New Book in Award-Winning Series for Teachers Aimed at Making this School Year the Most Successful Yet
Franklin Lakes, NJ (PRWEB) August 16, 2016 -- What do effective teachers do to promote positive behavior and high levels of learning—starting on the very first day of school? It was with this question in mind that authors Dr. Harvey F. Silver, Matthew J. Perini, and Dr. Abigail L. Boutz set out to write Tools for a Successful School Year (Starting on Day One), newly published by Silver Strong & Associates - Thoughtful Education Press.
By analyzing the key research on classroom effectiveness and gathering insights from practicing teachers, the authors found that all successful classrooms rest on four essential “cornerstones”: organization, rules and procedures; positive relationships; engagement and enjoyment; and a culture of thinking and learning.
“Building these four cornerstones at the beginning of the school year is critical to the success of every classroom,” says Silver. He goes on to note, “So many books about the start of the school year tell teachers that all they need to focus on is classroom management. Obviously classroom management is important, but truly successful classrooms are built on more. They’re built on the cornerstones.”
With the classroom essentials identified, the authors focused their attention on the question of how. Co-author Abigail Boutz explains, “Once we had a clear vision of what makes successful classrooms successful, we began selecting and developing practical techniques that would help every teacher make the four cornerstones the foundation for improved teaching and learning.” These instructional techniques that Boutz refers to are called “tools.” Tools are designed to be classroom-ready so teachers at all grade levels and content areas can integrate them seamlessly into their classroom and curriculum. For each cornerstone, the book offers at least five classroom-ready tools with examples showing how primary, elementary, and secondary teachers use the tools in their classrooms.
The authors of Tools for a Successful School Year are not new to the process of identifying and creating instructional techniques to help teachers. In fact, this book is their third such collaboration. Their previous books, Tools for Thoughtful Assessment (2012) and Tools for Conquering the Common Core (2015), both won Teachers’ Choice Awards. Co-author Matthew Perini, who also serves as the series editor for the Tools for Today's Educators™ line of books, claims that the success of previous Tools books has been a powerful teacher. Perini explains, “In conducting the research, working with educators, and developing the tools for publication, we learned so much about what makes a tool classroom-ready. This learning process led us to a set of design principles, and these principles are what make our tools recognizable and easy to implement in the classroom.”
Every tool in Tools for a Successful School Year answers four essential questions for successful implementation: What is it? What are the benefits of using this tool? What are the basic steps? How is the tool used in the classroom? In addition, many tools also include a popular Teacher Talk section, containing tips and suggestions for getting more out of the tool and reproducibles for immediate use. The reproducibles from Tools for a Successful School Year are also available for download from the dedicated online Resource Center at ToolsForASuccessfulSchoolYear.com.
More information on Tools for a Successful School Year and the other books in this award-winning series, including sample tools and other resources, can be found at ToolsForTodaysEducators.com.
Tools for a Successful School Year (Starting on Day One) published by Silver Strong & Associates – Thoughtful Education Press
Harvey F. Silver, Matthew J. Perini, Abigail L. Boutz
CATEGORIES:
Education
K-12
Paperback
ISBN 978-1-58284-209-7
Available at http://www.ToolsForTodaysEducators.com
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What education professionals are saying about Tools for a Successful School Year (Starting on Day One):
"Once again, the Thoughtful Classroom team has provided simple tools that open the door for thoughtful work in the classroom. The tools in this book enhance and complement so many ways in which students can build the Habits of Mind."
—Bena Kallick, Co-director, Institute for Habits of Mind
"A well written, easy-to-use resource for new and experienced educators alike. Tools for a Successful School Year provides high-impact strategies that teachers can use to establish a foundation for learning that lasts all year long. A must-have for every classroom."
—Tracy Quattrone, Director of Pupil Services, Indian Hill Exempted Village School District, Cincinnati, OH
"Engaging, easy-to-use tools that help you create simple routines that allow for HUGE successes."
—Lauren Peelen, Spanish Teacher, University Prep Charter High School, Bronx, NY
"Tools for a Successful School Year has helped me establish an upbeat classroom environment that’s characterized by respectful behavior, collaborative relationships, high levels of engagement, and deep thinking. Thanks to the tools in this book, my students know that these are the norms in our classroom."
—Jennifer Moirao, 3rd-Grade Teacher, Amador Elementary School, Dublin, CA
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About the Authors:
Harvey F. Silver, EdD, president of Silver Strong & Associates, is an educational consultant, bestselling author, and the lead developer of The Thoughtful Classroom™, a professional development initiative dedicated to the goal of "making students as important as standards."
Matthew J. Perini, MA, Director of Content Development for Silver Strong & Associates, is an author and the series editor for the Tools for Today’s Educators™ series.
Abigail L. Boutz, PhD, has taught, tutored, and mentored students at the elementary through college levels, and has developed numerous training modules and workshops on effective teaching.
About the Publisher:
Silver Strong & Associates' Thoughtful Classroom program has helped hundreds of schools and districts improve teaching and learning by offering the most personalized, hands-on approach to professional development. Thoughtful Education Press, the publishing division of Silver Strong & Associates, publishes practical resources for educators.
Matthew Perini, Silver Strong & Associates - Thoughtful Education Press, http://www.ThoughtfulClassroom.com, +1 (800) 962-4432, [email protected]
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