Responding to Cultural Diversity in Today's Classrooms
This book responds to the critical question, `What is a 'good' school?' The author believes that a `good' school is a learning community that maximizes the potential of all of its students whether they are White, Black, Hispanic, Asian, or Native American. A school cannot be a `good' school when some of its students are misidentified, misassessed, miscatagorized, misplaced, and misinstructed. We cannot and should not define `good' schools only from the perspective of student performance on standardized tests. A `good' school should take a holistic approach to education: considering each student's needs academically, socially, emotionally, culturally, and globally. This book is punctuated with case studies, observations, solutions, and key points that should be invaluable in efforts to reform, restructure, and improve schools by translating research, resources, and rhetoric into fundamentally sound, `culturally responsive' professional practice.
Training Mentors Is Not Enough is designed for educational leaders who want to develop an exemplary mentoring programme, or upgrade an existing one. Hal Portner helps the reader to: obtain broad-base commitment and participation from key individuals and groups; understand and work harmoniously within the larger environment in which a mentoring programme operates; develop a mentoring committee's capacity to make decisions effectively; support a mentoring programme with pragmatic and effective policies, procedures, and resources; The book offers down-to-earth discussions and straightforward information supplemented by anecdotes, commentary, examples, and interactive exercises designed to help the reader develop and nurture an exemplary mentoring program consistent with the culture and circumstances of his or her particular school district.
"Teaching Lawrence is problematic because of the strong responses he arouses in readers, " observe the editors of this collection of essays. Lawrence's forceful language, imagery, and rhythms can make readers feel they are being attacked or challenged. In essays that attempt to "suggest the rich intellectual possibilities inherent in teaching ......
A Practical Guide for First-Year Teachers in Grades 1-3
This book is intended as a supplementary support system for new teachers. The author has surveyed student teachers, supply teachers, those returning to the profession, as well as teacher educators. The wide-ranging answers to "what would you like to see included in a teaching reference?" are here - everything from setting up a classroom to developing themes, instructional presentation, student assessment, and more. Practical, easy-to-implement suggestions are provided for lesson plans, record keeping, using technology in the classroom, planning special events, and developing and maintaining professional credentials and portfolios. The author draws on her fourteen years of teaching experience to answer basic questions about the most important aspects of teaching. Actual samples of lesson units, themes, communications with parents, etc., are included, with easy-to-follow, classroom-tested suggestions.
Training Mentors Is Not Enough is designed for educational leaders who want to develop an exemplary mentoring programme, or upgrade an existing one. Hal Portner helps the reader to: obtain broad-base commitment and participation from key individuals and groups; understand and work harmoniously within the larger environment in which a mentoring programme operates; develop a mentoring committee's capacity to make decisions effectively; support a mentoring programme with pragmatic and effective policies, procedures, and resources; The book offers down-to-earth discussions and straightforward information supplemented by anecdotes, commentary, examples, and interactive exercises designed to help the reader develop and nurture an exemplary mentoring program consistent with the culture and circumstances of his or her particular school district.
174 Activities for Applying Them in Your Classroom
'It is an excellent resource not only for new teachers entering the profession but also for the more experienced to access a range of strategies in dealing with and recognizing children's way of learning. It nurtures a Can Do attitude that celebrates success' - Nurturing Potential The authors have written this book to provide teachers with a toolbox to help them know their students in an in-depth and personal way. With this knowledge, classrooms can celebrate the gifts of every student. It is important for teachers to develop relationships with students and aid them in developing a sense of connectedness with a group. Traditional IQ tests measure language and mathematical abilities, but empirical studies designed by multiple intelligence pioneer Howard Gardner identify other ways in which people are intelligent. Gardner identifies eight intelligences: verbal//linguistic, mathematical//logical, visual//spatial, musical//rhythmic, bodily//kinesthetic, naturalist, interpersonal, and intrapersonal. By using strategies that foster these intelligences, teachers can help students recognize their innate strengths and talents, and how they learn best. The authors offer more than a dozen activities specifically tailored to each of the eight multiple intelligences, for a total of 174 classroom activities in all. These activities will serve as a guide for teachers who know the value of using Gardner's "intelligences" as teaching and learning strategies in the classroom.
This book encourages readers to explore significant aspects of current thinking in primary education (for ages three to 13 years) focusing on pedagogy: the study of processes of teaching. The authors consider contexts, knowledge, skills and curriculum within a framework of practice. A distinctive feature is the voices of teachers, children, ......
Understanding Learning contains specially chosen material which brings together issues of theory and practice. It invites teachers to examine, review and research their own practice in their own personal context. The book's significant contribution is that it re-emphasizes the multifaceted nature of education and deliberately takes a ......
This book is about developing a Peer Assistance and Review (PAR) programme, where teacher partnership through joint responsibility improves the quality of teaching, strengthens teacher professionalism, and ultimately, enhances student learning. Peer assistance helps both new and veteran teachers improve and update their knowledge and skills by linking them with "consulting teachers" who provide support through observation, modeling, and sharing of information. Chapters 1 through 4 clearly define teacher peer assistance and review and why it is such a valuable tool for both teachers and administrators. The chapters guide us through the key concepts and major components of the programme, the good decision-making skills needed and asks many of the questions that must be answered in order to successfully implement this programme. Key players, their roles and responsibilities, methods, standards and criteria are also discussed at length. These concepts are skillfully drawn and will help all teachers and administrators from the most novice to the most senior raise the standards of their knowledge while improving the quality of learning for all students. Useful Web sites, sample forms, job descriptions, and applications, and an example of an educational policy trust agreement offer practical how-to help. Both administrators and teachers interested in understanding and incorporating a Peer Assistance and Review program will find this book an essential guide.
