`This is the sort of book that should be given free to every teacher as they walk through the door of their first classroom. It is both inspirational and practical and will be lapped up by teachers who have still not forgotten that their pupils are people first and SATS levels second. The book is well-presented and incorporates children′s work into the text (I love the idea of using a ′two-inch voice′ when working in a group) very effectively.
The fact that it is American doesn′t bother me at all. What bothers me more is that the fact that it is American will be used as an excuse by some ′educators′ in the UK to at best ignore the book and at worst attempt to ridicule it.
So - all good stuff, in a nutshell; a book which is basically about empowering children to have a say in their own learning. Lady Plowden must be cheering in her grave′ - Nurturing Potential
Tomorrow′s leaders will be reflections of today′s teachers. The ideal classroom consists of a positive relationship between teacher and students producing a harmonious environment resulting in beneficial, mutual fulfillment. In this empowering new book, Patricia Sequeira Belvel and Marcia Jordan demonstrate successful methods to achieve tranquility, while transforming managerial teachers into leaders in the classroom. Educators are enlightened by classroom and personal "connections" enabling the teacher to be immersed in real-life classroom situations and encouraging the reader to create a meaningful connection from their personal experiences.
Key topics that help guide the readers through this transformation are:
· Intrinsic motivation and personal beliefs and values as aids to making the shift from manager to leader:
- Prevention strategies creating a caring community of learners
- Temporary intervention techniques that effectively differentiate between discipline and punishment
-Problem-solving strategies to help the student take initiative in creating constructive solutions for all
Rethinking Classroom Management is an innovative guide in which these resourceful authors illustrate an approach, which has been used by successful educators for years, enabling teachers to evolve effectively into leaders and to create classrooms where students are more self-managing, demonstrating mutual respect, self-esteem, and responsibility.
Patricia Sequeira Belvel is a mother, teacher, educational consultant, and leadership coach for teachers and families. As founder and president of Training & Consulting Institute, Inc., Belvel′s mission is to promote leadership skills that will impact and shift management strategies from those that rely on the motivation of reward and punishment to those that invite internal control. She has been leading classroom leadership and family leadership workshops for the past 30 years, encouraging educators to initiate and support a learning environment (both at home and at school) that invites young people to become responsible, caring, peaceful leaders. She is well known for her compassionate, no-blame approach in working with teachers and students. Currently, she contracts with school districts and individual school sites to support teachers′ use of these strategies in their classrooms. She is also an adjunct faculty member, lecturer, and supervisor of student teachers at San Jose State University in California. Educators from many cultures and districts endorse her work because of the positive impact of the workshop and follow-up coaching sessions for both students and teachers. She holds a BA from Holy Names University in Oakland, California, and an MA from the University of Santa Clara, California. You can contact Pat through her Web site at www.trngedu.com.
