The One Minute Teacher

By Spencer Johnson and Constance Johnson

I read the One Minute Manger a few weeks ago and, having spent some time translating into my classroom I discovered that Constance had done that already and it was good. SO much so that I've spent the long weekend planning and resourcing to make this work for my kids. It sounds a really practical application, simplew nad straight-forward. Will the other staff go for the change? I'm not sure but I certainly can make the shift in my own classroom, grow my students self-esteem, build their self-motivation.
It's certainly worth a shot.

Synopsis

The invaluable book shows how teachers, despite the many difficulties they face in today's school systems, can make an important contributionto their students' lives and educations, Johnson and Johnson describe how the use of goal setting, praising and recovery reinforces self-esteem and creates a new kind of learning processthat will become lifelong. The One Minute Teacher reveals simple, positive ways to:
Discover and instill the love of learning
Foster success and achievement
Feel more confident and happy
Bring out the best in ourselves and others.
Practical, wise, and useful in dozens of everyday situations. The One Minute Teacher is essential reading for anyone who teaches and anyone who learns.

Authors

Dr Spencer Johnson helps people gain a better health through better communications. He has pioneered the field of medical communications for over twenty years, by taking seemingly complex technical subjects and making them more understandable and useable for millions of people.

Constance Johnson has many years teaching experience in public, parochial , and private schools, including two years with the Peace Corps in the Middle East at the University of Bahrain, College of Education, where she taught English as a second language and adn supervised student teachers.

Learning and Leading with Habits of Mind

By Arthur L. Costa and Bena Kallick

I really enjoyed the Habits of Mind. I will be identifying maybe 6 which I can discuss and teach my class about. I look forward to seeing them put them into practice. The problem with the Habits of Mind is that they are not particularly "cognitively portable" meaning they don't naturally sping to mind like the coloured thinking hats of De Bono or the zone of proximal development. It's a long list without a helpful mnemonic. Which is why I will be teaching my seven and eight -year olds perhaps 6 over the course of this year.

Synopsis

In Learning and Leading with Habits of Mind, noted educators Arthur L. Costa and Bena Kallick present a comprehensive guide to shaping schools around the Habits of Mind.
The habits are a repertoire of behaviours that help students and teachers successfully navigate the various challenges and problems they encounter in the classroom and in everyday life. The Habits of Mind include:
Persisting
Managing impulsivity
Listening with understanding and empathy
Thinking flexibly
Thinking about thinking
Striving for Accuracy
Questioning and posing problems
Applying past knowledge to new situations
Thinking and communicating with clarity and precision
Gathering data through all senses
Creating, imagining, innovating
Responding with wonderment and awe
Taking responsible risks
Finding humour
Thinking interdependently
Remaining open to continuous learning

Authors

Arthur L. Costa is professor emeritus of education at California State University, Sacramento.  He has served as a classroom teacher, a curriculum consultant, and assistant superintendent for instruction, and the direction of educational programs for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.  He has devoted his career to improving education through, more “thought-full” instruction and assessment.  

 

 

Bena Kallick is a private consultant providing services to school districts, state departments of education, professional organizations, and public agencies throughout the United States and internationally.  Her area of focus include group dynamics, creative and critical thinking, and alternative assessment strategies in the classroom.  Kallick has taught at Yale University of Organization and Management, University of Massachusetts Center for Creative and Critical Thinking, and Union Graduate School.  She served on the board of Jobs for the Future.