Leading Through Quality Questioning: Creating Capacity, Commitment, and Community

"A leader′s job is not to have all of the right answers, but to ask the right questions. Not only does this book address self-inquiry for school leaders, it offers tools and learning support for leaders committed to improving and refining their inquiry-based leadership."
―Betty Burks, Deputy Superintendent
San Antonio ISD, TX

"One does not immediately think of questioning as a leadership tool. Yet the compelling and engaging strategies thoughtfully described in this book will make any leader realize the power of an artful question. This is an invaluable handbook for those eager to listen differently to people, enter into dialogue about sensitive topics, and structure opportunities for people to talk constructively."
―Joellen Killion, Deputy Executive Director
National Staff Development Council

"Walsh and Sattes have captured the essence of one of the key features of a good leader: the ability to coach others. Their quality questioning framework helps school leaders understand that the way they structure a question can be the key to building organizational capacity."
―Yvonne V. Thayer, Certified Professional Coach
Senior Director, Making Middle Grades Work, Southern Regional Education Board, GA

"A must-read for all school leaders. This practical guide on how to create an inquiry-oriented approach to decision making enables adult learners in the school to sustain school improvement."
―Betsy Rogers, School Improvement Specialist
Jefferson County School District, AL

"The focus of the book complements the work we are currently doing in our school district to create reflective practitioners. The Leading through Quality Questioning Framework is a clear and concise way to get the big picture of how questioning can be used to foster a culture of continuous improvement. The chapters that follow allow the reader to put the meat on the bones of the framework!"
―Christopher Corallo, Director of Staff Development
Henrico County Public Schools, Richmond, VA

Use quality questioning to bring out the best in your learning community!

Quality questioning is a process for engaging individuals in reflection, critical thinking, and collaboration. The authors demonstrate how questions, not answers, drive school improvement and growth for a learning community. This handbook for school and district leaders applies the principles of the best-selling book Quality Questioning to four critical leadership functions: 

• Maximizing individual and organizational capacity
• Mobilizing individuals and groups to build ownership and commitment across a community
• Mediating conflict by helping individuals find common ground and focus on shared purpose
• Monitoring progress toward identified goals

Jackie Walsh is an independent educational consultant who partners with educators across the country to enhance teaching and leading in classrooms, schools, and districts. Her passion and primary area of expertise is questioning―for both student and adult learning. Based in Montgomery, Alabama, Jackie is also the lead consultant for the Alabama Best Practices Center, which affords her the opportunity to work with networks of school teams, district teams, instructional partners, and superintendents.

 

Jackie’s early experience as a high school social studies teacher contributed to her passion for questioning. As a designer and facilitator of professional learning for teachers, instructional coaches, and administrators, she links quality questioning practices not only to student thinking and learning but also to adult learning and reflection. Her commitment is to collaborative design that customizes learning to the context of the learners. Her experience spans work in K-12, higher education, a regional research laboratory, and a state department of education.

 

The author and co-author of numerous books and articles focused on quality questioning, Jackie seeks to make research and best practice accessible to practitioners. Her books, co-authored with Beth Sattes, include: Quality Questioning, 2nd Edition (2017), Questioning for Classroom Discussion (2015), Thinking Through Quality Questioning (2011), Leading Through Quality Questioning (2010),  and Quality Questioning, 1^st Edition (2005), She received her A.B. from Duke University, M.A.T. from the University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill), and Ph.D. from the University of Alabama. Follow Jackie on Twitter @Question2Think; email, walshja@aol.com.

Beth Dankert Sattes is a co-developer with Jackie Acree Walsh of Questioning and Understanding to Improve Learning and Thinking (QUILT), a nationally validated professional development program on effective questioning. They are also co-authors of Inside School Improvement (2000) and co-presenters of the Video Journal in Education series Questioning to Stimulate Thinking (1999). These two former classroom teachers have trained hundreds of administrators and teachers across the nation in effective questioning. Their other joint ventures have focused on creating effective professional development for educators, sharing leadership for continuous school improvement, and creating a culture for high-performance learning communities. A recent example of their work is the design and delivery of professional development for school improvement specialists―consultants or staff who work to develop the capacity of schools to improve achievement for all students. They have also developed professional development modules on improving school culture (for the Southern Regional Education Board) and leading learning communities (for the Alabama Leadership Academy). Beth Dankert Sattes holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Vanderbilt University and a master’s degree in early childhood special education from Peabody College. Both Sattes and Walsh have served as faculty for the National Staff Development Council’s Academy.

Contact Beth Sattes at beth@enthusedlearning.com.