"I felt inspired and renewed and validated." -Cathy Lutz, Teacher Madison Station Elementary School, MS "Both practical and inspirational." -Chris Laster, Teacher Russell Elementary School, Smyrna, GA "This is a book I want to utilize with my preservice students. It is right on, a great positive PR tool for our new teachers." -J. Victor McGuire, Founder National Association for Beginning Teachers Professor, University of Nevada, Las Vegas "The author's voice is clear and comes from a deep set of values and beliefs that should be heard by contemporary teachers in training and by practicing teachers." -Marilyn Katzenmeyer Professional Development Center Smile as early and as often as you can in your learning classroom! Explore the realities behind eight well-known teaching myths with veteran teacher educator Peggy Deal Redman. With insightful classroom stories, reflective questions, how-to tips and strategies, and inspirational quotes to encourage, inspire, and motivate every teacher in today's professional learning community, this creative resource offers: Tools for building a positive classroom environment Sound advice for developing respectful relationships with students Tips for collaborating with colleagues, administrators, and parents Ideas for rekindling professional idealism
A Guide for Teachers Redefining Themselves and Their Profession
This book identifies the classroom methodologies, curriculum and personal professional growth that are essential for ongoing school reform. The author honours the traditions of teaching while simultaneously making a compelling case for change.
Differentiated instruction (DI) has been shown to maximize both learning and neural development for students of diverse backgrounds and abilities, but to date, DI has been easier to implement in elementary grades than in upper grades. "I have too much content to cover"; "My district requires me to follow a prescribed text"; "I'm good at lecturing"; "I can't see how I would grade all those different assignments"; "I don't know how"; "I thought I was differentiating"--all these are important reasons that high school teachers offer as obstacles to DI implementation. Solution strategies for those obstacles and others is the focus of this important new teaching guide by Kathie Nunley, originator of the Layered Curriculum method for teaching in mixed ability classrooms. Using common sense, wisdom, humor, and the latest brain research, Nunley offers supportive solutions for each problem; examples and scenarios illustrating the solutions in action; and a collection of new ideas for teachers to try as they begin differentiating content, process, assignments, and assessments in their classrooms. This easy-to-navigate guide is sure to be a welcome and timely new resource for high school teachers, curriculum designers, instructional leaders, and pre-service students of secondary methods.
Differentiated instruction (DI) has been shown to maximize both learning and neural development for students of diverse backgrounds and abilities, but to date, DI has been easier to implement in elementary grades than in upper grades. "I have too much content to cover"; "My district requires me to follow a prescribed text"; "I'm good at lecturing"; "I can't see how I would grade all those different assignments"; "I don't know how"; "I thought I was differentiating"--all these are important reasons that high school teachers offer as obstacles to DI implementation. Solution strategies for those obstacles and others is the focus of this important new teaching guide by Kathie Nunley, originator of the Layered Curriculum method for teaching in mixed ability classrooms. Using common sense, wisdom, humor, and the latest brain research, Nunley offers supportive solutions for each problem; examples and scenarios illustrating the solutions in action; and a collection of new ideas for teachers to try as they begin differentiating content, process, assignments, and assessments in their classrooms. This easy-to-navigate guide is sure to be a welcome and timely new resource for high school teachers, curriculum designers, instructional leaders, and pre-service students of secondary methods.
Help children with learning difficulties or learning disabilities excel in the general education classroom! Help struggling students avert failure before it becomes chronic and destructive to their self-esteem and motivation! Drawing from the collective experience of professionals and parents who have successfully worked with students with learning disabilities and difficulties, and including the latest information from IDEA 2004 and NCLB, this revised edition of I Can Learn provides a wealth of best practices and policies specifically designed to help these students not only participate in but also excel in the general education classroom. Readers will discover: Characteristics of specific learning and performance difficulties and disabilities Strategies to improve learning skills such as listening comprehension, ability to pay attention, mathematical reasoning, and reading word recognition Strategies to enhance spelling, verbal and written expression, test-taking, and appropriate social behavior Information about the referral process, determination of eligibility for special services, and provision of services to students with specific learning disabilities School practices that support the success of all students This clear and concise reference offers educators and parents the support and tools they need to reduce special education referrals and help all students experience successful outcomes!
Harness your community's powerful resources to support achievement! Every school exists within the broader context of its community. By tapping into the wealth of resources that abound beyond campus grounds, principals can weave a tightly knit safety net that buoys student learning. If the adage "It takes a village to raise a child" is true, then certainly raising schoolwide achievement is largely dependent upon the active involvement of local businesses, organizations, institutions, and parents. Cultivating strong alliances with community members entails a systemic, goal-centered outreach program-and this comprehensive guide outlines proven, practical strategies for effectively launching, implementing, and sustaining mutually beneficial partnerships. It highlights straightforward best practices for: Reaching out to parents, including specific involvement activities; Building community relationships that support school initiatives, plus tips for leveraging the media; and Closing the achievement gap through community resources and reforms. This fourth volume in a seven-part leadership series features: Insightful questionnaire and response analysis Case study with reflective questions "What You Should Know About" sections framing each chapter Self-Assessment resources "In-basket Simulations" exploring real-life examples
"Very relevant to the real-life teaching situations that first-year teachers often encounter." -Joanne Ho, English Department Chair Clark High School, Las Vegas, NV "Easygoing and relaxed, a welcome break from over-flowery 'academic' language for students ready to enter the 'real world' of the classroom." -Elise Geither, Instructor Baldwin-Wallace College "The 'exploratory breaks' throughout each chapter provide readers an opportunity to apply their learning in a focused fashion." -Theresa Rouse, Superintendent/Principal San Lucas Union School District, CA Novice teachers can apply best practices for a successful ELL classroom experience! This easy-to-navigate resource offers beginning teachers a carefully phased-in guide to teaching strategies they can use with their ESL-ELL learners to enhance reading, writing, speaking, listening, and grammar skills. Each chapter provides clear guidelines and step-by-step coverage of these essentials and more: Using different models for lesson planning Monitoring classroom behavior and interactions Using prepared skill-building activities or developing new ones Assessing students for placement in ESL or general education classes Reflecting and exploring the development of their own teaching practice This sourcebook offers a solid reality-based plan for all new teachers who want to create a successful classroom experience for themselves and their ESL-EFL students!
Seven Steps to Effective Instructional Leadership, Second Edition focuses on seven day-to-day steps that can lead principals and administrators to becoming exemplary leaders, and make a difference in the lives of the students, teachers, and parents in their educational community. The Second Edition includes the use of standards-based reform as a ......
Changing School Supervisory Practice One Teacher at a Time
The Three Minute Classroom Walk-Through puts into perspective and practices the vision of what supervision should be. It is a model of principal-teacher interaction and redefines the professional relationships of classroom supervisory practice. The Downey approach attempts to change how principals approach supervision by replacing it with a ......
