A thoughtful teacher is one who works to foster an inspiring classroom environment where students fall in love with learning. Indeed, it is incumbent on the teacher to understand self, to be prepared, to possess command of subject matter, to teach in a developmentally appropriate manner, to mindfully incorporate culturally relevant practices, and to illuminate a sense of connection with a diverse student population. In that light, The Thoughtful Teacher: Making Connections with a Diverse Student Population highlights the critical importance of what it means to thoughtfully teach, emphasizing that a central aspect toward transformation in education is through the dedicated efforts of thoughtful teachers. Written in accessible language and making clear the important connection between theory and practice, this book is an informative text for teachers, teacher educators, school administrators, and those who have an interest in education.
WINNER OF A CORETTA SCOTT KING HONOR AND THE JANE ADDAMS PEACE AWARD! Each kindness makes the world a little better This unforgettable book is written and illustrated by the award-winning team that created The Other Side and the Caldecott Honor winner Coming On Home Soon. With its powerful anti-bullying message and striking art, it will resonate with readers long after they've put it down. Chloe and her friends won't play with the new girl, Maya. Every time Maya tries to join Chloe and her friends, they reject her. Eventually Maya stops coming to school. When Chloe's teacher gives a lesson about how even small acts of kindness can change the world, Chloe is stung by the lost opportunity for friendship, and thinks about how much better it could have been if she'd shown a little kindness toward Maya.
In The Tact of Teaching bestselling author Max van Manen offers teachers at every stage an original and inspiring interpretation of the notion of pedagogy, one that searches for its roots in the experience of in loco parentis. Using dozens of anecdotes and scenes taken directly from life in classrooms, including many from the often-neglected domain of high school, The Tact of Teaching explicates the meaning of pedagogical moments, the conditions of pedagogy, the relation between pedagogy and politics, the nature of pedagogical experience, and the practical forms of pedagogical understanding. The author: -Presents experiential analysis of the relation between pedagogical reflection and action-Explores how pedagogical tact manifests itself, what tact accomplishes, and how tact does what it does-Speaks of hope and humane practice in an era of schooling often given over to mindless technocracy or fashionable despair
Ninety-five propositions for creating more relevant, more caring schools There is a growing desire to reexamine education and learning. Educators use the phrase "school 2.0" to think about what schools will look like in the future. Moving beyond a basic examination of using technology for classroom instruction, Building School 2.0: How to Create the Schools We Need is a larger discussion of how education, learning, and our physical school spaces can—and should—change because of the changing nature of our lives brought on by these technologies. Well known for their work in creating Science Leadership Academy (SLA), a technology-rich, collaborative, learner-centric school in Philadelphia, founding principal Chris Lehmann and former SLA teacher Zac Chase are uniquely qualified to write about changing how we educate. The best strategies, they contend, enable networked learning that allows research, creativity, communication, and collaboration to help prepare students to be functional citizens within a modern society. Their model includes discussions of the following key concepts: Technology must be ubiquitous, necessary, and invisible Classrooms must be learner-centric and use backwards design principles Good technology can be better than new technology Teachers must serve as mentors and bring real-world experiences to students Each section of Building School 2.0 presents a thesis designed to help educators and administrators to examine specific practices in their schools, and to then take their conclusions from theory to practice. Collectively, the theses represent a new vision of school, built off of the best of what has come before us, but with an eye toward a future we cannot fully imagine.
"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
Leah and Dexter are brother and sister but they don't always get along. Will Leah and Dexter learn to put their differences aside and join forces for good? Could small, random acts of kindness in the community really make a big impact for all ages?Find out how the ooey, gooey jelly donuts in this story become a delicious testament to the power of kindness, caring and generosity. Great book with a GREAT LESSON! &★&★&★&★&★ "Our 2nd grade class loved this book because it taught us a good lesson about being kind. The story was realistic and we thought of ideas of how we could be kind to others. The book taught us about sharing and caring. We recommend this book for all kids to read." – Verified Amazon Review The best book for teaching kindness and empathy. The Jelly Donut Difference by award-winning author Maria Dismondy also carries message of sibling rivalry, the power of community and inclusion. This book comes with a free Reader's Companion, complete with discussion questions, lesson plans and activities for children to go beyond the book. Download your copy direct from the publisher website.
Teach your children the power of Kindness, one of the most important skills a child can learn. Are you one of 90 percent of American parents, saying that one of their top priorities for their kids is to be caring? This makes sense: Kindness and concern for others are held as moral virtues in nearly every society and every major religion. The best book for raising kind children. This charming story with gentle rhymes and colorful illustrations will explain to your child that it is okay to make a mistake and say I'm sorry. Lucas will teach your child good manners and positive behaviour at home, at school, in the store, and on the playground. Kids learn best by example. With the perfect examples, this book offers, your child will have more understanding for others, accept differences, and show more empathy. Throughout the story, little Lucas will learn what kindness means and understand what it is like to be kind, sensitive, caring, and generous. Practice Random Acts of Kindness. Also included are Acts of Kindness Ideas to promote empathy and kindness. Kindness is something you can quickly learn: when you give and ask for nothing in return. Helping others is the least you can do. If you are kind, kindness will come back to you. "Kindness is my Superpower" is intended for children of all ages. We warmly recommend it to parents, teachers, and anyone who works with children.
Even if your writing workshop hums with the sound of productive work most days, with time carved out for sharing and reflecting, how do you know whether your students are really learning from their writing experiences, or if they're just going through the motions of writing? What if you could teach your students to reflect-in a powerful, deliberate way-throughout the writing process? Teaching Writers to Reflect shares a three step process-remember, describe, act--to help students develop as writers who know for themselves what they are doing and why. The authors argue that teaching the skill of reflection helps students: - Build identities as writers within a community of writers - Learn what to do when there's a problem in their writing - Make writing skills transferable to more than one writing situation. With specific teaching strategies, examples of student work and stories from their own classrooms, Whitney, McCracken and Washell help you align the work of reflection with your writing workshop structure. After learning to reflect on what they do as writers, students not only can say things about the texts they have written, but also can talk about their own abilities, challenges, and the processes by which they solve writing problems.