What Award-Winning Teachers Do for Their Professional Learning Communities
Praise for Randi Stone's Best Practice collections: "Will live up to its title and become a favored reference for any teacher, whether in a primary or public, rural or urban, or preschool through high school setting." -Wisconsin Bookwatch, July 2004 "A priceless tool not only for teachers but also for mentors and administrators." -Danny McPherson, Principal West Columbus High School, Cerra Gordo, NC "Just what the teacher ordered." -CHOICE, November 2002 "Offers practical, down-to-earth advice." -Letitia Abram, Media Specialist Canal Winchester High School, OH Join award-winning teacher leaders as they discuss their best ideas for today's professional learning communities! Best Practices for Teacher Leadership chronicles the many and varied ways in which award-winning teachers create professional learning communities through collaborations with colleagues, mentees, faculty groups, learners, families, and neighborhoods. Join them as they share their best ideas for achieving excellence in education through staff development, hands-on learning, new technologies, mentoring, parent involvement, and more.
"Marilyn Cochran-Smith's keen insights about the politics and substance of teacher education reform focus like a laser on the central issues of educational equity and quality in our time. Anyone who wants to understand what's happening to teaching in this country, and what's at stake, should read this book." -Linda Darling-Hammond, Charles E. Ducommun Professor of Education Stanford University "Marilyn Cochran-Smith is one of the strongest voices in teacher education today. By weighing the evidence, challenging orthodoxy, and analyzing the policies, she has given teacher education a firm footing in the scholarly canon. Her leadership is vital to the field's viability." -Gloria Ladson-Billings, Kellner Family Chair in Urban Education University of Wisconsin, Madison Access the insight and wisdom of one of today's leading educational scholars in one concise volume! When it comes to determining the best approach to teacher preparation, today's teachers, teacher educators, and school leaders face an overwhelmingly contentious environment. Through her influential essays in the Journal of Teacher Education, however, Marilyn Cochran-Smith has consistently provided educators with a distinguished voice of reason, advocacy, inspiration, and social justice. This powerful text organizes all of her editorials for the first time into one concise volume, making this an essential guide to teacher preparation at its best.
Strategies for Relieving Distress and Trauma in Schools and Classrooms
" Offers those of us who interact with students an opportunity to respond with sensitivity and reflective action. Barbara Oehlberg not only identifies the issues, but also provides activities that can help us gain greater insight into the child's world and provide opportunities for empowerment and healing." -Susan Ross, Coordinator of Health Services Canton City Schools, OH "With the wisdom in this important work, we can help our children develop new strategies for successful living in a stressful world." -Stephen Canneto, Director Art for a Child's Safe America Foundation "Links sound neurological research with practical activities for educators and youth workers." -Martha de Acosta, Director Education and Training Programs Milton S. Eisenhower Foundation From trauma, stress, and hopelessness to safety, challenge, and optimism! Not all children cope equally well with the stresses and traumas life throws their way, and every educator recognizes that "deer in the headlights" look some children get when current events and past traumas combine to trigger a fight-or-flight stress response. No matter how safe the classroom may be in reality, trauma deactivates cognitive skills, and learning cannot resume until the child's equilibrium has been restored. This important new resource helps educators understand how trauma and stress interfere with cognitive skills, and how classroom and school activities can be used to restore feelings of safety, empowerment, and well-being. Topics include: Neurobiology of the developing child and how cognitive lock-out from the neocortex occurs during stress responses Strategies for reactivating cognitive skills, memory, and the ability to learn following stress responses How acting-out behaviors are linked to stress and trauma How to generate a united effort on school safety and violence prevention issues Teachers, counselors, principals, and administrators will find that these innovative strategies enhance feelings of safety and optimism in all learning environments and programs, transforming hopelessness and anxiety into resiliency and hope.
Finding Common Ground to Guide Effective School Change
Use the creative energy of metaphor to clarify and make your leadership vision a reality! How do you see yourself as an educator? How would you describe yourself as a leader? Have you ever considered using metaphors to reframe your leadership practice, vision, and mission? Often, leaders stumble when asked to articulate their values, ethics, and purpose. This book illustrates the significance of leadership archetypes and metaphoric reframing in understanding and facilitating organizational change. Leadership, Myth, & Metaphor reports on the findings of a professional development study-funded by the Gates Foundation-of more than 250 superintendents and principals, celebrating educators' unique individual core values while acknowledging their shared intrinsic beliefs, including: A commitment to a cause beyond oneself A devotion to an ethic of care A desire to improve the condition of society A wish to make a significant impression on student and adult lives A conviction to inspire others to seek their full potential Awareness of yourself on a personal and professional level leads to a deeper consideration of your mission as a leader and of your purpose in life.
Use these fun, easy-to-use activities to tackle the most challenging aspect of reading! "Finally, someone has written a practical book filled with easy-to-read comprehension strategies. I will definitely use this book with teachers in my district to teach about and review comprehension strategies. The section on 'How Can We Learn More' is also fantastic. Thank you, Kathleen Jonson." --Hazel Brauer, Literacy Coordinator Jefferson Elementary School District, Daly City, CA "This book is a comprehensive, well-organized guide to teaching reading comprehension. The clear, consistent layout of the lesson plans makes it easy for the teacher to locate and implement appropriate lessons quickly. The examples are very helpful and the templates allow a teacher to begin lessons immediately. The wide variety of lesson plans makes this guide truly useful for all grade levels." --Myra Gamble, Reading Specialist Spring Valley School, Millbrae, CA Comprehension is the final goal of reading, but because it involves several cognitive processes, it remains the most difficult facet of reading development to teach. Based on the recommendations of the National Reading Panel Report, 60 Strategies for Improving Reading Comprehension in Grades K-8 provides teachers with a ready-to-use toolkit of tried-and-true learning strategies designed to actively engage students in cognitive processes, including predicting, visualizing, making inferences, monitoring, synthesizing, and summarizing. Developed as specific instructional procedures with clearly delineated steps for implementation, these entertaining activities are effective in all types of classrooms. Each of the 60 strategies in the book includes: Grade-level recommendations Goals for each strategy Step-by-step instructions Graphics and examples of student work Directions for modifying strategies for different grade levels Literary expert Kathleen Feeney Jonson has created an exciting resource to help educators teach the most difficult piece of the reading process: comprehension. Offering a rare combination of fun and function, these strategies are sure to get students to listen, laugh, and most important, to learn.
