Customer Reviews

Reflective Planning, Teaching and Evaluation: K-12 (3rd Edition)

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The author describes how reflective teachers think and provides specific strategies for meeting the needs of students with cultural, linguistic and learning differences. Among the areas covered are: diagnosis of student needs, motivational techniques, cooperative learning, daily and long-range planning strategies, making the environment safe for children, the integration of computer technology into the classroom, how to "bridge the gap" for diverse students who may have different backgrounds or schema; developing self-esteem, and evaluation of student progress. The author knows what the problems are-and addresses them succinctly. This book is a must for all teachers- not just for beginners!!

I bought this book for a course I took to earn my teaching credential. It is loaded with good information to get you started on your teaching career. Usually I sell my books back to offset the cost of schooling, but this one is so good I think I'm going to keep it. I bought it because I needed it for class but I am keeping it because it's jam packed with good stuff.

This book is not a helpful resource for a new teacher. Most new teachers are looking for resources constructed as teaching tools; easily ready for application in the classroom. This book is not one of them.

This book is presented as a teacher's aid in a "constructivist approach" to reflective teaching, but this is rather misleading. The text is really meant to introduce basic teaching concepts to students lacking classroom experience. The author(s) uses many scenerios to illustrate a point, but many of them are extremes, ridiculous (asking students to bring in a cage and giving each one a mouse) or either/or, lacking presentation of any options in the gray areas. The author(s) also cites Kounin's 1970's coined phrase "withitness" instead of "reflective teaching". It is rather irritating to read and reread this word throughout the text.

The most criticism I give this book is in the generalizations made about new teachers. The author(s) makes it their objective to teach "withitness and reflective action" to teachers in their first years, because they lack it when they begin. What my experiences has been, as well as that of my peers, is that we have been taught reflective teaching techniques and strategies since we have begun college. These are not new concepts to us. And, for many graduate students who have taught in the classroom, we have begun to develop and integrate our own reflective and motivational strategies in the classroom.(And, with much success!)

My suggestions: Instead of this book, buy Edmund T. Emmer's "Classroom Managment" and Jim Burke's "Reading Reminders". Both of these resources are full of materials and tools like organizations, strategies, and charts that are easy to find and easy to use. Don't waste your money on this book.