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Motivate! Inspire! Lead!

10 Strategies for Building Collegial Learning Communities

By: RoseAnne O'Brien Vojtek, Robert J. Vojtek

Discover how your learning community can tap into greater creativity, talent, and expertise!

Based on motivational theory and the authors' optimal performance model, this resource shows how leaders can develop high-performing, collegial learning communities in which educators work together toward successful achievement of a common mission. The volume presents 10 strategies—each with an authentic case study, reflective questions, and additional implementation ideas—that balance support for a positive school culture and continuous school improvement with the individual needs of each member of the school community. Strategies focus on:

Positive interdependence
Reciprocal relationships
Shared decision making
Professional learning
Mutual responsibility

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Product Details

Grade Level: K-12
ISBN: 9781412928069
Published By: Corwin
Year: 2009
Page Count: 344
Publication date: May 05, 2009

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Description

"The authors remind leaders that the first step in motivating others is changing themselves. This practical book uses case studies, examples, and reflective activities to provide leaders with the knowledge, skills, and strategies to create school cultures in which teachers can find purpose, hope, enjoyment, and a sense of belonging and competency."
—Dennis Sparks, Emeritus Executive Director
National Staff Development Council

"The Vojteks write lucidly about school improvement, offering realistic, down-to-earth cases and well-stated approaches to change based solidly in cognitive and social psychology. They detail how school leaders can use ten motivational strategies to achieve improved student performance."
—Richard A. Schmuck, Professor Emeritus, University of Oregon
Author, Practical Action Research

Discover how your learning community can tap into greater creativity, talent, and expertise!

This resource shows how leaders can transform learning communities into high-performing collegial communities where teachers collaborate for continuous school improvement, are passionate about teaching, and are valued as professionals.

Based on motivational theory and the authors' optimal performance model, this volume presents 10 concrete motivational strategies for fostering a culture in which educators work together to fulfill a common purpose. Each chapter includes an authentic case study and reflective questions to help readers understand the conditions needed for implementation, as well as a "Next Steps" section that offers recommendations and ideas. Participants are able to direct and strengthen their efforts toward successful achievement through

Positive interdependence
Reciprocal relationships
Shared decision making
Professional learning
Mutual responsibility

Detailed and insightful, Motivate! Inspire! Lead! is the go-to guide for developing a dynamic learning community that balances support for a positive school culture and continuous school improvement with the individual needs of each member of the school community.

Key features

Offers 10 concrete strategies for motivating and leading a high-performing, collegial learning community
Provides numerous tools, techniques, and activities
An authentic scenario in each strategy chapter is followed by reflective questions that help the reader understand the strategy and essential conditions for implementing the strategy
A "Next Steps" section at end of each strategy chapter provides additional suggestions and ideas for implementation

Author(s)

RoseAnne O'Brien Vojtek

RoseAnne O'Brien Vojtek has served as an elementary principal at Ivy Drive Elementary School in Bristol, Connecticut, for the past 10 years. Previously she was the director of instruction for Oregon City School District in Oregon, and an elementary principal at Joseph Gale Elementary School in Forest Grove, Oregon. Vojtek also taught for 11 years for the Winston-Dillard School District in Oregon at both the elementary and middle school levels.

Throughout her career, Vojtek has emerged as a leader in many professional organizations. Currently, she is Connecticut's state representative to the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) and serves on a number of committees for the Connecticut Association of Schools (CAS). Vojtek has served as the Area I-A coordinator for Phi Delta Kappa (1991-1994); a member of several International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) task forces for the National Education Technology Standards (NETS); and past president (2000) and member of the board of trustees for the National Staff Development Council (NSDC). Vojtek has worked as an adjunct faculty member at the University of Oregon, Portland State University, and Lewis & Clark College. She has presented and consulted at numerous local, state, and national conferences on topics related to staff development, organization development, leadership, change, and technology. Vojtek is also an exemplary educator for SMART Technologies.

Together with her husband Robert, Vojteks coauthored the technology column for the Journal of Staff Development (JSD 1995-2000). She coauthored an ERIC Monograph, Effective Staff Development for Teachers: A Research-based Model in 1994 with Meredith Gall. Vojtek also was a member of the NSDC Standards Revision Task Force and NSDC Standards Revision Technology Subcommittee that produced E-Learning for Educators.

Vojtek earned her bachelor's degree in elementary education from Oregon State University and her master's and doctorate in curriculum and instruction from the University of Oregon. Her doctoral dissertation, "Integrating Staff Development and Organization Development," won the 1994 Outstanding Dissertation Award from the National Staff Development Council.

