How to Meet Standards, Motivate Students, and Still Enjoy Teaching!: Four Practices That Improve Student Learning / Edition 2

by Barbara P. Benson

Overview

Emphasizes following a standards-based curriculum while creating a community of learners, making reflection routine, teaching content and process, and developing authentic tasks and assessments.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781412963671
Publisher:	SAGE Publications
Publication date:	08/15/2008
Edition description:	Second Edition
Pages:	208
Product dimensions:	8.40(w) x 10.90(h) x 0.60(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Barbara Benson is a teacher and international consultant with more than 20 years of experience in middle school, high school, and university education. She works with school systems in various capacities such as helping align curriculum, instruction, and assessment practices with higher state standards, facilitating the development of performance assessment tasks such as student-led conferencing, and assisting teachers as they apply current theory and research to their classrooms. Her workshops are practical and classroom focused, covering many topics related to improving student learning. She has presented sessions at the national conferences of the National Staff Development Council and Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. She has published numerous articles on classroom practice and a book, How to Meet Standards, Motivate Students and Still Enjoy Teaching (2003). As a full-time consultant, she missed working directly with students, so Benson returned to the classroom in 2004 and is teaching middle school in Ashe County, North Carolina.

Table of Contents

Foreword to the First Edition by Spence Rogers
Preface to the Second Edition
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Introduction: Focusing on Standards in the Classroom
A Positive View of Standards
Taking a Big-Picture Look at Standards
Standards and the Classroom
Four Practices That Meet Standards and Motivate Students
Ideas for Teachers
Ideas for Administrators
1. Creating a Community of Learners
Why Do I Need a Community of Learners in My Classroom?
Help Students Become Self-Directed Learners
Have an Interactive Classroom
Helping Students Work Cooperatively
A Quality Focus
The Community of Learners, a Final View
Ideas for Teachers
Ideas for Administrators
2. Making Reflection Routine
Teacher Reflection
Student Reflection
Concluding Reflection
Ideas for Teachers
Ideas for Administrators
3. Teaching Content and Process
The Learner Actions
Using the Learner Actions to Meet Standards
Analyzing Lessons to See Who Is Doing All the Work
Ideas for Teachers
Ideas for Administrators
4. Developing More Authentic Tasks and Assessments
What Type of Work Should Students Be Doing?
Performance Tasks
Assessment and Evaluation
Assessing and Evaluating Performance Tasks
Tasks and Assessment: Final Thoughts
Ideas for Teachers
Ideas for Administrators
Conclusion: Integrating the Four Practices and High-Stakes Tests
What About the Tests?
Three Approaches for Implementing the Standards-Based Classroom Practices
Final Thoughts
Resources A: Reproducible Forms
References
Index

Editorial Reviews

"This resource for teachers and administrators maps an attainable path to student success and deeper learning. Benson creates a clear vision for meeting the standards through best practices that motivate students and create a classroom community of learners. This book is ideal for teachers looking to make their classrooms engaging and to develop student efficacy. "

Linda C. Diaz

"This book is relevant and needed in today’s schools. It would make a great workshop or book study to help teachers who are struggling with standards. "

Laura Cumbee

"Offers a wealth of practical strategies for creating a standards-based classroom and achieving academic success for all students. It is a must-have for all public educators and administrators. "

Marsha Basanda

"An excellent source of both information and teacher resources. I recommend this book to any teacher or administrator who is looking for a way to implement standards and improve student outcomes so that all students are making adequate yearly progress. "

Jolene Dockstader

"Benson offers a relevant resource guidefor implementing standards-based classrooms that will help educatorsat all levels of educational reform grasp the key instructional components to support the expectations for student learning. This book is a must-have in preparing our students for their future role as lifelong learners competing on the world market."

Lynn Freeman

"If teachers ever wondered how to integrate standards, high-stakes testing, and student learning, they need wonder no more. This book has something for everyone."

Randy Cook

"This is a must-read for all of the practitioners who do not want to 'teach to the test.' It is a sure-fire way to create lifelong learners who are motivated to come to school and who enjoy being part of an energized community."

Joan E. Anderson

"This book takes the most important aspects of teaching in a standards-based classroom and puts it in a simple format for teachers to follow. It is a quick read with lots of examples and anecdotes. "

Karen May

"Learning is an exciting, interactive process. Barbara Benson' s book provides educators with specific examples of how to teach and assess student achievement. Standards-based classroom strategies enable students to be successful learners throughout their academic journey. Benson's book provides a road map for interactive instruction. "

Joe Ann Hinrichs

“This book is practical and applicable for teachers at any stage of their career. It contains concrete examples for instruction.”

Achorage School District Book Review

"With the emphasis on state standards, this book is a must for teachers and school systems. It provides practical ways to ensure that all students succeed academically. "

Susan Barnett

"How to Meet Standards, Motivate Students, and Still Enjoy Teaching! is a truly outstanding, practical resource that should be in every educator's professional library. It succeeds beautifully with the complex challenge of defining a classroom in which standards come alive for teachers and students in a 'doable' manner. "

From the Foreword by Spence Rogers