• Overview

  The Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario is committed to providing professional development for it members in a variety of forms. Teachers are best able to determine what professional development they need to pursue as life-long learners and ETFO Book Clubs are designed for voluntary participation of interested members. As ETFO professional development programs and services continue to evolve to meet the challenging needs of educators and their students, the 2008-2009 season of offerings has been expanded to include book clubs with a focus on classroom management, differentiated instruction, and Kindergarten.

  Professional book clubs provide an excellent opportunity for members to reflect on their classroom practice, enhance their professional knowledge, and engage in the professional learning that best meets their needs and the needs of their students.

  A book club is a staff learning experience that gives educators an opportunity for professional networking, sharing, and reflection through an in-depth examination of ideas, concepts, research, and strategies presented in a professional resource.

  The main goals of ETFO Book Clubs are:

  • To enhance the professional knowledge of our members.
  • To enhance the professional practice of our members.
  • To foster leadership at the local level.
  • To implement high-yield, research-based instructional strategies.
  • To monitor the impact or effects of instructional decisions on students.
  • To reflect on current teaching practices.

  When professional book club experiences are tied to the real work of teachers, and to authentic issues they are grappling with in their classrooms, teachers have a deeper understanding of their impact on classroom practice and student learning.

• Book Club Structure

  Professional book clubs provide an excellent opportunity for our members to enhance their professional knowledge and practice. Participants attend four two-hour sessions that focus on specific chapters of the various resources highlighted, consider strategies they can try in their classroom, and reflect on and share their experiences within a community of learners. As a facilitator, you will contribute to building leadership capacity within our locals in the area of professional development.

• Roles and Responsibilities

  ETFO Book Clubs are offered in partnership between locals and the provincial office.  Facilitator guides, such as this one, have been developed by members to support you as you facilitate this book club.

• The Role of the Facilitator

  A book club facilitator guides a group of participants through an interactive discussion of a selected title. The facilitator organizes the session and conducts the meetings.  Group members can expect the facilitator to use open-ended questions, wait time, and paraphrasing to encourage participation.  The facilitator also emphasizes the importance of keeping the discussion on track, focusing on one topic or task at a time.  The person in this role is not an expert and should remain neutral allowing group members to share different perspectives.  All group members are valued and encouraged to participate in their own way.

• Establishing Group Norms

  Any group that meets regularly to work together needs to identify a set of norms or ground rules that will help a group do its work and discourage behaviours that interfere with a group’s effectiveness.  Norms govern how the group will interact, share, and learn together.
   
  It is ideal to set norms at the beginning of a group’s work together inviting group members to suggest ideal behaviours for groups, eventually refining them into an agreed-upon set of norms.  Once established and posted, groups need to continually remind themselves about the norms they have created.
   
  Some topics you may want to raise as starting points for discussion with your group are:
   
  Expectations for behaviour – How will your group relate to one another within (and beyond) the group?  Considering norms in TRIBES such as right to pass, attentive listening, and taking turns, may be helpful.
   
  Shared leadership – How will members share responsibility for the group?  How will decisions be made about what to read, when to meet, and where to meet be made? 
   
  Participation and interaction – How will members work together?  Considering roles such as recorder, timekeeper, and encourager may ensure that all group members become involved in the discussions.
   
  One strategy that may be helpful when reviewing group norms is ‘Round-Robin Reflection’.  In this process everyone takes 30 seconds to silently reflect on the extent to which he/she honoured the group’s norms and to what extent it enhanced the group’s work.  The facilitator then chooses someone at random to share their reflections. When this person is finished then another group member paraphrases what they have heard.  This process is repeated in round-robin fashion beginning with the person to the right of the first speaker.

• Building Inclusion

  Grounding is an excellent inclusion activity for introductory meetings.  It serves several purposes including:

  • establishing a norm for respectful listening;
  • bringing people into the here and now;
  • allowing people to connect with one another; and
  • allowing for expression of hopes and apprehensions.

  Directions - Each person in round-robin fashion, speaks to these points:

  • name;
  • current role;
  • school;
  • reasons for joining a professional book study; and
  • expectations of the book club experience.

