As some of you know, I’ve been writing my book on the public school education system and classroom management tips for educators since June. I’ve finally published the first installment in what looks like a three volume series (I actually have 55 pages of the next book already)
The Title is
The Trenches of Education: Unorthodox Advice from the Self-proclaimed Worst Teacher to Enter the Classroom.
The website is
http://survivingthetrenches.blogspot.com/
If any of you have any teacher friends or friends/students of the education system (or simply know of anyone interested in the topic of classroom management) I would be greatly appreciative for you forwarding them the link. Also, though I know this is not a forum dedicated to education, it is the forum that has taught me the most over the past 3-4 years. Anyway, I mentioned the entire Mises Community Forum in the special thanks section.
Read until you have something to write...Write until you have nothing to write...when you have nothing to write, read...read until you have something to write...Jeremiah
Congratulations Jeremiah!
Congratulations Jeremy! I'm sure it will do well, I've read your maths blog before, looks pretty interesting.
"When the King is far the people are happy." Chinese proverb
For Alexander Zinoviev and the free market there is a shared delight:
"Where there are problems there is life."
congrats!
Ambition is a dream with a V8 engine - Elvis Presley
Congratulations on your new book. Is this your first?
What is the target age group of the kids?
What will the next two volumes be about?
"The market is a process." - Ludwig von Mises, as related by Israel Kirzner. "Capital formation is a beautiful thing" - Chloe732.
@ chloe732
The target age is both primary and secondary education. The next volume will be strictly about managing classroom behavior. The final volume will be about tricks to minimize your workload and keep your sanity :)
Jeremiah,
Happy to see you crushing it.
You've got my email address if you want to bounce any marketing ideas off me. Particularly web marketing. Any time.
@ LS
Yep! That video gave me a new perspective on time mangement and networking.
In case you guys don't know what Liberty Student is refering, to watch that video by Gary Vaynerchuk as well as the one where Gary Vaynerchuks' on CNN. It took me two times before i finally got what he was saying you need to do... and its brilliant!
What do you mean by "managing classroom behaviour"?
The book is very anti authoritarian and very critical of educators. For example, over the cell phone issue, I mention ways to incorporate cell phones in the lessons instead of confiscating them, but the main point is simply that if your lessons can’t compete with a cell phone then you need to adjust your teaching. Other formats of behavior simply include using coaches as gateways to motivating students, when and why not to write up a child, when is timeout a good strategy. Things of this nature.
Hypothetical question. Suppose a kid refused to do any school work every day for the entire semester. What would you do?
Well , as a professor i would do nothing and let them fail (happens every semester). Under certain private schools this may also be the norm. Yet, since were stuck in a lousy system of public education this is not an option for educators. They must try to find a way to motivate them at least on some level. But, in terms of what i would do, i would simply start with small steps. Maybe strive to reward something as simple attendance first (under the assumption that they would learn something while there) and then see where that goes. But even this presuposses that they would learn more in my classroom then at home...which may simply not be the case
So, monkey do, monkey get banana? I can't see what you could offer unless you have a bribe budget. But let me be more specific. The kid refuses to do any work because he finds compulsory school attendance unjustifiable and unacceptable and is only going to the classroom to satisfy the Education Act. I.e., you can't motivate him with carrot-on-a-stick tricks or manipulate him into seeing the greater wisdom of compliance with pep talks on the utility of a diploma. He will attend. He just won't do any assignments and nothing you do can change this. Does that discount all your ideas?
I'm asking because this is what I did and I'm curious how you would handle it.
This would be my kind of kid! I would find some way to connect with him/her, music, sports, art, philosophy, something, but I would simply encourage them to continue to pursue whatever it is they want to pursue. Of course I would take the normal, obligated, responses; calling parents, contacting administration, etc. But, in reality this would all be obligated formalities, it would be awesome to have the kid in class even if he never did anything
Just plugging that the book is now available for kindle http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004ASOSIS . If you know anyone that might be interested please feel free to forward the link. Thanks!