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Many Children Left Behind
Subtitled “How the No Child Left Behind Act is Damaging our Children and our Schools.” by Deborah Meier et al. This was published in 2004, but the comments by people from many aspects of the education world are still pretty current. If anything, they have more meaning as time has gone on. I will say that I was surprised at how many of my own comments and arguments they DON’T refute. And how few new ones they present… A sad prediction of the state of our children’s education. public library
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Tongue Fu! at School
Subtitled 30 Ways to Get Along Better with Teachers, Principals, Students, and Parents. This is aimed at teachers, but has advice for older students. by Sam Horn. I like it. This is one that I would like to add to my own bookshelf. Mostly, it seems to reiterate the advice of many good coaches I have read… LISTEN to the person, consider their point of view, and give chances for them to clarify. This author also talks about “phrases to lose” and “phrases to use.” For example instead of clarifying the statement “this child works really hard on assignments” with the modifier but then continuing with something that detracts from the positive beginning (but she doesn’t have the skills to do well), he suggests using and then continuing with suggestions for further improvement (and she would benefit from extra help in some areas). This is not to put a false spin on things, rather it is intended to keep people engaged in the conversations so they leave with a sense of being able to do something rather than a sense of hopelessness or anger. public library
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Including Students with Special Needs
subtitled A Practical Guide for Classroom Teachers. by Marilyn Friend and William D. Bursick. How practical this really is, I am not sure since I am not in a classroom trying to meet the needs of both average students, delayed students, gifted students and students with behavioral or other needs. I find it slow reading — so far I am about three chapters in after a month. I won’t finish it before my classes start, that is for sure. There is a lot of information in this book, which, though 6 years since the last revision date, is still fairly current. This book goes over definitions, how various federal laws impact service delivery, how funding affects what schools can offer their students… among other topics. There are some sections that deal with specific needs such as autism, or gifted/talented, or health issues. And there is a heavy emphasis on how a regular classroom teacher can make reasonable adaptations to curriculum and with classroom management to accomodate children’s needs. I also appreciate the discussions about how the classroom teacher can (and should) work with other professionals in the schools, as well as the clear reminder that a principal, a parent or a counselor cannot simply tell a teacher to do something without adequate support to and feedback from the teacher. This textbook, like so many today, has additional offerings online and includes website information along with other reference information. found for $4 at the local Goodwill store
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The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles
by Julie Andrews Edwards. I am halfway through this book. It is, so far, a wonderfully fun, rollicking tale that would appeal to many children. I like that she used some pretty big words and new scientific ideas — especially for the time it was written about 25 years ago. The descriptions are vivid and fun. Still, it is decidedly a children’s fantasy book. Scholastic booksale ~~~I finished it that same night. It was sweet. A great bedtime story for kids! And tired mamas.
Serene Musings from a Life
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