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"I truly believe your book
will help me heal from the pains I have experienced within this
profession."
—a high school teacher |
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To understand institutions, we
must look at them from the perspectives of workers,
those at the very bottom of their organizations. |
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Click here for
reader
feedback page |
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Use the
library link for chapter excerpts. Some of
the workplace issues addressed:
Boss,
bullying, capacity, change, coercion, collegiality,
communication, community, conflict, control, cooperation,
courage, culture, democracy, dignity, school district,
education, empowerment, fear, Fetzer Institute, formation,
future search, human resources, inner life, inner work, job,
meetings, middle school, mobbing, movement, OD, office life,
Parker J. Palmer, partnership, Pendle Hill, personal growth,
personal transformation, power, principal, professional
development, projection, psychology, Quaker, rankism,
relationship, renewal, respect, responsibility, retreat, safety,
scapegoat, self-awareness, school improvement, self-knowledge,
simplicity, social justice, solidarity, spirituality,
stewardship, teacher, teamwork, vocation, wisdom, work,
workplace. memoir, non-fiction |
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"Highly recommended"
—Midwest Book Review |
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"Moving,
poetic, insightful, painful, hopeful, touching,
tragic, triumphant.”
—Barry Oshry
Chief Theoretical Officer
Power + Systems, Inc., author of
Seeing
Systems: Unlocking the Mysteries of Organizational
Life |
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from
Parker J. Palmer...
“Disregarded” by veteran educator Jack Bender is a
gritty reflection on some of the grim realities that
public school teachers face every day of their
working lives. At the same time, it is full of hope
that personal and institutional renewal is a real
possibility, and that individuals and small groups
can make a real difference in bringing that
possibility to fruition. When such a hope comes from
a veteran teacher who has earned his battle stripes,
we know that we can trust it. As a former teacher
and someone who cares deeply about the well-being of
teachers and the young people they serve, I give
this book an A+.”
—Parker J. Palmer (author of “The Courage to
Teach,” “A Hidden Wholeness” and “Let Your
Life Speak,” and founder and senior partner of the
Center for Courage & Renewal, <http://www.CourageRenewal.org>) |
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From the
back cover |
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Disregarded is an adult
Lord of the Flies set in the workplace. The author
alternately experiences the relentless lows of
organizational life and the renewal of being in
community during a two-year long retreat program. The
tension between the two experiences fuels the search for
understanding. Why do groups split apart? How can groups
hang together? A rare mix of authoritative resources and
personal experience – in story form – Disregarded
explains how the personal and organizational intersect.
This engaging account is nothing less than a story of
hope amidst power plays, bureaucratic impediments and
conflicted relationships. |
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“Bender’s play-by-play of flawed
office dynamics is tempered by his intimate account of
personal growth while being a professional in crisis. A
compelling human story for those feeling frustrated,
drained or besieged, yet seeking a constructive and
restorative response.”
Reverend Julie M. Cowie, Minister
and mediator, Congruency |
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“Countless gems to
ponder and jam-packed with wisdom. Engaging!”
Pat Cassell, Mental
health counselor |
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“When asked, ‘What
might happen if a group of employees read this book?’ I
responded, ‘What if their bosses did?’”
Jim Metzger, Teacher |
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“Too few of us understand
organizational dynamics, but Bender’s explanation is of
immense help.”
Robert L. Smith, High School
Principal |
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“This is a great
narrative of a person’s journey toward understanding
self and workplace. Disregarded will give
workers everywhere a framework and incentive to grow as
well as the motivation to actively transform their
workplaces.”
Frank Russell, SIU,
State Farm Insurance |
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