The Parent Backpack for Kindergarten through Grade 5: How to Support Your Child's Education, End Homework Meltdowns, and Build Parent-Teacher Connections


M.L. Nichols - 2013
     Involved Parents = Better Students How do you ensure your child gets the best education possible when U.S. schools have become overburdened, test-driven institutions that rank only average worldwide? Decades of research confirm that when parents engage with their children’s learning, kids do better in school—and life. This straight-talking guide helps you:• understand the critical role you play in your child’s education, • connect with educators in respectful ways, • encourage a love of reading in your kids, • minimize homework meltdowns and disorganization, • support students who struggle academically, • help children navigate social situations and bullying, and • fuel your child’s mind and body for learning. Parent involvement looks different for every family and every child. Packed with real stories and tested strategies, The Parent Backpack demystifies our complex education system and gives you the insights you need to help your kids thrive.

Learning to Think Things Through: A Guide to Critical Thinking Across the Curriculum


Gerald M. Nosich - 2000
    KEY TOPICS: A combination of instruction and exercises shows them how to use critical thinking to become active learners rather than passive recipients of information, more fully appreciate the power of the discipline they are studying, to see its connections to other fields and to their day-to-day lives, and to maintain an overview of the field so they can see the parts in terms of the whole . The model of critical thinking (used throughout the book) is in terms of the elements of reasoning, standards, and critical thinking processes. This model is well-suited to thinking through any problem or question. The 4th edition reflects streamlined writing, with changes and substantial edits on virtually every page. MARKET: For Freshman Orientation or Critical Thinking courses as well as a supplementary text for use in any subject-matter at any educational level.

In the Deep Heart's Core


Michael Johnston - 2002
    At Greenville High School, he confronted a racially divided world in which his African-American students had to struggle daily against a legacy of crippling poverty and the scourges of drug addiction and gang violence that ravaged their community. In the Deep Heart's Core tells the story of how Johnston reached out to inspire his teenage students with all the means at his disposal — from the language of the great poets to the strategies of chess to the vigor of athletics. Vibrantly alive with the rich atmosphere of the Mississippi Delta — the haunting beauty of its hollows and the aching tragedy of its history — In the Deep Heart's Core is a compassionate, eloquent, and profoundly moving book. It is an inspiring and unforgettable story of one young man's experience in the Teach for America program, and of how a new generation of teachers is reaching out to give hope to the students society has forgotten.

Workshopping the Canon


Mary E. Styslinger - 2017
    

Making the Grades: My Misadventures in the Standardized Testing Industry


Todd Farley - 2009
    This first-hand account of life in the testing business is alternately edifying and hilarious.

