COURSE TITLE:

RESILIENT SCHOOL LEADERS

NO. OF CREDITS:

2 QUARTER CREDITS
[semester equivalent = 1.33 credits]

WA CLOCK HRS:
OREGON PDUs:
PENNSYLVANIA ACT 48:

20
20
20

INSTRUCTOR:

Mary Ann Johnson
maryajohnson-advisor@comcast.net

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

Leaders can’t avoid adversity, but they can choose to use it to become stronger. In Resilient School Leaders: Strategies for Turning Adversity Into Achievement, authors Jerry L. Patterson and Paul Kelleher, show how to move forward during times of difficulty or crisis, with such topics as student walkouts, firing staff, getting fired, district boundary disputes, over-reaching board members, and having your integrity or competence challenged. From the reading you will find how to create resilient school teams and support teams that can function well in difficult times.

Using information from the book, leaders have the choice of how to interpret adversity and how they can use their resilience skills, courage, and core values to turn potential disasters into events with long-lasting positive outcomes.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: Upon completion of this course, participants will have:

Learned the three dimensions of resilience capacity.
Learned the four phases of the resilience cycle.
Learned how to analyze the causes and risks posed by adversity.
Learned how to plan a course of action.
Learned how leaders sustain and strengthen personal efficacy and energy.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
Completion of all specified assignments is required for issuance of hours or credit. The Heritage Institute does not award partial credit.

HOURS EARNED:
Completing the basic assignments (Section A. Information Acquisition) for this course automatically earns participants their choice of CEUs (Continuing Education Units), Washington State Clock Hours, Oregon PDUs, or Pennsylvania ACT 48 Hours. The Heritage Institute offers CEUs and is an approved provider of Washington State Clock Hours, Oregon PDUs, and Pennsylvania ACT 48 Hours.

UNIVERSITY QUARTER CREDIT INFORMATION

REQUIREMENTS FOR UNIVERSITY QUARTER CREDIT
Continuing Education Quarter credits are awarded by Antioch University Seattle (AUS). AUS requires 75% or better for credit at the 400 level and 85% or better to issue credit at the 500 level. These criteria refer both to the amount and quality of work submitted.

Completion of Information Acquisition assignments 30%
Completion of Learning Application assignments 40%
Completion of Integration Paper assignment 30%

CREDIT/NO CREDIT (No Letter Grades or Numeric Equivalents on Transcripts)
Antioch University Seattle (AUS) Continuing Education Quarter credit is offered on a Credit/No Credit basis; neither letter grades nor numeric equivalents are on a transcript. 400 level credit is equal to a "C" or better, 500 level credit is equal to a "B" or better. This information is on the back of the transcript.

AUS Continuing Education quarter credits may or may not be accepted into degree programs. Prior to registering, determine with your district personnel, department head, or state education office the acceptability of these credits for your purpose.

ADDITIONAL COURSE INFORMATION

REQUIRED TEXT

Resilient School Leaders: Strategies for Turning Adversity Into Achievement

Resilient School Leaders: Strategies for Turning Adversity Into Achievement
ISBN# 1416602674
by Patterson, Jerry L, Kelleher, Paul
ASCD

Buy from Amazon

MATERIALS FEE

Text cost is approximately $1.00 used from Amazon.

QUALIFICATIONS FOR TEACHING THIS COURSE:

Mary Ann Johnson, M.Ed Adm. has worked with students of all levels, from alternative high school to gifted classes. She has also been a junior high vice principal and is now working with teachers for continuing education in classes, distance learning and building leadership groups. She is a teacher emeritus who has led seminars for educators which focus on developing a quality learner environment for students and for teachers. Her courses are research-based and resonate with user-friendly and energizing content.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

RESILIENT SCHOOL LEADERS

Alvy, Harvey & Robbins, Pam. Learning from Lincoln, Leadership Practices for School Success, pb, 192 pages, ASCD, 2010. ISBN: 978-1-4166-102306.

In a fascinating focus on ten qualities of Abraham Lincoln that would grace any leader, but especially a leader of a public service vocation, Alvy and Robbins bring anchor stories of Lincoln’s key moments and decisions that inform and inspire anyone working to lead and improve the quality of life for others in his/her domain. Primary source examples of Lincoln’s personal trials and his compassion lead to personal reflections for the reader to consider in their own Leadership Story. This is a powerful review of American history that leads to a personal exploration of one’s own leadership style.

GRUENERT, Steve & WHITAKER, Todd. School Culture Rewired: How to Define, Assess, and Transform It, pb,175 pages, ASCD, 2015. The hardest job for most administrators is to deal with a school culture that is not healthy. In the process, there can be disappointment for leaders in managing the course corrections. But with the directions given leaders in this book, there are many insights to avoid likely pitfalls and to point out a wide range of “leverage points” when changes are most easily made. The book is encouraging and realistic as a guide for the difficult job of rewiring a school’s negative culture without causing career and personal pain.

COVEY, Stephen, Merrill, A. Roger & Merrill, Rebecca R. First Things First, Fireside, 1996, pb, 371 pages. The problems of time management are addressed for people who feel they are squeezed when their personal life goals and the rest of their life are out of balance. The key difference lies in analyzing how to balance the clock and the compass. Sometimes it is a wake-up call that makes this a timely book, and sometimes it is just a vague feeling of dissonance, but you will find some interesting self-reflection insights in this book with a look at the eight approaches to time management, and how to tell which is the best to bring your life into balance. Also available as an audio book!

KOUZES, James M. & POSNER, Barry Z. Learning Leadership: The Five Fundamentals of Becoming an Exemplary Leader, Wiley, 2016, pb, 272 pages.

ISBN: 978-1119144281. The authors of this book are renowned, and in their latest work they include self-coaching guidelines to personalize the information in the research, which comes from studies in more than 70 countries. Their focus is on the ongoing learning required of the best leaders, including self-awareness. The leader is encouraged to examine some of the false prescriptions about power in leadership, and to keep focused on the values and actions that help stay centered and effective in stressful times.

SPARKS, Dennis. Leading for Results: Transforming Teaching, Learning, and Relationships in Schools, 2^nd ed, pb, 213 pages, Corwin, 2007. This may be the best book of wisdom an administrator can find to address, in a highly readable manner, the key needs of a practicing administrator. It includes chapter topics about the focus on Transformation, through Clarity and Creation, Interpersonal Influence, A Culture that Promotes Professional Learning, Teamwork and Continuous Improvement, and Professional Learning and Doing. There are places for reflection as well as energizing insights throughout the book.

SPARKS, Dennis. Leading Change in Your School: How to Conquer Myths, Build Commitment, and Get Results, pb, 177 pages, ASCD, 2009. Of course, in the process of leading change, there will be plenty of resistances and setbacks, but in this book you will be introduced to some of the dangerous myths that will lead to unsuccessful outcomes, and will be guided through strategies to reorient priorities when needed and to remember the values behind your leadership decisions.