Customer Reviews

Teacher Talk!: The Art of Effective Communication (School Talk series)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The sad thing about this book is that our educational system is in such a state that a book like this is necessary. In "Teacher Talk!" the authors detail all the most common situations you are likely to find while teaching and how to use effective communication to handle it. The coverage is extensive and includes situations like dealing with the overzealous parent at open house, the parent who wants to talk daily just before school, the parent who gossips about the child or about you, the parent who mistakenly believes their child is gifted, the child who is gifted, the child whose performance is declining, habitually truant children, bullies, the student caught cheating or stealing, parental questions on testing and test results, and dozens of other situations. The book is laid out in a workbook style full of notes, reminder lists, examples of various written communications, self-evaluations, sign-in forms, forms for a parent to request a conference, forms for a teacher to request a conference, guidelines sheets, phone logs, behavior observation charts, and just about anything else that you could possible ask for or anticipate needing. By having established policies that are clear and easy to understand the teacher keeps control not only of her students, but also of his or her time. Anyone just starting to teach in the educational system or trying to create an effective communication system between students, parents and the teacher will find a lot of valuable information and forms in this book.

Perfect book for every teacher and principal who wants to communicate effectively. Great advice for educators. Wind your way through more than 50 school situations and learn tips, find worksheets and sample letters for handling each of them. From the overzealous parent at open house to the parent who feels his child gets too stressed about a test to giving a child another opportunity on a project. Organized by the school year. The graphics are amazing and will keep you reading. If you're a new teacher this is invaluable, if you're a returning veteran-- you can always use some extra help on a tough day - this is it. One of a series of books aimed for the school workplace. Cheli is amazing and her partner and the graphics dude did a terrific job.

Teacher Talk is a helpful way to aide not only the first year teacher but even all seasoned teachers with a month by month checklist of effective communication strategies to utilize throughout the school year and their teaching career. This book is a must have!!

As a student, I am very interested in pursuing my career in education. Reading Teacher Talk gave me an excellent idea of what to expect and how to deal with many of the issues faced everyday in and out of the classroom. I was beyond pleased with the knowledge and ideas I have taken from this book.
Some examples of the topics discussed are--dealing with the parents who want to know what, where, when, and how you teach, the child who performs below grade level, parent conferencing, the child caught cheating, the parents who are too involved, and much much more. This book covers all aspects of teacher responsibilities starting with open house in September to communicating with yourself in June. Teacher Talk made me realize that communicating with my students is only a very small portion of my duty as a teacher. Parents are essential. If I can communicate and gain the parents support, I will reach my goal of becoming a very inspiring teacher.
The most beneficial portions of this book, in my opinion, were the suggestions revealing how to deal and communicate with parents effectively. Teacher Talk explicitly addresses many real life scenarios. Following these scenarios are suggestions and guidelines that can be used to overcome many obstacles. Most parents go to the extreme to see their kids succeed and we as teachers must be fully prepared to handle any of their concerns.
Another useful aspect of Teacher Talk is the countless amounts of already made worksheets located at the back of the book. These worksheets are helpful on the organizational side of things. Some examples of the worksheets are open house sign in form, transportation form, parent/teacher phone log, day of conference check-list, parent communication survey, and many more. These pre-made worksheets are a great help to anyone who is interested in teaching.
I suggest Teacher Talk for anyone who is pursuing a career in education. There is no such thing as a perfect teacher, so why not try to advance your skills with opening yourself up to new ideas?

The book has excellent worksheets that I use all the time. A Must Have!!

It was refreshing to finally read material that helped me out with actual situations, it stimulated my teaching. My students are happier, and a sudden weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I recomend this book to teachers and priciples both.

This book is a true lifesaver for any teacher. I am so happy that I found it and will use it to help me.