One of the best ways to learn how to be a better teacher is by watching, listening to, and experimenting with the practices of great teachers, including those in your own school.The PD Curator is about how professional learning experiences can become more inclusive, participatory, cohesive, and effective-and about the role teachers and leaders can play in creating those experiences. That role isn't so much administrative as it is curatorial. Just as art curators can legitimize artists by including their work in a gallery or exhibit, PD curators have the power to legitimize the work of an array of teachers. They help create immersive intellectual, emotional, and social experiences-all while caring for the professionals and the profession. In this book, Lauren Porosoff explains how PD curators * Structure teachers' schedules to make time for in-house professional learning. * Select content and create a process for how people interact with it. * Fit the often disparate pieces together into a meaningful whole. * Discover whether the event has been successful. The practical tools and protocols in each chapter will help you plan professional learning that taps into the expertise and interests of a diverse staff. Canned sessions that don't connect with teachers' actual needs will be a thing of the past. Instead, you'll discover ways to support teachers in sharing ideas and trying out new practices that advance student learning. In doing so, you'll empower teachers and students alike.

The moment is right for critical reflection on what has been assumed to be a core part of schooling. In Ungrading, fifteen educators write about their diverse experiences going gradeless. Some contributors are new to the practice and some have been engaging in it for decades. Some are in humanities and social sciences, some in STEM fields. Some are in higher education, but some are the K-12 pioneers who led the way. Based on rigorous and replicated research, this is the first book to show why and how faculty who wish to focus on learning, rather than sorting or judging, might proceed. It includes honest reflection on what makes ungrading challenging, and testimonials about what makes it transformative.

The transition from being a student teacher to taking on the full responsibility as a teacher is experienced as challenging for many novice teachers. In this book, ten newly qualified teachers from five countries, Australia, England, Finland, Israel and Norway, tell their stories as they came through in individual interviews. The narratives, written by the authors, were all approved by the teachers as 'their' stories. What can we learn from listening to the narratives? What can we bring to decision-makers about how to support new teachers? Do new teachers face similar challenges around the world, or do experiences depend on their respective contexts? There are more similarities than differences. Relevant research literature is used in discussing the cases. Much of the literature on novice teachers focuses on difficulties, and the stories presented in this book confirm that the first year is tough. However, the resilience, motivation and enthusiasm reflected in the stories provide reasons for optimism as regards teachers' satisfaction with their career choice. A major reason for deciding to stay in the profession is in the relations they created with the students. Satisfaction or stress related to the curriculum or achievements in their respective teaching subjects was not mentioned. The lessons learned from the ten novice teachers are useful when discussing the teaching profession and, not least, the induction phase of a teaching career.

Andy West teaches philosophy in prisons. He has conversations with people inside about their lives, discusses their ideas and feelings and listens as the men and women he works with explore new ways to think about their situation. Could we ever be good if we never felt shame? What makes a person worthy of forgiveness? Could someone in prison ever be more free than someone outside? These questions about how to live are ones we all need to ask, but in this setting they are even more urgent. When Andy steps into jail, he also confronts his inherited guilt: his father, uncle and brother all spent time in prison. He has built a different life for himself, but he still fears that their fate will be his. As he discusses questions of truth, identity and hope with his students, he searches for his own form of freedom. Moving, sympathetic, wise and frequently funny, The Life Inside is an elegantly written and unforgettable book. Through its blend of memoir, storytelling and gentle philosophical questioning, readers will gain a new insight into our justice system, our prisons and the plurality of lives found inside.

In this volume, the author offers an exploratory analysis of the history of homeschooling in the United States, current curricular practices, religious and political rationales for homeschooling, a critique of the claims by homeschooling advocates that the practice leads to greater efficiency and effectiveness, and what homeschooling and individualistic-oriented approaches mean for society. Teaching the next generation at home is, with little doubt, the oldest form of educating children. Yet, this simplistic understanding of "homeschooling" does not adequately capture the growth of homeschooling as a practice in the 21st century nor is it a widely accessible form of "school choice" for most families. While many parents keep their children out of formal schooling - public and private - for myriad reasons, what is clear is that homeschooling is the epitome of a conceiving of education as an individualistic good - a commodity - that can, or should, be done outside of a conception of the common good, a reasonable understanding of teaching as a profession, and the elevation of ideological echo chambers of information which can have deleterious impacts on the students who are homeschooled and society, broadly.

