Today's guest post is written by a three-time DBC, Inc. author and outstanding educational leader...Rich Czyz! If you've not checked out his books Four 0'Clock Faculty and Secret Sauce, do yourself a favor and click on the links to read the first few chapters for FREE!
But, right now, let's learn about Rich's newest release Rogue Leader!
Take it away, Rich!
Guest Post by Rich Czyz
Copy, Rogue Leader.
―Wedge Antilles to Luke Skywalker, The Empire Strikes Back
Rogue leaders don’t always start out as rogue leaders. Sometimes, there is a journey that leads them to a certain place.
Take, for example, the path of Luke Skywalker, during the first two Star Wars films. He undergoes quite a journey and personal transformation during A New Hope and Empire Strikes Back. At the moment when he is leading the Rogue Squadron in defense of Echo Base, he takes charge under the callsign Rogue Leader.
He had to face a series of setbacks and defeats, and overcome a number of obstacles. He was often unsure of himself. He had his doubts on many occasions before he was able to find the confidence and strength to take control over his own destiny, to become a Rogue Leader.
As I described in The Four O’Clock Faculty, I faced my own personal journey to improve professional development. It took me a while to realize that I was the only one that could take responsibility for my own professional learning. After the book came out, I connected with many educators who felt the same way that I did. They were also looking for ways to take control of their own professional development. I encouraged those educators to become part of a Relevant Organized Group of Underground Educators (ROGUE). Many of these educators shared the ways in which they were going ROGUE to make changes to their own PD paradigm. I learned about a number of different ways that these educators were overcoming obstacles to improve PD for themselves and those around them.
What’s really interesting about the other educators that I connected with was that they were a lot like Luke Skywalker. They weren’t always ready to jump in headfirst. Some were reluctant. Some lacked confidence. Some felt like they weren’t in a position to tell others what to do. But, they had great ideas, and a willingness to share, and a confidence in the movement.
Rogue leaders don’t always start out as rogue leaders.
When it came time to title my newest book, I knew that I needed to pay homage to the ROGUE Leaders, the educators (in any position) taking charge to make professional development better for everyone around them. ROGUE Leader: Make the Rules, Inspire Others, and Take Control of Your Own Professional Development Destiny is about making PD something more than just an item on a checklist. It’s about making your own rules, assessing and planning professional development programs so that they work for everyone. It’s about constant growth and improvement, and designing PD systems that aren’t just done to teachers, but rather for and by teachers.
By taking control of your own PD destiny as a ROGUE Leader, you will learn about:
- The READI Framework for professional development: how to assess and plan PD that meets a number of different criteria, and works to bridge the needs and goals of both individual educators, schools, and districts,
- Getting beyond Buzzword Du Jour and One and Done: how to create PD that is ongoing and consistently embedded in what educators do on a regular basis,
- Pushing the Pessimists: how to connect with reluctant colleagues to include them in PD and improve the process for everyone,
- Switching Up Staff Meetings: how to use monthly meeting time to recognize local experts to continue to innovate and incorporate meaningful PD opportunities, and
- Designing PD to include flexible options for busy and overwhelmed educators.
Rogue leaders don’t always start out as rogue leaders.
But now is the time for you to go ROGUE!
It’s time to be more like Skywalker.
It’s time to make your own rules.
It’s time for you to inspire those around you.
It’s time for you to take control of your own PD destiny!
ROGUE leaders unite.
-Rich
Thank You!
Thank you, Rich!
Please follow Rich on Twitter at @RACzyz and his blog at fouroclockfaculty.com. Also, don't forget to grab your copy of Rogue Leader. You can even read the first few chapters for FREE by clicking the link below!
