The Instructional Leader and the Brain
Using Neuroscience to Inform Practice
Foreword by Pat Wolfe
Apply neuroscience to leadership and become a gamechanger
An instructional leader who understands how people learn has the power to transform a school and raise student achievement. Brain pioneer Margaret Glick weaves the fields of cognitive science, neuroscience, educational leadership, and instruction into a cohesive framework for understanding how the brain learns, and shows how to apply this knowledge to teacher and student learning. Understanding the five elements that affect how we learn results in the following benefits:
- Increased understanding of the learning process
- Improved communication
- Enhanced relationships
- Better interpersonal skills
- New tools for giving effective feedback
- An inner compass for continuous improvement
Included are brain illustrations, rubrics, implementation ideas for teachers, step-by-step pedagogy, and assessments to help instructional leaders understand how brain functions inform instruction, and how to teach these principles to their teachers.
"This book combines information about how the brain functions with brain-compatible strategies into one resource that educators can use to transform classrooms into brain-compatible learning places."
"The book ties together strategies and best practices with the six guiding principles of brain function. Margaret Glick explains these complex concepts in language that is easy to understand. Educational leaders will find that Brain-Compatible Leadership validates what they are already doing right, and offers numerous new ideas to try with their students and staff."
"Glick offers a unique approach to educational leadership development, as she brings the study of neuroscience to the field of learning. Complex brain actions for learning are explained in concise terms and understandable images. Application of how the brains of adults and children learn is woven into the chapters with practical classroom and staff room designs."
"This book peels back the layers of the complex work of instructional leadership to the inner core of its five most important principles. Margaret Glick is adept at aligning each of these critical principles to strategies of effective practice as they would look in the classroom and the staff room."
“In her book, Glick strikes a harmonious chord by blending research about the brain with actions adults should take when preparing children for a meaningful future. Her analysis and application of information in and around processing and feedback are simply outstanding.”
"Brain Compatible Instructional Leadership brings brain research into the staffroom of the American schoolhouse. Margaret Glick provides a concise and up-to-date look at the latest and best research about how the brain works in both children and adults. The author revisits the work of multiple experts and varied sources and synthesizes the work into a practical application for teachers, teacher leaders, and school administrators."
"This is a clear, concise book that provides brain research background knowledge along with classroom applications and leadership strategies to enhance and monitor classroom instruction. There are many strategies a leader can use in PLCs, individual teacher supervision, and school-wide processes. This book has a good mix of theory and practical applications."
