Closing the Teaching Gap: Coaching for Instructional Leaders - Paperback

by Donald B. Bartalo (Author)

Instructional leadership begins in the classroom

Donald B. Bartalo reveals the experiences of school leaders and teachers who have discovered that meaningful school improvement does not necessarily come from the top--it comes from effective teaching and leaders who support it. Based on eight fundamental tenets, the text features a clear how-to process, success stories, and methods for bridging the teaching gap between the kinds of teaching needed for the 21st century and that which is found in most schools. Special features include:

• An interactive writing style that "coaches" educators
• Powerful "what to do" and "how to do it" tools
• Case illustrations and success stories
• Protocols for leading collaborative inquiry
• Journal reflections
• Leadership team activities

This practical guide′s step-by-step approach is easy to follow, research-based, and steeped in common sense. Closing the Teaching Gap is the next best thing to having a seasoned coach give you the playbook for becoming a successful instructional leader.

Author Biography

From the book, "This is my first book, but not, as the phrase goes, ′my first rodeo′. My experience as an educator transcends everything from filmstrip projectors to smart boards, from open education to programmed learning, and from do your own thing to mandated standardization."

Donald Bartalo is a nationally recognized instructional leadership consultant and coach with K-12 experience as a teacher, teacher leader, assistant principal, principal, and superintendent of schools. He has worked in rural, suburban, and urban school districts across the country and in his home city.Don is the head of his own consulting company, UNITY Instructional Leadership Development and Coaching, with a mission to support school leaders helping teachers to create better learning opportunities for students. Still practicing as an instructional leadership developer and coach, his unique ability is to help educators become better instructional leaders. Don is a strong advocate for just and meaningful education and is an activist for improving the conditions of learning for students and teachers.