Acknowledgments About the Author Introduction Sustained Improvement Requires Teams What This Book Is-What This Book Isn't Quick-Start Diagnostic Making a Selection Putting It All Together Activity Guidelines Components of Team Activities PART I. EXAMINATION AND IDENTIFICATION OF THE PROBLEM Chapter 1. Learning Leadership Leaders and Teams The Realities in the Leadership of Learning Application Activity 1.1-Assessing Your Organizational, Team, and Personal Strengths Application Activity 1.2-Effective Learning Leaders Application Activity 1.3-Strong Learning Teams Exhibit Common Characteristics Conclusion Chapter 2. A Problem Worth Solving and the Ideas to Solve It (the Filters) Introduction Ideas Are Fragile-Ideas Are Delicate The Fosbury Flop, Ski Jumping, and Newton Application Activity 2.1-Treating Ideas in a Learning Organization Application Activity 2.2-Ideas That Don't Work: Part of the Process Application Activity 2.3-It Takes Other People Sooner or Later Application Activity 2.4-Who and What You Have Around You Deeper Use of This Chapter (Deeper Dive) Conclusion Chapter 3. Why Solve the Problem That Needs Solving (the Filters) Introduction Application Activity 3.1-What the Result of a Great Decision Looks Like Application Activity 3.2- Reasons to Have the Idea in the First Place Application Activity 3.3-The Problem That Needs Solving: Clear, Concise Application Activity 3.4-The Role of the Leader in Developing Ideas Application Activity 3.5-Harnessing the Forces Around You Deeper Use of This Chapter: Deeper Dives Conclusion PART II-INTROSPECTION, BEHAVIORS, TYPES: THE HOW AND WHO TO SOLVE PROBLEMS Chapter 4. How the Problem Is Solved Introduction Application Activity 4.1- Importance of a Process Application Activity 4.2-Trust Application Activity 4.3-Fear of Conflict Application Activity 4.4-Commitment Application Activity 4.5-Accountability Application Activity 4.6-Attention to Results Application Activity 4.7-Generating Ideas and Action Steps Deeper Use of This Chapter: Reusable Prompts Deeper Use of This Chapter: Deeper Dives Conclusion Chapter 5. The People Who Will Solve the Problem Introduction Application Activity 5.1-Know How to Build and Use People Application Activity 5.2-The Chemistry of the Team Application Activity 5.3-Managing the Creative Team Application Activity 5.4-Handling Conflict in the Ideas From the Team Deeper Use of This Chapter: Deeper Dives Conclusion Chapter 6. The People in the Room (the Types) Introduction The Assessment The Basics Application Activity 6.1-Part 1/Type 1: The Idea Application Activity 6.2-Part 2/Type 2: Organization and Execution Application Activity 6.3-Part 3/Type 3: Forces of Community Application Activity 6.4-Part 4/Type 4: Leadership Capacity Using the Four Types Conclusion PART III. FUNCTIONALITY OF THE TEAM Chapter 7. People, Leadership, Support (the Fuel Sources) Introduction Fuel Source A: The People Application Activity 7.1-Who Application Activity 7.2-What Application Activity 7.3-How (Coaching) Deeper Use of This Chapter: Deeper Dives Fuel Source B: The Resource of Leadership Application Activity 7.4-Keep Things Moving (Management Leadership) Application Activity 7.5-Keep People Moving (Leadership Management) Deeper Use of This Chapter: Deeper Dives Fuel Source C: The Supports Application Activity 7.6-Gather, Collect, Assess Application Activity 7.7-Feedback Application Activity 7.8-Systems and Barriers Application Activity 7.9-Performance Deeper Use of This Chapter: Deeper Dives Conclusion Chapter 8. Team Dynamics, Blunders, Traps, Directions, and Connecting Dots (the Pink Elephants) Introduction Application Activity 8.1-Pink Elephants Application Activity 8.2-Team Dynamics Application Activity 8.3-The Blunders Application Activity 8.4-The Traps Application Activity 8.5-Ideas as Direction Application Activity 8.6-Connect the Dots Deeper Use of This Chapter: Deeper Dives Conclusion Chapter 9. Performance, Feedback, and Other Ways to Support, Maim, or Kill a Team (the Good, the Dangerous, and the Lethal) Introduction Application Activity 9.1-The Good: Selling the Idea: A Picture Is Worth 1,000 Words Application Activity 9.2-The Good: Communication and Frequency Application Activity 9.3-The Good: Ingredients of the High-Performing Team Application Activity 9.4-The Dangerous: Planning Mistakes Application Activity 9.5-The Lethal: Lack of Feedback, Feedback, Feedback Application Activity 9.6-The Lethal: Mistaken Assumptions of People and Meetings Conclusion Chapter 10. Leadership, Support, Structure, and Conclusion Leadership Support Structure-The Overall Structure: The First 15 Minutes, the Next 45 Minutes Conclusion References Index
This book provides leaders and teams with a blueprint of how to work through a problem to find possible solutions while valuing each member of the team. Research shows that "teacher collective efficacy" - when all teachers are collectively engaged and focused on improvement - can do more to increase student learning than any other strategy. In fact, using powerhouse teams can achieve four years of student growth in a single calendar year. The book includes step-by-step tools that will help the school team move from identifying its biggest challenges to choosing and implementing successful reforms strategies to enhance teamwork, trust, and collaboration.
David Horton is a lifelong educator. He has served as an Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services, a K-12 Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment; Coordinator of Secondary Mathematics and K-12 Instructional Technology; high school Assistant Principal; and high school math and science teacher. David's area of expertise is building systems and structures of organizational leadership that align mission and vision with practice. He currently teaches as an adjunct professor with two Southern California universities. David has a Bachelor of Science in Biology and Master of Education from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He received a Master of Science degree in Administration from Pepperdine University and earned a Doctor of Education degree in Organizational Leadership from the University of La Verne. David resides in Southern California with his wife and two children.