Invest in Your Best by Todd Whitaker

Invest in Your Best by Todd Whitaker

Support, celebrate, and grow your best teachers so that they stay in your school and continue to have maximum impact. Burnout and teacher turnover are on the rise, yet we often spend more of our energy on the underperformers. In this powerful book from bestselling authors Todd Whitaker, Connie Hamilton, Joseph Jones, and T.J. Vari, you'll learn why it’s crucial to recognize your best teachers, going beyond superficial gestures of appreciation and investing in them in deeper ways.

The authors show school leaders how to identify their best teachers and then reveal strategies for supporting them, including recognizing the value-cost of teachers’ time; prioritizing appreciation; controlling the narrative; tailoring professional learning; helping teachers grow through peer observations as well as beyond the school; applying data informed feedback; and nurturing self- and collective-efficacy. Each chapter begins with a powerful story, an overview of our blind spots, strategies on what we should invest in, and how to ensure that the whole school profits from your efforts. There’s also an Initial Deposits feature that provides a quick, tangible way to get started with each idea.

With the helpful models, tips, and tricks in this book, you won’t just be inspired to make a change but will be well equipped to take action. As your best teachers get better-and-better, your students and the entire school culture will benefit!

Todd Whitaker (@toddwhitaker) is a leading presenter in the field of education and has written more than 60 books including the bestseller What Great Teachers Do Differently. He is a former teacher, coach, principal, and professor of educational leadership.

Connie Hamilton is a highly sought-after consultant who collaborates with educators to improve teaching and learning. She has served as a teacher, instructional coach, principal, and district curriculum leader. She has authored several books, including Hacking Questions: 11 Answers that Create a Culture of Inquiry in Your Classroom.

Joseph Jones is the Superintendent of schools in the New Castle County Vocational-Technical School District in Delaware. He is a co-founder of TheSchoolHouse302, a leadership development institute, and co-author of Candid and Compassionate Feedback: Transforming Everyday Practice in Schools.

T.J. Vari is the Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Schools and District Operations at Appoquinimink School District in Delaware. He is a co-founder of TheSchoolHouse302, a leadership development institute, and co-author of Candid and Compassionate Feedback: Transforming Everyday Practice in Schools.