Customer Reviews

If You Don't Feed the Teachers They Eat the Students: Guide to Success for Administrators and Teachers (Kids' Stuff)

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Fashioned literally as a menu for administrative success, Neila Connors' If you Don't Feed the Teachers They Eat the Students, is a straight talking street smart triumph that is a must for the library of every school administrator. It offers many clever and strategic yet practical suggestions that can be implemented immediately by administrators at all levels. In the savory first chapter entitled, "Whetting your Appetite-the Menu Please" Connors promises a book steeped in practical experience and not research, a promise she keeps throughout. Nevertheless, it should come as no surprise that many of her suggestions parallel current educational research, especially with regard to building relationships with staff members and effecting positive changes in organizations.

Connors organizes the eight-chapter book to mirror the cooking and eating of a fine meal. From Chapter 3-"Creating the Ambiance-Preparing to Dine" to Chapter 8-"The Check, Please!" Connors' clever design is sure to ring true with those who enjoy both their meals and their reading material presented in tidy scrumptious portions. For example Chapter 4 discusses "Passing the P's", which, instead of asking for round green vegetables, provides a list of important attributes of successful administrators, all of which begin with the letter "P". The chapter goes on to describe each item in detail, but articulating these thoughts by a listing of "P" words is convenient and, dare I say, tasteful.

Connors really gets cooking in the third chapter, where she sets the tone for the remainder of the book by articulating what seems to be her core belief. "The quality of employees will be directly proportional to the quality of life you maintain for them," is the quote from Charles E. Bryan that begins the chapter, which Connors follows it up with passionate and detailed suggestions about how to set up and maintain a quality environment in a school. Along with trumpeting administrators' needs for a belief in yourself, your potential, and your ability, she describes the obstacles that often get in the way. Most comical is her discussion of the attributes of the "Climate Controllers" who exist in every school. Her descriptions of Climate Busters, Climate Manipulators, Climate Cruisers, and Climate Improvers, are sure to bring smiles to the faces of even the most jaded administrators. Ending the chapter is a list of ten strategies that contribute to a healthy and happy climate, a list that could easily go on a poster or in a picture frame and remain on an administrator's desk for the remainder of her career.

While this book never claims to be something it is not, the large numbers of lists make it read much more like a reference book than a narrative. For those readers who prefer a cleverly worded vignette to help articulate a point, this book will fall short. However, if you're interrupted and put the book down, it doesn't take long to refocus when you start reading again. This may indeed be the book's most endearing feature for those administrators who try to read this book during the course of a normal school day.

Even those serious readers who sour on its campy organizational theme will certainly agree that Connors' book is filled with enough excellent tidbits to make it reasonably satisfying. In fact, every administrator will find something usable in it that has the potential to make an immediate impact. An appetizing and quick read, this book is probably best used as a reference manual or for an occasional administrative literary snack. If a research article is the entrée, this is certainly a most satisfying and memorable dessert.

I am in my third year as an administrator in a public high school and currently enrolled in a doctorate program in educational administration. As part of my studies I have read several books and reviews on leadership and management, and even though Neila Connors offers a disclaimer that her book is not research based, focused on results of surveys, or theoretically driven, her information is line with current research. Her book takes a more humorous and lighter approach on the importance of an effective leader or administrator recognizing teachers and creating a positive school climate.
The author has complied a list of characteristics for truly effective educational leaders through her numerous observations of successful leaders. The "head cook" must have a vision that others are willing to buy into and be wanting and not forced to follow. A short section in the first chapter allows the reader a chance to reflect on his/her current status as an effective school leader by answering a series of short questions and "Whetting Your Appetite" for further reading.
Later chapters such as "The Need to Feed" and "Creating an Ambiance" give the reader a list of indicators of effective leaders that can be used as a measuring stick and as a guide to what to include in our everyday roles as educational leaders. There is also a series of yes/no questions that can help determine the hunger that your individual schools and teachers may be experiencing. The ambiance or school climate is seen as one of the main responsibilities of a school principal and there is a list of seven attributes a leader must have in order to have a positive school climate and help insure the teachers feel satisfied. Areas such as open communication, active participation by all, and human relation skills all come with suggestions and tangible applications.
"Pass the P's Please" is a chapter that gives a list of actions exhibited by strong leaders within a school such as, positive attitudes, passion for their profession, and persistence. Not only do strong managers exhibit certain actions, but they also possess certain talents or skills. Prized principals are people oriented, prepared, problems solvers, and parent and public minded. Whether these are talents that must be sought in searching for potential principals or skills that may be taught to existing administrators, the book gives many examples of how these attributes are used in a positive school setting.
Neila Connors adds additional insight by sharing meaningful experiences she has observed in great schools and offers suggestions in dealing with teachers who "Can't Stand the Heat, (and need to) Get out of the Kitchen." She stresses the importance of maximizing the talents and potential of star teachers while working with, but not being consumed by, the negative quacking of low performing teachers. She gives strategies for working with the quacking staff, but more importantly how to prevent them from causing you and others to lose your appetite towards children and education. Feeding the teachers can go a long way in quieting the quacking and preventing it from even becoming an issue.
The last section of the book gives 150 activities or "desserts" you can prepare and serve to your staff so they will not eat the students. The book addresses a very serious issue of teacher recognition and school climate in a time where teacher stress is increasing. Standardized testing/accountability and budget cuts are all having an impact on teacher satisfaction and school climate. We as administrators need as many resources as we can get that are written in concise and applicable forms to help us become great managers. Helping teachers grow and reach their goals is vital to creating a great school and recognizing and feeding them is a vital part of this process. The author has included a variety of inspirational quotes and stresses that the best teachers remember what it is like to be a student, and the best administrators remember what its is like to be a teacher. I found the book a great resource for applying researched based concepts that I have read about in other books and articles.

