Product Description
Take Back the Classroom and Make a Positive Difference in Your Students’ Lives
Many teachers today are facing problems and discipline issues they never dreamed of when they decided to become teachers. Combine violence, behavioral disorders, and downright defiant attitudes from students with the age-old problems of bullying, poor attendance, and more, and the mix is positively lethal. However, there are effective, positive strategies for restoring order and… More >>
#1 by Anonymous on July 14th, 2010
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With four pages and a back cover filled with praises for this book, it HAD to be THE one that was going to help solve all those classroom battles – Right? Wrong. It’s more likely that, between them, the four authors have conjured enough contacts in their careers to fill those pages of testimony even if they had written a Spam cookbook.
What all of the glowing reports prefacing the title page don’t tell you is that this book concerns itself not with positive ACTION but with positive THINKING. And, on that level, it does a good job. For that reason, I rated it a “3″ rather than a “1.” The authors are tremendous at looking beyond the behavior to the feelings of the child.
Each entry (alphabetized by behavior type) includes a description of the behavior, suggestions for dealing with it, ideas to plan ahead, and an “inspirational story.” I don’t know who field-tested the “suggestions”, but I found myself wondering what color the sky is in their world. For example, the suggestions for dealing with “Note Writing” include advice to a) write a note yourself and whisper for a student to pass it to the offending pupil so that everyone gets a big object lesson in how disruptive note writing can be, OR b) refuse to teach until the note writing stops. The “inspirational story” in this case depicts a woman who sat down to read a novel when her students began passing notes in class. The little darlings naturally noticed the disadvantage of having the class to themselves and immediately put away the notes and sat, eyes front, awaiting more instruction. RIGHT! And if a teacher uses the first suggestion, the students catch her good humored lesson and stop because OBVIOUSLY note writing is disruptive, right? SURE. The kids in MY world would more than likely assume that the teacher is not serious about her rule and thinks the issue is funny or unimportant.
The suggestions in this book depend on what these authors are calling “respect” for students’ feelings. But respect on its own does not make a discipline plan. It is only a start. And so, that is where this book will leave you…at the beginning – the theoretical basis of your discipline plan – rather than with any concrete ideas.
Read this one for its lessons on understanding and empathy. If you want real suggestions for improving discipline in your classroom, read Dr. Robert MacKenzie’s “Setting Limits In the Classroom.” Amazon’s got it.
Rating: 2 / 5
#2 by Jim Johnston on July 14th, 2010
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This is a win-win book on discipline. It’s applicable to all grades. It asks us to look beyond the superficial quick-fix that’s so pervasive with control techniques and reward systems. It gets us to start asking the deeper question: what is behind the behavior being displayed. It does not suggest we throw away setting limits, the authors instead point to a more healthy and compassionate way of dealing with discipline.
Rating: 5 / 5
#3 by A. Phillips on July 14th, 2010
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Explains different personality types and divides mis-behavior into four understandable catergories. Gives real classroom examples (makes it easy to picture each “type” of kid) and you can even put kids you’ve taught into each category. Book discusses importance of following procedures and having class meetings. Explains HOW to do this as well. Gives examples of how a teacher reacts to situations and consequences for which direction teacher chooses. Book lists any discipline issue you can dream of and explains what each is, gives suggestions for how to handle it, has planning ahead to prevent future problems, and then gives inspirational stories. A terrific resource for every teacher!
Rating: 5 / 5
#4 by Ifakat Karsli on July 14th, 2010
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When you read a book which summarizes your 30-year experience in details you feel proud of yourself and the material you choose.
I recommend “Positive Discipline” and “A Teacher’s A-Z Guide, Revised 2nd Edition: Hundreds of Solutions for Every Possible Classroom Behavior Problem” to everybody who teaches.
I teach “Classroom Management” to prospective teachers. I do believe that these books would be the “Bible” of them all.
Rating: 5 / 5