• Needs of Individuals in Groups

  Regardless of the nature of the group and its purpose, some basic needs must be met within the group setting for it to be as focused, productive,  and interactive as possible. A good facilitator looks for signs of the characteristics listed below to determine whether it provides the kind of satisfaction group members need. Periodically it may be helpful to give group members time to evaluate the extent to which the group is meeting their individual needs.
   
  The following are important needs group members value.  As the group evolves, it is about finding the balance between the needs of the group members and the group work that needs to be accomplished.
   
  Feeling a sense of belonging – Group members need a collaborative environment where they feel safe and supported in their presence and their contribution to the group’s work.
   
  Commitment to group goals – Group members achieve commitment when they see value in the goals selected, having a part in selecting and refining those goals, and directing the group process.
   
  Sense of progress – It is important to give group members opportunities to reflect on their progress toward goals so that members feel a sense of accomplishment.
   
  Having confidence in the facilitator – A good facilitator establishes a supportive, risk free learning environment emphasizing the importance of professional dialogue.  The facilitator organizes the sessions and conducts the meetings.  The person in the role of facilitator is not intended to be an expert and should remain neutral, allowing participants to share different perspectives.

• Knowing Your Participants

  When developing a group’s capacity for powerful conversations, Robert Garmston suggests that group members set aside unproductive patterns of listening, talking, and participating.
   
  However, from time-to-time, facilitators may need to confront challenging situations.  Late arrivals at meetings, overbearing participants, and conflict among group members can negatively impact on a group.  Although there is no “right” way to respond to these problems, here are some possible solutions to common problems faced by facilitators.
   
  Non talker – Honour an individual’s right to pass.  Each member has the right to choose when and to what extent they will participate in the group discussion; ask open ended questions and learn to be silent.
   
  Underminer –  Focus on the agenda and topics agreed upon by the group.  Don’t acknowledge or over react; at the end of the session revisit the group norms and their purpose.
   
  Rambler – When the member pauses, refocus attention by restating the relevant points and move on; ask "How does that relate to ________?"
   
  Side talker – Re-direct conversation by asking the person an easy question or to paraphrase what has been stated; create a parking lot (flip chart, sticky notes) to post questions or issues that can be discussed in a later session.
   
  Over talkative – State "We only have a limited amount of time today. We want everyone to have a chance.”

• Further Reading

  Robert Garmston. ‘Teacher Talk That Makes a Difference’ Educational Leadership, ASCD, April 1998
   
  Garmston, R. & Wellman, B.  ‘The Adaptive School: A Sourcebook for Developing Collaborative Groups’, Christopher-Gordon Publishers, 1999
   
  Richardson, J. ‘Norms Put the ‘Golden Rule’ into Practice for Groups’, Tools for Schools, NSDC, August-September 1999
   
  Easton, L.B. ‘Powerful Designs for Professional Learning’ NSDC, 2004
   
  Richard G. Weaver & John D. Farrell. ‘Managers as Facilitators: A Practical Guide to Getting Work Done in a Changing Workplace’, McGraw Hill, 1999
   
  Bennett J., Dawson R., & Torney. ‘Book Study Facilitator’s Guide for Teaching Student-Centred Mathematics.’ Pearson Education Canada, 2007
   
  Wisconsin Staff Development Council – www.learningforward.org

Book Introductions and Facilitators' Guides

• Social Justice Begins With Me

  

  This book club aims to explore what it means to teach with social justice in mind. It begins with questioning what social justice means to me and what it means to others. Inevitably, we will find differing definitions or ideas but common threads sewn across. Learning to teach with social justice in mind is a longitudinal process that begins with holding a definition which leads to examining my own situation, my own lived experiences and how these have informed my definition, my action and my cause.
  
  These four sessions are geared towards a reflective discussion about what it means to teach with social justice in mind. It requires a courageous conversation with ourselves and with others. It will challenge us just as we challenge our students to think about their thinking.
  
