Case Studies in Constructivist Leadership and Teaching

by Arthur Shapiro University of South Florida

Overview

These 27 real-life, down-to-earth case studies offer the tools and techniques to help educators improve their personal and professional practices as teachers, supervisors, and administrators in our ever-increasingly complex and changing schools and school districts. They contain strategies developed over the years that considerably improved the achievement and satisfaction of students. The cases range over a wide assortment of settings, from rural to inner city to suburban. The constructivist processes used are described carefully and the strategies are laid out clearly so practitioners can adopt them gradually—and safely. Included is a checklist in the fifth case study which presents in detail a model to guide practice. Topics covered include running a basketball team and cheerleading squad, teaching mechanical drawing in an inner city school (but lacking experience with the subject), and four invited cases that present a typical day-in-the-life of a constructivist principal, a department chair, a teacher in a charter school, and a middle school teacher who became contructivist.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780810844636
Publisher:	R&L Education
Publication date:	06/24/2003
Pages:	376
Product dimensions:	5.82(w) x 8.96(h) x 0.78(d)

About the Author

Arthur Shapiro is professor of Educational Leadership and Higher Education at the University of South Florida in Tampa. He has worked as a teacher, principal, director of secondary education, assistant superintendent, and superintendent in inner city, rural, and suburban settings.

Table of Contents

Part 1 Acknowledgments Part 2 Part I: Case Studies about Constructivist Teaching Chapter 3 1 Passing Through: The Confessions of an Alienated Student: The Case Study of Sue Sharp—Or, How I Ran a Diner, and Still Graduated High School Chapter 4 2 The Constructivist Teacher: When a Substitute Teaches Your Class (and Hasn't a Clue) Chapter 5 3 Creative Classroom Management: Better Involve the Troops—Or, How I Managed to Teach Mechanical Drawing without Knowing Anything about It Chapter 6 4 Crocodile Rock: Gateway to Emancipation and Empowerment Chapter 7 5 How I Created a Supportive Culture in a Constructivist Classroom or Team (How to Pull It Off, and Make It Work for You) Chapter 8 Appendix 5A: Constructivist Leader's Mental Checklist Chapter 9 6 My Development as a Constructivist Teacher Chapter 10 7 Leprechauns in the Classroom Chapter 11 8 Classroom Management—Solved Chapter 12 9 Looking at the Right End of the Horse: What We Found in Swedish Schools Amazed Us—IDEALIZED Constructivism Chapter 13 10 Practicing Constructivism in a Public ESE Charter Middle School—With Difficulty Chapter 14 11 From the Mouths of Students—Interactions with Constructivism Chapter 15 12 A Typical Day as a Constructivist High School Teacher and Department Chair Chapter 16 13 ESOL, Constructivism, and You—Constructivist and ESOL Philosophy and Practice: Another Surprise Chapter 17 14 Freedom versus Control—The Scripted Classroom: The High Cost of Control to Everyone (Including Teachers) Part 18 Part II: Case Studies in Constructivist Leadership Chapter 19 15 A Constructivist Sports Program: The Case of Principal Marc Douglas's Unusual Basketball Team Chapter 20 16 Beliefs, Myths, and Realities: A Case Study of a Rogue Junior High: Transformation into a Model Middle School Chapter 21 17 Looking Up the Wrong End of the Horse: Our Testing Mania—Viewpoints of Politicians and Practitioners (and Maybe Kids): A Cheap, Fast Way to Waken Education (but It Sure Looks Tough) Chapter 22 18 How to Make Your School (and Your Classroom) Work Better—Decentralize into a Constructivist Approach Chapter 23 19 A Day in the Life of a Constructivist Principal Chapter 24 20 Moving Orange Blossom Trail Elementary School toward Constructivism Chapter 25 21 Outside the Box: Three Team Leaders as Co-Principals Chapter 26 22 Our Evaluation Ritual Trap: And How to Spring It Chapter 27 23 The Rigid New Principal and the Constructivist Teacher: Studies in Tension Chapter 28 24 Where Are the Students on Your School Board? A Case Study of an Alternative School's Student Board of Education Chapter 29 25 Designing Our Structures to Do Our Heavy Work: What a Curriculum Structure Can Do to Make Our Professional Lives a Lot Easier Chapter 30 26 Developing a Running Pupil Personnel Services Council: Making our Structures Work for Us Chapter 31 27 National Standards—The Good, the Bad, the Ugly Part 32 Part III: Research Chapter 33 28 The Latest Research (about Constructivism) Part I: Different Approaches to Constructivism—What It's All About Chapter 34 29 The Latest Research (about Constructivism) Part II: On Instruction and Leadership Chapter 35 About the Author