Teaching For Purpose

In Teaching for Purpose, Heather Malin explores the idea of purpose as the purpose of education and shows how educators can prepare youth to live intentional, fulfilling lives. The book highlights the important role that purpose—defined as “a future-directed goal that is personally meaningful and aimed at contributing to something larger than the self”—plays in optimal youth development and in motivating students to promote the cognitive and noncognitive skills that teachers want to instill. Based on a decade of research conducted at the Stanford University Center on Adolescence, the book explores how educators and schools can promote purpose through attention to school culture, curriculum, project learning, service learning, and other opportunities. Malin argues for expansive thinking on the direction schools should take, especially in terms of educating students to be creative, innovative, and self-directed critical thinkers. The book includes profiles of six organizations working in schools across the US that have made purpose development a priority. Infused with the engaging voices of purposeful youth, Teaching for Purpose offers a fresh, inspirational guide for educators who are looking for new ways to support students to succeed not only in school, but in life.

"Teaching is a daunting, challenging endeavor, but author Karen Gazith seeks to help teachers incorporate best practices into their classrooms. Her book The Mindful and Purposeful Teacher: Research-Informed Practice for Every Student in Every Classroom is built on seven well-researched principles that can assist teachers in creating a classroom environment conducive to learning for every student present. The topics covered range from classroom management to establishing learning goals and are applicable to new and veteran teachers alike. These seven principles construct a robust picture of what education can and should be: a safe place of learning and growth"--

For five days a week for approximately nine months out of the year totaling countless hours, teachers work with other people’s most treasured gifts—their children. That the teacher is the most important element in fostering an energetic, engaging, and inspiring classroom environment where authentic learning can unfold cannot be overstated. Indeed, it is the teacher who understands self or does not; it is the teacher who is prepared or is not; it is the teacher who has command of subject matter or does not; it is the teacher who inculcates in an appropriate way or does not; and, it is the teacher who is patient, understanding, empathetic, and enthusiastic or is not. To that end, Teaching With Purpose underscores what it means to be an insightful teacher, foundationally emphasizing that the central aspect toward richly transforming education is through the professionalization of what it means to be a teacher. Written in accessible language, and attentive to connecting theory to practice, the benefits and features of this book are mindful of a diverse readership.

The best science teachers don't just get up in front of the class and start talking. They draw from a plan'a rationale'a purpose. This book helps you create and implement a detailed, research-based teaching rationale that works even with students of varied needs in less-than-ideal facilities. The key is a method that this book's authors and their colleagues have used to help more than 3,000 preservice and inservice science teachers achieve improved results in their classrooms. Teaching with Purpose provides a framework for coordinating your unique students and school with your desired educational outcomes and the education research literature. You can use this framework in several aspects of teaching: for planning lessons and units, selecting activities and curriculum, and analyzing your role as teacher. All this is explained within the book's easy-to-grasp structure. It covers the case for a research-based teaching rationale, the elements of such a rationale, how to develop and implement it, and then how to become a mentor to others. Throughout the text, more than a dozen elementary, middle, and high school science teachers comment on how developing a research-based rationale has made them better educators. The book's combination of theory and practice, instruction and inspiration, makes it ideal for planning personal development and for use at teacher workshops.

Considers teacher education as an important aspects of the teaching profession and demonstrates why it is so important for higher education institutions to value their teacher educators' professional knowledge. The book demonstrates how teaching about teaching knowledge pedagogy is vital to the development of quality in teacher education and how this knowledge needs to be articulated and communicated throughout the teaching profession, both in schools and universities.

Great teaching is not just a matter of talent or creativity or passion. Teachers are made, not born, and great teachers know why they do what they do in their classrooms. They do it strategically and purposefully based on technique. Teach on Purpose! demonstrates a high-quality research-based and practical approach to teaching that focuses on how to use data about students’ identities, experiences, and knowledge to design responsive curriculum and instruction that ensures learning. The authors provide secondary school teachers with scientifically proven strategies for creating learning environments that increase student motivation, engagement, and academic achievement. The text features model units authored and taught by practicing classroom teachers in math, science, social studies, and language arts to demonstrate key principles that can be used in any classroom to be a true professional educator. Teach on Purpose! empowers teachers across all content areas to create meaningful teaching and learning experiences together with their students for the success of all. “Examines powerfully both the art and the science, the heart and the mind of teaching, arguing for distributive practices that link healing and hope to profound opportunities based in responsive classroom engagements” —David Kirkland, associate professor of English and Urban Education, New York University “Will energize you and remind you why you joined the teaching profession in the first place.” —Renee Boss, National Board Certified Teacher and Education Blogger “Encourages us all to remember that we shape our students with the skills we help them develop and, just as equally, with the fires we ignite within them.” —Ashley Lamb-Sinclair, former student and 2016 Kentucky Teacher of the Year “Soon-to-be-teachers, new teachers, veteran teachers, embittered teachers, emboldened teachers, and even those who prepare and work with those teachers will benefit from this book.” —Brandon Abdon, Advanced Placement Program, The College Board

Achieve consistent, positive teaching results using these brain-compatible methods that are readily adaptable to individual learning styles, aligned with current research, and applicable to all grade levels.

A “thoughtful book that teaches principles of effectiveness to children” from the author of the award-winning Learning to Get Along® social skills series (Sean Covey, bestselling author of The 7 Habits of Happy Kids). Through positive and motivating text, Making a Difference assures children that they are important, and that what they do matters. Boost your child’s confidence and sense of purpose as you read and affirm that their hopeful thoughts, kind words and good choices can make a difference to themselves and others. Making a Difference is a book that can help build social skills and character, teach life lessons to your children, and put them on a pathway to kindness, courtesy, respect, and purpose. Beautiful hand-drawn illustrations accompany Cheri’s purposeful storytelling as she shows us once again how children can help to make the world a better place. Back pages include discussion questions, scenarios, games and role-play activities that help adults reinforce the book’s positive message. “This invaluable resource . . . empowers children to be their best selves and challenges them to make a real world difference every day.” —Mary Jane Weiss, PhD, coauthor of Reaching Out, Joining In