Customer Reviews

The Seven Laws of Teaching

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

 

 

I had taught Sunday School for a few years when a seasoned elder recommended this book. I was immediately hooked when I began to read it. I had to learn to teach the hard way, and I wish I had gotten ahold of this book earlier. I am now the Sunday School superintendent and I asked all the teachers to read this book. They loved it too! The amazing thing about this masterpiece of a book is that he follows his own advice. He starts simple and works to the more complex. He gets the readers attention and interest and keeps it until the end. Even if you don't like to read that much, you will savour this well written book. I was inspired and equipped to be a better teacher after reading this book.

This classic work first published in 1884 should be part of the curriculum for all schools training teachers. That it is still being reprinted (the 10th printing was in 2003) is a testimony to the timeless value of the author's wisdom contained within its pages. There are times when the old ways are the best ways and this book is one of those. Public schools, the failures that they are, would do well to scrap modern pedagogy and practice The Seven Laws of Teaching.

This book isn't just for the teaching profession: it is also an excellent training manual for pastors, Bible teachers and Sunday School teachers.

First published in 1884, this template for teaching continues to cut accurate patterns. The book jacket promises "a clear and simple statement of the important factors governing the art of teaching," but the book delivers much more. Here is teaching tonic to be taken in strong doses by those who want to rejuvenate their teaching.

For three dozen years I have seen more permanent and pervasive changes through the use of this text than from any other I have assigned. Undiluted cream, it bears continual and repeated reading.

I have been teaching in the public schools for 19 years. I train other teachers. I am a mentor to new teachers. And yet, I learned so much from this book. I can't express how much I loved it other than to say, from this point forward, every teacher I meet will hear about this book. Every teacher in every institution should be required to read this before placing one foot in the classroom. My favorite quote from the book: It is only the unskilled teacher who prefers to hear his own voice in endless talk rather than watch and direct the course of the thoughts of his pupils. If you teach, read it!

This thorough and common sense work on the art of teaching is essential reading for all educators. It is crammed with practical advice as well as philosophical truths about training and imparting knowledge to students.

This author not only spoke from the perspective of an educator, but from the experience of a learner. Without that vital connection between the teacher and student, there indeed is little learning taking place. John Milton Gregory gave a wonderful description of the dynamics, the give and take, that must exist between the teacher and learner to ensure a real education. He explored the necessary efforts of both the learner and the educator and laid on them both the responsibility to engage. Wonderful book.

I hate to be the one giving the lowest (so far) review for a book, but I just can't give this book more than three stars. I am a pastor now, but was a teacher in a classical school for three years. I read every book I could find on teaching and the Seven Laws of Teaching was one of them.

I do not want to come across as condescending to the other reviewers, but I found this book to be so obvious and basic that it taught me nothing new. For example, one of the laws is for the teacher to know their subject matter. Really? I thought that I could fake it and my teenagers would never notice. Not that this "law" isn't true or even important, but this wasn't news to me. I can't imagine trying to teach pre-schoolers without knowing my material backward and forward.

The second law is that we should capture the attention of our students. Think about that for just a second. Can you think of a scenario where a thinking human being would be teaching without the attention of their students and they would think that is normal? Yes, I realize there are teachers out there who will drone on and on while the students text each other, eat their lunches and do about anything except listen. But are you one of those teachers? If not, then this law is not going to make you a better teacher.

A third example of one of the laws is that the teacher should use language familiar to the student. Again, not trying to sound condescending, but is this news to you? I believe in using language that is sprinkled with challenging words so that they hear them in context and begin to build a stronger vocabulary. But obviously if they can't understand your vocabulary, you aren't going to reach them.

After the first three laws, they actually get much more enriching. Building on what students already know, arousing their desire to learn, learning being thinking ideas on your own and finally reviewing what has been learned to make it truly apprehended. These four laws are much more valuable, but there are other books that express them more powerfully than Mr. Gregory.

In my weekly podcast, Christian With A Brain, I discuss the role of education in the lives of believers and used The Seven Laws for reference. But, if you are like me and you believe that learning/teaching is more a product of relationship than the practice of principles, you will do better to purchase another book. I recommend: Teacher by Mark Edmundson - though he has a humanistic worldview, he taps into the art of teaching rather than the laws of teaching. Be warned though, Edmundson's book is a memoir, not a manual.

I really devoured this book. I found myself highlighting every paragraph and I even took notes. This is a wonderful look at teaching and how to utilize your skills to change lives, not just fill a young person's mind with information. Several of the quotes in the book have now become bold printed pages in my teaching notebook.

Note that the Kindle version is not the original, unedited version. Compare with the original and you will notice sections of Mr. Gregory's Christian oriented comments have been deleted.

There is an old saying, when confused with all the "stuff" out there about learning something, or developing skill, get back to the fundamentals. This book details the 7 laws of learning.Get back to basics,and be a better teacher in whatever arena of teaching you have an interest in.I coach basketball and have found this a great aid to make sure I'm getting information across to my players.