Neila A. Connors - If You Dont Feed the Students, They Starve: Improving Attitude and Achievement Through Positive Relationships

I love this book because you can turn to any page and find that Neila Connors offers you positive and proven recipes carefully curated from schools and classrooms all over the country to help you make your school even more exciting, engaging, caring, safe, and fun! It is written for educators who love their students and yearn for a return to a time when pervasive happy and meaningful relationships among everyone in schools were the bedrock of raising student achievement. It is the perfect sequel to Neila Connors's first book, If You Don't Feed the Teachers, They'll Eat the Students, a book that I continue to share with teachers I work with and is beloved by all.

Judith Enright, Education Consultant

If You Don't F.E.E.D. the Students, They S.T.A.R.V.E. is filled with a menu of strategies, supports, activities and ideas to challenge our students, ourselves, and our schools to be the best we can be!

Anna M. Farrell, Retired Educator

Dr. Connors's newest buffet of positive strategies in education today is a must-read. Sample her ideas about making learning relevant for students. Celebrate her personal recipe box of changes you can make in your students. Going to school should be a 5-star experience for our kids. Stir it up. Spice it up. Get ready to be waited on by the finest education chef herself.

Patty Dailey, Middle School Teacher

In my 40 years in education, never has a book been so critical. This book reinforces our why and shows us how we can transform schools through humor and knowledge. Every staff member will find renewal and discovery through this extraordinary collection of strategies.

Martinrex Kedziora, Ed.D., Superintendent, Moreno Valley Unified School District

I have used Dr. Connors's work with my graduate-level students, in Educational Leadership courses, for the past several years. These educators are hungry for more of Neila's positive strategies and excellent ideas. Dr. Connors's newest book, If You Don't F.E.E.D. the Students, They S.T.A.R.V.E. provides a delectable menu of choices for practitioners of all experience levels. Please reserve me a table for 25.

Glady Van Harpen, PhD, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh

Neila A. Connors, PhD

Copyright 2020 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is Available:

ISBN 9780470577790 (paperback)

ISBN 9781118418383 (ePDF)

ISBN 9781118415368 (ePub)

Cover Design and Illustrations: Paul McCarthy

FIRST EDITION

This book is dedicated most importantly to Helen Irene Mooney Connors, my best friend, mentor, and mother, who was my most talented teacher of all (I miss and love you every day). As I look back at all of the basics and learnings she taught me, I am amazed how much ahead of her time she lived. She was the mother extraordinaire, filled with so much love, excitement, and compassion that she authentically lived every day to the fullest, smiling and laughing her way through life.

It is also dedicated to my three favorite teachers: Mrs. Charlotte Pignatelli (2nd grade), Mrs. Mae Brown (high school home economics), and Mr. Stephen Sable (high school psychology) each inspired me to pursue teaching and be the best possible in life and to all of the other extraordinary teachers in the world.

And to my favorite principal: Mr. Paul Perachi (Lenox Memorial High School, Lenox, Massachusetts), who wrote to me, One thing I learned, early on, when working with kids was that you needed to be honest and straightforward in all of your dealings. Kids can smell a phony from a mile away and they respect your honesty even if they don't agree with you or like what you are saying or doing. You've obviously had a distinguished career, and I am honored to have been a little part of it.

I further acknowledge the following people who have inspired, loved, and supported me throughout this adventure:

• My dearest friends who all pushed me along to complete this project and birth this baby:
  • Dr. John Lounsbury my friend, my mentor, my hero.
  • Dr. James and Debbie Crosier always my biggest cheerleaders and amazing friends.
  • Jeanette Phillips my sister who puts up with my right-brained lifestyle as she lives her left-brained and one of the most student-oriented, remarkable principals I ever worked with.
  • Dr. Martinrex Kedziora who also continuously asked how much I had completed and when would it be published and for being the Superintendent Extraordinaire at the Moreno Unified School District.
  • Judy Sanders Enright the most organized person I ever knew, who brings out the best in everyone and gets things done.
  • Dr. Glady Van Harpen even though she lives in the coldest part of our country, she is the warmest and kindest person in the world.
  • Dr. Richard Ramsey who is always checking on me and bringing me back to reality thanks, Rev.
  • Kathy Shewey the most caring listener, who is always there for anyone who needs a shoulder or a room for the night.
  • Cathy Egley one of the best principals I have ever worked with, who loves students and gives her all in everything she does.