Customer Reviews

Handbook for Classroom Instruction That Works

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I used this book to guide a book study with elementary teachers in a school where I was the principal. All teachers in the study were reading Marzano's Classroom Instruction that works and a couple of us had a copy of this book to bring in additional information and activities to enhance our study. Both books present the "cut to the chase" version of research that many teachers appreciate because of their busy schedules. The books present strategies that have been proven repeatedly to be effective and professionals who have looked carefully at Marzano's work know that it is scholarly work. He has, however, tried to present it in a very down to earth fashion. No high brow research jargon here. Teachers appreciated and learned from the study and the structure and additional information this guide brought to our work together was an significant factor.

Don't waste your time on this book - there is very little material of any use here.
The book is divided into chapters which claim to discuss how to address concepts such as working in groups, comparison and contrast and homework. In each chapter the authors give a page-long short answer test in which the reader evaluates how she feels about her use and awareness of the chapter topic. This could be quite useful if there was any information presented between the tests. Also, the test is reprinted in each chapter, usually almost verbatim. This lacks imagination and and seems wasteful to me.
In each chapter, the authors give several one-paragraph-long passages that tell what you might do in that teaching/learning area. These are almost always unimaginative and unsupported; little is not intuitively obvious, and there is seldom any explanation or exploration of the technique. It is true that what is obvious to one is not alwas so to everyone else, and there are doubtless a couple ideas that you may not have thought about or have forgotten. Still, a five minute talk with another teacher would accomplish just as much if not more.
Again, don't waste your money on this book if you can help it.

Do you like magazine surveys about how effective your marriage is, or if you exercise frequently enough? This book has one for each chapter (rate yourself 1-4), AND has worksheets like the ones you did in grade school as you work to explore "novel" techniques in education! There have to be more thought provoking monographs about the application of research in the classroom. Sanitized statistics, silly stories, a frighteningly short list of references and text that probably does not read beyond the 6th grade level disturbs me. Does Mr. Marzano think that all educators are semi-literate morons? His ideas are not new in the science classroom, and most ideas he covers are reiterations of something old for me. I was required to use this book and its sister textbook for a GRADUATE LEVEL education course. I would recommend NEITHER.

I think one of the reasons why most of the reviews for this book are poor is because many school districts around the country have pushed these strategies down teachers throats. When this book was first distributed through our district, I was impressed because I was a fairly new teacher. The book includes many different strategies and even master copies of handouts and graphic organizers for use in the classroom. As a newer teacher, this is one of the things that makes a book of educational strategies appealing.

That being said, I can understand the frustration of veteran teachers when their school districts forced these strategies onto them, some making them mandatory. Marzano and his team of education-experts have not presented the education world with anything new. They have simply researched and pointed out the strategies used by thousands of teachers world wide that seem to work best with all types of students from all types of backgrounds.

Personally, I think the book is good reference material, though not groundbreaking in any way. If our district had not provided teachers with free copies, I'm not sure I would have purchased it. If you are a new teacher and looking for some strategy books for your collection, cross your fingers and hope your district gives you this one for free because you can find better use of your teacher funds.

Effective teaching methods companion book to Classroom Instruction That Works, by same authors. Great resource for:Checking for Understanding, graphic organizers, and reinforcing efforts, assessing the impact on students, planning classroom activities, and more. Excellent for both new and experienced teachers who want to enhance their professional development, and enhance their perfomance and effectiveness in the classroom.

This is some of the most non-applicable information I've ever read in my life!!! The quality and time it took to get the product was fine, but the info only applies to suburban school districts, NOT to the urban setting.

I had to buy this book for a class on Teaching for Academic Literacy. The class, like the book, was a waste of time and money. Basically, the book consists of modules, and each module is designed to teach you how to conduct a particular activity with your students, such as how to teach your students to classify things. Then each module ends with a rubric for assessing your understanding, and pages of space to allow you to reflect on your enjoyment of classifying. So basically, you only have to read the first couple of pages of any module. So go to the library, check out the book and read those pages, and don't waste your money.