If You Dont Feed the Teachers They Eat the Students: Guide to Success for Administrators and Teachers

Connors really gets cooking in the third chapter, where she sets the tone for the remainder of the book by articulating what seems to be her core belief. "The quality of employees will be directly proportional to the quality of life you maintain for them," is the quote from Charles E. Bryan that begins the chapter, which Connors follows it up with passionate and detailed suggestions about how to set up and maintain a quality environment in a school. Along with trumpeting administrators needs for a belief in yourself, your potential, and your ability, she describes the obstacles that often get in the way. Most comical is her discussion of the attributes of the "Climate Controllers" who exist in every school. Her descriptions of Climate Busters, Climate Manipulators, Climate Cruisers, and Climate Improvers, are sure to bring smiles to the faces of even the most jaded administrators. Ending the chapter is a list of ten strategies that contribute to a healthy and happy climate, a list that could easily go on a poster or in a picture frame and remain on an administrators desk for the remainder of her career.

While this book never claims to be something it is not, the large numbers of lists make it read much more like a reference book than a narrative. For those readers who prefer a cleverly worded vignette to help articulate a point, this book will fall short. However, if youre interrupted and put the book down, it doesnt take long to refocus when you start reading again. This may indeed be the books most endearing feature for those administrators who try to read this book during the course of a normal school day.

Even those serious readers who sour on its campy organizational theme will certainly agree that Connors book is filled with enough excellent tidbits to make it reasonably satisfying. In fact, every administrator will find something usable in it that has the potential to make an immediate impact. An appetizing and quick read, this book is probably best used as a reference manual or for an occasional administrative literary snack. If a research article is the entrée, this is certainly a most satisfying and memorable dessert.

Studies of the reasons school leaders lose their jobs often point out that there are too many of them who are not present to their teachers,, who fail to include them in decision-making, who dont know even know their teachers names, and who far too often, treat their teachers as insignificant.

While there is a lot of paperwork and other distractions n educational administration, the highest priority of a leader has to be the students and the teachers who work directly with those students! Teachers, by and large, are highly devoted individuals with a special calling in life. Yet, teachers are human too. They have the need to be respected, listened to, acknowledged and celebrated. This is where too many school leaders fall short.

In, If You Dont Feed the Teachers, They Will Eat the Students, author Neila A. Connors, points out some simple and valuable ideas for letting teachers know that they are valued and appreciated. Humorous in tone, Connors illustrates a very clear plan for continuously addressing the affirmation of teachers.

While educational leaders must continue to advance the salaries, working conditions and status of teachers in this country, they also need to pay more attention to the basic human needs of these vitally important people who most directly serve the kids -- the only reason school administrators have a job in the first place.

Basic? Yes. Usual? No! Read -- If You Dont Feed the Teachers, They Will Eat the Students. High marks for Neila Connors!

Daniel J. Maloney
Saint Paul, Minnesota USA