For every teacher it's different, but you know who they are for you-the students who are "hard to teach." Maybe they're reading far below grade level. Maybe they're English learners. Maybe they have diagnosed learning disabilities or behavioral issues. Maybe they're underachieving for reasons that are unknown. They have been overlooked or underserved or frustrated, and they're not learning as they should. Until now. Until you. How to Reach the Hard to Teach presents a thoughtful and practical approach to achieving breakthrough success with linguistically and culturally diverse students who struggle in school. Combining elements of the SIOP (R) Model and the FIT Teaching (R) approach, authors Jana Echevarria, Nancy Frey, and Douglas Fisher take stock of what we know about excellent instruction and distill it into five guiding principles: Set high expectations. Provide access to the core curriculum. Use assessment to inform instruction. Attend to language development-both English and academic. Create a supportive classroom climate. You'll learn specific practices associated with each principle and see how real-life teachers are employing these practices in their classrooms so that all students have the opportunity to learn and receive optimal support for that learning. Every teacher has had the experience of seeing a "hard to teach" student in a new light and realizing all he or she might achieve. This book is about shining that light of possibility on the students who challenge us most, interrogating our beliefs, and taking action to ensure they receive the best instruction we have to offer.

In Preparing Students for Life and Work: Policies and Reforms Affecting Higher Education's Principal Mission the editors assemble works by scholars of higher education who address various aspects of the policies and reforms that affect the education and ultimately the lives and work prospects of students. Chapter topics include the social and government policy context of higher education in various countries, including Canada, Mexico, the USA, Japan, Germany, Europe generally and the Bologna process specifically. Aspects of teaching and learning in higher education, including MOOCs, student services, and treatment of international students are also addressed. Finally, how students themselves have had major impacts on higher education in various countries is touched upon in several chapters.

""Why do I lead?"" With this deceptively simple question, best-selling author Baruti K. Kafele begins a powerful examination of what it takes to make a school community achieve the greatest success in the classroom and beyond. In The Principal 50: Critical Leadership Questions for Inspiring Schoolwide Excellence, Kafele, a veteran school administrator, guides motivated school leaders through 50 self-reflection exercises designed to yield a deeper understanding of the meaning behind the work that they do. Along with many other insights, this book shows how best to: Inspire and motivate students, teachers, and other school staff to approach their work with vigor and purpose. Ensure that all students, regardless of color, creed, or origin, are valued and represented in the school culture. Focus mission and vision statements to address students' most critical needs and integrate shared values and objectives into the fabric of the school. Engage parents and other community members so that they feel a stake in the school's success. Brimming with passion, written from the heart, and informed by hard-earned experience, this transformative book is essential reading for principals and other building-level administrators determined to reinvigorate their practice, revitalize their staff, and-most importantly-guarantee the strongest outcomes for students.

Too often, students who fail a grade or a course receive remediation that ends up widening rather than closing achievement gaps. According to veteran classroom teacher and educational consultant Suzy Pepper Rollins, the true answer to supporting struggling students lies in acceleration. In Learning in the Fast Lane, she lays out a plan of action that teachers can use to immediately move underperforming students in the right direction and differentiate instruction for all learners-even those who excel academically. This essential guide identifies eight high-impact, research-based instructional approaches that will help you: Make standards and learning goals explicit to students. Increase students' vocabulary-a key to their academic success. Build students' motivation and self-efficacy so that they become active, optimistic participants in class. Provide rich, timely feedback that enables students to improve when it counts. Address skill and knowledge gaps within the context of new learning. Students deserve no less than the most effective strategies available. These hands-on, ready-to-implement practices will enable you to provide all students with compelling, rigorous, and engaging learning experiences.

