Timothy M. O'Leary is a firm believer that decisions about improvements, whether they be for a teacher or school, need to be based on fact, not fancy. In Classroom Vibe he uses data to demystify why some classrooms are primed for learning while others aren't and explains why strategies for change in schools often fail. In breaking down the atmosphere of the classroom as experienced by the students - the 'classroom vibe' - he gives teachers practical steps for improving theirs. The author argues that when teachers focus their improvement efforts on the 'vibe' in each of their classrooms and school leaders focus on supporting their teachers in this endeavour, everyone benefits. He provides a clear framework that highlights how the culture of a classroom can determine whether important teaching strategies will succeed or fail.

Supercharge learners and learning Today’s students need more than great teaching of the curricula; they must also be taught the love and strategies of learning. It’s time for a balanced approach that teaches students how to access and process information and inspires a desire for continuous learning. Written by renowned researchers and educators, Great Learners by Design advocates moving away from rote learning and teacher-centric classrooms. Instead, it promotes cultivating self-sufficient, strategic, and visible learners through effective learning strategies. This approach helps foster a learning environment where mistakes are seen not as embarrassments but as opportunities for growth. Inside, you’ll discover New and traditional learning theories and how to implement them in the classroom 12 learning strategies and 13 learning principles that will transform your class and school into an organization dedicated to excellence How to use and integrate tools for measuring learning With the goal of creating lifelong learners, Great Learners by Design offers an in-depth analysis of learning theories, practical classroom applications, and tools. It is a vital resource for enhancing students’ skills and encouraging them to use optimal strategies to succeed both in the classroom and beyond.

The solution for preparing excellent school leaders is right in front of you. The best way to prepare aspiring leaders for principalship is to offer hands-on opportunities to develop the skills they’ll need when they’re in charge. Being a principal calls for originality, innovation, and the ability to work under pressure. Yet so few assistant principals and other aspiring leaders actually get to develop these competencies in meaningful ways that prepare them to lead a school with confidence. Leader Ready presents a framework that walks aspiring school leaders along the path to strong and independent principalship by using a mix of professional knowledge, modeling, coaching, guided experiences, and mastery experiences. Full of processes, action steps, and examples from the field, features include; A research-based plan for creating better conditions for aspiring leaders Guidance for achieving systemic professional growth throughout the school year Analysis of school-leadership standards to inform practice Voices of leaders, aspiring leaders, and experts from the field

Unleash powerful teaching and the science of learning in your classroom Powerful Teaching: Unleash the Science of Learning empowers educators to harness rigorous research on how students learn and unleash it in their classrooms. In this book, cognitive scientist Pooja K. Agarwal, Ph.D., and veteran K–12 teacher Patrice M. Bain, Ed.S., decipher cognitive science research and illustrate ways to successfully apply the science of learning in classrooms settings. This practical resource is filled with evidence-based strategies that are easily implemented in less than a minute—without additional prepping, grading, or funding! Research demonstrates that these powerful strategies raise student achievement by a letter grade or more; boost learning for diverse students, grade levels, and subject areas; and enhance students’ higher order learning and transfer of knowledge beyond the classroom. Drawing on a fifteen-year scientist-teacher collaboration, more than 100 years of research on learning, and rich experiences from educators in K–12 and higher education, the authors present highly accessible step-by-step guidance on how to transform teaching with four essential strategies: Retrieval practice, spacing, interleaving, and feedback-driven metacognition. With Powerful Teaching, you will: Develop a deep understanding of powerful teaching strategies based on the science of learning Gain insight from real-world examples of how evidence-based strategies are being implemented in a variety of academic settings Think critically about your current teaching practices from a research-based perspective Develop tools to share the science of learning with students and parents, ensuring success inside and outside the classroom Powerful Teaching: Unleash the Science of Learning is an indispensable resource for educators who want to take their instruction to the next level. Equipped with scientific knowledge and evidence-based tools, turn your teaching into powerful teaching and unleash student learning in your classroom.

"Hosts of all kinds, this is a must-read!" --Chris Anderson, owner and curator of TED From the host of the New York Times podcast Together Apart, an exciting new approach to how we gather that will transform the ways we spend our time together—at home, at work, in our communities, and beyond. In The Art of Gathering, Priya Parker argues that the gatherings in our lives are lackluster and unproductive--which they don't have to be. We rely too much on routine and the conventions of gatherings when we should focus on distinctiveness and the people involved. At a time when coming together is more important than ever, Parker sets forth a human-centered approach to gathering that will help everyone create meaningful, memorable experiences, large and small, for work and for play. Drawing on her expertise as a facilitator of high-powered gatherings around the world, Parker takes us inside events of all kinds to show what works, what doesn't, and why. She investigates a wide array of gatherings--conferences, meetings, a courtroom, a flash-mob party, an Arab-Israeli summer camp--and explains how simple, specific changes can invigorate any group experience. The result is a book that's both journey and guide, full of exciting ideas with real-world applications. The Art of Gathering will forever alter the way you look at your next meeting, industry conference, dinner party, and backyard barbecue--and how you host and attend them.

