Overview

More often, successful and qualified teachers choose to leave the field for various reasons-retirement, personal matters, or burnout. Surviving Internal Politics Within the School: Practical Strategies for Teachers provides advice on surviving the common and problematic situations occurring within the school system. It offers suggestions on how to deal with issues from the administrator's office to the teacher's lounge and from upset parents to jealous colleagues. Based on the authors' 75 years of combined experience, this how-to-guide should be of interest to new and veteran teachers.

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9781578864751

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Reviews

Surviving Internal Politics Within the School is a timely, honest book about school politics. Not only does it address common issues affecting school climate, but it also offers practical suggestions and solutions to promote a positive school environment. The suggestions and solutions are numerous and varied and presented is a very readable format.--Cheryl L. George

Surviving Internal Politics Within the School is a compendium of ideas helpful to teachers young and old for surviving the trials and travails of public school teaching. The authors have created an easy to read reference filled with practical information meant to help teachers negotiate the complexities of the school environment. -- Michael George Surviving Internal Politics Within the School is a timely, honest book about school politics. Not only does it address common issues affecting school climate, but it also offers practical suggestions and solutions to promote a positive school environment. The suggestions and solutions are numerous and varied and presented is a very readable format. -- Cheryl L. George This book should be included in educational programs that prepare one to become a teacher or to become an administrator. In fact, veteran teachers and administrators would find this book thought provoking, humorous, and a source to find serenity. I highly recommend reading [this book] so that you can find a better way to survive the daily school stresses. -- Ina Summer Schaffer [This book] is a must read for all new teachers and those new to their district or building. The politics of education--especially the teachers' lounge--are notorious. However, the authors, in a gentle yet straight foreword manner, discuss its realities. They provide tools and strategies to help the reader not only identify and graciously step back from toxic situations, but also to turn those situations around in order to promote a positive school environment for staff as well as students. The authors provide a multitude of creative and positive alternatives and techniques for teachers to use that not only foster a positive self-concept but also creates a healthy and nurturing school environment. -- Mary Beth Schafer When school culture is positive, inclusive and respectful, everyone wins! Surviving Internal Politics Within the School, reminds us to never underestimate our power to create positive school culture. Boundaries of professional conduct and practices that promote inclusion and respect are discussed. Special importance is given to the 'safe' people in our lives, those with whom we can vent when needs arise. This book provides the 'ABCs' for positive school culture. It is a must-read for all educators! -- Julie Poppitz As a rookie teacher who found the lounge so intimidating that I avoided it for the first 6 months of my career, I found the practical advice in this book to be useful as well as entertaining. The ABCs of lunchroom topics and a humorous poem about the perils of the lounge made the legal and social advice easy to read and understand... Obviously this book would be great for new teachers but veterans could benefit, too. -- Linda Morning How I wish I had access to this book as a beginning teacher! It is all too easy to fall into the lounge gossip climate, especially when new teachers are overwhelmed. The book provides helpful cautions and specific strategies to act in a more professional manner with colleagues, families and community members. -- Elaine Surbeck, Ph.D. [This book] is a highly practical text for beginning (and continuing) teachers. The authors cover many of the problems, pitfalls, and politics of how schools really work that we in teacher education rarely share with our preservice teachers. I believe that every student teacher or beginning teacher should have this text readily available as a guide the real world of school. -- Robert B. Rutherford, Ph.D. [This book] offers practical tips to make your profession as enjoyable as possible. -- Julie Di Rocco Aimed at beginning teachers or those new to their district or building, this text offers practical advice for dealing with school politics. Reference and Research Book News The book provides a plethora of practical, down-to-earth advice for teachers who have the misfortune to be working in a professionally negative environment... The authors make an excellent case throughout the book for teachers to be conscious of their own principles and ethics. They stress the importance of being reflective and acting from an ethical foundation. Johns, McGrath, and Mathur have much experience from which to draw in their attempts to advise new teachers Teachers College Record