In this inspiring and thought-provoking follow-up to his 2009 best-seller Motivating Black Males to Achieve in School and in Life, Baruti Kafele makes the case that the ""attitude gap"" that often affects underperforming students can only be closed if educators first help students develop the will to strive for excellence. According to Kafele, educators can achieve remarkable results by focusing on five key areas: The teacher's attitude toward students. The teacher's relationship with students. The teacher's compassion for students. The learning environment. The cultural relevance of instruction. Replete with practical strategies and illustrative anecdotes drawn from the author's 20-plus years as a teacher and principal in inner-city schools, Closing the Attitude Gap offers a wealth of lessons and valuable insights that educators at all levels can use to fire up their students' passion to learn.

A new concept on human diversity has emerged over the past 10 years that promises to revolutionize the way educators provide services to students with special needs: neurodiversity. Just as we celebrate diversity in nature and cultures, so too do we need to honor the diversity of brains among our students who learn, think, and behave differently. In Neurodiversity in the Classroom, best-selling author Thomas Armstrong argues that we should embrace the strengths of such neurodiverse students to help them and their neurotypical peers thrive in school and beyond. This innovative book focuses on five categories of special needs: learning disabilities, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism, intellectual disabilities, and emotional and behavioral disorders. For each category, Armstrong provides an in-depth discussion of: The positive attributes associated with that category. Acclaimed neurodiverse adults who have excelled in their chosen fields. Computer programs and applications that allow students with special needs to overcome obstacles and achieve success. Rich networks of human resources both inside and outside of school that educators can draw upon to support the social and emotional lives of neurodiverse students. Innovative learning strategies that are tailored to each student's unique strengths. Future career paths for which a student's particular gifts might be a good fit. Modifications in the school environment that allow for seamless inclusion of neurodiverse students in the regular classroom. Timely information about how to integrate the strategies and assessments for each category with the Common Core State Standards. It's time that we focused on celebrating rather than pathologizing our students with special needs so that they can fully realize their potential in school and life. This practical and thought-provoking book will inspire teachers and administrators everywhere to make sure that all students with special needs get the support and strength-based instruction they deserve.

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE Selecting a mathematics textbook that meets the needs of a diverse student body can be a challenge. Some have too much information for a beginner; some have too little. The authors of "Fundamentals of Discrete Structures," frustrated by their search for the perfect text, decided to write their own. The result provides an excellent introduction to discrete mathematics that is both accessible to liberal arts majors satisfying their core mathematics requirements, and also challenging enough to engage math and computer science majors. To engage students who may not be comfortable with traditional mathematics texts, the book uses a light tone when introducing new concepts. While there is an emphasis on computation, it avoids mathematical formalism and formal proofs, thus making it easier for the average student to understand. Unlike other textbooks in this field, "Fundamentals of Discrete Structures" strikes just the right balance: it illuminates the essentials of discrete mathematics while still providing a comprehensive treatment of the subject matter.

For those who have a friend that has been devastated by the loss of a loved one. When others care enough to rub shoulders with grieving friends and are willing to be inconvenienced. It requires someone to care enough to put aside cliche condolences and stick close through a long grieving process. An individual's grief can never be 'fixed'. But friends can wash a sink full of dishes, listen, go along on a cemetery visit. Sharing another's grief is not about 'fixing-it'- it's about showing up.Harold Ivan Smith, popular speaker and grief educator, guides others to respond with their heart. He shows tangible, meaningful ways to make a significant difference as one journeys through grief with someone they care about.

Teaching and learning resources are all the materials, aids and equipment that teachers use to facilitate effective teaching and learning within their classrooms. Teaching resources should include a wide range of visual, auditory, audio-visual, text/graph-based, tactile or multimedia materials, such as posters, flashcards, storybooks, digital storybooks, videos, songs, puppets. They also include equipment such as white boards, laptops and projectors. Teaching and learning resources can assist learners throughout the learning process and make learning more memorable because visual and tactile experiences amplify long-term memory. Resource development: a practical guide for teachers is aimed at teachers in preschools and schools that use teaching and learning resources daily to enhance their classroom activities, as well as parents that need to assist their children with school projects.