There are many things Educational Leaders are unable to do because Education is so commonly plagued by inadequate funding. However, one thing that too many educational leaders can do, and too often fail to do, is to affirm their teachers. Affirmation and recognition don't require more money. With an ongoing mindfulness of "taking care of, and honoring teachers" a school leader can do tremendous things for morale and ultimately for student success.

Studies of the reasons school leaders lose their jobs often point out that there are too many of them who are not present to their teachers,, who fail to include them in decision-making, who don't know even know their teachers names, and who far too often, treat their teachers as insignificant.

While there is a lot of paperwork and other distractions n educational administration, the highest priority of a leader has to be the students and the teachers who work directly with those students! Teachers, by and large, are highly devoted individuals with a special calling in life. Yet, teachers are human too. They have the need to be respected, listened to, acknowledged and celebrated. This is where too many school leaders fall short.

In, If You Don't Feed the Teachers, They Will Eat the Students, author Neila A. Connors, points out some simple and valuable ideas for letting teachers know that they are valued and appreciated. Humorous in tone, Connors illustrates a very clear plan for continuously addressing the affirmation of teachers.

While educational leaders must continue to advance the salaries, working conditions and status of teachers in this country, they also need to pay more attention to the basic human needs of these vitally important people who most directly serve the kids -- the only reason school administrators have a job in the first place.

Basic? Yes. Usual? No! Read -- If You Don't Feed the Teachers, They Will Eat the Students. High marks for Neila Connors!

James J. Maloney
Saint Paul, Minnesota USA

This engaging and enlightening book dares to talk about the things that affect teachers' lives...and their teaching: stress, lack of appreciation, isolation, and negativity. Best of all, it explains hundreds of things that principals and other school leaders can to to combat these forces and create a happy, effective and self-assured staff. It's a great resource!

I am a graduate student working on my Masters in Education. The book "If You Don't Feed The Teachers They Eat the Students" was in a line up of books to read for a book report required for my School Administration course. I chose the book on title alone, and was very grateful that the humor in the title was carried throughout the book. As a future administrator or professional development specialist, I am excited that this book has given me many options to bring to the table. I only wish that my current principal would employ several of these ideas now. I will recommend this book to every administrator I know, current or future. I am glad I had the opportunity to read such an enjoyable book. I look forward to another!

This book is a must for the beginning as well as for the veteran principal. Great words of wisdom, experience and quotations which will inspire all principals. Many ideas can be immediately put to use in any school setting. Every topic affecting teachers and students is addressed. Teachers need all the help they can get and this book offers a great menu of ideas!

the book is full of useful ideas to create a healthier, more productive, positive environment where teachers would enjoy working and students are more likely to learn. I would recommend it.

I was flabbergasted when Neila Connors and my principal casually walked into my classroom today (11/11/2005). Her personality is as charming as her book. As a veteran, "rogue" teacher for the past three decades, I completely understand what she means by: "If You Don't Feed the Teachers, They Eat the Students." Not only do I believe that literally administrators must "break bread" with teachers, but also, they must give them the positive psychological strokes. Neila Connors has all the necessary "how-to's" in her book. It is a MUST read book!!!

I had the honor to see Ms. Connors speak at a teacher conference this past week. I was feeling a bit jaded over the profession of teaching after completing my second year of teaching and after completing a research study proposal on the sad state of teacher retention due to low administrative support. I was at an oh-too-typical low point...

Ms. Connors' words (both in spoken and written form--I flew through her book after listening to her speech) really hit home. This is a book that every teacher and every administrator should read. It gives simple solutions that could and would make a big impact upon the current state of education today. I encourage every person involved in teaching students to read this book and think about the roles they currently play and the role they could play. THANK-YOU MS. CONNORS for humorously yet seriously pointing out both the problem and the necessary solutions.

This book was exactly what I was looking for. It has ways to improve the morale at your school. I have done several of the ideas so far and we have only been in school four days. I am now known as the "fun teacher" with the other teachers. I can't wait to use a lot more of the other ideas. I'm hoping for the best year ever especially since over 1/2 our teachers leave every year (four years in a row) and we are at a lost on how to improve morale. So far this book seems to be exactly what we needed!!