Preface
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Chapter 1 – March: Looking to Lead
Chapter 2 – June: Moving On
Chapter 3 – July: First Impressions
Chapter 4 – August: Laying a Foundation
Chapter 5 – Mid-August: Here Come the Teachers
Chapter 6 – Late August: There’s Nothing Like the First Day of
School
Chapter 7 – Early September: Baptism of Fire
Chapter 8 – Mid-September: Searching for Rhythm
Chapter 9 – Late September: D-Day
Chapter 10 – Early October: The Unusual is Routine
Chapter 11 – Mid-October: Definitions and Personalities
Chapter 12 – Late October: Stepping Forward, Stepping Back, Staying
Even?
Chapter 13 – Homecoming: Black, White and Gray
Chapter 14 – Early November: Fights, Fatigue, Poems and Prayers
Chapter 15 – Mid-November: The Media, The Mentee, The Abyss and The
Bandit
Chapter 16 – December: A Better Way?
Chapter 17 – Mid-December: Looking Back, Looking Ahead
References
Nicholas J. Pace is associate professor of Educational Leadership at the University of Northern Iowa. The former social worker, teacher, coach and principal lives in Cedar Falls, IA with his family.
Dr. Nick Pace’s Reality Calling: The Story of a Principal’s First
Semester is a must-read for any reader wanting a close-up look at
what school leaders can expect on the job. Catch a first-row
glimpse as three new principals grapple with a mix of pressing
issues and competing priorities — from improving instruction to
managing myriad e-mails — while drawing upon support from and
dialogue with one another as they navigate the first crucial
semester of the principalship. Reality Calling offers an abundance
of ideas and inspiration to new and veteran administrators alike
who are poised to make a difference.
*William Sterrett, Ph.D., former principal and author of Insights
into Action: Successful School Leaders Share What Works*
In her widely-viewed TED talk, University of Houston professor
Brene Brown suggested that 'maybe stories are just data with a
soul.' In Reality Calling, Dr. Nick Pace weaves a soulful story,
one built with data from his own school leadership experiences and
those of other sitting and aspiring school leaders. The story of
Joe Gentry's entry into the principalship is real and told vividly
by Dr. Pace. Reality Calling is both a great read and a useful
resource for sitting and aspiring school leaders, as well as those
of us tasked with working with the next generation of school
leaders.
*Jonathan D. Becker, J.D., Ph.D., educational leadership associate
professor, Virginia Commonwealth University*
Reality Calling is a thought-provoking, engaging journey into the
principalship. Filled with real-world examples of the issues that
principals actually face, this is a must read for anyone
contemplating becoming a school administrator.
*Daniel Cox, Ph.D., superintendent, Charles City Community School
District, Iowa*
Reality Calling is an innovative and creative tool for talking with
pre-service principals about how leaders make decisions about life
and work in the first year on the job, and the importance of
collegial networks for keeping sane. This book is a refreshing
alternative to dry, case studies and textbook tales of woe from
imaginary practitioners.
*Liz Hollingworth, associate professor, educational policy and
leadership studies, University of Iowa*
For both emerging and veteran educational leaders, Reality Calling
is the fly on the principal’s wall that brings the unique and
fascinating challenges of a principalship to the surface and allows
discussion that will guide even the seasoned principal.
*Jeffrey J. Dieken, principal, Hudson High School, Iowa*
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