Mental Math: Tricks To Become A Human Calculator


Abhishek V.R. - 2017
    Just read this till the end You don’t have to buy this book. Just read this till end & you will learn something that will change the way you do math forever. Warning: I am revealing this secret only to the first set of readers who will buy this book & plan to put this secret back inside the book once I have enough sales. So read this until the very end while you still can.School taught you the wrong way to do mathThe way you were taught to do math, uses a lot of working memory. Working memory is the short term memory used to complete a mental task. You struggle because trying to do mental math the way you were taught in school, overloads your working memory. Let me show you what I mean with an example:Try to multiply the 73201 x 3. To do this you multiply the following:1 x 3 =0 x 3 =2 x 3 =3 x 3 =7 x 3 =This wasn’t hard, & it might have taken you just seconds to multiply the individual numbers. However, to get the final answer, you need to remember every single digit you calculated to put them back together. It takes effort to get the answer because you spend time trying to recall the numbers you already calculated. Math would be easier to do in your head if you didn’t have to remember so many numbers. Imagine when you tried to multiply 73201 x 3, if you could have come up with the answer, in the time it took you to multiply the individual numbers. Wouldn’t you have solved the problem faster than the time it would have taken you to punch in the numbers inside a calculator? Do the opposite of what you were taught in schoolThe secret of doing mental math is to calculate from left to right instead of from right to left. This is the opposite of what you were taught in school. This works so well because it frees your working memory almost completely. It is called the LR Method where LR stands for Left to Right.Lets try to do the earlier example where we multiplied 73201 x 3. This time multiply from left to right, so we get:7 x 3 = 213 x 3 = 93 x 2 = 60 x 3 = 03 x 1 = 3Notice that you started to call out the answer before you even finished the whole multiplication problem. You don’t have to remember a thing to recall & use later. So you end up doing math a lot faster. The Smart ChoiceYou could use what you learnt & apply it to solve math in the future. This might not be easy, because we just scratched the surface. I've already done the work for you. Why try to reinvent the wheel, when there is already a proven & tested system you can immediately apply. This book was first available in video format & has helped 10,000+ students from 132 countries. It is available at ofpad.com/mathcourse to enroll. This book was written to reach students who consume the information in text format. You can use the simple techniques in this book to do math faster than a calculator effortlessly in your head, even if you have no aptitude for math to begin with.Imagine waking up tomorrow being able to do lightning fast math in your head. Your family & friends will look at you like you are some kind of a genius. Since calculations are done in your head, you will acquire better mental habits in the process. So you will not just look like a genius. You will actually be one. Limited Time BonusWeekly training delivered through email for $97 is available for free as a bonus at the end of this book for the first set of readers. Once we have enough readers, this bonus will be charged $97. Why Price Is So LowThis book is priced at a ridiculous discount only to get our first set of readers. When we have enough readers the price will go up.

The Growth Mindset Playbook: A Teacher's Guide to Promoting Student Success


Annie Brock - 2017
    Studies show growth mindset results in higher engagement, better test scores, and all-around greater student success. In this follow-up to widely praised The Growth Mindset Coach, education professionals Annie Brock and Heather Hundley show how to take mindset to the next level with further resources, examples, and ideas. The all new book is packed with detailed lesson plans, hands-on activities, and discussion points for talking with parents and other educators. Featuring up-to-date information on brain science and current mindset studies, The Growth Mindset Playbook shares fascinating research, tips, and strategies that help educators fully understand and implement growth mindset instruction and best practices. They break down the research and studies into actionable steps for building a culture of mindset not only in the classroom, but at the school level as well.

The Next Step Forward in Guided Reading: An Assess-Decide-Guide Framework for Supporting Every Reader


Jan Richardson - 2016
    - Prompts, discussion starters, teaching points, word lists, intervention suggestions, and more to support all students, including dual language learners and struggling readers. - 29 comprehension modules that cover essential strategies—monitoring, retelling, inferring, summarizing, and many others. - Plus an online resource bank with dozens of downloadable assessment and record-keeping forms, Richardson’s all-new, stage-specific lesson plan templates.- More than 40 short videos showing Jan modeling key parts of guided reading lessons for every stage.

Mathematics Explained For Primary Teachers


Derek W. Haylock - 1995
    The new edition will be a valuable resource for new primary teachers as they prepare to teach this curriculum.Some of the changes in the new edition include the following:New chapters on key ideas and key processes in primary mathematicsReordering of the chapters to give more prominence to using and applying mathematicsFurther material on graphs in the chapter on coordinates and linear relationshipsReferences throughout to the new Primary CurriculumResearch focus in every chapterUpdating of suggestions for further readingMore discursive answers to some of the self-assessment questionsA companion website providing a comprehensive glossary and additional material to enable primary trainees to prepare with confidence for the ITT Numeracy testA companion Student Workbook available for purchase, providing further self-assessment examples for checking understanding, for using and applying mathematics, and for teaching and learningExtensively used on primary PGCE courses and undergraduate courses leading to QTS, this book is an essential resource for all new primary teachers.

