Attracting, Developing, and Retaining the Best Teachers
"This is a good and needed book. I would buy it, and recommend it to a wide range of educators." -Kenneth D. Peterson, Author Professor, Portland State University "The authors have amassed a tremendous amount of information and assembled it into a very readable book that is an excellent resource." -Randel Beaver, Superintendent, Archer City School District, TX Attract and retain the highest-quality teachers through competitive compensation programs! While many working in the teaching profession cite intangible rewards as reasons for staying in the profession, concrete rewards such as salary, benefits, and working conditions are inextricably linked to attracting, developing, and retaining highly-qualified teachers. This timely text examines the fundamental link between teacher pay and teacher quality as well as the extent to which compensation can be aligned with student achievement. A range of existing compensation models are reviewed in order to provide a balanced, practical, research-based approach for developing a comprehensive, best-practice teacher compensation system. School administrators can use these synthesized, innovative findings to Determine the most practical compensation model for achieving their school's objectives Examine different pay options used across the country Connect their school's compensation program to organizational goals Discover how to attract and retain high-quality teachers Advance student achievement and improve teacher retention by developing a deeper understanding of the connection between teacher pay and teacher quality.
Attracting, Developing, and Retaining the Best Teachers
"This is a good and needed book. I would buy it, and recommend it to a wide range of educators." -Kenneth D. Peterson, Author Professor, Portland State University "The authors have amassed a tremendous amount of information and assembled it into a very readable book that is an excellent resource." -Randel Beaver, Superintendent, Archer City School District, TX Attract and retain the highest-quality teachers through competitive compensation programs! While many working in the teaching profession cite intangible rewards as reasons for staying in the profession, concrete rewards such as salary, benefits, and working conditions are inextricably linked to attracting, developing, and retaining highly-qualified teachers. This timely text examines the fundamental link between teacher pay and teacher quality as well as the extent to which compensation can be aligned with student achievement. A range of existing compensation models are reviewed in order to provide a balanced, practical, research-based approach for developing a comprehensive, best-practice teacher compensation system. School administrators can use these synthesized, innovative findings to Determine the most practical compensation model for achieving their school's objectives Examine different pay options used across the country Connect their school's compensation program to organizational goals Discover how to attract and retain high-quality teachers Advance student achievement and improve teacher retention by developing a deeper understanding of the connection between teacher pay and teacher quality.
Improving Relationships With Co-Teachers, Teams, and Families
'The valuable information and numerous strategies and resources make this a must have book for all teachers striving for effective collaborative relationships' - Spencer J. Salend, Professor, SUNY, The College at New Paltz General and special education teachers working side by side on a daily basis must move beyond basic communication to improve collaborative relationships in and outside the classroom. Author Sharon F. Cramer delves into the art of the collaborative process through a series of practical exercises coupled with relevant research, and outlines a plan to make collaboration a life-long part of teaching. Pre-service teachers, in-service teachers, and staff developers alike can use the activities in the book as is or adapt them to fit their own unique circumstances. Whether used for personal improvement or by a group for professional development purposes, these invaluable set of relationship-building tools will empower teachers and give them the motivation, understanding, and skills to transform unsatisfactory co-teaching relationships into productive, truly collaborative relationships. Special features include: o Case stories and data from among 1,000 collaboration projects supervised by the author o Up-to-date research, including an overview of current literature on collaboration o "Idea try-outs"-step-by-step reflection activities for promoting independent, innovative thinking o "Project try-outs"-structured research and interview activities that provide readers with focused ways to test their collaboration skills When teachers become curious, motivated learners, not only will they discover the many benefits of collaborative relationships with their peers, but they will also enrich the learning environment for their students.
'This is a timely and thought-provoking book. Fullan, Hill, and Crevola address the complexity of teaching and leading, and offer a compelling way forward that focuses on learning for all students through personalization, precision teaching, and professional learning for educators. By connecting assessment with learning, leading with teaching and learning, and classrooms instruction with district and government roles and responsibilities, the authors present an integrated approach that promises to 'breakthrough' the sterile standardization that plagues contemporary education' - Dean Fink, Professor, OISE//University of Toronto , and author of Leadership for Mortals (Paul Chapman Publishing, 2005) 'An outstanding book for educators to transform classroom practice and learning strategies. It builds important perspectives on personalizing learning that will inform current practice. Highly recommended' - Brent Davies, Professor, University of Hull, and author of The Essentials of School Leadership (Paul Chapman Publishing, 2005) Redesign classroom instruction to transform learning for both students and teachers! Breakthrough presents a revolutionary new approach to educational reform, breaking away from the conventional paradigm to help educators create focused instruction, transform the classroom experience, and dramatically raise and sustain performance levels for students and teachers alike. This book provides the breakthrough concepts needed for developing precise, validated, data-driven instruction personalized to each and every student. Synthesizing the best of current instructional models, this framework focuses on the Triple P Core Breakthrough Components: Personalization - meaningful, student-centered classroom interactions; Precision - using formative assessments to monitor individual student progress; and Professional Learning - daily, ongoing learning for all educators. Helping educators create expert instructional systems, while breaking through the "prescription trap," the authors introduce unique elements of the Breakthrough model, including: * improvement by design * assessment for learning * critical learning instructional paths * mapping instructional paths * smart use of data to drive instruction * locking in ongoing improvement. Breakthrough establishes the tipping point for moving toward personalized, high-quality instruction and learning in the classroom to ensure continuous improvement and ongoing academic success.
