"CM #01" -- cover. Includes bibliographical references.
Contents:
Foreword / Kwame Alexander -- Introduction: We all want better -- Part 1: This ain't everybody's hero story : it's yours. 1. Begin by listening. How listening can help ; How to listen to what students are really communicating ; How to ensure that your lessons speak to what students say they need -- 2. You can disrupt the status quo in your class. Question the things that define your classroom culture ; Identify any groups that consistently benefit less from the way things are ; Change the way you do school so that kids have more opportunities to succeed -- 3. Do your homework and then go for it. Identify why change needs to happen ; Do a little bit of research ; Decide what to do and make a plan ; Execute the plan ; Find a productive way to say no -- Part 2: Taking your dreams off deferment. 4. Show kids that you hear them. Plan for and hold regular class meetings to maintain community ; Designate specific kids who can give you feedback ; Shift from a punitive to an instructive mind-set -- 5. Make curriculum work for your kids. Use a universal-design-for-learning framework to make learning accessible ; Understand exactly what you're being asked to do ; Understand what test prep is really asking you to do -- 6. Being a good teacher versus being a good employee. Engage in imaginative mind-set work ; Gather a PR team as you make a plan to be better for kids ; Bring it back to the classroom -- Epilogue: The gravity of our work.
Summary:
While challenging the teacher as hero trope, We Got This shows how authentically listening to kids is the closest thing to a superpower that we have. Cornelius identifies tools, attributes, and strategies that can augment our listening.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.