From Teacher to Leader: Finding Your Way as a First-Time Leader-without Losing Your Mind

Amazing. Exciting. Terrifying. Your first year as a school leader can be all those things at once.
Emotions seem to swing from one end of the spectrum to the other and back again in a single hour, not to mention the school year. You miss the classroom even as you hope to make an impact on a larger scale. You wonder where you fit in now that you’re one of them—a leader.

Whether you have already made the move into leadership or are wondering whether a role in administration is right for you, Starr Sackstein’s insight in From Teacher to Leader will help you make the best decisions for yourself and those you serve. In this honest and practical guide, Sackstein prompts you to reflect as you stretch for personal and professional growth.

How do you know when you’re ready to move into leadership?
What do you do when you miss being in the classroom?
How can you make sure you’re leading well?
What do you do when you feel overwhelmed?

Leadership isn’t easy, and being a first-time leader carries its own set of challenges. But with From Teacher to Leader, you’ll be equipped to thrive in your new role.

"Leaving the classroom for a leadership position is not always easy even after the decision has been made. In From Teacher to Leader: Finding Your Way as a First-Time Leader without Losing Your Mind, Starr Sackstein uses her usual raw honesty (which I happen to find refreshing) to help new leaders negotiate their way through the transition. This book is about more than our profession; it's about life."  --Peter DeWitt, EdD, author/consultant, Education Week Finding Common Ground Blog "Our very best teachers are also leaders, and our very best leaders never stop teaching. From Teacher To Leader is written by Starr Sackstein, a person who has always been a master leader, albeit while serving as a classroom teacher. As Starr moved from the classroom into an official 'administrative' leadership role, she experienced many successes as well as challenges. This book captures her journey in a compelling way and will serve as an excellent resource for any educator moving from the classroom into an administrative role. The book is filled with sound advice, practical strategies, and inspiring stories. Each chapter includes helpful questions designed to help readers reflect on what they are doing, where they have been, and where they are going in their career. I highly recommend this well-written, important book."  -- Jeffrey Zoul, EdD, author, speaker, leadership coach, and president of ConnectEDD
"Sacktein's latest book on educational leadership in the twenty-first century is a shining star for the simple fact that it gives an honest look at what it takes to not only land your first job as a school- or district-based leader but actually be successful. This important book places a strong emphasis on relationships, growth, and a commitment to doing what's best for kids all day, every day. New to the world of leadership? Buy this book today!" --Brad Currie, 2017 NASSP National Assistant Principal of the Year "Not since former NYS Commissioner of Education Thomas Sobol's My Life in School has there been such a powerful personal reflection by a leader about school leadership. Looking back over his career, Sobol revealed the effect of his struggles and successes. He shared how it felt to be a leader, not simply what happened. In complementary fashion, Starr Sackstein writes from where she presently stands and looks forward. Her experiences are those happening right now in an educational world we can all identify with because we are all living in that world. She describes the pull toward leadership as it sits in contrast with the hesitation to leave the classroom where comfort and success reside. Each of her steps and stages and struggles weave together to be an important story all can understand and learn from. Her story is happening now. Her compelling revelations serve as a shared journey that can help escort others to move from a classroom to a leadership team." --Jill Berkowicz, educator and author "If you are a teacher contemplating whether or not administration is for you, this book is the resource you need to help you decide. In From Teacher to Leader, author Starr Sackstein has written a step-by-step guide for teachers who are looking for a potential career change. Sackstein strategically walks the reader through her own experiences, describing in honest and transparent detail the challenges she encountered. More importantly, she provides relevant tips from the field on how to overcome those challenges."  --Jimmy Casas, educator, author, speaker, leadership coach