  

  Facilitator's Guide

• The Heart and Art of Teaching and Learning

  

  Who am I as an educator? What do I truly believe is important about teaching and learning? How will I live these beliefs in my classroom? The Heart and Art of Teaching and Learning: Practical Ideas and Resources for Beginning Teachers is meant not only to provide a practical resource for the many “firsts” beginning teachers will encounter, but also to encourage and enhance each educator’s personal learning journey along a continuum of professional learning and growth.
  
  

  Applying the attributes-based approach to the facilitation of The Heart and Art of Teaching and Learning: Practical Ideas and Resources for Beginning Teachers Book Club means providing opportunities for authentic knowledge construction and personalization of learning. When the agenda of learning is held outside the circle of learners, implementation of learning rarely occurs.

   

  The goal for facilitation of this book club is that the learning is constructed by the learners themselves and explicitly connected to the “real world” of classroom practice and student learning.

  Facilitator's Guide
  
  

• Thinking It Through: Introduction to Child Development

  The Book Club for Child Development provides comprehensive information about development in all of the domains: physical, social, communication, language and literacy, cognitive and emotional.

  There are indicators of development as well as background information for educators to consider when assessing and planning.

  The Book Club shows how the domains are interconnected and provides examples of how the domains are connected to the learning areas.

  Facilitator's Guide

   

   

• Thinking It Through: Introduction to The Arts - Joyful Learning

  This Book Club will support educators in thinking about how the classroom environment can support learning in the arts- visual arts, music, dance and drama.
  
  The educator has a critical role to play in helping children develop confidence in themselves and helping them to see their strengths and what they can accomplish as ‘artists’.

   

  Facilitator's Guide

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

• Thinking It Through: Introduction to Literacy and the Young Child

  The Book Club Literacy and the Young Child creates a picture of what literacy ‘looks like’ in the kindergarten classroom today. 

  It is based on what is known about child development and current research in the field.

  This Book Club outlines four areas of literacy: oral language, reading, writing and media literacy. In each area there is an overview with practical examples for the classroom.

  Facilitator's Guide

   

   

   

   

   

• Thinking It Through: Introduction to Learning In Centres

  This Book Club provides practical information for the creation of centres; what a centre might look like at the beginning of the year and how it might change throughout the year.
  
  There is also information about the potential of each learning centre, the materials that may be included and the opportunities for assessment.

  Facilitator's Guide

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

• Thinking It Through: Introduction to Playing Is Learning

  The Book Club for Playing Is Learning will support educators in developing a play-based program and to support educators already implementing play throughout their program.
  
  For some educators the information will reaffirm their practices and for others will provide a reflective guide for planning as they implement changes to the program.

   

  Facilitator's Guide

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

• Thinking It Through: Introduction to Science and Technology

  The Science and Technology Book Club focuses on what science and technology 'looks and sounds like' in the kindergarten classroom.
  
  It builds on the notion that young children are curious about the world in which they live and learn about the world through observing, using their senses and exploring.

   

  Facilitator's Guide

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

• Thinking It Through: Introduction to Assessment That Informs Instruction

  The Book Club for Assessment That Informs Instruction reflects the belief that assessment and instruction are connected and that the purpose of assessment is for learning.

   

  In kindergarten, as children are engaged in play at learning centres, educators have an opportunity to observe children demonstrate their learning in multiple ways.

   

  Assessment in kindergarten is dependent upon a rich learning environment and the Book Club outlines key elements for observing.

   

  Facilitator's Guide

   

   

   

• Thinking It Through: Introduction to Thinking Mathematically

  The Thinking Mathematically Book Club provides support for educators in creating the learning environment for mathematics based on what is known about child development and current understandings in the area.

   

  The Book Club looks at strands of mathematics and the learning processes and provides examples of what this looks like in kindergarten.

   

  Through discussions, the Book Club shows the connections between mathematics and other learning areas thus promoting an integrated approach.

