WHAT GREAT TEACHERS DO DIFFERENTLY: 14 THINGS THAT MATTER MOST,   ISBN:9781930556690

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Excellent book! Great dvd if you can buy it! Speedy delivery too, thank you!

Customer Rating: 

Oxymoron time: WHAT GREAT TEACHERS DO DIFFERENTLY is a good, 3-star book. I like Whitaker's "14 Things That Matter Most" and even agree with them. It's just that most of what he says is familiar territory to any teacher who has been in the business for awhile and reading the occasional book about pedagogy.

At 128 pp., this is a thin book. As each of the 16 chapters is separated by two or three blank pages (well, one of these pages includes the title of the chapter), then it's really well below 100 pp. This is one reason I deduct from the book's value as a purchase. I think teachers can read much of the same material, for instance, in Robyn Jackson's NEVER WORK HARDER THAN YOUR STUDENTS. Jackson distills her principles to seven (half the number of Whitaker's), but provides much more background, anecdotal material, and concrete ideas to accompany the abstract ideas forwarded.

What's more, a lot of material in this book is targeted toward principals (Whitaker was one himself). This is not inherently bad, as principals and teachers must work closely together, but because Whitaker has also written WHAT GREAT PRINCIPALS DO DIFFERENTLY and also travels the country for speaking engagements (contact info is provided at book's end), it begins to smack a bit of commercialism and reheated goods.

Still, I maintain Whitaker's advice is sound. This book is best suited for readers who want a "Readers' Digest Abridged" type approach, or to new teachers, or to teachers who have little experience and/or have read few if any books for professional development. If you're not under one of those demographics, you can probably pass on this -- a good book -- and purchase an even better one. Happily, there are many out there!

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Being a teacher for 15 years, students have changed over time. You have take a total different approach today than what I was taught in college all those years ago. Todd's book helped me build a better relationship with my students and my fellow teachers. This year has been so smooth and discipline free. If you are a veteran teacher or a new teacher, this book will be an eye-opener.

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This book is a quick, easy read. It is VERY helpful for looking at situations in a more effective way and adopting more positive procedures in the classroom for instruction and management.

Customer Rating: 

This book is phenomenal for future educators. While the content is common sense, it is things that teachers often forget. Through reading this book, I have a better idea of things to do and not to do as a teacher. Every point that Whitaker makes is backed up by a real life event that he witnessed first hand. This truly is a sensational book that I will keep on hand throughout my many years of teaching!