Big Little Things: 40 Tools for Building a Better Classroom

Any teacher or administrator who has had a relatively long tenure in one school district has seen district-level initiatives come and then go. But there are no-budget, high-impact initiatives that can be undertaken every day at the classroom level, and the building of teacher-student and student-student relationships is a prime example.

 

Ron Nash has met and worked with many teachers over the years, but the best ones pay attention to the little things that make positive impacts on the culture of the classroom, or as he calls them, “big little things.” Attending to these things on a regular basis can lift spirits, trigger a smile, and create a climate where students want to engage in their own learning. But monkey wrenches come in all sizes, and when they are in the wrong place at the wrong time, even little things that disrupt the classroom routine become “big little things” because of their negative impact on the learning process.

 

In this book, Nash doesn’t deal with big-ticket or big-budget items, but rather with “big little things” that make a difference one way or another, by their use or by their absence. Every one of the concepts or ideas in these 40 chapters can be implemented and maintained at the classroom level. Each of them can be used and perfected by teachers to build better classrooms, regardless of grade level or subject area. Filled with testimonials from real teachers, animated life examples from Nash’s own experience, and reflection questions for each strategy, this book will help every teacher identify and skillfully address those “big little things” for building a better classroom.

Ron Nash is a graduate of Clarion State College, now Clarion University, in Clarion, Pennsylvania, where he obtained his bachelor's degree in education and master's degree in History. As a social studies teacher, Nash taught grades 7 through 12 in Pennsylvania and Virginia. He served as Middle School Social Studies Coordinator for the Virginia Beach City Public Schools from 1994 to 1998, when he moved to Organizational Development for the same district. Retiring in 2007, Nash formed Ron Nash and Associates, Inc., a company dedicated to continuous improvement in schools and classrooms. Since 1994, Nash has presented at ASCD, Learning Forward, Eric Jensen's Learning Brain Expo, and the NBPTS Conference. He has presented at dozens of state and regional conferences over the past 23 years. Nash is the author of several books, including two bestsellers, The Active Classroom and From Seatwork to Feetwork, both in second editions. Other titles include The Power of We, And What About You?, In Praise of Foibles, The Active Teacher, The Active Classroom Field Book, The Active Workshop, The Active Mentor, Harness the Power of Reflection, Shake-Up Call, and Collaborative School Leadership, with Kathy Hwang. Ron lives in Virginia Beach, Virginia, with his wife Candy and their two cats, Callie and Gracie.