   

  Facilitator's Guide

   

   

   

• Thinking It Through: Teaching and Learning in the Kindergarten Classroom

  Thinking it Through is a comprehensive resource for kindergarten educators who are interested in reflecting on and improving their practice with our youngest learners. The resource includes research, scenarios that illustrate practice and reflection, practical suggestions, information for each area of learning as well as major topics such as child development, assessment, planning, play and learning centres.
  
  For those who are new to kindergarten, the resource provides a wealth of information to guide and inform practice. For those who are experienced, it is hoped that the resource will confirm appropriate practices along with providing some new information. Whether new or experienced in kindergarten there are reflective questions is each chapter that may be used for individual reflection or as a stimulus for group discussion.
  
  At the heart of this resource is a belief in young children’s capacity to learn and their ability to demonstrate their learning in multiple ways given the opportunity within the program. There is also a belief that children come to school with a great deal of their own background knowledge and come ready to learn.
  
  However, they need the support of a skilled and caring educator to help them make the connections between what they already know and the learning of the school experience. The resource also acknowledges the importance of play and the vital role it plays in a young child’s learning.  The roles and responsibilities of educators are outlined in the various chapters to provide educators with a tool for examining and reflecting on their practice.

   Facilitator's Guide

• Primarily Play: Engaging primary learners through play

  

  Primarily Play is a resource for Grade 1-3 educators who are interested in improving their practice, reflecting and moving to a play-based program for young students.  The resource includes important research in the field about the benefits of play-based learning, scenarios to illustrate important ideas, and questions to get one thinking about their practice and to engage in personal reflection about the children they teach each day.  The resource provides a wealth of knowledge about implementing and planning for play-based learning in the primary grades. 

  It is hoped that the knowledge gained will confirm appropriate practices along with providing new ideas and information on connecting the curriculum through play. Whether a new or an experienced teacher, Primarily Play will stimulate discussions about how to best prepare our students for the future. 

  The resource centres around the primary students capacity to learn through play and about how play-based learning can be implemented through the curriculum areas as you come to understand your student’s needs. 

  For educators, play should not be an added component of the curriculum, but used as a vehicle to integrate, complement, and differentiate instruction.  The role of the teacher is to create an environment for self-directed inquiry. Students can build independence, refine the ability to think and question, experiment in a safe place, and synthesize new ideas to solidify their learning. The goal is to allow them to share and reflect on their own discoveries.

  Facilitator's Guide

• Transformer sa pédagogie

  Introduction to Transformer sa pédagogie This book club provides a practical and current resource for teachers of French as a Second Language, Grades 4 to 6.  Recognizing the complexities of teaching today, Transformer sa pédagogie provides key information on up-to-date teaching and learning strategies.
  
  During the Book Club sessions, teachers will:
  
  Explore French culture and engage in activities for professional learning;
  Consider recent research findings and the implications for the learners in their classrooms;
  Review and reflect on their thinking;
  Talk and share thinking; and
  Develop strategies that support classroom learning.
  
  

  Participation in this book club will show French teachers how they can create change in their classrooms, and meet the needs of their students by implementing current and effective teaching and learning strategies.

   Facilitator's Guide

• Learning Together: A Teacher’s Guide to Combined Grades

  In this book club, we will examine the resource: Learning Together: A Teacher’s Guide to Combined Grades, which provides educators with a framework for teaching combined grades. This resource offers practical strategies, clearly defined criteria, and sample templates, which support the successful organization and management of combined grade classes. This approach to teaching combined grades encourages the development of a new perspective, in which a multi-grade class is no longer viewed as a ‘split grade’ but rather as a ‘combined grade’. This optimistic perception of a multi-grade class enables educators to create a classroom environment that supports an inclusive learning community. By establishing this type of learning environment, students feel safe and supported, and they are able to recognize the importance of working together as a community.
  
  Along with an inclusive learning community, we will also consider the positive influence that a successful management structure, differentiated instruction, strategic planning, and effective assessment each have on student achievement. Each of these essential components are puzzle pieces that, when joined together establishes an optimal learning environment by creating opportunities for students of a combined grade class to demonstrate their learning capabilities.

