The origin of this book is rooted in my own professional struggles. Early in my administrative career, I had the good fortune of being surrounded by colleagues who were able to give me critical feedback in ways that did not cause me to shut down but rather opened my eyes to my own limitations and failings.

This book is a compilation of the experiences, opportunities, and relationships that I have been blessed with in this world. In particular, I would like to thank a number of people for their help and support in making this book a reality.

Someone will lead. Someone always does. At all times, someone is leading the people in every organization. But, is the one currently leading doing the right things for the right fundamental purpose? Unfortunately, this is not always the case. Leaders are supposed to help others find their way. Oftentimes, the leader who emerges is simply not the right person.

A special call for leadership has been placed upon the shoulders of school leaders. Leaders in education play a unique role, different from leaders in any other profession. To begin to understand what it means to be an excellent leader of a school, it is important to understand the intricacies of the school environment. The current landscape in education is a result of an evolution in expectations...

If a man were to come into possession of a business that supplies diamonds, it would be wise to visit the diamond mine periodically. This would be especially true if the quality of the diamonds being produced became suspect. Principals too are the caretakers of their own sort of diamonds. As it turns out, they spend a great deal of time near their diamond mine without necessarily getting...

In order to move the instructional conversation forward at this point in the new conception of the principal’s work, a leader needs to begin to assess what all of these observations are revealing about the instructional practices in the school. In order to do this, principals must begin to compare what they are witnessing in the classroom against best practices. In the same way that the...

In the medical profession, physicians are obliged to ensure at all times that their actions adhere to an accepted standard of care. This dictates the appropriate range of responses they are able to provide in every possible situation. In fact, when patients have a negative outcome while under a doctor’s care, the first question that is asked is whether the treatment the patient received met...

Principals who commit to improvement efforts in their school are true instructional leaders. The most impactful way to improve student achievement is by improving the quality of instruction delivered by teachers. Leaders must search the skill sets of their teachers and work to uncover the great potential that lies just below the surface. To successfully tap into this greatness, a principal may...

At the heart of all change efforts is the hope that groups of people come together and begin to do their work better by doing things differently. In any social environment, there are countless opinions of what should be changed and how things should be done. Likely, reasonable people will recognize that some ideas are good, some are bad, and with some ideas, it is too early to tell. Most people...

When a principal begins to increase visibility and engage in instructional conversations at new levels, it is for the purpose of bringing pride of place back to the quality of instruction in the building. As the principal began to witness exceptional practices, they sought ways in which those teachers could open up a professional dialogue with peers who were struggling with their own. These are...

The actual presence that principals have in the classroom is directly related to how important they view this work and their level of commitment to being present in that space. With that said, the actual interaction principals have will undoubtedly wax and wane as relationships are built or weakened and in accordance to the rhythms of the school year. The kind of work teachers can attempt when...

There is no turning back. Once a principal has made the decision to become fundamentally intertwined in the very fabric of instruction in a school, nothing will ever be the same. To begin in this work forces teachers to see a leader in a new light. When old ways are cast off and new actions become part of daily operation, teachers quickly forget previous times when the principal was disconnected...

Dr. Stephen V. Newton has worked as a teacher, school administrator, and academic professional at the K–12, college, and university levels for over twenty-four years. He currently serves as the director of curriculum and instruction for the local school district in Cheyenne, Wyoming. He also serves an educational consultant focused on leadership development, data analysis,...