Teaching Outside the Box

Bring a fresh perspective to your classroom

Teaching Outside the Box: How to Grab Your Students by Their Brain, Third Edition integrates practical strategies and engaging advice for new and experienced teachers. Whether you are preparing for your first year of teaching or have been working in the classroom for decades, this conversational book provides you with answers to the essential questions that you face as an educator--how to engage students, encourage self-directed learning, differentiate instruction, and create dynamic lessons that nurture critical thinking and strategic problem solving. This updated edition includes expanded material that touches on Project-Based Learning, brain-based teaching, creating smooth transitions, integrating Common Core into the classroom, and other key subject areas. Questions for reflection at the end of each chapter help you leverage this resource in book groups, professional development courses, and in both undergraduate and graduate classes.

The art of teaching is one that evolves with changing educational standards and best practices; to be the most effective teacher possible, daily self-reflection is critical, along with a need to see things from a different perspective. This means we must step outside the box--moving our focus from 'fixing' the students when a problem arises to helping a teacher improve his or her practice.

• Improve classroom management, discipline, motivation, and morale

• Explore strategies for arranging your classroom, engaging students, and avoiding the misbehavior cycle

• Create an environment where students learn and teachers teach

• Leverage insight from teachers and students

Teaching Outside the Box: How to Grab Your Students by Their Brain, Third Edition is an essential resource for teachers at any stage in their careers.

Auteur

LOUANNE JOHNSON is the author of nine books about education and the YA novel Muchacho. She is the author of The New York Times bestseller Dangerous Minds (originally My Posse Don't Do Homework). At present, she teaches high school full-time in rural New Mexico.

Résumé
Bring a fresh perspective to your classroom Teaching Outside the Box: How to Grab Your Students by Their Brain, Third Edition integrates practical strategies and engaging advice for new and experienced teachers. Whether you are preparing for your first year of teaching or have been working in the classroom for decades, this conversational book provides you with answers to the essential questions that you face as an educatorhow to engage students, encourage self-directed learning, differentiate instruction, and create dynamic lessons that nurture critical thinking and strategic problem solving. This updated edition includes expanded material that touches on Project-Based Learning, brain-based teaching, creating smooth transitions, integrating Common Core into the classroom, and other key subject areas. Questions for reflection at the end of each chapter help you leverage this resource in book groups, professional development courses, and in both undergraduate and graduate classes. The art of teaching is one that evolves with changing educational standards and best practices; to be the most effective teacher possible, daily self-reflection is critical, along with a need to see things from a different perspective. This means we must step outside the boxmoving our focus from 'fixing' the students when a problem arises to helping a teacher improve his or her practice.

• Improve classroom management, discipline, motivation, and morale
• Explore strategies for arranging your classroom, engaging students, and avoiding the misbehavior cycle
• Create an environment where students learn and teachers teach
• Leverage insight from teachers and students Teaching Outside the Box: How to Grab Your Students by Their Brain, Third Edition is an essential resource for teachers at any stage in their careers.

Contenu
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 It Worthwhile 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 Room with a View Improves Grades 208

The View from My Room 209

Scoop on Scotopic Sensitivity 211

Signs of Light Sensitivity 213

Feedback from Future Teachers 213

Pass the Word 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