Great reads -part 3

As I continue my reading suggestions, you have probably noticed that they are not about content. You already learned that in college. THIS is the stuff you probably didn't learn there... Management. And quite honestly, you can know all the content in the world but if you don't have management of your students, you'll never be able to teach them.

*Doug Lemov's Teach Like a Champion: 49 Techniques That Put Students on the Path to College

This book is great for short, easy to apply strategies. One of my favorites is "Threshold". I greet my students at the beginning of every class. I shake their hands and smile and make connections, ie. notice a hair cut, great colored top, a recorder brought to class. Some kids prefer a fist bump and that's fine ~ really it's about making connections. I had one student tell me it was the highlight of her day and she looked forward to it every music class.

These 49 techniques were gleaned from super successful teachers - Lemov did not think them up. Again more resources from this book are available at their active Facebook page and website (www.teachlikeachampion.com ).

Teach Like a Champion is full of strategies that can be implemented immediately. Some are super simple ie. threshold, and others are more involved. Many of the techniques are focused on the general classroom  BUT as I mentioned before, take what you like and adapt it. You are creating your own organized environment with routines and procedures that manage student behavior.