Teaching Outside the Box: How to Grab Your Students By Their Brains

Wish I could give this more stars. It is simply the very best educational guide I have ever read, and it is my Teaching Bible. Part of that reason is that it speaks to my heart and natural teaching style - non authoritarian but still in charge, non control freak, flexible, committed to the exorbitant amount of time and patience and compassion it takes to truly connect with my students. I will concede that not everyone will react to this Godsend as I did. More punitive, authoritarian, 'traditional' and by-the-book types may likely read the exact words I did and not get anywhere near out of it what I do. If the phrase "Teaching is a work of heart" resonates with you, you'll love this book, and be so thankful you found it. A wonderful thing about the book is that it's not just theory; LouAnne Johnson gives practical suggestions and I have used many of them, nearly word for word. And let me tell you, it has paid me back, over and over, in spades. The connections and relationships I have made with my kids, and a huge suitcase full of notes and letters telling me so.....that is a priceless reward that I will treasure to my last day on earth, and this book contributed to that.

Great book! The author is clearly speaking from experience and has fantastic suggestions for all beginning teachers while also clearly defining terms, goals, sections, etc. I don't agree with 100% of her pedagogical stances, but most of them are really solid! Highly recommend if you're starting out as a teacher!

Item arrived very quickly and was described accurately!

Just the stars

I LOVE LouAnne Johnson's books - very helpful and practical!

This is an excellent book. Thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

Highly recommend!

I am crazy in love with this book.When I opened the first page and read a thank you note to me just for what I do every day, I felt validated, despite being in dire contract negotiations with our school board. Teachers often feel as though people don't appreciate them, but everything LouAnne Johnson says here makes me know that some people "get it."Her humanist approach to teaching is one that I had to develop over a couple of decades... How do you not get into power struggles with your students? How do you deal with trauma and anger and more? What I have learned through experience, she addresses in a no-nonsense way that does not feel preachy or prescriptive. It's like having a discussion over coffee with a trusted friend.She addresses all the insane advice I was given as a new teacher, including "Don't smile till after Christmas," "Don't ever let them know you don't know," "Don't ever let them talk back to you." This is all advice that I gratefully accepted and just as gratefully threw away when I realized they didn't work.This book would be a great textbook for preservice teachers, for all those going through alternative certification programs that take professionals and throw them into the classroom, for seasoned teachers who need some validation... It's an easy read. Her multiple anecdotes--including how a horse man's approach to "breaking" horses could be instrumental in winning over students--keep it relevant. Questions at the end of each chapter are meant for self-reflection more than skimming for information, as many textbooks ask.Teaching is about being human. It's about reflecting. It's about becoming a trusted guide. And that's what this book is all about.

Must read fr teachers.