Readers familiar with Miriam Plotinsky’s work will know that her focus is always on the practical. This book is no exception, as she explores how teachers can empower students to feel a sense of worth in their own abilities that will carry beyond school into the lives they go on to lead. Plotinsky uses writing instruction as the access point for this important aspect of teaching, since writing is an expression of the self that carries particular vulnerability. Thus the text is filled with strategies and tools on topics such as rejecting the myth of the “bad writer�, separating writing grades from class participation and providing clear, actionable feedback on student writing. But students’ belief in their own capacities goes beyond writing and so does the book; teachers across content areas share their most effective strategies for building students’ academic identity in subjects like maths, physics, physical education and music.

Far too often, teachers and administrators are adversaries within a school or district and display a mutual distrust and disrespect for each other’s perspectives. Yet when this dissonance can be overcome, the result is a more-harmonious school environment that promotes student achievement. In Lead Like a Teacher, instructional specialist Miriam Plotinsky urges secondary school administrators to lead more effectively by actively listening to teachers and welcoming their expertise. Each chapter examines one of nine key aspects of leadership and offers specific, creative solutions to the complex challenge of empowering change. Moving from a micro to a macro focus as the book progresses—from classroom instruction to school-wide initiatives—Plotinsky provides administrators with the tools to build and maintain collaborative leadership structures. This thoughtful approach to secondary leadership provides an actionable plan to dismantle some of the biggest barriers to achieving school excellence.

Our image of a classroom community in secondary education is rapidly evolving. The experience of remote learning during a pandemic has altered our mental picture of students occupying rows of desks with a teacher nearby, closely monitoring their activities. But even when teachers are able to be in physical proximity to their students, the research is clear that students need to be empowered to take ownership of their learning in order to be fully engaged. The question this book explores is: How can teachers step back, stop micromanaging and allow students more agency? In this engaging guide, instructional specialist Miriam Plotinsky breaks hover-free teaching down into four sequential stages: mindset, deeper relationships, planning for engagement and choice-based instruction. Her book shows how teachers can free themselves from helicopter habits and allow students greater control of their own learning, while still managing and maximising classroom time effectively.