"Outstanding! . . . a great guide for teachers who want to succeed with every student they teach." --William Glasser Teachers everywhere face the daily challenge of engaging students whose knowledge, skills, needs, and temperaments vary greatly. How does a teacher establish a learning environment that supports the class as a whole while meeting the particular needs of individual students? Teacher Jonathan C. Erwin believes the answer lies in offering real opportunities to students rather than throwing up the obstacles inherent in traditional discipline and motivation techniques. At the heart of his approach are the five basic human needs of William Glasser's Choice Theory: survival and security, love and belonging, power through cooperation and competency, freedom, and fun. By understanding and attending to these needs, teachers can customize and manage a classroom environment where students learn to motivate and monitor themselves. Drawing on theories and practices from experts in a variety of learning techniques, Erwin explores each of the five basic needs to create nearly 200 adaptable strategies for teaching and classroom management at any grade level. Readers will find dozens of ideas for helping students make positive changes, including * Improving their work habits, * Connecting curriculum with individual interests, * Opening lines of communication with teachers and other students, * Boosting self-worth through accomplishment, and * Supporting their classmates in cooperative work. Erwin ties everything together in a unit guide that allows teachers to develop a classroom profile based on the needs of individual students. The guide can be used with any district planning approach or curriculum. For teachers seeking a win-win situation in managing their classrooms, The Classroom of Choice is an excellent aid in creating a learning environment in which students and teachers approach each day with energy and enthusiasm. Note: This product listing is for the Adobe Acrobat (PDF) version of the book.

An unforgettable year in the life of a visionary high school science teacher and his award-winning students, as they try to get into college, land a date for the prom . . . and possibly change the world “A complex portrait of the ups and downs of teaching in a culture that undervalues what teaching delivers.”—The Wall Street Journal Andy Bramante left his successful career as a corporate scientist to teach public high school—and now helms one of the most remarkable classrooms in America. Bramante’s unconventional class at Connecticut’s prestigious yet diverse Greenwich High School has no curriculum, tests, textbooks, or lectures, and is equal parts elite research lab, student counseling office, and teenage hangout spot. United by a passion to learn, Mr. B.’s band of whiz kids set out every year to conquer the brutally competitive science fair circuit. They have won the top prize at the Google Science Fair, made discoveries that eluded scientists three times their age, and been invited to the Nobel Prize ceremony in Stockholm. A former Emmy-winning producer for CBS News, Heather Won Tesoriero embeds in this dynamic class to bring Andy and his gifted, all-too-human kids to life—including William, a prodigy so driven that he’s trying to invent diagnostics for artery blockage and Alzheimer’s (but can’t quite figure out how to order a bagel); Ethan, who essentially outgrows high school in his junior year and founds his own company to commercialize a discovery he made in the class; Sophia, a Lyme disease patient whose ambitious work is dedicated to curing her own debilitating ailment; Romano, a football player who hangs up his helmet to pursue his secret science expertise and develop a “smart” liquid bandage; and Olivia, whose invention of a fast test for Ebola brought her science fair fame and an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. We experience the thrill of discovery, the heartbreak of failed endeavors, and perhaps the ultimate high: a yes from Harvard. Moving, funny, and utterly engrossing, The Class is a superb account of hard work and high spirits, a stirring tribute to how essential science is in our schools and our lives, and a heartfelt testament to the power of a great teacher to help kids realize their unlimited potential. Praise for The Class “Captivating . . . Journalist Tesoriero left her job at CBS News to embed herself in Bramante’s classroom for the academic year, and she does this so successfully, a reader forgets she is even there. Her skill at drawing out not only Bramante but also the personal lives, hopes and concerns of these students is impressive. . . . It is a fascinating glimpse of a teaching environment that most public school teachers will never know.”—The Washington Post

This book by best-selling author Thomas Armstrong offers classroom strategies for ensuring the academic success of students in five special-needs categories: learning disabilities, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism, intellectual disabilities, and emotional and behavioral disorders.

Reform the schools, improve teaching: these battle cries of American education have been echoing for twenty years. So why does teaching change so little? Arguing that too many would-be reformers know nothing about the conflicting demands of teaching, Mary Kennedy takes us into the controlled commotion of the classroom, revealing how painstakingly teachers plan their lessons, and how many different ways things go awry. Teachers try simultaneously to keep track of materials, time, students, and ideas. In their effort to hold all of these things together, they can inadvertently quash students' enthusiasm and miss valuable teachable moments. Kennedy argues that pedagogical reform proposals that do not acknowledge all of the things teachers need to do are bound to fail. If reformers want students to learn, they must address all of the problems teachers face, not just those that interest them.

