Seeking Balance: The Story of a Principal's Second Semester [Paperback]

Seeking Balance: The Story of a Principals Second Semester continues the story of fictional Principal Joe Gentrys first year on the job. Like its predecessor, Reality Calling: The Story of a Principals First Semester, this book is crafted from authentic experiences shared by principals. This part of the story picks up in January as Joe anticipates his mid-year evaluation. As winter turns to spring, he reflects on lessons learned and seeks to build on successes and correct his mistakes. Throughout, Joe seeks guidance and support from his wife, mentors, and two friends, who are also new principals. As the months roll by, he navigates the complexities of school leadership and seeks balance between personal and professional life, leadership and management, and theory and the real-world.

This extended, real-world case study provides an authentic, unvarnished account of a fully-human principal knee deep in what is appropriately called the toughest job in education. The book concludes with Joe anticipating an end of the year meeting with his two friends to reflect on their progress toward becoming the leaders they have envisioned.

The creatively told story of Joe Gentrys second semester as a high school principal provides the reader with an insight into the challenge all leaders have in balancing leadership and management. Joe wrestles with common challenges for a first year principal in ways that allow for interpretation through multiple lenses. This book is particularly valuable for its questions at the end of each chapter, which provide preparation programs a new, unique tool for generating conversations with pre-service principals. Liz Hollingworth, associate professor, educational policy and leadership studies, University of Iowa

In Seeking Bls-