Praise for the Original Edition: "Lots of fresh ideas, along with some very helpful suggestions." -Pamela Galvani, Teacher Central Kitsap High School, Silverdale, Washington Praise for the New Edition: "Useful as the first version of their book was, Marlowe and Page's second edition is even better. It offers a rare blend of thoughtful critique, solid theory, and practical strategy." -Alfie Kohn, author of The Schools Our Children Deserve Make constructivism work for you and your students! Taking students from passive spoon-fed knowledge to creation and acquisition of real learning: It sounds terrific. But how do you do it? This book shows you how. In this updated and expanded second edition, Marlowe and Page use a larger and clearer format to bring together constructivist theory with step-by-step guidance to make constructivist learning a reality in your classroom. Creating and Sustaining the Constructivist Classroom, Second Edition includes the firsthand experiences of practicing teachers to help you understand the challenges and rewards you can expect from constructivism. The teachers' stories along with guidance from the authors give you a solid foundation on which to build your own student-created learning classroom. The authors provide: Active learning examples to customize for any grade or classroom Checklists to help you evaluate your starting point, progress, and goals Expanded coverage of state and national content standards Practical assistance with issues surrounding student assessment, differentiation, and the inclusive classroom Ideas for involving parents and community members Ways to implement technology into the mix Strategies to help even beginning teachers implement constructivist principles Stimulate your students' creativity, autonomy, and independent thinking. Help raise their self-esteem and confidence. Get their minds working on proactive ways to bring real-world learning into their schoolwork. Encourage your students to discover new ways to search for information, process what they find out, and translate it into meaningful knowledge for themselves.
This is a practical guide that provides an answer to the questions 'Where do I start?' and 'Where do I look for direction?' It is organized around five key sections, and each section includes brief overviews, checklists, and suggestions for further reading. Organization and Management - the role of the principal, negligence and liability, media relations, managing conflict and difficult people, effective meetings, resource management, records and information, facility management; Teaching and Learning - school programs, learning communities, special education, supervision and evaluation, staff development, unions, celebrating success; Behavior and Discipline - safe schools, code of conduct, supervision and expulsion, search and seizure, police protocols; Health and Safety - reporting child abuse, occupational health and safety, emergency preparation, medical needs, health and safety resources; Looking After Yourself - professional development, wellness, and balance Including words of wisdom from first-year principals, and voices of experience from over 60 veteran elementary and secondary principals, this reference book will be used over and over again.
"This is a must read for all school personnel interested in creating a literacy plan for their school that will work!! The authors capture the step-by-step process in this field book for successful implementation." -Dr. Dale Moxley, Director of 6-12 Curriculum & Instruction Lake County Schools, FL A proven literacy system is the key to successful readers, writers and learners! Do you recognize the connection between students who read and students who are truly learning? Do your students need literacy help before they can perform higher-level writing and content-learning activities? Are you looking for a reliable approach to improve literacy in your classroom, school, or district? This fieldbook sets forth a plan for improving literacy for students from kindergarten through high school. The K-12 Literacy Leadership Fieldbook demonstrates a proven process for creating a fail-safe approach to literacy that results in measurable improvement. Blending leadership strategy with in-depth literacy knowledge, Taylor and Gunter show educators how to improve literacy through: Using software and technology integration to enhance curriculum and instruction Collaborating to set expectations for daily practice and a common language to drive instruction Using data to determine what works and what doesn't in your literacy program Developing a fail-safe literacy point of view throughout your school Students who enjoy reading become better writers, more involved learners, and joyful readers, proving that success in literacy is essential for success in learning!
