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Teachers deserve more than one-size-fits-all professional development. The Seven Levels of Teacher Growth introduces a clear and practical framework that helps school leaders understand where each teacher is in their professional journey and how to support them effectively. 

Whether you are an administrator, instructional coach, or teacher leader, this book provides tools to move beyond compliance and create real instructional growth. When teachers receive the right kind of support, students succeed. This book shows you how. 

• Use the Hierarchy of Teacher Professional Development (HTPD) to pinpoint where each teacher is in their growth
   
• Leverage the teacher self-assessment tool to guide differentiated support
   
• Recognize the instructional needs behind student behavior and academic struggles
   
• Provide support that is tailored, timely, and sustainable
   
• Design systems that shift coaching from reactive to proactive
   
• Make classroom visits meaningful and growth-oriented
   
• Align your school’s vision, PD, PLCs, and student support systems around one shared framework
   
• Build trust with teachers while holding high expectations for growth

You don’t need to be an expert in instruction to be an effective instructional leader. But you do need a system.

Too often, principals are expected to lead teaching and learning without clear tools, training, or time. The Guiding Principal was written to change that. This book offers a realistic, step-by-step approach to building instructional leadership systems that actually work—especially in the real world of interruptions, initiatives, and limited resources.

You’ll learn how to give meaningful feedback, support teacher growth, and align your leadership to a clear vision for learning. Whether you're new to the role or ready to refine your practice, this book will help you lead with confidence, clarity, and purpose.

• Build a clear, schoolwide vision for effective teaching and learning
   
• Design systems that support teacher growth without adding to your workload
   
• Provide meaningful, differentiated feedback to teachers at all levels
   
• Use classroom visits as tools for support, not surveillance
   
• Structure your calendar, conversations, and PD around what matters most
   
• Support struggling teachers without losing sight of your strongest ones
   
• Align your leadership practices to sustainable systems, not guesswork
   
• Lead instruction with confidence—even if you’re not an expert in every content area