November - JoAnn James - Routman Chapter 1 - Simplify Your Teaching Life
First of all simplify your teaching, right there we are on the right track. Always use best practices and do it in a simple straight forward way. I love the section that talks about being as knowledgeable as you can be. If you have a good understanding of what practices are best for your students then you will be able to make the right choice for each student. One of my favorite sections in this chapter gives a list of what to focus on in your classroom. This is some of the best advice I have seen, especially, to help students acquire the skills and tools to learn and go on learning. In the section Teach to the Child, Not to the Label we are reminded that no matter what a student is identified as, it is possible to give a purpose to learning and if we find what they enjoy and they can have success, then all students will believe they can succeed. The last section of this chapter is so spot on....View
Teaching as an Art Supported by Science. My favorite quote being, "Without devoted teachers to individualize instruction for the students in their classroom, any program- even a scientifically proven one- will be minimally effective.
Great quote! Each child is unique and individualized instruction is the only way to really meet their needs. They have diverse learning styles, they learn at different rates, they have varying backgrounds and diverse intellectual strengths. To think that we can teach them all the same thing at the same time at the same rate is not best practice. Building on their uniqueness of each child and meeting them where they are takes a little more bang, but yields a lot more buck!
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