Extraordinary Teachers

Dr. Fred J. Stephenson recognized the growing dissatisfaction with America's schools and decided he had a remedy. So he asked master teachers-all of whom had won the University of Georgia's Josiah Meigs Award for Excellence in Teaching-to share their thoughts on the profession of education. The result is Extraordinary Teachers.Within these pages, exceptional teachers write about everything from helping students find joy in learning to using humor in the classroom. Anyone with an interest in education will find this book an inspiring, must-read look at excellence in teaching.

Marva Collins embodies all that is meant by that hallowed word. . .teacher. She gives of herself tirelessly so that those whose minds are supple may grasp knowledge and power through her love. Indeed love, like that of a mother for her children, is the essence of the Marva Collins Way. . .love of learning, love of teaching, and love of sharing. It charges her mission with an incredible power to heal broken spirits. Discover the power to truly teach, whether it be one child or many. Children don't have to be geniuses to be successful. By the power of the extraordinary teacher, each and everyone can achieve extraordinary success. You can be that teacher or parent. In this book, Marva Collins reveals the secret of her success and the principles which will aid you to duplicate her achievements - first within yourself, then within your classroom or in your own home. Here is an opportunity to expand your teaching ability with the aid of one who has stretched the boundary through her own bold experiments. It works. Go for it. Renew your spirit. The Extraordinary teacher is you.

Deeply felt testimonials from children and their parents reveal the talents of the remarkable teachers recommended for Disney's American Teacher Awards.

Everyone remembers their favorite teacher, but why? What makes some teachers so memorable? Julie Schmidt Hasson spent a year interviewing people about teachers who’ve shaped their lives, and the result is this captivating book. She shares stories that are both inspirational, highlighting the ways a teacher’s actions can make a lasting impact, and also informational, providing models to help teachers make a more consistent impact on the students they serve. Chapters cover topics such as commitment, vulnerability, power, connection, expectations, community, identity, and equity, while underscoring the importance of making students feel safe, seen, and stretched. In each chapter, the author brings you along as she conducts interviews and hears emotional stories. She also offers practical takeaways and applications for educators of all levels of experience. With this uplifting book, you will be reminded that your seemingly ordinary interactions in the classroom have extraordinary implications, and that you indeed have the power to influence students’ lives – each and every day.

This book explores the human side to educators, by revealing their experiences and their personal stories; what has made them into the teachers they are today. From the tragic to the exciting, teachers have such amazing stories to tell and their passion and commitment shines out from every page. With contributions from a daughter of the teacher who lost her life at Dunblane to the first black head teacher in Inner London Yvonne Connolly as well as the amazing Rita Pierson from the US who has inspired so many teachers. By reading their stories we can appreciate how extraordinary their lives and their contributions to education are. Also with contributions from: Kierna Corr, Kyle Kiser, Marco Cimino, Toni Charlesworth, Ash Lucas, Julie Cassiano, Drew Povey, Bretta Townend-Jowitt, Brett Bigham, Allen Tsui, Michelle Alker, Dan Whittaker, FreakyHoody, Natalie Scott, Adam Henze, Jess Mahdavi-Gladwell, Luke Haisell, Lesley Douglas, Gwen Mayor, Debbie Buchanan, Maureen McDevitt, James Atkin, Katharine Birbalsingh, Hugh Ogilvie, Victoria Hewett, Penny Rabiger, Joe Gibbs, Helena Jockel, Yolana Wassersug, Caroline Riggs, Rachael Maddocks, Christine Owen, Sue Rogers, Kate McAllister, John Clifford, Dan Morrow, Rita Pierson, Sarah Dearden, Caroline Spalding, Vic Goddard and Mathew Milburn.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A groundbreaking history of 175 years of American education that brings the lessons of the past to bear on the dilemmas we face today—and brilliantly illuminates the path forward for public schools. “[A] lively account." —New York Times Book Review In The Teacher Wars, a rich, lively, and unprecedented history of public school teaching, Dana Goldstein reveals that teachers have been embattled for nearly two centuries. She uncovers the surprising roots of hot button issues, from teacher tenure to charter schools, and finds that recent popular ideas to improve schools—instituting merit pay, evaluating teachers by student test scores, ranking and firing veteran teachers, and recruiting “elite” graduates to teach—are all approaches that have been tried in the past without producing widespread change.