Support, celebrate, and grow your best teachers so that they stay in your school and continue to have maximum impact. Burnout and teacher turnover are on the rise, yet we often spend more of our energy on the underperformers. In this powerful book from bestselling authors Todd Whitaker, Connie Hamilton, T.J. Vari, and Joseph Jones, you'll learn why it’s crucial to recognize your best teachers, going beyond superficial gestures of appreciation and investing in them in deeper ways. The authors show school leaders how to identify your best teachers and then reveal strategies for supporting them, including recognizing the value-cost of teachers’ time; prioritizing appreciation; controlling the narrative; tailoring professional learning; helping teachers grow through peer observations as we as beyond the school; applying data informed feedback; and nurturing self- and collective-efficacy. Each chapter begins with a powerful story, an overview of our blind spots, strategies on what we should invest in, and how to ensure that the whole school profits from your efforts. There’s also an Initial Deposits feature that provides a quick, tangible way to get started with each idea. With the helpful models, tips, and tricks in this book, you won’t just be inspired to make a change but will be well-equipped to take action. As your best teachers get better-and-better, your students and the entire school culture will benefit!

Support, celebrate, and grow your best teachers so that they stay in your school and continue to have maximum impact. Burnout and teacher turnover are on the rise, yet we often spend more of our energy on the underperformers. In this powerful book from bestselling authors Todd Whitaker, Connie Hamilton, T.J. Vari, and Joseph Jones, you'll learn why it’s crucial to recognize your best teachers, going beyond superficial gestures of appreciation and investing in them in deeper ways. The authors show school leaders how to identify your best teachers and then reveal strategies for supporting them, including recognizing the value-cost of teachers’ time; prioritizing appreciation; controlling the narrative; tailoring professional learning; helping teachers grow through peer observations as we as beyond the school; applying data informed feedback; and nurturing self- and collective-efficacy. Each chapter begins with a powerful story, an overview of our blind spots, strategies on what we should invest in, and how to ensure that the whole school profits from your efforts. There’s also an Initial Deposits feature that provides a quick, tangible way to get started with each idea. With the helpful models, tips, and tricks in this book, you won’t just be inspired to make a change but will be well-equipped to take action. As your best teachers get better-and-better, your students and the entire school culture will benefit!

Too often educational leaders are caught in a "culture of nice," finding it difficult to give their teachers and staff critical feedback to improve their practice. This important book helps leaders become both candid and compassionate, unrelenting and supportive, and demanding yet caring. Exploring real scenarios and situations, this book helps you through the common traps of trying to improve performance, and the strategies to move beyond these pitfalls to achieve desired results. Addressing best practices for driving change such as informal feedback mechanisms, collaborative decision-making, and teacher leadership, this important book will help you create a trusting and supportive environment where you can have candid educational conversations in person and in writing, during informal chats, in PLCs, and with other leaders.

Too often educational leaders are caught in a "culture of nice," finding it difficult to give their teachers and staff critical feedback to improve their practice. This important book helps leaders become both candid and compassionate, unrelenting and supportive, and demanding yet caring. Exploring real scenarios and situations, this book helps you through the common traps of trying to improve performance, and the strategies to move beyond these pitfalls to achieve desired results. Addressing best practices for driving change such as informal feedback mechanisms, collaborative decision-making, and teacher leadership, this important book will help you create a trusting and supportive environment where you can have candid educational conversations in person and in writing, during informal chats, in PLCs, and with other leaders.