| Product: |
Education in general |
| Date: |
21/03/01 (29 review reads) |
| Rating: |
 |
Advantages: Excellent practical examples, from real primary leaders
Disadvantages: Heavy reading at times, but very valuable
This popular title, "Leadership and Curriculum in The Primary School", is also subtitled as "The Roles Of Senior and Middle Manangement". The authors are, in chronological order:
Christopher Day, Carol Hall, Philip Gammage, and Martin Coles. My edition was publihsed in 1993 by "Paul Champman Publishing".
After graduating as a Primary School teacher I was recommended this book by a friendly headteacher. This book is for teachers who don't just want to be restricted to the classroom and want to zoom up the career ladder. If you are a deputy head or subject co-ordinator then this book will help provide you with a clear focus and practical support along the way.
As we were taught at Uni., this book takes the addage "Where are you now......Where do you want to be....and...what are you going to do to help you get there....?", and how best to implement these objectives in your current situation.
The authors have had a great deal of experience in primary schools (very beneficial -all too often I have read theory books purely based on secondary ideas and philosophies) and their chapters constantly reflect their excellent practice, addressing key issues which confront teachers daily in their line of work.
The first four chapters, namely;
Developing Curriculum Leadership
Making People A Priority
Leading change through staff development
Assertiveness Skills focus on school culture, roles and relationships, and staff development. I have often used this volume as a valuable reference tool for key phrases to use in an interview situation, eg. "How do you effectively liaise with other staff members?"
The second half of the book concentrates on the four key issues which underpin effective teaching and learning in the primary classroom, chapters are entitled:
Curriculum Perspectives
Integration and National Curriculum (this section is unfortu
nately getting somewhat out of date now, but the ideas are just the same)
Curriculum Evaluation
What school is really for.
There is also an extensive Bibliography at the back of the book, some of the titles are also very worth reading.
I found this book extremely useful after graduating as a teacher, as there is a lot more to learn after leaving college / university, little emphasis is put on liasing with colleagues and how to effectively implement "change" as a primary practitioner - the excellent examples in this book should provide a very handy reference tool.
Summary:
|
|