An Easy-to-Use Intervention Resource for Grades 1-4
"Provides a sequential method for teaching the skills children need to help themselves. . . I can see where this book will be one that is dog-eared and never just sitting on the shelf." Mary Ann Sweet, Counselor Tomball Elementary School, TX "This book offers real steps for helping empower kids. The lessons are designed in such a way that all children within a classroom would benefit, whether they are the child for whom the lesson was designed or the one for whom the lesson will build empathy, compassion, and understanding. Most books out there are not user friendly, providing off-the-shelf lessons. Mr. Greene has taken a truly easy-to-use methodical approach to problems kids face that can become a pivotal point in turning them around at an earlier age." Beverly Eidmann, Principal Manzanita Elementary School, CA "Very practical and usable units, easy to understand and carry out. . . . Child-centered and internally empowering for the student." Robert DiGiulio, Author and Educator Johnson State College, VT Turn classroom problems into life skills opportunities! For every teacher who has been at a loss to help the student who seemed helpless, this is a resource that cannot be missed. In Helping Students Fix Problems and Avoid Crises, Lawrence J. Greene details instructional principles to help educators model and mentor effective life skills behaviors for their students. For the child who doesn't have friends, does poorly in sports, has difficulty learning, or who steals, lies, or bullies, Greene provides solid, proven methods to help these learners discover and practice better life skills. Helping Students Fix Problems and Avoid Crises includes: Insightful stories for teachers and students illustrating each problem Practical activities and exercises illustrating techniques to help students address each problem Supplemental reproducible exercises Encouraging follow-up and application exercises Greene divides each problematic issue into two sections: for educators, he looks at the dynamics and implications of each problem, and for students, he provides classroom scripts and exercises to bring their own awareness to their problems. This essential classroom resource also includes illuminating ten-minute read-aloud stories, strategic thinking questions, optional activities, and reproducible exercises!
"The material is useful not only for beginners just starting to look at mentoring, but also for those with years of experience. It is one of the best books I've read on the topic." Carole Cooper, Director of Academic Accountability St. Charles Community Unit School District, IL "Ensuring that our newest colleagues are properly inducted and supported must be a top priority for all educators. Teacher Mentoring and Induction is a wonderful resource for those who care about the future of the teaching profession." Terry Dozier, Director, Center for Teacher Leadership Virginia Commonwealth University "The implications for the field are presented in a user-friendly manner. The examples of induction and mentoring programs are very thoughtfully examined to provide readers with multiple ways to approach and reach success in planning and implementing programs in their local setting." Theresa Rouse, Assessment & Program Evaluation Coordinator Monterey County Office of Education, CA Drastically reduce attrition rates and rapidly transform new teachers into experienced professionals! One out of every two new teachers will quit teaching within five years; however, studies show that comprehensive induction programs can slash attrition rates in half and dramatically accelerate the professional development of new teachers. Teacher Mentoring and Induction combines an overview of the current state of induction and mentoring with cutting-edge strategies for developing a new program or improving an existing one. In this extraordinary resource, the top names in this field examine how various mentoring and induction programs are developed, identifying areas of effectiveness to determine how successful programs can be replicated. Contributors include: Tom Ganser Mark Bower Harry K. Wong Ellen Moir Hal Portner Jean Casey & Ann Claunch James Rowley Barry Sweeny Bruce Wellman & Laura Lipton Susan Villani Janice Hall Ted Britton & Lynn Paine Dennis Sparks The definitive book on teacher induction and mentoring, this groundbreaking work is divided into three parts: Part I describes the developmental processes and philosophical underpinnings of exemplary programs, Part II focuses on mentoring constructs and best practices, and Part III connects mentoring and induction to broader educational issues.
This is a practical guide that provides an answer to the questions 'Where do I start?' and 'Where do I look for direction?' It is organized around five key sections, and each section includes brief overviews, checklists, and suggestions for further reading. Organization and Management - the role of the principal, negligence and liability, media relations, managing conflict and difficult people, effective meetings, resource management, records and information, facility management; Teaching and Learning - school programs, learning communities, special education, supervision and evaluation, staff development, unions, celebrating success; Behavior and Discipline - safe schools, code of conduct, supervision and expulsion, search and seizure, police protocols; Health and Safety - reporting child abuse, occupational health and safety, emergency preparation, medical needs, health and safety resources; Looking After Yourself - professional development, wellness, and balance Including words of wisdom from first-year principals, and voices of experience from over 60 veteran elementary and secondary principals, this reference book will be used over and over again.