   Facilitator's Guide

• I Am the Teacher

  In this book club, teachers will consider I Am the Teacher and discuss the challenges of creating an effectively managed classroom environment as Occasional Teachers. Occasional Teachers are a diverse group. They may be retired and bring years of valuable experience to the classroom; they may be career Occasional Teachers who enjoy the flexibility that supply work allows; they may be recent graduates who have little experience and are looking for full time contracts. This diversity will allow participants to examine the critical role of classroom management through different lenses, and to explore how classroom management affects the learning environment of students they visit.

  Teachers will read real stories detailing the experiences of Occasional Teachers in elementary schools, the challenges they face, and the strategies they use to ensure the brief time they spend with students will be productive and positive and will contribute significantly to the learning goals the full time teacher has in place for the class.

  The book club activities and discussions contained within this guide will focus on the following six components of effective classroom management:

  • Establishing an Effective Presence
  • Considering Student Expectations
  • Bonding and Connecting with Students
  • Effective Routines and Procedures
  • Effective Classroom Management Techniques
  • Effective Instruction

  This ETFO Book Club will promote an understanding of the particular challenges Occasional Teachers face and examine how and why strategies differ from those of the full time teacher. Participants will take away effective strategies to implement in their own practice.

   Facilitator's Guide

• Teaching for Deep Understanding

  This ETFO Book Club Facilitator Guide was written and organized to assist educators in exploring, discussing and implementing the wide variety of ideas, concepts, beliefs, philosophies, and strategies that are recommended throughout the book Teaching for Deep Understanding.
  
  

  The goal of this Book Club is to guide teachers through an in-depth examination of the collection of theoretical and practical writing pieces and provide meaningful ways to discuss, relate, and reflect upon their application to the classroom and the curriculum in order to improve student achievement. This Book Club will use the Literature Circles framework to organize the discussions and ensure that all participants engage in an active and thoughtful role.
  
  

  Teaching for Deep Understanding was written through partnership of ETFO members and the OISE/UT faculty.  The objective of the project was to unite the two worlds of educational practice and educational research.   This practical and thought-provoking book explores the problems that effective educators encounter when delivering the Ontario Curriculum. 

  The number one goal of this collaborative partnership is to stress the importance of deep understanding for all students. This goal is linked closely to the concept of brain compatible learning.  In order for students to truly develop and achieve deep understanding we can no longer “plough” through the curriculum expectations.
  
  Our accountability as outstanding teachers should be to search for powerful ways to deliver the curriculum content with passion, meaning and connections to life and real world experiences. These links to life beyond the four walls of the classroom will help to achieve the deep understanding that our students deserve in order to become emotionally intelligent and successful adults. 

  Cross-curricular integration, conscious and unconscious instructional intelligence, a positive, enthusiastic attitude toward problem solving and ongoing learning are all necessary components of developing deep understanding for ourselves and for our Ontario students.

   Facilitator's Guide

• Worms, Shadows and Whirlpools

  The Worms, Shadows, and Whirlpools book club captures what is known about learning, effective teaching, and science education of young children. This book represents a new way to think about science education for young children; it identifies important science inquiry skills and concepts appropriate for the very young.
  
  Participants will discuss what good science teaching and learning can and should be in classrooms of 3-5 year olds. Participants will also explore what it looks like to integrate science into the curriculum right from the start by creating a context for the development of language, mathematical thinking, and social skills.
  
  During the sessions, teachers will discover answers to the following questions;
  
  

  • Why is science important for young children?
  • What is appropriate content for three-to-five year olds?
  • What are the principles of a good science program?
  • How do teachers engage children in science inquiry?

  This book club will engage teachers in discussing what is known about the learning, effective teaching, and science education of young children by using the daily work of teachers and children in Head Start, kindergarten, day care, and preschool programs. Teachers will explore their own stories, and stories of other teachers, photographs and examples of children’s work, and discuss specific teaching strategies and the related impact on student learning.
  
  Participation in this book club will lead to an increased understanding of what a quality science program encompasses and how to raise the profile of science as a major component of the curriculum in the classrooms of participating teachers.

