Customer Reviews

Pathways: A Guide for Energizing & Enriching Band, Orchestra, & Choral Programs

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Simple, easy to use ideas and strategies that address real-life in-the-classroom issues of student motivation, attrition, and creating enjoyable and energetic learning environments. I have been using only a small handful of ideas and strategies listed in this book (about 5 of them right now out of thousands) and it has made a noticeable difference in my classes. This book should be required reading for any music education major, beginning or veteran teacher. IT'S THAT GOOD!!!

The book is not preachy or touchy-feely at all. It's just full of awesome ideas and really gets to the heart of what makes students tick. Worth it's weight in gold!

PATHWAYS reaches the reader with practical, realistic ways to approach learning and growth. Though aimed at the secondary music educator, the book's philosophy and constructive ideas are
useful to all who teach or parent today's teenagers. The author's style is conversational, humorous, direct and extremely entertaining. It is a "how to" book that does not lecture or condemn. PATHWAYS illuminates teaching and enlightens the reader.

This wonderfully written book will inspire you to become a better teacher. Joe Alsobrook writes from his heart, leaving you with bits of inspiration and heart felt wisdom on every single page. You will choose to become a better teacher after reading this book! You WILL become a better teacher because of this book! It will leave you with a whole new outlook about the possibilities of creating something special in your classroom and within your students.
This book is about so much more than the material we were taught in our college education courses! The author encourages us to reach beyond ourselves and be more than just educators with degrees. He suggests that we use our "gifts" to expand and enhance our student's learning experiences and he does so with much grace and experience.
Although the subject matter in this book is music, the book's contents provides inspiration in a unique format that all teachers, in all subject areas, will greatly benefit from. This book inspired me to reach beyond the expectations I've always had for myself as a teacher! Read this book and be inspired!

Pathways assists teachers in running their daily music programs. There are lists of practical ideas, and ideas for doing things like taking roll to rehearsing - and everything in between. Depending on your teaching experience you may want to skip some of the information, for example a veteran teacher might want to focus more on creating music at a high level, while a new teacher might focus more on rehearsal technique. I used some of the techniques in this book in my class and found them to be effective and indeed they helped my students improve. Overall this book is good!

This is probably THE greatest book I've found for re-examining & inspiring your teaching. The author's tone is friendly, coversational, and humorous, and ideas are clearly outlined--you can read it page by page or skim it for a small dose of inspiration. I reread it every summer & frequently leaf thru it throughout the year--there's TONS of great ideas in here, and even if some wouldn't work for your program it might help you brainstorm something that will. It's an educational book without the academic jargon & without the over-flowery language of someone who doesn't understand the science behind teaching. It's by a band director who just wanted to give his kids the best possible education he could, and just reading through the book makes me wish I'd grown up in his program.

This book should be in every music educators library. It is packed full of useful, helpful, and timely ideas for almost every aspect of music education. Whether your a music minister, private teacher or full time educator, you will easily gleem new stratagies and techniques from this book. I wish I had this book when I was in college because it covers a lot of the things every teacher should know but never learned through method or education classes. This book prepares you to deal with the intangible experiences every educator must go through to become top notch in their field.

A must read. Anyone searching for that positive influencial attitude in affecting their students should read this and apply the techniques. Believe me, this book will inspire the most jaded of teachers.

Pathways is a really good book. I mean it. It helped me a lot.