Last Thursday finished up my first year of teaching 7th Grade History. It was a good year, I enjoyed it, and I'm thoroughly ready for my first summer off in 17 years. But boy, I would have done some things differently this first year if I could do it over again. Even though I'm a bit older than most first-year teachers, and have more experience and maybe a bit more common sense, I'm not a "great" teacher yet. That may be part of the reason my mother-in-law, a principal, wanted me to read this book by Todd Whitaker: "What Great Teachers Do Differently: 14 Things That Matter Most."

Whitaker taught middle school and high school for many years, and is currently a professor at Indiana State University. One thing I've liked about the book is that the advice he gives is applicable to the classroom, and takes into account that it won't work for all students, all schools, or all situations. Too many other books of advice for teachers are written by people who have either never been in the classroom or who don't seem to remember what it's really like "on the front lines."

Whitaker arranges his book differently from most "list books," in that he doesn't spell out the fourteen "things that matter most" until the final chapter. This makes the book flow a little better than many of these books, but at times I would wonder, "so is THIS one of the fourteen things, or is it this thing on the next page?"

Here are the fourteen things that great teachers do differently:

1. Great teachers never forget that it is people, not programs, that determine the quality of a school.

2. Great teachers establish clear expectations at the start of the year and follow them consistently as the year progresses.

3. When a student misbehaves, great teachers have one goal: to keep that behavior from happening again.

4. Great teachers have high expectations for students, but even higher expectations for themselves.

5. Great teachers know who is the variable in the classroom: THEY are.

6. Great teachers create a positive atmosphere in their classrooms and schools.

7. Great teachers consistently filter out the negatives that don't matter and share a positive attitude.

8. Great teachers work hard to keep their relationships in good repair--to avoid personal hurt and to repair any possible damage.

9. Great teachers have the ability to ignore trivial disturbances and the ability to respond to inappropriate behavior without escalating the situation.

10. Great teachers have a plan and purpose for everything they do.

11. Before making any decision or attempting to bring about any change, great teachers ask themselves one central question: "What will the best people think?"

12. Great teachers treat everyone as if they were good.

13. Great teachers keep standardized testing in perspective.

14. Great teachers care about their students, and understand the power of emotion to jump-start change.

Most of what Whitaker had to say I've heard before, so I appreciated his succinctness. The book is only 129 pages long, and I read it in less than an hour. The book is very readable, and would be great for new teachers (especially) but honestly, all teachers should read this book.

The section that impressed me most--and had my face burning a bit--was with #11 -- "what will the best people think?" Basically, Whitaker is emphasizing that instead of worrying about what might go wrong with a decision, lesson plan, etc., we should be focusing on the "best" students--and then you'll have the support of those best people on your side, which will bring most of the students along. Will there still be problems? Of course. But you'll be benefiting more students more consistently by gauging your success by the the cream of the crop. An interesting philosophy that I know I should have used on several occasions in my classroom.

This was good, readable book that repeats much of what I've read before, but emphasizes some new ideas and is an overwhelmingly positive book. Instead of dwelling on statistics and facts, Whitaker plays to the emotions of teachers--because what we all ultimately want is to be that "great" teacher--the one who will make a change in a student's life and help them bring about change.

Am I there yet? No. Hopefully some day I will be. Because I didn't get into this profession to be the 21st Century version of my own 7th Grade Algebra teacher. May God have mercy on his soul.


Other books by Todd Whitaker:

Teaching Matters: Motivating and Inspiring Yourself

Dealing with Difficult Parents (And with Parents in Difficult Situations)

What Great Principals Do Differently: 15 Things That Matter Most


MORE "TEACHING ADVICE"
The Essential 55 http://www.epinions.com/content_169886191236

The Reluctant Disciplinarian http://www.epinions.com/content_172945870468


Recommended: Yes