Owning It (ePub)

With foreword by Harry K. Wong

Change is coming at us from all angles: technological, cultural, social, and environmental. This presents a great challenge (and a great opportunity) in schools and in the teaching profession. With Owning It, you'll discover an array of easy-to-implement strategies designed to help you excel in the myriad of modern-day responsibilities of teachers and educators: classroom leader, mentor, colleague, team member, and public professional.

• Acquire straightforward strategies for dealing with everyday situations found in classrooms, schools, and communities.



• Understand the multifaceted role of a teacher in today's schools and how to balance the numerous responsibilities -- from classroom management to relationships with colleagues.



• Feel inspired and motivated to bring out the best in yourself as well as in your students.



• Observe creative approaches to improve teaching strategies and student engagement.



• Answer reflection questions to connect with and relate to the strategies covered in the book.

Contents:

Part 1: Owning It in Your Classroom: Strategies for Creating an Environment of Achievement


Chapter 1: Revisit Your Personal Philosophy's Value


Chapter 2: Make the Most of the First Five Minutes of Any Class


Chapter 3: Increase Your Classroom Presence to Seem Like You're Everywhere at Once


Chapter 4: Never Sabotage a Teachable Moment


Chapter 5: Help Students Learn Out Loud and Still Keep a Handle on Your Classroom


Chapter 6: Transform Your Perception of Data and Help Your Students Succeed


Chapter 7: Think Outside the Bubble on All-Important Standardized Tests

Part 2: Owning It With Your Most Challenging Students: Strategies for Succeeding With At-Risk and Struggling Student Populations


Chapter 8: Bring Ethnic Identity and Culturally Relevant Curriculum Into Your Classroom


Chapter 9: Close the Achievement Gap With At-Risk Students


Chapter 10: Succeed With At-Risk Youth


Chapter 11: Manage Disruptive Classroom Behavior


Chapter 12: Establish a Negotiation With At-Risk and Struggling Students


Chapter 13: Reel Parents in With Three Basic Strategies


Chapter 14: Empower Students by Putting Them in Charge

Part 3: Owning It at Your School and District: Strategies for Succeeding as a Member of a Staff Team


Chapter 15: Turn "Not Another Meeting" Into "Let's Get to Business!"


Chapter 16: Help Your School's New Teachers Succeed (and Stick Around)


Chapter 17: Improve Schools by Minding Collegial Generation Gaps


Chapter 18: Approach a Colleague About a Conflict


Chapter 19: Five Ways to Make Shared Positions Work for Teachers, Students, and Administrators

Part 4: Owning It in Your Community: Strategies for Making a Positive Impact Beyond Your School and Classroom


Chapter 20: Turn Potential Foes Into Supportive Allies


Chapter 21: Put the Spotlight on Your School


Chapter 22: Get Teachers Into the Community and the Community Into Teachers


Chapter 23: Step Up and Share Your Ideas With Fellow Educators


Chapter 24: Make Blogs an Essential Support Mechanism for Teaching