"Whereas most studies of either teacher retention or student drop outs focuses on big-picture policy implications, The Power of Teacher Talk makes the case that the most important factor for keeping teachers and students in school is the everyday interactions between teacher and student, recognizing the key role of classroom teachers in addressing both problems"--

A treasure of practical ideas for teachers. Learn strategies to help your students become more productive and self-reliant. Improve your teaching skills and build mutually respectful relationships with your students. Learn language patterns that motivate students to become confident and caring.

While most educators believe working in teams is valuable, not all team efforts lead to instructional improvement. Through richly detailed case studies The Power of Teacher Teams demonstrates how schools can transform their teams into more effective learning communities that foster teacher leadership. The benefits of successful teacher teams include: improved performance for both teachers and students; meaningful professional development; group adoption of a new curriculum; shared insights into student work; better classroom management; support for new teachers; new roles for teacher leaders; and opportuniteis for mentor support.School leaders will find guidelines, methods, and concrete steps for building and sustaining effective teacher teams. Also included is a DVD with video case studies and one CD with reproducibles. The most important reason for building teacher teams is to enhance student learning through improved instruction, and that story is at the heart of this book.

"Whereas most studies of either teacher retention or student drop outs focuses on big-picture policy implications, The Power of Teacher Talk makes the case that the most important factor for keeping teachers and students in school is the everyday interactions between teacher and student, recognizing the key role of classroom teachers in addressing both problems"--

Adam Saenz's The Power of a Teacher is the result of years of research and professional development conducted in school districts nationwide. In this book you will be able to take the 50-item Teacher Wellness Inventory to identify strengths and weakness in the occupational, emotional, financial, spiritual, and physical areas of your life. It's also filled with discussion questions to create interaction and dialogue between colleagues. Read the stories of real people whose lives were changed by real teachers.

Shana Frazin and Katy Wischow passionately believe in the need to help students develop strong talk skills across the school day, in every subject, to prepare them for their academic lives and lives as active citizens outside of school. Using a unique "cycle" for talk that's similar to the writing process (generating, choosing, developing, acting, and reflecting), they name the predictable things we do most times we engage in a conversation, and show us how we can teach into those parts. Shana and Katy provide practical strategies for teaching four important purposes for talk that exist both in the classroom and in the real world: - talking to build relationships - talking to play with ideas - talking to clarify, analyze, and argue - talking to report. They offer a clear description of each purpose, the "when and how" to teach into those purposes, and what to do when things go awry. Classroom video brings the content to life showing what the talk looks and sounds like in action.

Empower, uplift, and affirm. Motivate and inspire. Reduce power struggles and learned helplessness. Build relationship through the use of empathy, understanding, and mutual respect. Teach personal responsibility. Help students create purpose, mission, and direction in their lives. Encourage students to become proficient at self-examination and self-evaluation. Teach a curriculum built not around subjects, but rather around core concepts such as honesty, diversity, responsibility, inner-knowing, solution-seeking, and personal power. Help students make decisions and find their own solutions. Help educators learn a style of communication that helps students learn how to become successful human beings.