This book discusses key aspects of life in schools and classrooms, and surveys the changes that have occurred over the years in educational research, policy making and practice in these school and classroom settings. It not only examines cutting-edge research in these areas, but also showcases good practices in the field. Among the topics reviewed are recent developments in assessment, methods for collecting and analysing data on classroom practice, school leadership and the pros and cons of class size and small-class teaching; topics which are currently hotly debated in education systems around the globe. As such, the book objectively examines the various debates, and surveys the full range of evidence available. Education researchers, policy makers and practitioners often hold differing views about the reasons for teacher and student behaviour in classrooms and, for example, its relevance to class size. Many of these views are based on ‘gut feelings’ rather than hard evidence. Unfortunately, these three groups, with differing perspectives, often ‘talk past each other’ rather than engage in a productive, mutually beneficial dialogue. The book builds an effective bridge between researchers, policy makers and practitioners regarding the impact of these various aspects of classroom life, so that the viewpoints of each can be carefully considered and evaluated.

In this improved and expanded edition of a classic resource, Paul Wehman and his colleagues take a fresh look at transition, examining the persistent yet unfortunate reality that not working is perhaps the truest definition of having a disability. Specialists in a variety of disciplines can use the creative and practical techniques in this book to ensure careful transition planning, to build young people's confidence and competence in this work skills, and to foster support from businesses and community organizations for training and employment programs. Young people with disabilities need life-skills training before they leave school. Life Beyond the Classroom offers professionals and students indispensable information and effective strategies for ensuring successful, supported transitions.

Foreword / Cornelius Minor Gratitude -- Creating a culture of reading through book clubs -- Organizing and setting up book clubs -- Launching and managing book clubs -- Lighting the fire of discussion -- Resources at a glance -- Living with books all year long.

For over a decade, educators have looked to capitalize on the appeal of hip-hop culture, sampling its language, techniques, and styles as a way of reaching out to students. But beyond a fashionable hipness, what does hip-hop have to offer our schools? In this revelatory new book, Marc Lamont Hill shows how a serious engagement with hip-hop culture can affect classroom life in extraordinary ways. Based on his experience teaching a hip-hop–centered English literature course in a Philadelphia high school, and drawing from a range of theories on youth culture, identity, and educational processes, Hill offers a compelling case for the power of hip-hop in the classroom. In addition to driving up attendance and test performance, Hill shows how hip-hop–based educational settings enable students and teachers to renegotiate their classroom identities in complex, contradictory, and often unpredictable ways. “One of the most profound, searching, and insightful studies of what happens to the identities and worldviews of high school students who are exposed to a hip-hop curriculum." —Michael Eric Dyson, author, Can You Hear Me Now? “Hill’s book is a beautifully written reminder that the achievement gaps that students experience may be more accurately characterized as cultural gaps—between them and their teachers (and the larger society). This is a book that helps us see the power and potential of pedagogy.” —From the Foreword by Gloria Ladson-Billings, University of Wisconsin–Madison “Beats, Rhymes, and Classroom Life offers a vibrant, rigorous, and comprehensive analysis of hip-hop culture as an effective pedagogy, cultural politics, and a mobilizing popular form. This book is invaluable for anyone interested in hip-hop culture, identity, education, and youth.” —Henry Giroux, McMaster University “This book marks the time where our modern literature changes from entertainment to education. A study guide for our next generation using the modern day struggle into manhood and beyond.” —M-1 from dead prez

Helping students ask bigger, more beautiful questions Why does engagement plummet as learners advance in school? Why does the stream of questions from curious toddlers slow to a trickle as they become teenagers? Most importantly, what can teachers and schools do to reverse this trend? Beautiful Questions in the Classroom has the answers. Written to be both inspirational and practical, this resource will help educators transform their classrooms into cultures of curiosity. Readers will find: · Strategies to inspire bigger, more beautiful student questions · Techniques to help educators ask more beautiful questions · Real-world examples, case studies, practical ideas, and question stems · Videos showing strategies at work

Since its first appearance, Life in Classrooms has established itself as a classic study of the educational process at its most fundamental level.