On Their Side: Helping Children Take Charge of Their Learning [Paperback]

Bob Strachota (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 1996 | ISBN-10: 0961863633 | ISBN-13: 978-0961863630

How can we ally with our students when they tattle and whine, don't do their homework, and hit each other? How can we create a classroom where children really care about their learning and behavior? How can we ask questions that will truly engage our students and ourselves in a lively search for answers? You will find many ideas and answers in this inspiring book written with warmth, humor and honesty. Through animated stories that share his failures as well as successes in the classroom, author Bob Strachota presents many strategies for helping children untangle the riddles of learning and ethical behavior. He shows how to ally with children, how to ask real questions and how to share responsibility with students -- always setting high standards while giving children the power they need to take charge of their learning and behavior. Using the ideas described in this book, Bob now finds his students more invested in their learning and more willing to struggle with things they don't understand. This is a very powerful resource for teachers, parents and others interested in the process of learning.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Bob Strachota's book doubles in value in the reading of it. As we see him attempting to help children become their own teachers, he models for us the ways in which a teacher begins to take charge of his own learning. In his quest for deeper connections in the classroom, Strachota is not afraid to question his own logic and intentions, and to initiate a true collegial relationship between himself and his students. It is an exciting process we watch in this well-told story. --Vivian G. Paley, Author, You Can't Say You Can't Play

The author's conversational form of writing pulls me into the classroom. I find myself rereading chapters before I go in classrooms so I can practice the principles. --Sally Kitts, Teacher Trainer, Syracuse, NY

The stories and children are so real and familiar. In this book, we embark on a thought process that takes us beyond the point where we usually give up, make excuses, or provide Band-Aids when so much more is needed. --Patty Lawrence, Instructor, Education Programs, Wheelock College

About the Author

In his 25 years of teaching, Bob Strachota has worked with children from pre-school through high school. He currently teaches elementary school and leads workshops for teachers. He has four sons and lives with his wife in Colrain, Massachusetts.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 141 pages
• Publisher: Northeast Foundation for Children, Inc. (January 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0961863633
• ISBN-13: 978-0961863630
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #140,775 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

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3.0 out of 5 stars Eh..., July 23, 2011

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This review is from: On Their Side: Helping Children Take Charge of Their Learning (Paperback)

It's worth reading but it's a bit dry even with many examples from the authors classroom. I find that I have to force myself to keep reading through it.