Customer Reviews

The Passionate Teacher: A Practical Guide

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Robert Fried has designed a how-to book that articulates what passion in education is. This topic has been lost in a black hole somewhere because most often teachers are so busy that they do not have time to reflect on what worked and what did not work in their lesson plans. The Passionate Teacher demonstrates that we need to be more than just passionate about our field of study - we need to build a "stance" about students and learning. Fried clearly illustrates that the quality of a teacher's believing and behaving - what he calls "stance" - is what makes passionate teaching possible. Often times we find that the fear of humiliation keeps students from sharing their most innovative, controversial ideas, resulting in a lack of energy and enthusiasm in the classroom. Throughout this book, Fried offers real life personal stories and ideas about how he and other teachers have put their passions to work. After reading this book, one can picture the effects of passion in the classroom. Fried reminds us that what we think is important for students to learn in order to be successful in life, may not always be what our students will feel they need. He urges educators to build on knowledge that students already have and to start bringing their interests into the classroom. In the The Passionate Teacher, Fried explores the question, "Where do teachers hit the wall in their struggle to become or remain enthusiastic about their profession?" He offers strategies for getting out of the "game" and onto something better. To change the "game" teachers need to start seriously listening to their students and find out what is getting in the way of the kind of learning that they, like all of us, are naturally supposed to seek out and respond to. Fried also stresses the idea of having fun in the classroom. Why wouldn't this make sense? Most of a child's learning comes from play. Teachers need to take a step back and look at what they are doing - what they are teaching and ask themselves what do they want their students to remember a year from now. This is a book I am confident I will have by my side throughout my teaching career. Fried's ideas are so inspiring. I have already begun implementing his ideas and strategies into my planning. I believe all teachers have some element of passion for teaching, even though it may be lost. Fried teaches us how to put this passion to work and how to bring passion back into our classrooms.

I recieved this book anonymusly by mail, and curiously dipped into it. Surprisingly I was captivated from the start. This is a book of soulful ideas made to mix the minds of our youth. It inspired me to redesign my entire year planning, and the impact has been tremendous. I bought 3 more and sent them to some peers of mine.

This book will give you permission and practical support to be the best teacher you can be, even if that is completely different from the teacher down the hall...

I used this book over the summer like an instruction manual to build a course, and I have already been very pleased with the results I see in my classroom! Fried shows you how to think about what you are teaching and why you want to teach it, working step by step, and building up slowly from a solid theoretical foundation.

This is a hopeful book, full of excitement about the possibilities of teaching and based on the idea that you can design your courses so that students will rise to the challenge and perform at their best.

I have not read a better book written for teachers about teaching. I wish I had read this before my first year, so I could have applied the method right from the start.

I am a college student majoring in early childhood education and I read this book for my Education 2000 class. I found the book very interesting, it gave me a lot of ideas about teaching methods. I will be able to use this book for further references. The book gave a lot of examples of different teachers and how they teach their passions. I think every teacher should read this book. If the passion for teaching is not there already, it will be after one reads this book.

The Passionate Teacher- Robert Fried.

Robert Fried has identified and grasped that creative, emotional spark that all good teachers have experienced when they really connect with their classes and the curriculum. The beauty of the book is that it articulates what passion in education is. There has been a black- hole around this topic because teachers are often so busy that they don't have time to reflect on what made particular lessons a `buzz' and researchers tend to avoid messy subjects like `passion'.

While fulfilling a major step forward in identifying the characteristics of `passion', in a practical sense Fried offers strategies and snapshots to reignite that passion in the classroom. Oh, and just a reminder- passion is not a solitary condition, it needs more than one person- it's not something that teachers alone experience!

This is the most useful and inspiring book on education that I've read for a very long time.

I am a college student currently majoring in Education. This book has a way of making you want to run out the door and get started teaching immediately! It is full of excellent suggestions and stories that inspire you to help kids learn. The author gives wonderful ideas on how to keep the students interested and how to keep yourself interested,too. I will definetly keep it handy for ideas on how to keep my teaching fun!

I am an education major and found this book useful not only for current teachers, but also for the future ones who won't be in the classroom for awhile. Fried has taken personal stories and ideas and explained how the teacher's passion and stance, made every classroom situation a learning experience for the students. He brings up every subject about teaching from grading to planning a course to the game of school. This book can be summed up as a great "how to" book on teaching. If you, like me, or sort of unsure if teaching is the profession you want to go into, this book will convince you to go for it!

Bought this for my son, a teacher, who knew about this and wanted it. Excellent book!

I purchased this book for a course I'm taking this spring, but I started reading it when it arrived. I finished it before the course even began. The book brings up many issues with teaching and not only does it describe what a passionate teacher is, but also how to become one. This book is definitely a keeper, I'm sure I'll refer to it many times throughout my teaching career.

William Ward once said, "Curiosity is the wick in the candle of learning." If this is true, passion is what lights the fire. CS Lewis says that he task of modern education is not to cut down jungles but irrigate desserts. This is the goal of the passionate teacher. Robert Fried, in this book, does exactly that; he shows how to be the passionate teacher that will truly motivate students to want learn. Two thumbs up!