Culture, Clichés, and Conversations
Cultivating Relations Between Teachers and Administrators
By (author) Anthony P. Barber
Publication date:
17 June 2014Length of book:
178 pagesPublisher
Rowman & Littlefield PublishersISBN-13: 9781475808988
Relationships are everything in successful systems, and connections are cultivated by our actions and our words. Within our words, we contain the power to build relationships or bury them. Those who look for opportunities to converse on significant issues sustain and prosper. However, often times these conversations are cut short by our inability to discover the hidden meanings behind our chosen responses.
In today’s school systems, educational clichés are ending essential dialogue when they should begin and maintain it. Messages like “That’s why you make the big bucks” or “It is what it is” hinder our capacity to construct critical connections with each other. The focus of Clichés, Conversations and Culture: Cultivating Relations Between Teachers and Administrators is to unveil these clichés and explore alternatives that will foster connectedness. By improving our dialogue, we will be able to nurture a more viable culture for our building and bridge the gap that historically exists between administrators and teachers.
In today’s school systems, educational clichés are ending essential dialogue when they should begin and maintain it. Messages like “That’s why you make the big bucks” or “It is what it is” hinder our capacity to construct critical connections with each other. The focus of Clichés, Conversations and Culture: Cultivating Relations Between Teachers and Administrators is to unveil these clichés and explore alternatives that will foster connectedness. By improving our dialogue, we will be able to nurture a more viable culture for our building and bridge the gap that historically exists between administrators and teachers.
Dr. Barber has done an excellent job portraying many of the concepts, clichés and misunderstandings all of us have experienced as teachers and administrators. He explicitly focuses on the misuse of talk versus communication, and how a better understanding of both can improve relationships within a building and/or across a school district. These relationships are keys to a solid culture. His linguistic perspective is a much needed fresh approach to conversations we all wish we could handle better. The book is written in an easy to read conversational tone. It should be required reading for all educators, from novice to veteran! This text would be an especially valuable read for those in administrative preparation programs. It is a common –sense approach that includes practical and appropriate responses to situations and comments we all face.