Principal abuse of power and principal abuse of teachers, which has been clearly documented by teachers in this book, may very well be the most significant underlying cause contributing to the decline of public education in America today. Abusive and incompetent public school administrators who treat teachers with anything less than the dignity and respect they deserve do so at the direct expense of teachers, their student populations, and the communities in which they reside. Throughout the interviews in this book, teachers give detailed accounts of how principals do not provide them with the administrative support needed to effectively teach and maintain discipline in their classrooms. They explain how they have been prevented from functioning optimally and how their best efforts to help their students have been frustrated. The inevitable results are dysfunctional, permissive, non-disciplinary school environments which produce a steady stream of students who leave school and enter mainstream society totally unequipped to take on the responsibilities of functioning adults. For decades, the widespread condition of principal abuse of power has been hidden from public view. Throughout the book, teachers describe in detail, numerous examples of principal abuses they have personally witnessed and experienced, and how and why the situation remains unrecognized by the general public. Many teachers legitimately fear suffering repercussions for publicly speaking out about the problem. Consequently, parents have been almost completely unaware of its existence and the degree to which it affects their children's education. It is important to again emphasize, that the studies in this book are by no means a condemnation of all principals, and the positive contributions of good administrators have been fully recognized. The teachers who were interviewed for the educational studies in this text freely expressed their feelings regarding both “good” and “bad” principals for whom they had worked. However, the overall negative results of the studies unequivocally indicate that a crisis of major proportions may be present in many public school districts across America.

Talk is part of every classroom, regardless of grade, content area, or school location. So how can teachers harness the energy of talk to spark discussion, strengthen student dialogue, and deepen comprehension? Teaching Talk is a practical resource that will help you focus your lens on classroom talk, making the most of the student voices and ideas that are already part of your classroom, and increasing the potential for learning. Kara Pranikoff offers suggestions and strategies that can be used immediately, starting with a comprehensive list of questions to help teachers assess and reflect on student talk. Each chapter addresses an element of classroom talk along with concrete examples to help you: collect and analyze artifacts of talk provide opportunities for students to share their ideas create conversations orchestrated by students and grounded in their ideas strengthen both talking and listening in conversation reflect on progress, set goals and refine instruction. Conversation is the currency of most ideas in the world. With Teaching Talk as your guide, you'll help students develop the skills they need to be inquisitive, independent, and critical thinkers in all aspects of their lives.

This book is written for all university and college teachers interested in experimenting with discussion methods in their classrooms. Discussion as a Way of Teaching is a book full of ideas, techniques, and usable suggestions on: * How to prepare students and teachers to participate in discussion * How to get discussions started * How to keep discussions going * How to ensure that teachers' and students' voices are kept in some sort of balance It considers the influence of factors of race, class and gender on discussion groups and argues that teachers need to intervene to prevent patterns of inequity present in the wider society automatically reproducing themselves inside the discussion-based classroom. It also grounds the evaluation of discussions in the multiple subjectivities of students' perceptions. An invaluable and helpful resource for university and college teachers who use, or are thinking of using, discussion approaches.

Different communities, speaking different languages, employ different naming systems to describe the events, actions, and interactions of the mathematics classroom. The International Classroom Lexicon Project documented the professional vocabulary available to middle-school mathematics teachers in Australia, Chile, China, the Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Japan, Korea, and the United States. National teams of researchers and experienced teachers used a common set of classroom videos to stimulate recognition of familiar terms describing aspects of the mathematics classroom. This book details the existing professional vocabulary in each international community by which mathematics teachers conceptualise their practice, and explores the characteristics, structures, and distinctive features of each national lexicon. This book has the potential to enrich the professional vocabulary of mathematics teachers around the world by providing access to sophisticated classroom practices named by teachers in different countries. This one volume offers separate, individual lexicons developed from empirical research, the capacity to juxtapose such lexicons, and an unmatched opportunity to highlight the cultural, historical, and linguistic bases of teachers' professional language.

How to communicate with students to support their learning and development.

We all want our students to feel safe, collaborate well with others, feel ownership for their learning, and be joyfully engaged in their work. Nevertheless, many teachers end up using language patterns that undermine these goals. Do any of these scenarios sound familiar? We want students to take responsibility for their learning, yet we use language that implies teacher ownership. We want to build positive relationships with students, yet we use sarcasm when we get frustrated. We want students to think learning is fun, yet we sometimes make comments that suggest the opposite. We want students to exhibit good behavior because it's the right thing to do, yet we rely on threats and bribes, which implies students don’t naturally want to be good. What teachers say to students—when they praise or discipline, give directions or ask questions, and introduce concepts or share stories—affects student learning and behavior. A slight change in intonation can also dramatically change how language feels for students. In What We Say and How We Say It Matter, Mike Anderson digs into the nuances of language in the classroom. This book's many examples will help teachers examine their language habits and intentionally improve their classroom practice so their language matches and supports their goals.

Do you know how to initiate and facilitate productive dialogues about race in your classroom? Are you prepared to handle complex topics while keeping your students engaged?Inspired by Frederick Douglass's abolitionist call to action, it is not light that is needed, but fire-, author Matthew Kay demonstrateshow to move beyond surface-level discussionsand lead students through the most difficult race conversations. In Not Light, But Fire: How to Lead Meaningful Race Conversations in the Classroom, Kay recognizes we often never graduate to the harder conversations,so he offers a method for getting them right, providing candid guidance on: How torecognize the difference between meaningful and inconsequential race conversations.How tobuild conversational safe spaces,- not merely declare them.How toinfuse race conversations with urgency and purpose.How tothrive in the face of unexpected challenges.How administrators mightequip teachers to thoughtfully engage in these conversations.With the right blend of reflection and humility, Kay assertsteachers can make school one of the best venues for young people to discuss race.