Use these fun, easy-to-use activities to tackle the most challenging aspect of reading! "Finally, someone has written a practical book filled with easy-to-read comprehension strategies. I will definitely use this book with teachers in my district to teach about and review comprehension strategies. The section on 'How Can We Learn More' is also fantastic. Thank you, Kathleen Jonson." --Hazel Brauer, Literacy Coordinator Jefferson Elementary School District, Daly City, CA "This book is a comprehensive, well-organized guide to teaching reading comprehension. The clear, consistent layout of the lesson plans makes it easy for the teacher to locate and implement appropriate lessons quickly. The examples are very helpful and the templates allow a teacher to begin lessons immediately. The wide variety of lesson plans makes this guide truly useful for all grade levels." --Myra Gamble, Reading Specialist Spring Valley School, Millbrae, CA Comprehension is the final goal of reading, but because it involves several cognitive processes, it remains the most difficult facet of reading development to teach. Based on the recommendations of the National Reading Panel Report, 60 Strategies for Improving Reading Comprehension in Grades K-8 provides teachers with a ready-to-use toolkit of tried-and-true learning strategies designed to actively engage students in cognitive processes, including predicting, visualizing, making inferences, monitoring, synthesizing, and summarizing. Developed as specific instructional procedures with clearly delineated steps for implementation, these entertaining activities are effective in all types of classrooms. Each of the 60 strategies in the book includes: Grade-level recommendations Goals for each strategy Step-by-step instructions Graphics and examples of student work Directions for modifying strategies for different grade levels Literary expert Kathleen Feeney Jonson has created an exciting resource to help educators teach the most difficult piece of the reading process: comprehension. Offering a rare combination of fun and function, these strategies are sure to get students to listen, laugh, and most important, to learn.
"Very practical and user-friendly . . ." --Linda R. Kroll, Professor Department of Education, Mills College Build student-centered learning into your standards-based curriculum and lesson plans! Educators expect learners to solve problems, think critically, communicate effectively, and collaborate well. These complex processes require young learners to engage in active learning and to understand that their own experience is the foundation for new learning. They also require teachers to move from the traditional role of "sage on the stage" to the new role of "guide on the side." Constructivist Learning Design offers teachers a six-step framework for lesson planning and assessment: Situation: develop goals, tasks, and curriculum standards Grouping: group students and materials, and use cooperative learning Bridge: recall prior knowledge using students' cognitive maps, skills, values, motivation, and expectations Task: use higher-level thinking skills and problem-based learning Exhibit: arrange student portfolios and work samples Reflection: synthesize critical thinking and knowledge With clear classroom applications and ready-to-use planning templates, this research-based resource guides teachers through the complex process of aligning constructivist learning events with standards-based curriculum. Engage students in tasks, help them think for themselves, and support them in making meaning of their learning!
Could your staff meetings use a zap of energy? Do you want more participation and less reluctance when you gather your team together? Good teachers know that fun, emotion, meaningful connections, and high expectations drive learning and committed attention to a task. This sourcebook overflows with strategies, activities, and resources designed to bring these all-important qualities into the faculty meeting. Teacher leaders will discover the keys to improved collaboration, teamwork, and productivity - and new tools to improve group processes. By modeling best practice at staff meetings, leaders also give their teachers new engagement tools that they can put directly to use in their classrooms. The authors demonstrate how to reduce the "chore" factor of meetings by: / Lightening the atmosphere with creative approaches / Starting with purpose-focused theme music and other energizers / Building relationships within the team that transform the school culture / Overcoming barriers to productivity / Rewarding and appreciating staff in innovative ways / Closing the meeting with a bang--and a plan As the energy from your staff meetings ripples through the school, every teacher and classroom will experience the motivation and focus that you create!
Lessons to Prepare Your Students for Standardized Assessments and for Life
Enhance your students' writing skills and boost their scores on standardized writing tests! In today's high-stakes environment, standardized test scores not only gauge student performance, but are also linked to a school's status and the funding it receives. This helpful resource provides educators with a classroom-tested writing curriculum that has proven to boost student scores on standardized writing tests while helping them develop skills for lifelong writing success. The authors offer structured, day-to-day lesson plans linked to national standards; easy-to-use writing tools; and carefully crafted, unscripted lessons that cover a scope and follow a sequence that aims for student success. This curriculum is designed to help you: Become a confident writing teacher Prepare your students for all practical applications of writing Provide students with the analytical tools and skills they need to succeed on standardized writing tests Accommodate students' strengths and weaknesses Create confident readers and writers of your most reluctant students Your students need more than writing prompts and grammar lessons to ensure they will have lifelong writing success. Finally--a way for teachers to provide quality writing instruction that allows them to meet testing demands on time and with confidence!
