Responses from all books read.

-- Anonymous, December 09, 1998

Answers

One major element in The Quality School by William Glasser is his approach to the managerial style of being the boss. He asserted that education (or I read it as all managers) must take on a lead management role instead of possessing a boss management style. Glasser explains that boss managers tend to rule the office with supreme control. To them, a loss of control will transcend into a loss of power. In contrast, lead managers are comfortable with the knowledge that they can delegate duties and trust they will be completed.

On a general level, most of the administrative people I have worked with are boss managers. Too many are unable to delegate any duties because they cannot lose their perceived control of the workplace and the workers. It seems most boss managers would like to control every facet of the work environment (except making coffee or doing the most basic duties). The problem with boss managers is that they diminish the worker to a person who is physically at work but is mentally unchallenged. What suffers from this? The workplace is turned into a non-creative entity where the worker feels undervalued.

The teaching environment is a bit different. In some respects, a boss management style with certain students may be the best method. Since approaches to different students must vary because of personality, it is important that all management approaches remain open. While lead management may work extremely well with some students, boss management may be the only way to keep a few wayward students on track.

In a perfect world or in the adult work, lead management style would be preferred over a suffocating boss management style. Mature people can handle mature duties and responsibilities. With students, I believe any management style that provides the best results should be used.

-- Anonymous, December 09, 1998

Jodi: I agree with you that Glasser posits a perfect world; he definitely is quite idealistic. Much of what he said I liked: striving to help students perceive education as need-satisfying; having pictures of education in their quality world; evaluating the quality of their own work. But, some of the things -- like working on a test until everything is perfect, everyone receiving A's and B's (because they earned them) -- really do not take into account human nature, and natural consequences for one's actions (like not preparing for a test!).

-- Anonymous, December 15, 1998

Jodi, I agree that we should use the management style that works best for the student. I feel we should use parts of the Glasser approach whenever possible but use other methods for the students who have different needs.

-- Anonymous, January 08, 1999

Good comments on the book, "The Quality School". While I liked many of the suggestions Glasser ed (lead management, self evaluation, and choice theory) I agree with you that some of these concepts are not always feasible. The best we can do as educators is attempt to use some of these components in ways that are not only need satisfying to the student, but to the teacher.

-- Anonymous, January 20, 1999