The research-based Total Participation Techniques found in the second edition of the Himmele’s popular ASCD book can help boost student engagement and participation, and their retention of information, in just about any content area, says veteran educator Joanne Bell.
Practical and conversational, the ideas in Powerful Partnerships will inspire teachers and school leaders to examine family engagement practices and build partnerships that are collaborative, interactive, and learning focused, says literacy specialist Lisa Maucione.
Science educator Alan Colburn skillfully applies the idea of learning by doing to make a very useful resource for teachers. Joyce Depenbusch praises the way he weaves in NGSS practices and provides directions for grades 3-8 activities that are easy to follow and do.
K-12 and higher education veteran M. Scott Norton has written a book about the human resources role of principals. Retired principal Mary Langer Thompson finds the resources on school climate helpful, but disagrees that principals should take on major HR responsibilities.
Ralph Fletcher’s approachable book offers useful, practical guidelines on how to implement effective writing teaching. ELA teacher Erin Corrigan-Smith notes his emphasis on choice, voice, purpose and play will help students enjoy the daily writing he recommends.
STEM engineering – in class or after school – can come alive when young students encounter the 10 projects in McBride and Gonzales’ Engineer This. Reviewer Linda Biondi expects students will gladly accept their mission to solve interesting problems in creative ways.
The strength of John Strebe’s book is that it offers practical solutions for teachers who want to better engage, allow for a collaborative culture, include student voice, and deepen student content knowledge. Rita Platt expects most will find his enthusiasm contagious.
Paula Kluth and Julie Causton offer a book that uses everyday language, is punctuated with wit and humor, and genuinely addresses many of the obstacles that face co-teachers in their real-world classrooms, says special education lead teacher Laura Von Staden.
Sixth grade ELA and social studies teacher Kathee Lamberies expects she will be using Teaching Literacy in the Visible Learning Classroom from Fisher, Frey, Hattie and Thayre and tabbing its pages for years to come. It is likely to become her new “bible” of teaching!
Successful Group Work can help teachers provide structure within groups of students to help classrooms run more smoothly, says teacher Stacey Knighton. It’s most likely to be useful to a beginning teacher or someone just starting to do collaborative team work.
