Teacher Training Books

This a great resource for mentors and others working with new teachers. The format of taking a strategy, explaining the research behind it, then giving the application for mentors, and lastly the possible pitfalls, makes the information that much more accessible and practical.

So many introductory early childhood education books exist for college classes! It reminds me of a excellent year for movie-actors: so many excellent Oscar-worthy performances that would get nominated/win in a less competitive year get shut out of the academy awards that categories face much controversy.

In the same way, this "Oscar-worthy" textbook just gets squeezed out of a rowboat by three other superweights: J.A. Brewer's INTRODUCTION TO EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION, Stephenie Feeney's WHO AM I IN THE LIVES OF CHILDREN?, and G.S. Morrison's FUNDAMENTALS OF EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION.

Here's how good it is: if the three, aboved-named texts did not exist, Hendrick/Weissman's book would either sit near or at the top of the introductory ECE textbook mountain. It gets everything right in DAP, history, theory, parent involvement, infancy/toddlerhood, PreK/K, primary school grades, and special needs. It reads well AND presents thorough, APA-styled research citations.

Only one drawback: three other texts do what this one does...only better.

Try those other three texts first. If those do not suffice, then this is the one. Two thumps up!

This is an excellent introductory source for the beginning returning or experienced preschool teacher. Skills for Pre School Teachers is clear and consice written in laymans terms. It offers many resources for activites and offers titles of material for further research. This text is user friendly filled with hands on assignments and check listsd that can be adapted to almost any classroom setting. I would higly reccommnend this text for beginners, staff development as well as seasoned professionals.

I am teaching middle school science and love this book. It is packed with information and has a very interesting browsable format. Its very inviting to pick up and just start reading anywhere. There is a good balance between theory and application. It addresses the real world of teaching in multicultural, economically diverse america.

Research based and gives lots of case studies that illustrate
how instructional tools can be implemented. Explains the theory behind the models as well. A must have for science teachers!

Hassard is at it again! Having been one of the pioneers in exploring the application of technology in the teaching of science in his earlier books, such as Science as Inquiry and Minds on Science, Hassard's The Art of Teaching Science is a compendium containing all that a science educator needs to be fully current and effective.

Incorporating historical information I deem critical knowledge for my pre-service students, Hassard considers the curriculum implications of the science curriculum, and does a masterful job at the marriage of the theory with the current trends in best practices in Part III of his book. In Part IV, Hassard really struts his stuff as a master strategist, and takes on the reader with him. This part, for me, is one of the most important reason to get this book, although some may argue that other sections hold stronger merit.

This is one of the books to own, if just to use for reference purposes.

Charles Hutchison
Science Educator
College of Education
The University of North Carolina at Charlotte

The Art of Teaching Science is a wonderful resource for middle and secondary science teachers. The book recognizes good teaching as a creative and experiential process and it provides young educators with a framework for innovative teaching. The hands-on, minds-on activities provide useful examples of how inquiry-based experiences can help improve our students understanding and enjoyment of science. It is well worth the read.

Assistant Professor Adrian Rodgers and Associate Professor Emily M. Rodgers present The Effective Literacy Coach: Using Inquiry To Support Teaching and Learning, a guide that goes a step beyond the nuts and bolts of day-to-day coaching in the search to understand how literacy coaching can breathe renewed life into instructional practice. Offering research-based strategies to improve the teacher-coach connection, The Effective Literacy Coach discusses how to guide group discussions, the art of asking the right question, how to get the most out of one-on-one coaching, and much more. Enthusiastically recommended for remedial reading teachers, whether they work with children, teens, or adults.

I was horrified by this book. The defects of teacher training programs are obvious, as the true measure of a teacher's worth is the performance of her students, and America's students are failing abysmally.

I read recently an article by Heather McDonald, "Why Johnny's Teacher Can't Teach," and was sure she was overstating the case against today's schools of education. Surely, they can't be that bad, I thought. This book convinced me that she was absolutely right.

Professors of education are teaching absolute drivel instead of providing the practical skills that great teachers need. Just read the table of contents to prove the point. There is nothing there that would help a rooky teacher get control of an unruly class, nothing to help a teacher deal with a hostile student, nothing on classroom management. Instead of this book, buy Esquith's "Teach Like Your Hair's On Fire." He is one of the decade's top teachers and his excellent book offers real insights into what it takes to become a great teacher.

Forget this book and the similar nonsense that the colleges of education are spreading, fancy theories with no basis or application in reality. These are the people who are failing America, bringing down our educational system. This is pure drivel. The authors should be ashamed.

Although the primary audience is people involved in teacher training, this is a valuable book for anyone who works with adults. It is centered around a constructivist philosophy of adult learning that builds on Jean Piaget's theories of child development: We learn best when the learning is relevant to our lives, and we are able to have hands-on opportunities to practice and integrate new concepts. Activities are thoughtful and practical, and also very respectful toward the people who work with young children. This would be a valuable addition to any trainer's library.