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Robert J. Vojtek

Robert J. Vojtek is an engaging speaker whose teaching experience spans middle school to graduate school. His administrative experience includes chief information officer (CIO) at two universities (Concordia University in Portland, Oregon and the University of Hartford in Connecticut), dean of graduate studies (The University of Hartford), and manager of instructional technology services where he provided professional development in the utilization and integration of technology at the Harvard Law School. He is currently employed by Avon Public Schools in Connecticut. He designed a pre-engineering program for Avon High School and is the unified arts coordinator.

Vojtek began his career as a junior high school teacher in the Los Angeles Unified School District. He worked at the College of The Redwoods, where he served as the Vocational Technical Division chair and department chair for Drafting and Technology. He established the AutoCAD Authorized Training Center and was voted the 1987 Top AutoCAD Instructor for the US and Canada.

Vojtek has been active in numerous professional organizations. He has been named an exemplary educator by SMART Technologies. Vojtek currently serves as a member of the Tri-State Consortium, a learning organization devoted to assisting school districts in New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey in using student performance data to develop a rigorous framework for continuous school improvement.

Vojtek was associate professor of education at Concordia University as well as an adjunct faculty member at three other colleges and universities. He has presented and consulted at numerous local, state, and national conferences on technology, staff development, organization development, leadership, and change. Vojtek has served as a lobbyist for the Oregon Community College Association (OCCA). He received a scholarship from the MIT Hartford Alumni Association to attend the Science and Engineering Program for Teachers (SEPT).

Vojtek completed his doctorate in 1995 from the University of Oregon. His dissertation was titled, The Role of Computer Coordinators in the Implementation of the Internet as a Tool for School Improvement and School Reform.

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Table of Contents

Preface

Acknowledgments

Introduction

1. Understanding Motivation

2. Leadership Within

3. Quality of Life: Creating the Essential Conditions to Support the School Environment

4. Mission: Defining the Important Work We Do

5. Communication: Using Shared Vocabulary and Definitions to Clarify Purpose Through Dialogue

6. Relationships: Building Human Connections

7. Accountability: Creating Ownership and Mutual Responsibility to Accomplish the Mission

8. Competence and Capacity: Generating the Confidence to Successfully Achieve the Goal

9. Autonomy: Leveraging the Freedom Within Articulated Boundaries to Make Informed Decisions

10. Empowerment: Delegating the Responsibility That Affords Educators the Authority to Do Their Work

11. Positive Interdependence: Interacting in Ways That Promote Each Other's Success

12. Results: Achieving the School's Morally Compelling Mission and Goals

13. A Call for Action

Epilogue

Appendix A. Satisfying Basic Needs

Appendix B. Further Reading

References

Index

Reviews

"The authors remind leaders that the first step in motivating others is changing themselves. This practical book uses case studies, examples, and reflective activities to provide leaders with the knowledge, skills, and strategies to create school cultures in which teachers and others can find purpose, hope, enjoyment, and a sense of belonging and competency."

Dennis Sparks, Emeritus Executive Director
National Staff Development Council

"The Vojteks write lucidly about school improvement, offering realistic, down-to-earth cases and well-stated approaches to change based solidly in cognitive and social psychology. They spell out in detail how school leaders can use ten motivational strategies to achieve improved student performance."

Richard A. Schmuck, Professor Emeritus, University of Oregon
Author, Practical Action Research

"Engaging, true-to-life stories permeate this book, making it a joy to read. This resource provides practical strategies and ideas for school leaders who want to work with their staff to achieve the goals and outcomes that will make school a place that everyone enjoys coming to every day. This would be a great book for a book study."

Sandra Crowther, President-Elect
Phi Delta Kappa International

"The authors of this inspirational book offer a compelling, unique, and highly informed perspective on ways that administrators can motivate and inspire staff to perform at optimal levels. Dynamic and energetic school leaders, the Vojteks present ten well-defined strategies for creating conditions within a school community that will promote self-motivation and bring passion and joy back into teaching and learning."

Michael H. Savage, Executive Director
Connecticut Association of Schools

"Schools today are charged not only with developing the whole child but also with increasing the professional capacities of faculty and staff. This is a smart and practical book that offers school leaders an innovative approach to motivating school personnel, which in turn helps create and sustain successful learning communities. School leaders can guide their staffs to higher performance levels by incorporating the authors’ concept of motivation from within and utilizing the 10 motivational strategies."

Gail Connelly, Executive Director
National Association of Elementary School Principals

Other Titles in: Staff Development & Professional Learning | Leadership | Collaboration & Team Building

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