   Facilitator's Guide

• Professional Learning to Reshape Teaching

  This book club shows teachers how to take charge of their own professional development. Participants will focus on their own experiences and strengths, and become problem solvers rather than consumers of external knowledge.

  During the sessions, teachers will examine:

  Their current beliefs about professional learning;
  Contexts for reform and their own teaching contexts;
  How the conditions in learning experiences relate to professional development and/or professional learning; and
  Knowledge creation culture.

  This book club will engage teachers in discussions related to their own professional learning including:  taking charge of educational change, models and principles of professional learning, and the differences between professional development and professional learning and professional learning structures.
  
  Participation in this book club will show teachers how they can create change in the education system and improve their students’ chances of success through their own professional learning.

   Facilitator's Guide

• Making Math Happen in the Primary Years

  In this book club teachers will explore the book Making Math Happen in the Primary Years and discuss the implications of this research based work on classroom practice.  It is a book club for both new and experienced teachers and will provide concrete ideas about implementing effective mathematics practice into the classroom to support student’s understanding.
  
  This book club is comprised of four sessions:

  Session One - Primary Learners and Primary Math
  Session Two – Integrating Problem Solving and Communication in the Math Program
  Session Three – Making Math Come Alive
  Session Four – Planning and Beyond

  Teachers will discuss the readings during each session and using their learning from each session will try different activities or strategies which will be shared at the following session.  This approach will provide teachers with the opportunity to learn with and from each other throughout this professional learning opportunity.

   Facilitator's Guide

• Making Math Happen in the Junior Years

  In this book club teachers will explore the book Making Math Happen in the Junior Years and discuss the implications of this research based work on classroom practice.  It is a book club for both new and experienced teachers and will provide concrete ideas about implementing effective mathematics practice into the classroom to support student’s understanding. This book club is comprised of four sessions:
  
  Session One – The Junior Learner
  Session Two – Problem Solving and Communication in the Math Classroom
  Session Three – Components of an Effective Math Program
  Session Four – Planning and Preparing
  
  Teachers will discuss the readings during each session and using their learning from each session, will try different activities or strategies that will be shared at the following session.  This approach will provide teachers with the opportunity to learn with and from each other throughout this professional learning opportunity.

   Facilitator's Guide

• Differentiated Instructional Strategies for Writing in the Content Areas

  This book club is recommended for all teachers who want to inspire every student as a writer. It will provide teachers with specific, explicit strategies for teaching writing while teaching in the content areas.

  Book discussions will involve teachers in identifying how to work with the needs of individual students so that each can apply information, demonstrate content mastery, think and write creatively and critically, and solve real-world problems. Teachers will walk away with the tools they need to work with writers of all levels.
  
  This book club will engage teachers in discussing the unique needs and skills of each as they differentiate writing instruction. Teachers will explore how to consider the classroom climate, developmental stages, assessment of writing problems, flexible groupings, instructional strategies and curriculum approaches to their classroom practice.

  Teachers will discuss strategies for a differentiated approach to writing that will help teachers to support their students in becoming lifelong and confident writers.

  Facilitator's Guide

• Differentiating Instruction in the Regular Classroom

  This book club is recommended for all teachers committed to reaching and teaching all learners. Through the book study, teachers will discuss examples that illustrate differentiation in many content areas. Discussion will include evaluation in a differentiated classroom, how to manage both behavior and work tasks, ways to get to know your students and how to make instructional changes in response to learners’ needs, styles, and/or interests.

   

  This book club will engage teachers in thinking about teaching and learning; how to respond to an increasingly broad spectrum of student needs, backgrounds, and learning styles in the classroom. Teachers will discuss strategies that help to better address and manage the variety of learning needs in the classroom.

   

  Through the book club sessions, teachers will be introduced to a wide variety of strategies that will help to:

   

  • Develop challenging and engaging tasks for every learner
  • Group your students for instruction
  • Grade differentiated tasks
  • Manage your classroom while students are engaged in differentiated tasks

   

  Finally, participants will explore how to plan and organize for differentiation in the regular classroom.

