Excellent tool! All subject area teachers would benefit!
351768
Excellent teaching tool!!!! Can integrate all ideas into all subject areas. Can generate ideas to create interactive lessons with Cooperative learning. I teach both reading and art at the elementary and middle school levels. Use the tips to teach art history and elements of art and principles of design within art lessons. I use Cornell notes in conjunction with these tips with Middle school students.
1244991
This book is an amazing resource for any educator. It's jam-packed with "icebreakers" or activities that can be used effectively to enhance and support any curriculum.

For example, have you ever considered kicking off your class with a chant? The author suggests that chants can be great motivators and if you think teenagers won't like them, think again. How about a beanbag topic toss or birthday circle where classmates must see how quickly they can form a circle with everybody in chronological order by their birthdays?

What I love about this book is that most of the activities can spark other ideas, can be tweaked and adapted to suit a wide variety of ages and will definitely make learning fun. It's difficult to get students to be mentally present in the classroom and this book is just what a teacher needs to engage students, make them feel welcome and allow them to mingle and interact in a fun environment.
204667
Every reading teacher needs this! As a 7 year elementary veteran teacher, this is the most comprehensive/user-friendly strategy lesson collection I have seen. Almost every teacher in my grade level has purchased since we were introduced to it, despite having a library copy-it's one you will want for yourself! I have used this in small guided groups and whole group lessons. They are quick, to the point, and even list suggested Fountas and Pinnell levels for the lessons. You won't regret this purchase!
4120868
This is an excellent tool for differentiation based on reading level. The pack has 40 short (yes! great for short attention spans) nonfiction texts in a range of reading levels (3.7-6.6). There is an awesome table of contents card that lists the passages, their reading level, and the common core standards that each question is associated with. Each passage is also accompanied by a Try This! activity which is clutch for early finishers.

The way I use this in my classroom is I give the students a few options of passages they could read (based on RL). Then, I have them answer the questions on the back using a dry erase marker. Then, they check their answers using the Hot Dots pen. They LOVE using the pen. It actually motivates them to read the passage! It gives an audio and visual response so they can see if they were correct/incorrect. This is a great addition to mix it up a little bit and make answering comprehension questions more engaging.
2555115
This is an awesome instructional tool for teachers. It breaks down the writing into manageable categories that are easily understood by the students. I will continue to use this in my resource junior high English classes.
3039620
This has some great ideas for teachers!  Many of these ideas can be used with pretty much any subject.  It will get you out of your vocabulary "rote memory" rut!  Great ideas for differentiation and student engagement!
4772368
As a 5/6 science teacher and a college professor teaching elementary science methods classes, I am always looking for new books with well planned lessons.  I recently purchased this book to review as a resource for my college class.  I found that the book had well designed activities with few resource needed--most can easily be found in the classroom or home.  This is a real plus for college students entering student teaching and busy classroom teachers with limited budgets.

The book will enter my shelf of good resource for beginning student teachers.  I would expect student teachers to design their own lesson for big units but this book would be useful as filler lessons.  However, I found last week, when I was unexpectly absent for 3 days with not time to plan--it was also a great resource as substitute plans--everything is explained and it only took me a few minutes to collect the necessary materials--I quickly copied the pages and headed off the the hospital knowing my sub--whoever it happened to be--would be able to use the lessons as is.

My reason for a 4 star, not 5 review is simple--not enough backgound information for the students.  I encourage questioning in my class--I do teach science afterall!!--and when I returned to the classroom I was peppered with questions.  I spent that afternnon collecting information on the Bermuda triangle and ball lightening which I posted on the current events/questions board for my curious students.  If I continue to use the book in the classrrom I will need to develop a set of powerpoint or bulletin board displays to delve deeper into many of the topics covered (actually--this is a great lesson for my college students!!)

All in all, a nice usable resource, especially for hesitant pre-student teachers.
981711
This is an outstanding resource for middle school language arts teachers. It provided me with the strategies I needed to break down writing instruction into "fun-size" bites. The author provides clear instructions and simplifies the standards. I can't wait to start using these ideas when school starts up again!
23564
I recently purchased this DVD. As a new teacher, I found this to be an exciting, dynamic and engaging teaching tool. The performances helped my students understand the text and the interactive menus and DVD-ROM extras made my life easy...lesson plans, quizzes...a literary terms glossary! The commentary was also very helpful. I highly recommend this to both students and teachers alike.
486015
I'm a student teacher and, by previous student teachers' recommendations, we used this as our 'text book.'  It was great!  Short readings on individual changes that you can use in your classroom the next day!  Great for the busy teacher.

This book delivers the small things that, added together, distinguish an effective teacher from a good teacher.  However, it is not general at all.  The author made it as concrete as possible, to allow any teacher of any subject or grade level, to journey to effective teaching.  This book is much more helpful, providing real actions and decisions I can take that will make students learn more, than many other books I have read.

If you're looking to improve your teaching skills and/or classroom management, do yourself a favor & buy this book!
177663
Wonderful resource! I use it in my classroom for social skills work. Would and have recommend(ed) to others and I am very pleased with  this purchase!
3575665
Highly recommend this book for any teacher! The best resource I know of!
1860563
As a practicing speech-language pathologist in the public school setting, I have found Joan Green's book to be a wealth of knowledge  for colleagues, parents, and students.  Staying current in technology can be overwhelming for busy professionals.  The format of the book, with the addition of the index, provides an organized, easy-to-read compilation of affordable tools for all ages of learners.
As an adjunct professor at a local university, I  encouraged my Special Education graduate students to use the book as a reference tool and to share the book with mentoring  SPED teachers in school settings.  The book is "user-friendly" for adults who have not embraced technology as a teaching tool or who rely on the "specialists" to implement assistive technology.  The universal design for learning agenda within the Common Core State Standards, requires  all  educators to increase knowledge of affordable technology and strategies. The book is the bridge for all educators to apply differentiated instruction via technology.  Each chapter has a standalone capability to empower educators with a plethora of technology resources for all types of learners.
3265338
The author has put together a well thought out, easy to implement game plan for becoming a better, more efficient teacher. He has done his homework in gathering data from real teachers who are in the field every day and has applied effective solutions to problems universal to the teaching profession. This book is easy to read and should be in the desk of every teacher as a standard reference tool for not only serving their students better but also for creating a more efficient work day and thereby having more free time. That's what I call a win-win!
3320293
I've been waiting for a tool like this to come out for several years now! This book has a wonderful assessment with very appropriate objectives for little ones. The curriculum guide is very user friendly & easy to read for a variety of audiences-from BCBA's to teachers to parents. The content is very useful & actually lays out every aspect of a social skills group. I'm really excited to start using this in my preschool. Hoping the authors will create a second one for older kiddos!
4217757
Super clear and useful--student will find this book so helpful!  As a faculty member, I appreciated the review questions at different spots--it helped me learn the material and I know it will help my students too!
1392113
I am a professor, and I got this calculator to get ideas on how to teach mathematics.  This is a great tool for students!  It allows for experimentation with math, helps with organization, spells out graph results and the CAS is wonderful for learning the in and outs of algebra.  I can see why they titled it "Nspire".  This should inspire students to learn math.