Teaching Outside the Box

Acknowledgments ix The Author xi Introduction xiii ONE Dear Teacher: An Open Letter 1 TWO Are You Teacher Material? 5 Super, Excellent, or Good? 7 Earn Some Extra Credit 10 Those Who Can't Teach Can Still Do 12 What Is Teaching All About? 13 THREE Do Your Homework 17 Choose Your Persona 18 Dress the Part 20 Train Your Little Darlings 21 Control Your Classroom, Not Your Students 23 Plan for Bathroom Breaks 25 Your Optional Agenda 27 Face Your Own Prejudices 29 Facing My Own Prejudices 31 Respect Yourself 32 The Gang Thang 35 Grades: Percentage? Curve? Coin Toss? 37 Catch the Cheaters--Or Not? 38 Covering Curriculum Is Not Teaching 43 School Is an Emotional Experience 45 There Is No Such Thing as a Casual Remark to a Child 46 FOUR The Big Three: Preparation, Preparation, Preparation 51 Prepare Your Room 52 Prepare Your Paperwork 71 Prepare Yourself 87 FIVE Start with a Smile 97 Don't Keep Your Distance 99 Choose an Engaging Opener 100 Provide Clear Instructions 102 Grab Your Students by Their Brains 102 No More Teacher Versus Student 104 Teach Your Procedure for Oral Responses 109 Be Prepared for Test the Teacher 110 Create a Daily Do-Now Activity 113 Introduce Students to Each Other 116 Establish Routines and Rituals 118 Take Time to Think 123 Do Some Diagnostics 124 Welcome Handouts and Folders 125 Delegate Some Authority 127 Review Maslow's Hierarchy 128 Introduce Metacognition 130 Show Your Gratitude 133 The Hard Part Is Over--We Hope 133 SIX Discipline Is Not a Dirty Word 135 Define Your Philosophy 137 Punitive or Positive 139 Cowboy Philosophy 141 Rules Versus Procedures 143 Rules for Creating Rules 144 Electronic Intervention 146 ID Your Bullies and Outcasts 148 Characteristics of Successful Discipline Policies 149 Twelve Steps to Better Discipline 158 If You Have to Have Detention, Make ItWorthwhile 166 Keep Records 167 Consult the Experts, Trust Your Instincts 167 Emergency Meltdown Plan 168 SEVEN The Three Rs: Reading, Reading, Reading 177 What's the Problem? 178 What's the Solution? 180 One Teacher's Experience 194 Use Music to Introduce Poetry 195 Shakespeare for Everyone 197 What About Eager Readers? 201 And Now for Something Completely Different 202 EIGHT Light and Learning 205 Light and Reading Linked 207 Better Grades--and Fewer Cavities! 207 Sunnier Classes = Higher Test Scores 208 A Roomwith a ViewImprovesGrades 208 The View from My Room 209 Scoop on Scotopic Sensitivity 211 Signs of Light Sensitivity 213 Feedback from Future Teachers 213 Pass theWord 215 Scientific Support 216 NINE Motivation and Persuasion 219 Group 1: A Little Basic Moto 220 Group 2: Powerful Persuasion Required 234 TEN Foods for Thought 261 A Few Appetizers 262 The Big, Fat Problem 264 Mother's Milk Versus Formula 267 Doctor's Orders 268 Other Major Nutritional Villains 269 We Need to Use Our Noodles 273 ELEVEN Teacher Talk 275 Questions and Answers 276 TWELVE Now the Good News 293 Positive Thinking for Teachers 294 Twenty Years from Now 295 The Flip Side 297 The Posse Update 301 A Personal Movie Review 306 Appendix 309 Index 315