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15 reviews for:
Study Guide: What Great Teachers Do Differently: Nineteen Things That Matter Most
Todd Whitaker, Beth Whitaker
3.62 AVERAGE
15 reviews for:
Study Guide: What Great Teachers Do Differently: Nineteen Things That Matter Most
Todd Whitaker, Beth Whitaker
3.62 AVERAGE
These are great tips and I really loved the content. I felt like it got a bit repetitive in driving points home though- which as teachers is something we do every day- so bonus points for great modeling? (Looks at that praise followed by criticism
slow-paced
Very general and vague, lacking clear definitions of overused words like “effective” and “good” in regards to teachers and students.
Regularly cites his own studies but not those of others in the field, which is off putting as it seems lazy at best.
His conversational, oral tone was very off putting and felt more appropriate for a conversation than a book.
Some ideas were good but too vague and in large part common sense.
There are many, many other much better books and researched-based materials that would be much more useful and relevant.
Regularly cites his own studies but not those of others in the field, which is off putting as it seems lazy at best.
His conversational, oral tone was very off putting and felt more appropriate for a conversation than a book.
Some ideas were good but too vague and in large part common sense.
There are many, many other much better books and researched-based materials that would be much more useful and relevant.
Quotes:
"There are really two ways to improve a school significantly: Get better teachers or improve the teachers you have." (p. 5)
"All principals are aware that the students in their schools have individual needs. Great principals are even more aware that their faculty members vary in their individual abilities. Effective principals focus on the people in their schools." (p. 10)
"Ineffective teachers and leaders consistently think they can force or bribe others to do what they want. We all know the diminishing returns of this approach. Effective people build relationships, so then others are eager to please them." (p. 10)
The 18 Things (as I get to them)
1. Great principals never forget that it is people, not programs, who
determine the quality of a school.
"There are really two ways to improve a school significantly: Get better teachers or improve the teachers you have." (p. 5)
"All principals are aware that the students in their schools have individual needs. Great principals are even more aware that their faculty members vary in their individual abilities. Effective principals focus on the people in their schools." (p. 10)
"Ineffective teachers and leaders consistently think they can force or bribe others to do what they want. We all know the diminishing returns of this approach. Effective people build relationships, so then others are eager to please them." (p. 10)
The 18 Things (as I get to them)
1. Great principals never forget that it is people, not programs, who
determine the quality of a school.
Whitaker loves using the phrase "the best teachers," but I would be curious as to his exact definition as I was concerned by the codependency and lack of work-life balance of the teachers he mentions as being the "best." I also had concerns about what he described to be "whining" and "complaining" teachers as it seemed as if those teachers were doing it because that's their identity rather than them responding to a specific situation.
He does clarify not overusing his "best and brightest" teachers later in the book and helping them construct some possible meaning of the word no for some opportunities (like staff parties), but I really think it showed a lack of respect for letting the teachers make decisions on what they perceived the best use of their time.
It also seemed like some of the advice given was indicative of a fixed mindset and was manipulative. According to what I took from Whitaker, the best teachers are the best because it's just how they were born to be. This then leads to finding the "best" student teachers, and I really think that this type of fixed mindset will lead to disappointment for both those hiring and the novice teacher. I agree with him that more years of experience does not equate to being more effective, yet working with the most struggling teachers can definitely be as useful as continuing to work with the most effective teachers. I didn't like that cut throat behavior as I think it has led to too many teachers who could have developed into great teachers leaving the profession.
Now, there were true nuggets in this book that should not be ignored, such as being consistent, being innovative in finding and keeping staff, having plans in place, developing one's assertiveness skills. There were also places that were quite validating for teachers who have dealt with bad boss practices. I was practically gleeful in hearing that those blanket statement and emails that are clearly meant for one person but are addressed to the whole staff is bad practice, and there were other instances he brought up throughout the book where I thought he did a great job calling out bad boss practices.
This could definitely be the bunny hill starter book to learning about leadership, so I would recommend it for school leaders who are just beginning to build their professional library of resources. However, if I knew someone was a voracious reader and ambitious, I would not suggest this book.
He does clarify not overusing his "best and brightest" teachers later in the book and helping them construct some possible meaning of the word no for some opportunities (like staff parties), but I really think it showed a lack of respect for letting the teachers make decisions on what they perceived the best use of their time.
