Middle School Playbook

Middle school leadership is complex and deeply human. Drawing on his experience as a middle school principal, Chris Bennett provides a practical guide for principals navigating constant change. His approach helps leadership teams make thoughtful decisions-and encourages principals to create a school culture where students feel supported and engaged. Bennett's guidance equips teams to foster steady growth and lasting impact at this critical stage. New and veteran middle school leaders can use this book to:Create working schedules that facilitate school operations and maximize student learningDesign support systems to guide students through transitions in their educational journeysUse extracurricular activities and mentoring relationships to promote student agencyBuild stronger leadership teams by collaborating on decisions and solutionsGrow and sustain educator teams via improved hiring and professional developmentContents:IntroductionChapter 1: Designing Middle School StructuresChapter 2: Building Bridges to, from, and within Middle SchoolChapter 3: Developing and Fostering Student Agency in Middle SchoolChapter 4: Using Collaborative Problem Solving and Data-Driven Decision Making in Middle SchoolChapter 5: Hiring, Supporting, and Retaining Middle School StaffEpilogueReferences and ResourcesIndex