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The Leadership Brain
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The Leadership Brain
How to Lead Today's Schools More Effectively

First Edition


June 2003 | 320 pages | Corwin
`As educators struggle with the demands of No Child Left Behind, David Sousa offers practical ideas for linking the research being done by neuroscientists to the real world of learning in the classroom' - The School Administrator

`The Leadership Brain is an incredible resource. David Sousa has taken brain research and made it meaningful to principals by showing them how a basic understanding of this field can make a difference at school' - Principal Magazin

David A Sousa is an international educational consultant. He has conducted workshops in hundreds of school districts on brain research, brain based learning, instructional skills, supervision, and science education at the primary, secondary, and university levels. He has made presentations at national conventions of educational organizations and has served as a consultant to regional and local school districts across the United States, Canada, and Europe.

This book is written to provide educational leaders insights into how research in cognitive neuroscience and other related areas can inform their practice. This book will explore the attributes of a successful leader, the basic facts that educational leaders should know about parts of the brain and their functions, how a leader encourage and develop creativity in a school, and many more such facets pertaining brain-compatible leadership. The book further explains the meaning of leadership, and the reasoning that if leadership is the key to true educational reform, then thoughtful leadership is the key to thoughtful reform. Science can provide leaders with a deeper understanding of their own thinking processes so that their decisions are mindful and ethical, and that is what this book will aim to illustrate.

 
About the Author
 
Introduction
Changing America's Schools

 
About this Book

 
 
1. Understanding Leadership
Schools Need True Leaders

 
Attribute of a Leader

 
Organizational Expectations

 
Leadership Styles

 
What Style of Leader Am I?

 
Impact of Brain Research on Leadership

 
Major Points in Chapter 1

 
 
2. Linking Leadership to the Brain
Brain Structure and Function

 
Learning and Retention

 
Leadership and the Brain

 
Creativity

 
Imagery (Visualization)

 
Major Points in Chapter 2

 
 
3. Brain-Compatible Curriculum
Students Expectations About Learning

 
Deciding What Should Be Learned

 
Revising Curriculum

 
Curriculum for Special Needs Students

 
Integrating Technology into the Classroom

 
The Pitfalls of Curriculum Change

 
Major Points in Chapter 3

 
 
4. Brain-Compatible Instruction and Assessment
Components of Brain-Compatible Instruction

 
Assessment

 
Major Points in Chapter 4

 
 
5. Teacher Evaluation
Traditional Models of Teacher Evaluation

 
Teacher Evaluation for the 21st Century

 
Designing a Comprehensive Teacher Evaluation Program

 
Evaluating Principals and District Office Administrators

 
Major Points in Chapter 5

 
 
6. Ethical and Spiritual Leadership
Ethical Leadership

 
Brain Research and Ethical Behavior

 
Spiritual Leadership

 
Major Points in Chapter 6

 
 
7. Transforming School Culture
Types of School Culture

 
Monitoring School Culture

 
Attitudes and Beliefs About Schooling

 
Attitudes and Beliefs About Students

 
Parents and School Culture

 
Transforming Through Collaboration

 
Working With Teams

 
Staff Development

 
Major Points in Chapter 7

 
 
8. Putting It All Together
A Whole-Brained Approach to Leadership

 
Developing and Retaining Educational Leaders

 
Major Points in Chapter 8

 
 
Glossary
 
References
 
Resources
 
Index

“As educators struggle with the demands of No Child Left Behind, Sousa offers practical ideas for linking the research being done by neuroscientists to the real world of learning in the classroom.”

The School Administrator, January 2004

"The Leadership Brain is an incredible resource. David Sousa has taken brain research and made it meaningful to principals by showing them how a basic understanding of this field can make a difference at school."

Principal Magazine, March/April 2004

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