It also seemed like some of the advice given was indicative of a fixed mindset and was manipulative. According to what I took from Whitaker, the best teachers are the best because it's just how they were born to be. This then leads to finding the "best" student teachers, and I really think that this type of fixed mindset will lead to disappointment for both those hiring and the novice teacher. I agree with him that more years of experience does not equate to being more effective, yet working with the most struggling teachers can definitely be as useful as continuing to work with the most effective teachers. I didn't like that cut throat behavior as I think it has led to too many teachers who could have developed into great teachers leaving the profession.
Now, there were true nuggets in this book that should not be ignored, such as being consistent, being innovative in finding and keeping staff, having plans in place, developing one's assertiveness skills. There were also places that were quite validating for teachers who have dealt with bad boss practices. I was practically gleeful in hearing that those blanket statement and emails that are clearly meant for one person but are addressed to the whole staff is bad practice, and there were other instances he brought up throughout the book where I thought he did a great job calling out bad boss practices.
This could definitely be the bunny hill starter book to learning about leadership, so I would recommend it for school leaders who are just beginning to build their professional library of resources. However, if I knew someone was a voracious reader and ambitious, I would not suggest this book.
I was required to read this for my job and it was okay. We, teachers, have to manage ourselves well to manage others well seems like a good sum up point. I do think there was some good tips/advice to be a great teacher. However, there was often not a lot of practical advice or if something was shown as wrong it didn’t give what to do instead which bothered me tremendously. It was a quick read.
Some of it is good. Most of it is fine. It's not great, but it's good. It's clear the author is a principal and not a teacher. Most of what he says is really examples of how to be a good principal and then saying "kids are like that too!". Some of the ideas he gives are good. Others would exasperate even the best of teachers. But mostly he talks in vague terms, like this review. If this annoys you, this book would too.
I know people who think this is the best book of teacher common sense ever printed. And I know people who think that teachers who depend on books like this probably can't figure out how be good teachers on their own--making the book an expensive, thin-gruel crutch with limited value to accomplished practitioners.
I liked the book much more than I thought I would (with a couple of exceptions). There's a great deal of sound thinking in the book. Michael Fullan has said that a good philosophy is a lot more important that a packaged "tool" when it comes to problem-solving in the classroom--and Whitaker does a good job of identifying those homey philosophies, especially in the first 14 chapters. Things like avoiding "revenge" when a student challenges you, and putting the right people in place rather than the right programs. Even if you're a skilled veteran teacher, it doesn't hurt to be reminded of those timeless principles. And if you're a novice, ideas like these can really help shape a successful career.
Whitaker's folksy tone grated on me a bit, but the stories he uses help drive home his concepts. It was near the end of the book when I became disenchanted--the chapters added in the second version, where he suggests that standardized tests do provide valuable information, and recycles the myth that if you're teaching the right stuff in the right way, test scores will take care of themselves. It's at this point that his Kindly Administrator Who Engenders Teacher Leadership voice took over--and I tuned out. Way out.
I liked the book much more than I thought I would (with a couple of exceptions). There's a great deal of sound thinking in the book. Michael Fullan has said that a good philosophy is a lot more important that a packaged "tool" when it comes to problem-solving in the classroom--and Whitaker does a good job of identifying those homey philosophies, especially in the first 14 chapters. Things like avoiding "revenge" when a student challenges you, and putting the right people in place rather than the right programs. Even if you're a skilled veteran teacher, it doesn't hurt to be reminded of those timeless principles. And if you're a novice, ideas like these can really help shape a successful career.
Whitaker's folksy tone grated on me a bit, but the stories he uses help drive home his concepts. It was near the end of the book when I became disenchanted--the chapters added in the second version, where he suggests that standardized tests do provide valuable information, and recycles the myth that if you're teaching the right stuff in the right way, test scores will take care of themselves. It's at this point that his Kindly Administrator Who Engenders Teacher Leadership voice took over--and I tuned out. Way out.
Cannot stop thinking about this book. The only issue I have is that there was SO many good ideas that I could not store all of them in my brain listening to the audiobook so I had to get a physical copy to annotate and keep at work. I love the specific examples he gives because a lot of the teaching advice I've found out there is so vague. I also love the advice given for outside the classroom like interacting with other teachers and parents! Will absolutely be rereading with a highlighter in hand!
I read the second edition, 17 things that matter most. I was given this book by our superintendent; she recommended it. A lot of it I felt was just common sense. Other parts I found myself thinking "Yeah... So how do you recommend I do that??" It was a quick easy read but I wish some parts had gone into more detail.