Engaging the Imagination of New Readers and Writers
"A fascinating piece of writing, presenting ideas that are fresh and exciting." -Katherine Taddie Kelly, Literacy Coach and Reading Interventionist Waco Independent School District, TX "Focuses on enhancing students' metalinguistic awareness and not just their intuitive use of words, fostering the development of higher mental functions." -Elena Bodrova, Senior Researcher McREL Bring out the fun in fundamentals of literacy! For teachers charged with the great responsibility of helping students achieve basic literacy, delivering instruction in stimulating and engaging ways is not an ideal-it's a necessity. Recognizing this, award-winning author and educator Kieran Egan puts the fun in fundamentals of literacy by helping teachers stir students' imagination and emotions. In Teaching Literacy, Egan rejects the notion that familiar ideas and experiences are the best vehicles for effective instruction. Instead, he champions a new approach that focuses on teaching core literacy skills using concepts ranging from fascinating to exotic to magnificent to weird. By framing the elements of literacy in the unforgettable, students more readily internalize and retain material, not only preparing them for tests, but also instilling a lifelong love of reading and writing. This innovative resource supplies answers to the question, "But how do I do it?" by offering: Tried-and-true activities from practicing classroom teachers "Teachers, Try It Out" features with instructional challenges (and an appendix of possible responses) for everyday classroom practice Step-by-step planning frameworks for designing and delivering engaging literacy instruction Combining playfulness with practicality and creativity with common sense, Egan's strategies apply to beginning readers at any age, bringing about authentic, enjoyable learning experiences.
Engaging the Imagination of New Readers and Writers
"A fascinating piece of writing, presenting ideas that are fresh and exciting." -Katherine Taddie Kelly, Literacy Coach and Reading Interventionist Waco Independent School District, TX "Focuses on enhancing students' metalinguistic awareness and not just their intuitive use of words, fostering the development of higher mental functions." -Elena Bodrova, Senior Researcher McREL Bring out the fun in fundamentals of literacy! For teachers charged with the great responsibility of helping students achieve basic literacy, delivering instruction in stimulating and engaging ways is not an ideal-it's a necessity. Recognizing this, award-winning author and educator Kieran Egan puts the fun in fundamentals of literacy by helping teachers stir students' imagination and emotions. In Teaching Literacy, Egan rejects the notion that familiar ideas and experiences are the best vehicles for effective instruction. Instead, he champions a new approach that focuses on teaching core literacy skills using concepts ranging from fascinating to exotic to magnificent to weird. By framing the elements of literacy in the unforgettable, students more readily internalize and retain material, not only preparing them for tests, but also instilling a lifelong love of reading and writing. This innovative resource supplies answers to the question, "But how do I do it?" by offering: Tried-and-true activities from practicing classroom teachers "Teachers, Try It Out" features with instructional challenges (and an appendix of possible responses) for everyday classroom practice Step-by-step planning frameworks for designing and delivering engaging literacy instruction Combining playfulness with practicality and creativity with common sense, Egan's strategies apply to beginning readers at any age, bringing about authentic, enjoyable learning experiences.
A Guide to Planning, Implementing, and Assessing Student Projects
"There is no better way to improve student attitudes and outcomes than to blend both meaningful community and global service with improved academic achievement. Sally Berman invites her readers to do just that." -Bob Koehs, Service Learning Coordinator Marquette-Alger Regional Educational Service Agency "This book is full of practical tips for the classroom teacher, including strategies for assessing student learning." -Jeanine Yard, Learn and Serve Program Officer Michigan Community Service Commission Provide authentic, lasting learning opportunities for students in their own community Service learning offers students the unique opportunity to learn both in the classroom and in the real world. This exciting teaching strategy, detailed in Berman's second edition of Service Learning, motivates students to learn content information, processes, and skills while making authentic connections to their surrounding community. This valuable resource explains the benefits of service learning and provides a step-by-step guide for using the instructional model. It features nine service-learning projects that are broken down into basic, intermediate, and advanced levels. Each project features: Strategies for aligning service and curricular goals Tips for involving students in decision-making Guidelines for managing different phases of the project Activities that foster reflection and self-evaluation Tips for differentiating by tapping into multiple intelligences In this single resource, teachers will find everything they need to successfully implement service learning projects, helping students gain deeper understandings of content while positively impacting their communities.
The concept of 'authentic assessment' is making an increasing impression in numerous classrooms in North America. Current testing programmes are being scrutinized to determine how to move beyond traditional forms of assessment to enhance student learning, understanding and application of knowledge. The authors of this detailed yet clearly written book provide essential information on how to develop and implement 'authentic assessment' programmes, including the involvement in the learning process of not only teachers, students and administrators but also parents and community members.
"A master at facilitating programs, Williams offers 36 tools that are grounded in years of practical experience for helping teams turn the change process into manageable, user-friendly tasks. He reinvigorates learning communities with spirit, vigor, and mutual support as they address their specific challenges." --Robin Fogarty, President Robin Fogarty and Associates Revitalize the spirit of your school community and strengthen your common vision and purpose! Many of today's schools suffer from stress fractures as they struggle with challenges of achievement gaps, class sizes, differentiating instruction for diverse students, and responding to ever greater demands for accountability. Longtime facilitator R. Bruce Williams gets to the heart of the matter, emphasizing that change is not just external, but also comes from within through revitalized individuals and strong culture. Williams provides administrators with essential tools to nurture the spirits of hard-working professionals and raise morale in school communities. Each chapter ends with step-by-step activities that build on featured concepts and speed the transition from theory to practice, from struggle to success. The book focuses on seven important aspects of underlying structure that can leverage new patterns of confidence and achievement: Participative processes such as mentoring Visible achievements Common understandings Guided reflections Inspiring success stories Community-building rituals Powerful symbols In powerful, well-formed cultures, common spirit is strong. This book provides everything educators need to work together to transform their learning community into a culture of vitality, energy, vision, and purpose.