How to Create and Use Rubrics for Formative Assessment and Grading


Susan M. Brookhart - 2013
    Sounds simple enough, right? Unfortunately, rubrics are commonly misunderstood and misused.The good news is that when rubrics are created and used correctly, they are strong tools that support and enhance classroom instruction and student learning. In this comprehensive guide, author Susan M. Brookhart identifies two essential components of effective rubrics: (1) criteria that relate to the learning (not the tasks) that students are being asked to demonstrate and (2) clear descriptions of performance across a continuum of quality. She outlines the difference between various kinds of rubrics (for example, general versus task-specific, and analytic versus holistic), explains when using each type of rubric is appropriate, and highlights examples from all grade levels and assorted content areas. In addition, Brookhart addresses* Common misconceptions about rubrics;* Important differences between rubrics and other assessment tools such as checklists and rating scales, and when such alternatives can be useful; and* How to use rubrics for formative assessment and grading, including standards-based grading and report card grades.Intended for educators who are already familiar with rubrics as well as those who are not, this book is a complete resource for writing effective rubrics and for choosing wisely from among the many rubrics that are available on the Internet and from other sources. And it makes the case that rubrics, when used appropriately, can improve outcomes by helping teachers teach and helping students learn.

Dealing with Difficult Teachers


Todd Whitaker - 1999
    .This book provides tips and strategies to help school leaders improve, neutralize, or eliminate resistant and negative teachers. 1999.

Restorative Circles in Schools: Building Community and Enhancing Learning


Bob Costello - 2010
    The book includes numerous stories about the way circles have been used in many diverse situations, discussion on the use of proactive, responsive and staff circles, and an overview of restorative practices, with particular emphasis on its relationship to circle processes.

Smarter Charts, K-2: Optimizing an Instructional Staple to Create Independent Readers and Writers


Marjorie Martinelli - 2012
    You don't even have to be able to draw. Just put the child before the chart.Marjorie Martinelli and Kristine Mraz Listen to an interview with Marjorie and Kristi, the Chartchums, on Education Talk Radio.Commercially available charts leave you hanging? Want the secret to jump-off-the-wall charts that stick with kids? Trust Smarter Charts.Did you ever want to know:What do great charts look like? How many is too many? Where are the best places for them in my classroom? How long do I keep them? How do I know if they are working? Then you'll want to meet Marjorie Martinelli and Kristine Mraz, the Chartchums. They struggled with the same questions, and Smarter Charts shares not only the answers, but the best practices they've discovered as well. Amp up the power of your charts with tips on design and language, instructional use, and self-assessment. Even better, discover surprising strategies that deepen engagement, strengthen retention, and heighten independence-all by involving students in chart making.Packed with full-color sample charts from real classrooms, Smarter Charts shares simple, brain-based strategies proven to make your classroom an even more active, effective space for literacy instruction and classroom management.

Nothing's Impossible: Leadership Lessons From Inside And Outside The Classroom


Lorraine Monroe - 1999
    Lorraine Monroe founded the Frederick Douglass Academy, a public school in Harlem, in the belief that caring instructors, a disciplined but creative environment, and a refusal to accept mediocrity could transform the lives of inner-city kids. Her experiment was a huge success. Today the Academy is one of the finest schools in the country, sending graduates to Ivy League colleges and registering the third highest SAT scores in New York City. The key to its success: a unique leadership method Monroe calls the "Monroe Doctrine," which she developed through decades as a teacher and principal in some of America's toughest schools. In this book Monroe tells her own remarkable story and explains her "Doctrine" through pithy, memorable rules and observations and a host of wonderful true stories. This is an inspiring read for both new and experienced educators—and for anyone who wants to succeed in the face of seemingly impossible odds.

The Classroom Management Secret: And 45 Other Keys to a Well-Behaved Class


Michael Linsin - 2013
    Based on the popular blog, Smart Classroom Management, the book progresses step-by-step through 45 time-tested strategies, showing you how to manage your classroom in a way that inspires students to want to behave. Binding these strategies together is a little-known secret shared by the most exceptional teachers, those remembered and beloved for a lifetime. By the end of the book, you'll have the knowledge to free your classroom of misbehavior and disrespect, build easy rapport with your students, and teach with a spirit of joy and passion that you've always longed for.