Customer Reviews

Choice Theory in the Classroom

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In the first paragraph of this book, Dr. William Glasser, captures the attention of everyone concerned with the state of education in our country today by immediately identifying our number one problem. At least half of the students in any given classroom are unmotivated to learn. In a world where all teachers are steeped in the behaviorist theories of psychology, through which we are taught to manipulate student behaviors with reward and punishment, it is refreshing to read an author who acknowledges the neglected role of individual freedom and self motivation in the classroom. The students who leave our elementary schools, high schools and universities with the best education possible are those who have chosen to actively participate in the learning process. In this book, Dr. Glasser lays out a strategy for teachers who want to get more of their students involved in that process and a strong rationale for doing so. While, I believe that he sometimes needlessly overstates the potential power of choice theory, in his discussion of migraine headaches and dyslexia, for instance, he rightly presents his solution to the problem of motivating students as one of many possible solutions. He argues for the benefits of the use of a cooperative learning strategy that effectively addresses the problem of motivation by fulfilling student needs he identifies as the desire for belonging, freedom, power and fun. Through this strategy, he argues, teachers can increase student involvement and depth of learning because the students are given the opportunity to become self motivated rather than teacher motivated. His theory should be part of every teacher's base of professional knowledge, as an alternative to behaviorism, and the techniques he shares should be part of every teacher's arsenal of strategies for teaching in today's schools.

This book is the updated of "Control Theory in the Classroom". If you have that book, you don't need this one. If you don't, this is a great book for educators.

This book is still ahead of it's time. This is not the latest gimmick, but the future of effective classroom management.

Glasser's work is the root to all behavior plans currently in play. Name any "big name" off or on television who claims a certain genius when it comes to behavior in the classroom and you are witnessing the work of William Glasser. Ignore the critics and read everything he writes. He's at the top of the behavior pyramid.Reality Therapy: A New Approach to Psychiatry (Colophon Books)

East to read, understand and apply. Used it successfully with a student right after reading!

Let me start by saying this book is not useless. William Glasser is an egomaniac, but he has some good ideas (though they arn't as original as he claims they are). The eternal concept of always having a choice is important and can help student and teacher alike. However, as a science teacher, there was one section of the book that completely ruined it for me.
Glasser likes to describe everything as choice; we are depressing rather than depressed, because being depressed is a choice (forget clinical depression -- doesn't exist, says Glasser)... mark 1 point against Glasser for throwing medical research into the fire. What REALLY got me upset (As a science teacher) was this little diddy -- "Wehn you run on a hot day, you sweat, but do not be misled into thinking that the running is causing the sweating. It is not. The sweating is the correct or normal physiological component of the total behavior; running..." (pp 53). While the aforementioned philosophy might be a *useful* way to think about things, it is scientifically WRONG. There is a direct cause and effect link between running and sweating (well documented on the microscopic level!) -- to imply, many times, that science is wrong to me, a science teacher, is offensive.
Again, this book is not useless, but it should not be considered scientific. The concept of choice theory and 'total behaviors' are potentially useful, just like the mental tricks used by Buddhists for thousands of years might be useful -- but, now matter how much he thinks it is, Glasser's "revolutionary" choice theory is NOT scientific.

I did read the whole book. I got furious at it a few times, but I don't regret reading it. It has some good ideas -- but the Glasser thinks way too much of himself and his work. Only read this if you have a very open mind and are willing to work hard to find diamonds in the rough.

...I don't believe this is a book you will want.

This is one of those books that I bought sight unseen based on the recommendations written by others on amazon (for this book and the precursor _Control Theory..._ by the same author). The prohibitive postage costs saw me retain possession rather than return it for a refund.

I haven't got a lot of time for dry books of educational theory without practical examples. Great, so the current system of institutionalized teaching is not doing what we want it to do and it needs to change. Fantastic, tell us how.

I never finished this book in detail. It was so dull, so unhelpful. Reading the glowing quotes on the back cover makes it seem that I skipped over something vital: "translates choice theory into a productive, classroom model", (I do hope the comma after productive was a type setting error and not intentionally used) "numerous instantly usable ideas". These phrases describe what I was after and I what I did not find.

It's possible I could choose to dig it out from the back of my bookshelf and re-read it, discover something of use but it's more likely I'll choose to spend my time in more interesting and profitable pursuits.

Glasser is defenitely one of the extra-sensory GIANTS! A great tool for anyone with an open mind to upgrade their teaching skills. If you only beleive in what your 5 senses tell you then this book is probably not for you.

Glasser takes an idea that has some merit and then keeps pushing it long after it becomes unhelpful. Glasser would have teachers quit using rewards and punishments to motivate students. He tries to justify this warm and fuzzy theory by pointing out misuses of rewards and punishments but its hard to understand how he could be blind to productive and fair uses of rewards and punishments that many teachers use. I know a poor teacher that use Glasser's model and a teacher that is good despite using it. If you want more objective research on schooling check out Stevenson and Stigler's the Learning Gap.