Create a unified, caring classroom in which all students love to learn and feel a sense of belonging. Developed from the author’s experience, this resource helps you create an emotionally safe environment, teach empathy as a primary skill, and much more.
The untold story of the root cause of America's education crisis--and the seemingly endless cycle of multigenerational poverty. It was only after years within the education reform movement that Natalie Wexler stumbled across a hidden explanation for our country's frustrating lack of progress when it comes to providing every child with a quality education. The problem wasn't one of the usual scapegoats: lazy teachers, shoddy facilities, lack of accountability. It was something no one was talking about: the elementary school curriculum's intense focus on decontextualized reading comprehension "skills" at the expense of actual knowledge. In the tradition of Dale Russakoff's The Prize and Dana Goldstein's The Teacher Wars, Wexler brings together history, research, and compelling characters to pull back the curtain on this fundamental flaw in our education system--one that fellow reformers, journalists, and policymakers have long overlooked, and of which the general public, including many parents, remains unaware. But The Knowledge Gap isn't just a story of what schools have gotten so wrong--it also follows innovative educators who are in the process of shedding their deeply ingrained habits, and describes the rewards that have come along: students who are not only excited to learn but are also acquiring the knowledge and vocabulary that will enable them to succeed. If we truly want to fix our education system and unlock the potential of our neediest children, we have no choice but to pay attention.
"Outstanding! . . . a great guide for teachers who want to succeed with every student they teach." --William Glasser Teachers everywhere face the daily challenge of engaging students whose knowledge, skills, needs, and temperaments vary greatly. How does a teacher establish a learning environment that supports the class as a whole while meeting the particular needs of individual students? Teacher Jonathan C. Erwin believes the answer lies in offering real opportunities to students rather than throwing up the obstacles inherent in traditional discipline and motivation techniques. At the heart of his approach are the five basic human needs of William Glasser's Choice Theory: survival and security, love and belonging, power through cooperation and competency, freedom, and fun. By understanding and attending to these needs, teachers can customize and manage a classroom environment where students learn to motivate and monitor themselves. Drawing on theories and practices from experts in a variety of learning techniques, Erwin explores each of the five basic needs to create nearly 200 adaptable strategies for teaching and classroom management at any grade level. Readers will find dozens of ideas for helping students make positive changes, including * Improving their work habits, * Connecting curriculum with individual interests, * Opening lines of communication with teachers and other students, * Boosting self-worth through accomplishment, and * Supporting their classmates in cooperative work. Erwin ties everything together in a unit guide that allows teachers to develop a classroom profile based on the needs of individual students. The guide can be used with any district planning approach or curriculum. For teachers seeking a win-win situation in managing their classrooms, The Classroom of Choice is an excellent aid in creating a learning environment in which students and teachers approach each day with energy and enthusiasm. Note: This product listing is for the Adobe Acrobat (PDF) version of the book.
"Sergiovanni documents cases of schools that have successfully reinvented themselves in order to establish a sense of 'community' as the foundation for all curriculum and instruction decisions. . . . Teachers, administrators, teacher educators, and communities seeking advice and motivation for restructuring schools for the 21st century would be well advised to consult this work." --Choice "Provides the practitioner with both a theoretical blueprint with which to build learning communities and a rich supply of benchmark illustrations to use as prototypes. . . . thought-provoking and challenging." --NASSP Bulletin Both in and out of schools, people are experiencing a loss of community. In this book, Thomas J. Sergiovanni explains why a sense of community is so vital to the success of any school and shows teachers, parents, and administrators what they can do to rebuild it. Filled with case studies and other school examples, Building Community in Schools provides the necessary intellectual framework for understanding the need to create communities that are inclusive, meaningful, and democratic.
"Michael Linsin is the Shakespeare of smart classroom management, and his 18 lessons can transform American public education." --Eva Moskowitz, Founder and CEO of Success Academy Schools The Total Classroom Management Makeover is a condensed shortcut to effective classroom management. Presented as simple dos and don'ts, the 18 lessons you'll learn have been boiled down to the bare essentials and written in the most accessible way possible. Together, they form an innovative approach to teaching and managing behavior that is specifically and uniquely designed to create within each student strong intrinsic desire to listen, learn, and behave. The result is a tough-minded, hardworking, well-behaved class and the satisfaction of knowing that you're making a lasting impact on your students, your community, and the wider world.