"Offers exciting information organized and presented in a format that is easy to read, understand, and to use in the classroom . . . accessible to teachers in all the subject areas." Pamela Fannin Wilkinson, Educational consultant Houston, TX Energize your lesson planning ideas through the creativity and inspiration of the visual arts! Are you struggling to create memorable, exciting, and effective lesson plans? This invaluable resource demonstrates how you can use the visual arts to provide imaginative lesson plans for all subject areas-from language arts to physical education. Each chapter highlights lesson planning ideas, artists, and works of art, which are given focus by visual thinking questions. Suggested readings and links to websites that offer color images of works of art are also included, while an Idea Guide provides suggestions for fine-tuning both lessons and student assignments. Learn how you can use the visual arts to: Provide imaginative lesson plans for all subject areas Discover thought-provoking ideas and new ways of teaching in the content areas Appeal to the learning styles of a broad range of students, including gifted and talented learners Meet the needs of an integrated curriculum Visual Knowing is an innovative resource to energize your approach to everyday lesson planning by bringing art and creativity to required curriculum topics.
Praise for the Original Edition: "Lots of fresh ideas, along with some very helpful suggestions." -Pamela Galvani, Teacher Central Kitsap High School, Silverdale, Washington Praise for the New Edition: "Useful as the first version of their book was, Marlowe and Page's second edition is even better. It offers a rare blend of thoughtful critique, solid theory, and practical strategy." -Alfie Kohn, author of The Schools Our Children Deserve Make constructivism work for you and your students! Taking students from passive spoon-fed knowledge to creation and acquisition of real learning: It sounds terrific. But how do you do it? This book shows you how. In this updated and expanded second edition, Marlowe and Page use a larger and clearer format to bring together constructivist theory with step-by-step guidance to make constructivist learning a reality in your classroom. Creating and Sustaining the Constructivist Classroom, Second Edition includes the firsthand experiences of practicing teachers to help you understand the challenges and rewards you can expect from constructivism. The teachers' stories along with guidance from the authors give you a solid foundation on which to build your own student-created learning classroom. The authors provide: Active learning examples to customize for any grade or classroom Checklists to help you evaluate your starting point, progress, and goals Expanded coverage of state and national content standards Practical assistance with issues surrounding student assessment, differentiation, and the inclusive classroom Ideas for involving parents and community members Ways to implement technology into the mix Strategies to help even beginning teachers implement constructivist principles Stimulate your students' creativity, autonomy, and independent thinking. Help raise their self-esteem and confidence. Get their minds working on proactive ways to bring real-world learning into their schoolwork. Encourage your students to discover new ways to search for information, process what they find out, and translate it into meaningful knowledge for themselves.
Enhance classroom practice by promoting an open and shared process with your students! Middle school students have much to say about the quality of their schooling experiences and can provide rich insight into what works for them and what doesn't. Educators Penny A. Bishop and Susanna W. Pflaum demonstrate how to enhance classroom practice by inviting students to offer feedback on pedagogy, learning styles, and their individual preferences and needs. Written for new and veteran teachers of grades 4-8, the unique framework of this book takes its cue from the students themselves by using their own words and drawings, combined with the authors' action research, insightful analysis, and shared experiences. Highlights of this powerful resource include: Instructional strategies and content-area learning Social interactions within the classroom that promote or inhibit learning Learner insights into their own engagement and disengagement in the classroom Student drawings, reflective questions for teachers, mini-lessons, and frequently asked questions about consulting students and honoring their insights Reaching and Teaching Middle School Learners focuses on the learning needs of adolescents as identified by the students themselves. By promoting an open and shared process with your students, you can meet the unique challenges of working with middle school learners and create a positive schooling experience for all.
