Most teachers have experienced some kind of formal mentoring or induction program. What these programs can miss is the meaningful daily interaction with peers that builds mutual trust and instructional collaboration-the organic, coachable moments that boost professional learning. Based on a unique investigative study of nearly 300 teachers, this powerful new resource provides informative teacher perspectives of informal, naturally occurring, teacher-to-teacher professional development. Jo and Joseph Blase use this research to identify the following five teacher behaviors that can positively influence other teachers morale, teaching skills, and professional growth. Building healthy relationships by communicating, caring, and developing trust Using five guiding principles for structuring learning experiences Planning and organizing for learning Showing and sharing Guiding for classroom management This excellent resource helps school leaders promote a culture that encourages lasting professional development. Each chapter presents practical concepts and strategies that can occur in and out of the classroom. Educators share specific experiences and examples, showing each skill in action. School leaders will learn what strong teacher peer "consultants" actually do that leads to improved teacher confidence and motivation, enhanced trust and mutual respect, and reflective instructional behavior among their colleagues. These cost-effective, authentic strategies will build camaraderie and leadership in your school, engaging colleagues as a team in the vital mission of all schools-educating our youth.

Boost teacher-to-teacher collaboration and learning as a means of informal, but powerful professional development! Most teachers have experienced some kind of formal mentoring or induction program. What these programs can miss is the meaningful daily interaction with peers that builds mutual trust and instructional collaboration. Based on a unique investigative study of nearly 300 teachers, this powerful new resource provides informative teacher perspectives of informal, naturally occurring, teacher-to-teacher professional development. The authors identify the following five teacher behaviors that can positively influence other teachers’ morale, teaching skills, and professional growth: • Building healthy relationships by communicating, caring, and developing trust • Using five guiding principles for structuring learning experiences • Planning and organizing for learning • Showing and sharing • Guiding for classroom management This excellent resource helps school leaders promote a culture that encourages lasting professional development. In each chapter, educators share specific experiences and examples, showing each skill in action. School leaders will learn what strong teacher peer "consultants" actually do that leads to improved teacher confidence and motivation, enhanced trust and mutual respect, and reflective instructional behavior among their colleagues. These cost-effective, authentic strategies will build camaraderie and leadership in your school, engaging colleagues as a team in the vital mission of all schools-educating our youth.

Book In the second edition of this renowned book, you will find pearls of wisdom, heartfelt advice, and inspiration from one of the nation’s leading authorities on staff motivation, teacher leadership, and principal effectiveness. With wit and understanding, Todd Whitaker describes the beliefs, behaviors, attitudes, and interactions of great teachers and explains what they do differently. New features include: Meaning what you say Focusing on students first Putting yourself in their position DVD Bundle This bundle includes a DVD featuring Todd Whitaker speaking about what great teachers do differently. It runs for approximately two hours and is the perfect addition to teacher training events and professional development meetings/workshops. Filled with pearls of wisdom, humor, and practical strategies, the video will motivate your staff and inspire them to be the best they can, each and every day. The DVD comes with a free copy of What Great Teachers Do Differently as well as a Facilitator's Guide.

Offers advice for school principals who want to bring out the best in teachers, based on an in-depth study of the everyday strategies that open and effective school principals use to influence, motivate, and empower the teachers in their schools.

While working with students, their parents, and with colleagues, I noticed God is always at work. In many casual conversations, I was encouraged by the number of colleagues that stated their dependence on God for guidance. These short devotions are intended as an encouragement to educators, beginning their school day, to draw attention to the activities of the Holy Spirit in their life and work activities. It is my prayer the reader will identify with many of these devotions and be reminded of the Holy Spirit's activity in their lives.

Teaching is a lifelong challenge, but the first few years in the classroom are typically a teacher's hardest. This expanded collection of writings and reflections offers practical guidance on how to navigate the school system, form rewarding relationships with colleagues, and connect in meaningful ways with students and families from all cultures and backgrounds.

What makes a great teacher great? Who are the professors students remember long after graduation? This book, the conclusion of a fifteen-year study of nearly one hundred college teachers in a wide variety of fields and universities, offers valuable answers for all educators. The short answer is—it’s not what teachers do, it’s what they understand. Lesson plans and lecture notes matter less than the special way teachers comprehend the subject and value human learning. Whether historians or physicists, in El Paso or St. Paul, the best teachers know their subjects inside and out—but they also know how to engage and challenge students and to provoke impassioned responses. Most of all, they believe two things fervently: that teaching matters and that students can learn. In stories both humorous and touching, Ken Bain describes examples of ingenuity and compassion, of students’ discoveries of new ideas and the depth of their own potential. What the Best College Teachers Do is a treasure trove of insight and inspiration for first-year teachers and seasoned educators.

After thirty-seven years of teaching, Dede Rittman has something to say to those entering the profession. Students do judge you by your appearance--and appearance includes everything from your perfume to how much "bling" is your thing. Students come to school with many problems, and the role of "teacher" requires more than just knowing subject matter. Students will try harder when they believe the teacher "likes" them. Show students that you are a pleasant person - but remember that you are the teacher, not their friend. Students share qualities of a "good" and a "not so good" teacher with Dede, and she shares their list with you - a must-see for new teachers! Students have successes and failures and real feelings. To be a good teacher, remember that you are not teaching a subject, you are teaching human beings. Student Teaching: The Inside Scoop from a Master Teacher will make certain the novice enters the classroom as a master of the three C's--Confidence, Communication, and Creativity.

Beat burnout with time-saving best practices for feedback For ELA teachers, the danger of burnout is all too real. Inundated with seemingly insurmountable piles of papers to read, respond to, and grade, many teachers often find themselves struggling to balance differentiated, individualized feedback with the one resource they are already overextended on—time. Matthew Johnson offers classroom-tested solutions that not only alleviate the feedback-burnout cycle, but also lead to significant growth for students. These time-saving strategies built on best practices for feedback help to improve relationships, ignite motivation, and increase student ownership of learning. Flash Feedback also takes teachers to the next level of strategic feedback by sharing: How to craft effective, efficient, and more memorable feedback Strategies for scaffolding students through the meta-cognitive work necessary for real revision A plan for how to create a culture of feedback, including lessons for how to train students in meaningful peer response Downloadable online tools for teacher and student use Moving beyond the theory of working smarter, not harder, Flash Feedback works deeper by developing practices for teacher efficiency that also boost effectiveness by increasing students’ self-efficacy, improving the clarity of our messages, and ultimately creating a classroom centered around meaningful feedback.

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.