"This fantastical picture book, like its hero, is bursting at the seams with creativity. . . . a vigorous shot in the arm to nonconformists everywhere" — Publishers Weekly (starred review) Enter the witty, intriguing world of Weslandia! Now that school is over, Wesley needs a summer project. He’s learned that each civilization needs a staple food crop, so he decides to sow a garden and start his own — civilization, that is. He turns over a plot of earth, and plants begin to grow. They soon tower above him and bear a curious-looking fruit. As Wesley experiments, he finds that the plant will provide food, clothing, shelter, and even recreation. It isn’t long before his neighbors and classmates develop more than an idle curiosity about Wesley — and exactly how he is spending his summer vacation.
The purpose of this book is to increase understanding of the major theories, issues, challenges, and solutions related to online distance education. It balances practical advice with a description of the theoretical and research-based underpinnings for the culturally-responsive strategies presented. An important integrating theme is the impact of globalization and internationalization on all aspects of distance education. Consequently, the book examines the implications of global reach and cross-border education and promotes the integration of global learning in academic programs. - Addresses the global reach of distance education and associated cultural, linguistic, and accreditation issues - Describes the latest online learning technologies, e.g., blogs, wikis, podcasting, mobile learning, virtual worlds, etc. - Addresses the culture of higher education and forces that are moving higher education in new directions, e.g., academic capitalism, consumerism, and competition among non-profit, for-profit, and corporate universities
"Ruth Charney gives teachers help on things that really matter. She wants children to learn how to care for themselves, their fellow students, their environment, and their work. Her book is loaded with practical wisdom. Using Charney's positive approach to classroom management will make the whole school day go better." - Nel Noddings, Professor Emeritus, Stanford University, and author of Caring This definitive work about classroom management will show teachers how to turn their vision of respectful, friendly, academically rigorous classrooms into reality. The new edition includes: More information on teaching middle-school students Additional strategies for helping children with challenging behavior Updated stories and examples from real classrooms. "Teaching Children to Care offers educators a practical guide to one of the most effective social and emotional learning programs I know of. The Responsive Classroom approach creates an ideal environment for learning—a pioneering program every teacher should know about." - Daniel Goleman, Author of Emotional Intelligence "I spent one whole summer reading Teaching Children to Care. It was like a rebirth for me. This book helped direct my professional development. After reading it, I had a path to follow. I now look forward to rereading this book each August to refresh and reinforce my ability to effectively manage a social curriculum in my classroom." - Gail Zimmerman, second-grade teacher, Jackson Mann Elementary School, Boston, MA
Based on the view that fostering positive values and a sense of community in children is the heart of the early childhood teacher's role, this booklet offers suggestions for instilling respect, responsibility, and compassion in young children in early childhood settings. The booklet presents a philosophy and a set of practices by which preschool classrooms may become communities that work for everyone. The booklet begins with an observation of a preschool classroom and notes that the process of developing a classroom of children into a community whose members regard each other with growing respect, trust, and compassion depends on the teacher or leader. The booklet maintains that teachers build a community on four components of leadership: (1) acceptance of the leadership role; (2) knowledge of child development and learning; (3) knowledge of early childhood curriculum and practice; and (4) a commitment to communicating respect by caring for the classroom environment and modeling respect. Each of these leadership components is examined in turn, focusing on the responsibility of the preschool teacher and providing suggestions for ways each component can be implemented in the early childhood classroom to teach values of compassion and responsibility. The booklet notes that for some children, safety and order take priority over sowing seeds of compassion and responsibility and makes suggestions for teaching children with behavior problems. The booklet concludes by asserting that although leadership demands a great deal from good teachers, administrators, and other staff, the efforts to achieve excellence in teaching are worthwhile. (Contains 21 references.) (KB)