After decades of reform, America's public schools continue to fail particular groups of students; the greatest opportunity gaps are faced by those whose achievement is hindered by complex stressors, including disability, trauma, poverty, and institutionalized racism. When students' needs overwhelm the neighborhood schools assigned to serve them, they are relegated to increasingly isolated educational environments. Unconditional Education (UE) offers an alternate approach that transforms schools into communities where all students can thrive. It reduces the need for more intensive and costly future remediation by pairing a holistic, multi-tiered system of supports with an intentional focus on overall culture and climate, and promotes systematic coordination and integration of funding and services by identifying gaps and eliminating redundancies to increase the efficient allocation of available resources. This book is an essential resource for mental health and educational stakeholders (i.e., school social workers, therapists, teachers, school administrators, and district-level leaders) who are interested in adopting an unconditional approach to supporting the students within their schools.

What are the secrets to unlocking student success? And what can teachers do to get better at helping students develop deep understanding of content, attain higher-order thinking skills, and become secure, confident, and capable learners? In this book, teacher and professor Jeff Marshall showcases how teaching with intentionality answers these questions. Specifically, he introduces the Teacher Intentionality Practice Scale (TIPS), a framework for both supporting and measuring effective teaching. Taken together, the framework’s seven TIPs provide a research-based, classroom-tested guide to help teachers * create coherent, connected lessons; * use strategies and resources, including technology, that truly enhance learning; * organize a safe, respectful learning environment; * develop challenging and rigorous learning experiences; * promote interactive, thoughtful learning; * nurture a creative, problem-solving classroom culture; and * deliver feedback and formative assessment that inform teaching and learning. Marshall’s needs-assessment instrument can help teachers, working independently or in a cohort, determine the best starting point for improving their practice. Practical, straightforward rubrics for each TIP describe the various levels of teacher proficiency. Based on his own teaching experience and observations in hundreds of classrooms, Marshall also offers action tips for each framework component and a list of resources for further study. Written for teachers and leaders at all levels and in all content areas, The Highly Effective Teacher is a guidebook for thoughtful, intentional teaching with one goal: success for all students, in every classroom.

Passion cannot be faked. Students can tell when we're just going through the motions. But how can you summon the energy to teach with passion when there are so many distractions pulling you from what really matters? And if you barely have time for taking care of yourself, how can you have anything left to give your students? Don't wait for teaching to become fun again: plan for it! Your enthusiasm will become unshakeable as you learn how to: -Create curriculum "bright spots" that you can't wait to teach -Gain energy from kids instead of letting them drain you -Uncover real meaning and purpose for every single lesson -Incorporate playfulness and make strong connections with kids -Stop letting test scores and evaluations define your success -Construct a self-running classroom that frees you to teach -Say "no" without guilt and make your "yes" really count -Establish healthy, balanced habits for bringing work home -Determine what matters most and let go of the rest -Innovate and adapt to make teaching an adventure Unshakeable is a collection of inspiring mindset shifts and practical, teacher-tested ideas for getting more satisfaction from your job. It's an approach that guides you to find your inner drive and intrinsic motivation which no one can take away. Unshakeable will help you incorporate a love of life into your teaching, and a love of teaching into your life. Learn how to tap into what makes your work inherently rewarding and enjoy teaching every day...no matter what.

The author describes the successes at his innovative academy in Atlanta, Georgia, and shares many of the strategies they use to create a lively and energetic learning environment.

The untold story of the root cause of America's education crisis--and the seemingly endless cycle of multigenerational poverty. It was only after years within the education reform movement that Natalie Wexler stumbled across a hidden explanation for our country's frustrating lack of progress when it comes to providing every child with a quality education. The problem wasn't one of the usual scapegoats: lazy teachers, shoddy facilities, lack of accountability. It was something no one was talking about: the elementary school curriculum's intense focus on decontextualized reading comprehension "skills" at the expense of actual knowledge. In the tradition of Dale Russakoff's The Prize and Dana Goldstein's The Teacher Wars, Wexler brings together history, research, and compelling characters to pull back the curtain on this fundamental flaw in our education system--one that fellow reformers, journalists, and policymakers have long overlooked, and of which the general public, including many parents, remains unaware. But The Knowledge Gap isn't just a story of what schools have gotten so wrong--it also follows innovative educators who are in the process of shedding their deeply ingrained habits, and describes the rewards that have come along: students who are not only excited to learn but are also acquiring the knowledge and vocabulary that will enable them to succeed. If we truly want to fix our education system and unlock the potential of our neediest children, we have no choice but to pay attention.