How Was Your Day at School? suggests ways to improve teacher job satisfaction
“Eklund maps out guiding principles and a systematic approach for cultivating a workplace that works for teachers . . . a lifeline for administrators and teachers.”
—Sam Intrator, Professor, Smith College and co-editor of Teaching with Fire: Poetry that Sustains the Courage to Teach
MINNEAPOLIS: According to the National Education Association Web site, nearly 50 percent of teachers leave the profession within the first five years of teaching, and many cite lack of collegiality and dissatisfaction with workplace climate as primary reasons. Because the influence of the classroom teacher is the single most important factor in predicting student academic success, schools desperately need to overcome the barriers to retaining high-quality teachers.
How Was Your Day at School?: Improving Dialogue about Teacher Job Satisfaction (Search Institute Press, January 2009) by professional consultant Nathan Eklund, M. Ed., cordially challenges teachers and administrators to increase job satisfaction and improve school climate for educators as well as students. Founded on the strength-based approach of 40 Developmental Assets®, this book reveals the tools needed to retain the teachers who are so critical to student achievement.
With a humorous and compassionate approach fueled by his 12-year career as a teacher and coach, Eklund offers solutions that really work. He tackles the tough topics of teacher burnout and the teacher/administrator relationship through conversational advice and practical strategies. True stories model how to approach sensitive subjects diplomatically and how to effectively improve the lives of teachers and students.
How Was Your Day at School? includes a CD-ROM of reproducible handouts and a multimedia presentation to guide dialogue about teacher job satisfaction. Discussion questions prompt teachers and administrators toward productive conversations that results in a vision for what their school can be.
Filled with humor, honesty, and practical advice, How Was Your Day at School? is the perfect resource for teachers and administrators dedicated to improving work climate for the success of the entire school.
Nathan Eklund, M.Ed., is a Senior Education Consultant at Search Institute. As a professional speaker and educational trainer, he is on a mission to advocate for improved work climate in schools. Eklund spent 12 years as a high school teacher and coach. He lives in Minneapolis with his wife and two young sons.
About Search Institute Press
Search Institute Press is the publishing division of Search Institute, an independent, nonprofit, nonsectarian organization whose mission is to provide leadership, knowledge, and resources to promote healthy children, youth, and communities. To accomplish this mission, the institute conducts research, communicates new knowledge, and brings together community, state, and national leaders. For more information, visit search-institute.org.
Book Details
Title: How Was Your Day at School? Improving Dialogue about Teacher Job Satisfaction
Author: Nathan Eklund, M. Ed.
Publisher: Search Institute Press, Distributed by Independent Publishers Group
Publication Date: January 2009, $25.95 (CAN $28.95), softcover, ISBN: 9781574822649
Education/Professional Development/Administration/General, 164 pages, 7 × 10, CD-ROM
Available at bookstores everywhere and through Independent Publishers Group, 814 N. Franklin St., Chicago, IL 60610. Toll-free number for orders only: 800-888-4741. Visit online at ipgbook.com.
Publicity Contact
Suzy Winther, Sales and Marketing Assistant
612-692-5542 • suzyw@search-institute.org
