Gardening in the Minefield: A Survival Guide for School Administrators

by Laurel Schmidt

For anyone in school leadership-or anyone who hopes to be-this book is a must read. Seasoned educator Laurel Schmidt tells it like it is about a principal's daily life. From the nitty gritty of... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0325004765
• ISBN13: 9780325004761
• Release Date: August 2002
• Publisher: Heinemann Educational Books
• Length: 216 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.1" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

A Book Every Professional Should Have

Laurel Schmidt is a Renassaunce educator. She's taught, she's been a principal, and now has written three books designed to help teachers and administrators do the very best work they can do. Ms Schmidt is also a consultant to the Muslim of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, having created their very successful educational program, Contemporary Art Start. She is also an educational consultant to the Guggenheim Museum in New Your City and has been invited to speak at conferences involving the four major museums in the city -- The Guggenheim, the Metropolitan, the Modern and the Whitney. She also conducts seminars and trainings for teachers and administrators all over the United States and Canada and is recognized as one of the leaders in this field. Having met her and heard her speak, I can think of no one who cares more or works harder to ensure our children get the best education possible.

Keep this Nearby

Schmidt knows education and has lived and continues to live its many angles. In this book, she draws upon her own experiences as an administrator that resonate with all of us who have lived and live in those shoes. She tackles the tensions, describes with distance what we in the middle often do not see, and offers a perspective that can bring enlightenment at the end of tough day in the garden. Her humor and wit will bring a smile and the encouragement to go back to gardening the next day. A fun read for new, aspiring, and seasoned gardeners.

"Gardening in the Minefield: Don't leave home without it."

I've been a public school administrator for the past 17 years. In addition I've mentored and taught new administrators. Over the years I've referenced "Gardening in the Minefields" more than any other source. The information presented is on-target and practical. Ms. Schmidt has a knack for seeing the big picture and understanding the challenges that administrators in schools face every day. She does it with intelligence, practicality and humor. Last week I presented a seminar for new principals at a local BOCES site. At the beginning of the presentation we played a little game to get everyone on task and to keep things light. I offered a prize to the participant who had the most correct in the contest...the prize? A copy of "Gardening in the Minefield!" You would have thought the winner had won the lottery! Professional educators will love this book. It's a must-read for anyone who wants to keep ahead of the game and develop the kind of passion for children that the author clearly possesses.

Delightfully Insightful and Painfully True

I really found this book helpful. It provides insights into the inner workings of schools in a way you can't find elsewhere. She earned her stripes and has a lot of useful information for school administrators or anyone engaged in leadership in an educational setting. Really great, engrossing book I liked very much.

Signposts for Future Administrators

Laurel Schmidt has written a useful, insightful, and lighthearted handbook for future and present administrators. Her mixed-metaphor title prepares the reader to "spin straw into gold" when faced, as a school administrator, with the myriad challenges of public school administration. Often, the "minefields" are other adults. However, according to Schmidt, many are of our own creation. I especially recommend using this book in graduate courses geared toward the preparation and licensure of future school administrators. If the book has any shortcomings--albeit, rather minor--it's the lack of references to the literature on school administration and leadership.