Surviving Internal Politics Within the School is a compendium of ideas helpful to teachers young and old for surviving the trials and travails of public school teaching. The authors have created an easy to read reference filled with practical information meant to help teachers negotiate the complexities of the school environment. -- Michael George, director, Centennial School of Lehigh University Surviving Internal Politics Within the School is a timely, honest book about school politics. Not only does it address common issues affecting school climate, but it also offers practical suggestions and solutions to promote a positive school environment. The suggestions and solutions are numerous and varied and presented is a very readable format. -- Cheryl L. George, professor, Lebanon Valley College, Annville, PA This book should be included in educational programs that prepare one to become a teacher or to become an administrator. In fact, veteran teachers and administrators would find this book thought provoking, humorous, and a source to find serenity. I highly recommend reading [this book] so that you can find a better way to survive the daily school stresses. -- Ina Summer Schaffer, Waukegan High School Special Education IEP coordinator, Waukegan, IL [This book] is a must read for all new teachers and those new to their district or building. The politics of education-especially the teachers' lounge-are notorious. However, the authors, in a gentle yet straight foreword manner, discuss its realities. They provide tools and strategies to help the reader not only identify and graciously step back from toxic situations, but also to turn those situations around in order to promote a positive school environment for staff as well as students. The authors provide a multitude of creative and positive alternatives and techniques for teachers to use that not only foster a positive self-concept but also creates a healthy and nurturing school environment. -- Mary Beth Schafer, educational consultant, Elk River, Minnesota When school culture is positive, inclusive and respectful, everyone wins! Surviving Internal Politics Within the School, reminds us to never underestimate our power to create positive school culture. Boundaries of professional conduct and practices that promote inclusion and respect are discussed. Special importance is given to the 'safe' people in our lives, those with whom we can vent when needs arise. This book provides the 'ABCs' for positive school culture. It is a must-read for all educators! -- Julie Poppitz, third grade teacher, Mendota Elementary School, Mendota Heights, MN As a rookie teacher who found the lounge so intimidating that I avoided it for the first 6 months of my career, I found the practical advice in this book to be useful as well as entertaining. The ABCs of lunchroom topics and a humorous poem about the perils of the lounge made the legal and social advice easy to read and understand.... Obviously this book would be great for new teachers but veterans could benefit, too. -- Linda Morning, learning disabilities teacher, Dundee Middle School, Elgin, Illinois How I wish I had access to this book as a beginning teacher! It is all too easy to fall into the lounge gossip climate, especially when new teachers are overwhelmed. The book provides helpful cautions and specific strategies to act in a more professional manner with colleagues, families and community members. -- Elaine Surbeck, Ph.D., associate dean for teacher education, Arizona State University [This book] is a highly practical text for beginning (and continuing) teachers. The authors cover many of the problems, pitfalls, and politics of how schools really work that we in teacher education rarely share with our preservice teachers. I believe that every student teacher or beginning teacher should have this text readily available as a guide the real world of school. -- Robert B. Rutherford, Ph.D., professor of special education and director of Graduate Programs and Research, Arizona State University [This book] offers practical tips to make your profession as enjoyable as possible. -- Julie Di Rocco, LaCrosse, Wisconsin Public Schools Aimed at beginning teachers or those new to their district or building, this text offers practical advice for dealing with school politics. * Reference and Research Book News * The book provides a plethora of practical, down-to-earth advice for teachers who have the misfortune to be working in a professionally negative environment... The authors make an excellent case throughout the book for teachers to be conscious of their own principles and ethics. They stress the importance of being reflective and acting from an ethical foundation. Johns, McGrath, and Mathur have much experience from which to draw in their attempts to advise new teachers * Teachers College Record *

Author Information

Beverley H. Johns has over 35 years experience within the public schools working with students with significant behavioral disorders and learning disabilities. She is the author of seven published books, an active in a number of state and national organizations, and was the 2000 recipient of the Outstanding Leadership Award of the International Council for Exceptional Children. Mary Z. McGrath, Ph.D. taught for 31 years with the Bloomington, Minnesota Public Schools primarily in the area of special education. She writes and presents workshops to educators, parents, and the general public. Sarup R. Mathur, Ph.D. is a clinical associate professor and the initial teacher certification coordinator for the Special Education Program in the Division of Curriculum and Instruction at Arizona State University. She has extensive experience in developing educational programs for students with emotional behavioral disorders.

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