While the warm weather invites people to step outside their offices for some well-deserved relaxation from the stress of the school year, summer break also presents an opportunity to catch up on some books from your “read when I get a chance” list. Here’s our list of must-read books for private school administrators for the summer.
Blah, Blah, Blah: What To Do When Words Don’t Work
by Don Roam
Ever zone out during a presentation—or worry that your audience is lost during yours? That’s a common problem, and Don Roam believes it’s because we default to using broad, vague images and vocabulary rather than quickly presenting the point of a problem. In Blah, Blah, Blah, Roam offers exercises and tools to help us understand what the most pertinent aspect of a problem or situation is, and present that point in the most convincing way possible.
The Dip: A Little Book That Teaches You When to Quit (and When to Stick)
by Seth Godin
As much as you love offering the best education to your community and inspiring the next generation of students, sometimes the pressures and troubles of daily life can force you down into a “dip,” which Seth Godin defines as “a temporary setback that will get better if you keep pushing.” But what’s worth pushing against, and what’s worth dropping as a waste of time? That’s where The Dip really shines. Through various exercises and real-world examples, Godin demonstrates how to distinguish between the obstacles worth fighting and the ones zapping your time and resources from worthier projects.
The Smartest Kids in the World: And How They Got That Way
by Amanda Ripley
On its surface, the basic structure of the book doesn’t seem all that exciting. However, The Smartest Kids in the World becomes a fascinating case study of global teaching pedagogy. Amanda Ripley puts her investigative reporting skills to use when she follows three students during their year in a study abroad program. What’s unique about these high-performing American students is that each spends his or her year in countries categorized as “high performing” according to international standardized testing. Using a combination of the students’ narratives coupled with research and data from Ripley’s observations on the various educational systems and how they help (and hurt) their students, The Smartest Kids in the World becomes a fascinating glimpse into how a school’s mission influences and molds the young people of the world.
Word of Mouth Marketing
by Andy Sernovitz
With a snappy sense of humor coupled with pragmatic methods to grassroots marketing, Andy Sernovitz’s book illustrates the fundamentals to good marketing, and why some inexpensive advertisements and other multimillion-dollar campaigns collect figurative dust. The secret? Honesty and transparency creates satisfied “clients” (read “families”) who become community advocates for your school. For more real world examples on how to capitalize on such momentum, grab Word of Mouth Marketing for your summer vacation plans.
Additional ISM resources:
ISM Monthly Update for Admission Officers Vol. 12 No. 10 Summer Reading for the Admission Office: Recommended Books and Webinars
ISM Monthly Update for Development Officers Vol. 12 No. 10 Summer Reading for the Development Office: Recommended Books and Webinars
ISM Monthly Update for School Heads Vol. 12 No. 10 Summer Reading for School Heads: Recommended Books and Webinars
ISM Monthly Update for Division Heads Vol. 11 No. 10 Summer Reading for Division Heads: Recommended Books and Webinars
ISM Monthly Update for Business Officers Vol. 12 No. 10 Summer Reading for Business Officers: Recommended Books and Webinars
Additional ISM resources for Gold Consortium members:
I&P Vol. 25 No. 6 Marketing New Teachers
I&P Vol. 39 No. 6 Leadership Findings: A Review
I&P Vol. 34 No. 14 The 21st Century School: Teaching Time
I&P Vol. 38 No. 4 Waiting Pools: Base Enrollment on Class Needs and Mission
