacher training events and professional development meetings/workshops. Filled with pearls of wisdom, humor, and practical strategies, the video will motivate your staff and inspire them to be the best they can, each and every day. The DVD comes with a free copy of What Great Teachers Do Differently as well as a Facilitator's Guide.