30 Reflective Staff Development Exercises for Educators

In this invaluable and unique resource, leadership and organizational development expert Stephen S Kaagan presents a unique guide for educators who enjoy challenging themselves and are eager for new ideas and a fresh perspective of staff development. It promotes individual and collective learning of all participants as they undertake formal staff development while enhancing the success and performance of the entire educational system. The 30 reflective exercises have been designed to meet the specific needs of educators and include: } fostering effective change } developing leadership skills } identifying and capitalizing on staff assets } gaining and using new perspectives. Each of the 30 exercises is described in rich, full detail, including detailed instructions on process, appropriate group size, and contextual cues for best use. Questions for reflection help users explore the "what," the "so what," and the "now what" of issues raised in the exercises. By incorporating reflective exercise into staff development, facilitators and participants will have the opportunity to engage deeply with new ideas and make connections between theory and practice.

Table of Contents:
Acknowledgments About the Author Part I: The Power of Reflective Exercises for Staff Development Purpose and Audience Guiding Principles Making the Exception the Rule Committing to Organizational Learning Concepts Important Caveats Current Practice The Contributions of Senge et al. A Personal Approach to Teaching and Consulting Organization of the Book Format of the Exercises Part II: 30 Reflective Exercises Maps and Markers: Expanding the Mental Landscape 1. Animal Attributes 2. Ancestors 3. Pushpins 4. Surprise Me 5. E-xplore Assets 6. Instant History 7. Bringing the Outside In 8. Best, Worst 9. Don′t Surprise Me 10. Leadership Then, Now, Into the Future Multiplicity, Mutuality, and Meaning: Working Collaboratively 11. Dashing Dual Interview 12. E-xplore Perspectives 13. Snapshots 14. Rotating Pencils 15. Listening for Assumptions 16. Fruits of Silence 17. See 18. Patchwork Perspectives 19. Word by Word 20. Vision Sketch Mission Maintenance and Momentum: Moving to Action 21. Begin, Begin, Begin 22. Modest Expectations 23. Informed Purpose 24. Beginning at the End 25. Context Map 26. The "View From Downtown" 27. E-xplore by Association 28. Unheard Voices 29. Blame Game 30. Standing Offer Part III: Choosing Appropriate Exercises Vignette 1: Narrowing the Generation Gap Vignette 2: Deepening the Discourse Vignette 3: Traversing Unfamiliar Territory Vignette 4: Diminishing Divisiveness Concluding Comments Resource: Exercises Arranged by Topic and Purpose Bibliography

About the Author :
Stephen S. Kaagan is currently professor of education at Michigan State University. His teaching interests are leadership, organizational analysis, and administrative practice. He has a doctorate from Harvard University and has been honored with several awards, including membership in the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce, London, England and Honorary Doctorates from Williams College in Massachusetts and Green Mountain College in Vermont. Before coming to Michigan State University in 1991, Kaagan served as president of Hurricane Island Outward Bound (1989-91), commissioner of education for the State of Vermont (1982-88), and provost at Pratt Institute in New York City (1977-82). He has written extensively on leadership, organizational development, the role of the arts in schooling, and assessment and accountability. Selected publications include Developing Teacher Leaders: How Teacher Leadership Enhances School Success (with Frank Crowther et al.), Managing Successful School Reform: the Legacy of Chris Argyris (a special edition of the International Journal of Educational Management, co-edited with Frank Crowther), Leadership Games: Experiential Learning for Organizational Development, and Leadership Lessons: From a Life of Character and Purpose in Public Affairs. Kaagan is a charter board member of ArtServe Michigan. In the late 1980s, he served as a member of a distinguished panel on "Making the System Work Better for Poor Kids," a Carnegie Foundation–sponsored project of Harvard′s John F. Kennedy School of Government. Kaagan′s experience spans an academic career; wide-ranging service as an advisor to government agencies, corporations, and educational institutions; military experience in the USMC Reserve; extensive travel throughout the world, including mountaineering expeditions in the Himalayas, Andes, and Cascades; and rugby football refereeing for the US Rugby Football Union.

Review :
"Kaagan′s book provides a growth focused tool kit that is unique in its presentation. A must-have for the professional library of the novice trainer or the experienced staff developer, it gives the ‘now what’ piece to enhance dialogue in school-specific learning situations, curriculum design sessions, or system-wide strategic planning."