Culture, Clichés, and Conversations

Relationships are everything in successful systems, and connections are cultivated by our actions and our words.  Within our words, we contain the power to build relationships or bury them.  Those who look for opportunities to converse on significant issues sustain and prosper.  However, often times these conversations are cut short by our inability to discover the hidden meanings behind our chosen responses.   In today’s school systems, educational clichés are ending essential dialogue when they should begin and maintain it.  Messages like “That’s why you make the big bucks” or “It is what it is” hinder our capacity to construct critical connections with each other.  The focus of Clichés, Conversations and Culture:  Cultivating Relations Between Teachers and Administrators is to unveil these clichés and explore alternatives that will foster connectedness.  By improving our dialogue, we will be able to nurture a more viable culture for our building and bridge the gap that historically exists between administrators and teachers.    

Dr. Barber has done an excellent job portraying many of the concepts, clichés and misunderstandings all of us have experienced as teachers and administrators. He explicitly focuses on the misuse of talk versus communication, and how a better understanding of both can improve relationships within a building and/or across a school district. These relationships are keys to a solid culture. His linguistic perspective is a much needed fresh approach to conversations we all wish we could handle better. The book is written in an easy to read conversational tone. It should be required reading for all educators, from novice to veteran! This text would be an especially valuable read for those in administrative preparation programs. It is a common –sense approach that includes practical and appropriate responses to situations and comments we all face., Dr. Barber is one of the most dynamic and inspiring educators I have ever met.  His passion for education and his emphasis on what is truly best for students are evident on every page of this book. He’s not afraid to ask tough questions, and he is wise and honest enough to realize there are no easy answers.  Clichés, Conversations and Culture is going to change the way we look at relationships now and in the future.   , Dr. Barber truly understands the importance of building trust, relationships, and a positive culture to increase student achievement. Clichés, Conversations and Culture is the perfect mix of theory and practice that allows educators to understand each other’s perspectives and increase meaningful conversations. Dr. Barber expertly breaks down the subtext that often occurs in conversations and then provides practical strategies to increase positive relationships. Whether you are a professor, superintendent, administrator or teacher, this book should be required reading!, Dr. Barber has captured what is the roller coaster of emotions and challenges that teachers and administrators experience on a daily basis. Graduate classes give an overview of what an ideal building culture should look like, but fail to truly define practical ways to make it so. Dr. Barber offers a practical guide for administrators and teachers to use to create a movement towards positive, sustained relationships within the building community. Dr. Barber provides magnificent insight on how to build a strong positive school culture, as well as building confidence in all stakeholders. This is a must read!, Dr. Barber provides a concrete and relevant visualization of what it takes to be an effective school leader. Dr. Barber’s practicality ensures that all readers are presented with true insights of the consistent challenges modern day building leaders are faced with. Dr. Barber’s book helps administrators apply the material from administrative graduate programs to a real life school environment. Dr. Barber provides successful techniques for involving all stake holders, creating teacher buy-in, and sustaining a positive school culture. Dr. Barber does an outstanding job painting a true administrative masterpiece. Administrators and educators alike need to read this book

Dr. Anthony P. Barber is the Director of Teaching and Learning in the Springfield School District. He is also an adjunct professor at various universities instructing in graduate and undergraduate education and leadership courses. Dr. Barber is also the author of The Hidden Principalship: A Practical Handbook For New And Experienced Principals, a Rowman and Littlefield publication dealing with assisting administrators in handling school issues. Dr. Barber has also published, The Hidden Teacher: Not Only Surviving the System, But Thriving in It. This text is also publish under R & L and is a sequel to The Hidden Principalship by providing teachers with practical advice for sustaining positive careers. Furthermore, he is also a co-author to Common Threads: Investigating and Solving School Discipline, another R & L publication focusing on school discipline.