If You Don't Feed the Teachers They Eat the Students!: Guide to Success for Administrators and Teachers

by Neila A. Connors, Jennifer J. Streams (Editor)

Packed with words of wisdom and inspiration, this is one book no administrator or teacher should be without. Dr. Neila Connors presents practical tips to improve school climate, communicate with parents and students, teach to the standards, and make a difference in students’ lives. All this in an enjoyable, easy-to-read format, If You Don't Feed the Teachers They Eat the Students will leave you laughing your way to a more successful school year.

Genres: Education, Teaching, Leadership, Professional Development, Nonfiction, School

144 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

Reviews

[أفنان المحيسن · Rating 4 out of 5]

* اقتنيت الكتاب من جناح مكتب التربية العربي لدول الخليج (التي عهدت للمترجمين ترجمته ونشرته) في معرض الرياض ر
* الكتاب كما قال ناشروه: مفيد للقياديين في المدارس بل كل من له علاقة بالبيئة التربوية, إذ اعتمدت مؤلفته على تجاربها الميدانية في شتى المجالات, وقدمته بأسلوب أدبي رفيع, بالإضافة إلى استخدام المجاز والاستعارة ما أضفى على الكتاب نوعا من التشويق والجاذبية, وجعله محببا للنفس.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't tell you how much I think all teachers and administrators should read this book. Talk about easy ways to keep each other excited about our daily work.

[Alyse Schmidt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is filled with an abundance of ideas to help encourage your staff. This is a good book to read if you are an administrator that is just starting or has seen morale of your staff dip. It was an easy read. There were way too many acronyms, though I did appreciate the glossary of ok that were used at the end.

[Madison Kozeny · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about this one.

It lauds that is it not researched-based and purely anecdotal. It doesn’t pretend it’s something it’s not (clearly). It even goes so far as to equate research-backed practices with micro-management. However, later in the book, it lauds how important it is for admin to research.

It is packed with lots of cutesy acronyms and fluff. Sometimes I think it suffers for it. And it is probably worth having discussions over the particularly problematic and ableist acronym “S.A.N.E.”

It definitely has some good ideas and the author sometimes effectively presents information to help one have a positive outlook (sometimes). However, it lacks depth and a necessary element of criticality. If you want a text to help you become a true change-maker, put this one on the back burner.

If you need something to pick up now and then, “plucking” out the usable ideas, this would be a good one to try.

[عبدالمنعم الهوسه · Rating 4 out of 5]

كتاب لطيف وممتع وعملي ..
الكتاب يحتوي على أفكار و طرق يمكن تطبيقها في ميدان إدارة المؤسسات التعليمية .. هو باختصار كيف نجعل بيئة العمل بية إيجابية تحث المعلم على العمل برغبة وعطاء مستمر .
هو موجه للقيادات التعليمية بشكل أساسي .. والفائدة تعم كل قيادي ؛ وكل معلم مربي.
.
من اللطائف أن الكتاب في تصنيفه وحتى بعض الأمثلة و الاقتباسات كانت تحاكي ( المطعم و الطعام )
الكتاب ممتاز ويعيبه بعض التكرار و ذكرت ذلك المؤلفة في المقدمة ..
تركز الكلام على :
الاهتمام بالصحة البدنية و النفسية - الاتحهات الإيجابية تجاه التعليم - المرح و الدعابة - الضغوط موجودة لكن تعامل معها ، وقائمة طويلة من طرق رفع معنويات المعلمين

لاحقاً بإذن الله أذكر ملخص وبعض الاقتباسات

[Lacy Lovelace · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this is a GREAT book for administrators! My school was going through low morale because we didn't have a strong leader so I decided to read this book to find some ways in alleviating some of that! Luckily, we got a new leader and she naturally does a lot of what is talked about in this book! I've noticed a completely different vibe to the school...it's no longer oppressive!

I love the way Neila Connors sets the book up like a dining experience. Her writing is very relatable and makes sense. She uses a lot of acronyms that were pretty genius. I love the D.U.C.K.S. (Dependent Upon Criticizing and Killing Success) one because I know a few teachers that can be a duck sometimes.

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Had to read this book for a Book Study PD at my school. There are some good takeaways, but honestly, the title is seriously misleading. As a teacher, I thought it would be a book for me, but it's 100% a book for Admin. If you are a school administrator and you are looking for a good book to cull some ideas for your team, definitely check this book out. Teachers -- unless you plan to be in Admin, this isn't really the book for you.

