December 4, 2018 | UHCL Staff
For Antonio Corrales, becoming a great educator is the result of having years of experience in the classroom and plenty of guidance from good mentors. That’s why Corrales, who is an assistant professor of educational leadership at University of Houston-Clear Lake, has authored a book to help teachers – especially those new to the profession – become effective educators.
The book, titled “Always Look 3 Stoplights Ahead: 9 Principles for Establishing Successful Schools,” conveys the remarkable journey of Gustav, a fictional Hungarian immigrant who emigrates to the U.S. to seek a better life after losing his job during a terrible economic downturn in Europe. “I have always been more of a storyteller than a lecturer,” Corrales said. “I hated being lectured. I always learned more from people who taught from their experience and showed me how to apply the principles they used that were successful. My book follows that path. The reader will get immersed in a storyline, but can apply research-based principles they learn.”
The title, said Corrales, tells the reader that success in education involves looking at the big picture. “In leadership, one of the best qualities is to be able to anticipate the next play,” he said. “Good leaders envision potential outcomes and are proactive.”
The story focuses on nine research-based “characters,” including Gustav. “Gustav comes to the U.S. after falling on very hard times in Hungary and he wants to continue his career as an engineer, but he ultimately becomes a teacher,” Corrales explained. “He also finds love in America and his wife teaches him about assimilating into American culture in the story.”
Gustav’s journey is guided by nine principles taught to by mentors he meets along the way as he becomes an educator. “Ultimately, Gustav becomes a teacher, then an assistant principal, then a principal, a central office administrator and then an assistant superintendent,” Corrales said. “He learns to establish a successful school and the story highlights his relationships with his family, his interpersonal relationships with his colleagues, and the internal dynamics of his school.”
There is heavy focus on showing the characters the importance of self-reflection. “We consider what it truly means to be an educator for life,” Corrales said.
The book is short and fun to read, he said, and he hopes it will become required reading for new educators. “I love writing and I am looking for different ways to reach students and help them learn,” Corrales said. “This is about the path to becoming an educator and how satisfying the journey can be if it’s approached in the right way.”
For more information about UH-Clear Lake’s Educational Leadership doctoral program, visit www.uhcl.edu/academics/degrees/educational-leadership-edd.
