Synopsis
This book addresses a growing national focus on improving teacher performance by sharpening classroom management skills. The 160-page guide identifies Ten Critical Skills teachers need for engaging students in productive learning while managing their classrooms effectively. The book gives K-12 school teachers (and their administrators and coaches) concrete, transferable techniques for engaging students more effectively and for improving learning overall.<P>Based on the authors' 100-plus years of collective teaching experience and 1000's of workshops and seminars, this guide explores the Ten Critical Skills with examples, checklists, how-to's, self-tests, strategies, and other useful techniques for the first-time teacher or the seasoned educator. <P> Meant to be read in any order, the chapters weave true stories of teacher and student success through charts with examples, helpful suggestions, and illustrations of what each of the ten essential classroom management skills looks like and sounds like. <P> No matter whether the teacher is in a lab, a classroom, at a work bench, on a field trip, in any region of the country--these management skills apply wherever learning takes place, adds co-author Gary Forlini. The key to the success of the strategies [in Class Acts] is that they are immediate and do-able. Once aware of the elements of a certain skill, a teacher can apply it right away, the very next day. Most teachers already perform many of these skills, says author Annette Brinkman, but with varying degrees of effectiveness. What we do in this book is provide the tools for teachers to grow in very specific and measurable ways. Now they can chart their own progress at their own pace, focusing on the best practices that will produce the surest results for them. The skills and strategies outlined in Class Acts are integral parts of the authors' work in training administrators and teachers across the country. One of the authors' most popular workshops is their guided facilitation of administrators which trains principals, coaches, and mentors to recognize the essential skills for activating learning and to assist new and struggling teachers. Often, the authors work directly on-site with administrators as they observe, consult with, and coach teachers and apply these techniques for optimizing classroom management and student engagement. Annette summarizes the authors' work this way, We give administrators pragmatic, effective, and proven methods for growth-promoting leadership among all teachers, while giving teachers a framework (the top ten skills) and effective tools they can apply right away. Newly released on Jan 2, Class Acts sold out its first printing by the end of the month and is now in its second printing.
Review
A truly wonderful book...one of the more remarkable resources I've used. -- Kenneth Hopkins, 2009 Huntsman Aware: Teacher of the Year --Professional Learning Specialist, Salt Lake City, UT
Our staff has lived the use of these engagement strategies through your dynamic facilitations and authentic examples, from your insight and humor, and through your guided practice. Thank you so much! -- Ms. Sonia Lawson, Principal --Los Lunas Schools, New Mexico
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