   

   Facilitator's Guide

• The Arts Go To School

  This book club will give teachers a glimpse into real, exemplary classrooms where the arts are being used to bring learning to life. Based on authentic experiences and featuring chapters on each of the major art forms; music, visual arts, drama, dance and all forms of modern media, the book club will familiarize teachers with the major art forms and will show teachers how to help students meet related curriculum outcomes.

   

  Participants will explore all aspects of implementing and integrating the arts into both the curriculum and everyday life. By combining implementation of ideas outlined in the book, with the sharing of personal arts experience accounts, teachers will develop a wealth of classroom activities that will help kids give form to their thoughts and feelings.

   

  Through the book club, participants will discuss the rich contribution of arts in the classroom and will obtain the background and supports needed to focus on learning through the arts and effectively assessing arts in the school. Teachers will discover the power the arts bring to every aspect of learning. They will find out how by incorporating the arts in the classroom they can open up new possibilities and help students become more open to the world around them, while providing another way of thinking about the world around them.

  
   Facilitator's Guide

   

• ETFO Special Education Handbook

  The ETFO Special Education Handbook: A Practical Guide for All Teachers was developed as a resource for all teachers in Ontario, including classroom teachers, subject teachers, special education teachers and occasional teachers, as they work with students with special needs.

   

  Recognizing that school boards may have different approaches to implementing the Ontario Ministry of Education’s special education policy, the handbook provides a provincial overview of special education and a wealth of information for anyone teaching in the province.

   

  Participating in this book club will provide teachers with practical classroom strategies to support the learning of students with special needs, and will increase their understanding of the structure of special education in the province of Ontario.

   

  The book club is structured as four short sessions. Session One serves as an introduction and an opportunity to outline the expectations for Sessions Two to Four.  Along with exploring a topic in the handbook at each session, the bulk of Sessions Two to Four can be described as a case study approach. Participants will select one or more students in their classrooms with special needs, and implement strategies contained in the handbook and share the results with their colleagues at the next session.

   

   Facilitator's Guide

   

• Punished by Rewards

  In this book club, we’ll take a look at Punished by Rewards and the presentation of research and reasoning that Alfie Kohn uses for teachers to avoid the use of rewards in order to help students learn. Written for a general audience this book shows how rewards undermine our efforts to teach students.

  
  We will consider the use of rewards and the impact on student’s behaviour. We will examine research and logic to discover that the more schools and teachers, rely on incentives, the worse things get. We will also explore the effectiveness of encouragement, co-operation, and matter-of-fact feedback.

  
  The final sessions of the book club will offer a practical set of strategies for teachers that move beyond the use of carrots or sticks. Participants will look at alternatives to rewards that support student learning. Through discussions, teachers will become familiar with a practical set of strategies for teachers to move beyond rewards towards collaboration, content, and choice.

   

   Facilitator's Guide

• Classroom Management That Works

  In this book club, teachers will consider the book Classroom Management That Works and discuss what needs to be done to create effectively managed classrooms, for new and experienced teachers alike. Teachers will take a look at the critical role of classroom management and factors affecting student achievement. Teachers will read real classroom stories about how to get every class off to a good start, involve students in classroom management, and develop effective school-wide management policies.

   

  Book club discussions will include the four most important general components of effective classroom management and their impact on student engagement and achievement. The book study will promote the use of effective disciplinary interventions, building positive student-teacher relationships, and developing a sound mental set for difficult situations. Marzano’s work, which is based on more than 100 studies of classroom management will be considered, as well as the practical action steps that can be implemented in any classroom. These include:

   

  • establishing rules and procedures;
  • effective disciplinary interventions;
  • positive student-teacher relationships;
  • developing an effective mental set; and
  • instilling student responsibility.

  Teachers will discuss vignettes which will illustrate how the strategies can be applied in real-life situations, and assist with understanding and implementation.  The practical and effective strategies presented will allow the acquisition of sound classroom management to be an achievable goal for all teachers.

  Facilitator's Guide

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