Book Review #2
The book that I chose to read was What Great Teachers Do Differently, by Todd Whitaker. I had this book on the book shelf of my room with all my other teacher resources, and I have wanted to read it, so I was given the excuse to read it. I found the book to be really good. It gave me a great amount of information and strategies that I can use in my classroom to help me become a more effective teacher. One that my students will really benefit from. The book was basically about the differences between great teachers and what they do in their classrooms and with their students that others do not. It described fourteen things that matter most in respect to be a great and productive teacher. It talked about the importance of studying and learning from effective examples or models, instead of watching someone who is ineffective. While you will not learn everything there is to know by watching an effective teacher, you will certainly pick up some great examples/traits from them. It also mentioned that when you see an effective/productive classroom, it typically has to do with the great teacher and not the programs. You have to realize that it takes a great teacher to run those programs, and the great ones can take whatever they have to work with and make it work (not what you do, but how you do it!). Great Teachers have very positive attitudes and not only have high expectation of their students, but also have high expectations of themselves. They do a great job of establishing their expectations at the beginning so that they don’t have those problems of discipline most teachers do later in the year. They build strong relationships with their students and parents, as well as trust. Another aspect is the ability to ignore. They know through experience what situations require immediate attention and which ones can be dealt with later, and they know how to handle it in a discrete manner. They also always have a plan. Nothing random happens in their classrooms. Great teachers also base their decisions on how it will affect their students, and try to develop their lessons toward their best students in order to grow and mature their students, instead of teaching to the middle. They don’t get caught up in hot button topics; they stay focused on teaching and challenging their students, and expect the other stuff will fall in line. Finally, those teachers that are most productive are the ones who have an established core of beliefs and morals, and they live them, model them, and expect the students to use them in their classroom.