[محمد الشافعي · Rating 4 out of 5]

كتاب جميل فيه افكار رائعة لقيادة المدرسة. لكن بعض الافكار مبالغ فيها او لا يمكن تطبيقها اصلًا ، اعجبتي بساطتة و محتوى الكناب جميل لما فيه من واقعية و لا يغلب الكتاب الجانب الغلمي الاكاديمي بل الجانب الواقعي هو السائد بالكتاب ، انصح به القياديين في المدارس

[Ana Marlatt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great job setting the purpose - why feed the staff. Great job setting a vision for what a great leader should look like and act like. The book has a tone of examples and ideas on how to feed the staff. This is the kind of book that you read once and continue to use again and again.

[Molly A Williamson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a quick and fun professional development book to get you excited for a new year. I loved the surveys and checks that were within each chapter and the very explicit examples of things to do for staff, students, and self! Fun read.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’d give it a 4.5. This book is full of easy, practical ideas to implement among a staff to grow or create a healthy culture. There were a few too many cutesy acronyms for me, but I could see myself returning to the ideas in this book in the future.

[Belinda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute! Too many acronyms though...wish the author had put the acronym chart in the beginning of the book.

[Amber Wineinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a quick and fun read. It’s things we’ve heard before, but a wonderful reminder filled with contagious quotes to live by.
It was a cute format.

[Ryan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is 90% for administrators.

[Lynn Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book which is easy to read and can be read quickly. While it is written primarily for teachers and educational administrators the advice given can be useful for just about anyone.

[Todd Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very practical

This book was extremely relevant and practical for school administrators. It is something you and read and immediately put into practice.

[Susan M · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was actually a reread from 20 years ago. It’s just as good today! I made myself a note that I need to reread this every year and instead of just annotating, I need to take some notes.

[JSem · Rating 1 out of 5]

Lists of "clever" inspirational sayings and acronyms like D.E.S.S.E.R.T.S., which of course stands for Defining Experiences Structured to Support, Encourage, and Reward Teachers' Spirit.

Not my kind of book.

[Claudia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute -- sometimes too cute. But under it all, good advice for leaders about how to nurture the people you're working with. I can use some of the ideas with my students, PTA and our Student Council could use some of them to recognize teachers' efforts. A good discussion on stress and distress, which I needed.

What I did NOT need were her acronyms: DUCKS, EAGLES, SANE, MEALS, DESSERTS...you get the idea. Did like DUCKS: dependent upon criticizing and killing success. I know some of them. She suggested getting duck calls for every faculty member to blow when DUCKS begin quacking...that could be entertaining.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm torn -- was the book fantastic because it simply was, or was it fantastic because it was so appropriate for what I needed to hear at the time.

I'll settle on its inherent greatness -- a book of lists and suggestions for how to maintain sanity in a work environment, and truly, how to bolster a group's morale in what may be the most important professional arena of our time -- academia.

A quick read, and a necessity for academics.

[Monica Hawk · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book each summer to refocus and set new goals for the next school year. There are so many good ideas and nuggets of truth in this book. Some of the acronyms become too much by the end of the book. When you need a glossary for all the acronyms used, it is too much. But the book is still valuable and allows me to self-evaluate and refocus.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

OK- I tend to only read books I like, so my reviews lean towards more stars anyway. But this book is AWESOME. I'm on page 26 and I love it. Neila Connors has a nice, easy style of writing and a plain way of putting things. She's also positive and knows the importance of having FUN.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, I LOVED this book! Her food theme was carried throughout and included many acronyms to carry the theme. I borrowed this book and it is now on my Barnes and Nobel 'wish list' to order. I loved her humor and suggestions.

[Dottie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very light hearted book with great ideas and insights. We read this book when I attended Northmont Leadership Academy. If you are looking for suggestions on how to create a positive and fun work environment at school, this is the book for you.

[Toni Jasna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just completed this book. Very inspiring on the relationships of administrators and teachers. Relationships are very important for success. I think that ALL administrators and teachers should read! This would be a great book study!

[Jason · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was alright. Has some good ideas in it that I will be implementing. A bit of an annoying read, however. It was a little to "cheerleader-y" for me. That statement probably says a lot about my leadership style. :-)

[Monique · Rating 1 out of 5]

I can't even finish this book. There is absolutely no substance. And for the record, I did read all the way up to the desserts so I'm not basing my dislike of the book on just a chapter. It was so repetitive and made me feel brain-dead.

[Cindy]

Well written and a great reminder.

[Mleander23 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of great ideas to help build a positive school culture.

[Mai]

Neila A. Connors