The best known book in the field, A Redefinition is a research-based guide to the practice and philosophy of supervision. Practical applications are supported by a conception of supervision as moral agency, and the book continues to promote a redefinition of supervision from a traditional top-down hierarchy to a shared activity involving all stake-holders in the school--including teachers, administrators, and parents.
The eighth edition continues a thirty-plus year tradition of breaking new ground by reconsidering the field of supervision in response to changing school contexts, policies, and realities. The new edition shows even more clearly how the book's ideas can be used to help supervisors improve their practical suggestions abound.
Overall, I thought this was a good book for supervision. It was mostly easy to read and the chapters weren't terribly long. Some of the questions after each chapter were great and thought-provoking; others made me feel like it was stretching. "Ask a few teachers you're comfortable with about evaluation..." These are not conversations I am comfortable talking with my colleagues about.
There were also times when the authors just threw in a bunch of jargon that made my head spin. Those were the times I thought and now it's time to stop, I don't care if I'm mid-chapter. Most of it was an easy read, so I don't understand why an entire paragraph would have SAT and LSAT words to describe "you want the students to learn from their past." If they said it once, they can say it again.
I'm glad my professor provided additional materials and required more applicable assignments, but this is a good source to have.
Considering I had to read this book for a class, it wasn't bad. It did a good job explaining the information provided with examples and case studies. My biggest issue was how expensive it was! Yikes!