Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)FISH! A REMARKABLE WAY TO BOOST MORALE AND IMPROVE
RESULTS by Stephen C. Lundin, Harry Paul and John Christensen
has become one of my favorite business books . . . so when I saw
that the principles have been applied to education in a book, SCHOOLS OF
FISH! by Philip Strand, Christensen
and Andy Halper, I knew that it was something that I had to read.
And am I ever glad that I did, in that it inspired me with its ideas and
techniques for better classroom management . . . though all the
many examples were from grades K-12 situations, I do believe that
they could be related to any level of education--up through and
including graduate school.
One quote from the book says it all: "We're very serious about
learning; play is just how we feel while we're doing it."
It got me thinking about the fact that education should be more
fun . . . for the teacher, as well as the student . . . you don't
have to be a rocket scientist to make this happen . . . just utilize
some of the methods that have worked for others, apply them to
your situation, and you'll be all set.
There were several memorable passages; among the ones that
I especially liked were these:
* That duality also transfers to adult relationships. As daily pressures
compete for our attention, it's amazing how people can seem rude
or, equally, how simple gestures stand out. For example, a certain
principal never answers his phone when talking with a visitor. "It
will ring and the other person will say, "It's OK if you get that," he
explains. "I tell them, `No, you're more important to me right now.'
They're always surprised," Why? Possibly because it's such a
powerful statement of respect and commitment.
* When it came to dealing with parents, Puntenney wanted to make sure
she not only called home to discuss problems, but also to congratulate
students. She sent good-news postcards home, and sometimes she
just called parents to tell them about their child's success.
"Some parents were in disbelief when I called," she says. "They
said things like, `Are you sure you have the right student?' One
said, `Nobody from school has ever called with good news before!
Thank you."
* At Avon Intermediate School, there's room at the table for everybody.
"Recently I bought furniture for the staff dining room--four tables with
four chairs for each table," says principal Scott Raftery. "The next day,
when I came in the dining room, the teachers had pushed all the tables
together to create one huge table so they could eat like a big family."
The above is just basic stuff, but it works . . . if you're looking for the ideal
gift for any teacher (past, present or future), then you won't go wrong
buying SCHOOLS OF FISH!
Click Here to see more reviews about: Schools of Fish
It's two minutes to 8:00. Time to put on your tights and cape.As an educator, every time that bell rings, you face dozens of challenges. Students with overwhelming personal and academic needs. Creativity-stifling mandates. Administrivia. Cynicism. Apathy. The things that keep you from being the educator you want to be.The FISH! Philosophy -- four simple principles: Be There, Play, Make Their Day, and Choose Your Attitude -- has helped educators around the world build more effective, fulfilling relationships that lead to better learning. It is also backed by tons (OK, about a hundred pounds) of research on classroom management.Schools of FISH! is full of inspiring and instructive stories about people just like you -- with hopes and challenges just like yours. It's about real-life heroes who give the best in themselves to help their students find the best in themselves.Schools of FISH! offers practical ideas on classroom management. It addresses the issues you deal with every day—improving learning, respect and personal accountability, self-discipline and internal motivation, and finding ways to make learning more fun. Because you're not just teaching students to learn . . . you're inspiring them to want to learn.
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