Juanita

 The book is called Teaching what Matters Most.

authors: 

Richard Strong
Harvey Silver
Matthew Pirini

  The first three chapters of this book deal with first, the definition of Responsible Standards. That is determined to be Rigor, Thought, Authenticity and Diversity.
   Rigor here is defined as ' Students being able to read and understand powerful and challenging texts, and the ideas that animate them'.
  Through the three chapters the authors explore how to best define rigor, how to develop strategies for 'rigorous learning' and then how to check your work, so to speak, by assessing rigor.

Chapters Four, Five and Six
This cluster of chapters begins by naming Thought as another standard by which to measure rigor. According to the authors, thought means encouraging students t engage in thinking...deep thinking as they tackle a new task or assignment. They believe that real thinking doesn't take place unless the student approaches the task with some degree of uncertainty. Once they start struggling to find answers,they find they are helped along the way by thinking about what to do next, and how to reach their goals. The authors talk about ways to make sure students are doing their best thinking, and how to make sure that kind of thinking goes on each time a new task is undertaken.
 

  The next three chapters tackle the problem of ' Diversity'.  Here, Diversity is defined as " students needing to understand their own strengths and weaknesses,  their unique styles, and cultural heritage"  The definition also includes student's ability to understand who they are, and how to work with others different from themselves.  Strategies for diverse learning and Assessing diversity in curriculum are also explored here.  Diverse learning means using different methods to help students of differing interests and abilities get the most from learning experiences.

The final chapters deal with Authentic Learning. The basic definition of Authentic Learning is that it means giving students experiences that prepare them for the real world. The idea is to prepare them to be real parents, citizens workers and admirers of the arts.
In the end, the authors say the responsibility for implementing these ideas lie with the teachers themselves. In my own experience, I've tried to implement some of these concepts in the classroom. I'm especially drawn to the ideas of authenticity and diversity. Diversity in the classroom is absolutely necessary, and diverse learning can come about in a number of different ways. But in the end, authenticity is what all good classroom teachers strive for. Still,  preparing students for life beyond the classroom, life in the real world, may the most difficult thing any techer will do.

Chapters 5 through 7
 
In chapter 5, Tomlinson gives us a 'peek' inside the classrooms of teachers who are using differentiated instruction.
This provides a review of various techniques that can be used. What's still more interesting, is that in chapter 6 she discusses
in detail the strategies that can work in such a classroom. She emphasizes that a teacher should have a strong rationale for the techniques he or she will use.
She says a teacher can start differentiating at a pace that is comfortable to them. And she says differentiated activities have to be timed to support student success.
   It's clear that she understands that teachers will have to learn as they go with this kind of teaching.  It is my experience that many teachers used differentiated instruction, long before it was being called that.  The advantage of this book is that it gives us a fresh perspective on what many of us already know. It clearly quantifies the what and how of differentiation, and provides clear rules to follow.
   Chapter 7 deals with preparing parents to understand differentiation.

Chapters 8 thorugh 11

Chapter 8 deals with differentiating by readiness. Chapter 9 is about differentiating lessons by interest. Chapter 10 concerns planning lessons differentiated by learning profile. Chapter 11 tells the teacher how to differentiate by content. Again, there are multiple techniques described for each category...something many teachers have known for years, but only recently are experts trying to quantify and give names to what many teachers had to develop because of necessity.

Chapters 12 through 14

Chapters 12 and 13 discuss differentiating process and then differentiating product. Chapter 14 covers grading in a differentiated classroom. It covers the topics of record keeping, and re-thinking traditional grading. The author asks the teacher to consider that while the formal grading system is very important, that not all work must be formally graded. And that seems to be the crux of differentiation- that you use different techniques to help the students learn the material and reach their goals. Some methods will be traditional. Some will be tried-and-true. Others will involve improvisation or simply trying something new that has the potential to lead to success.
 

Chapters 1 through 3

Chapter 1 discusses what Differentiated Instruction 'is and isn't'.
  The gist of the chapter is that Differentiated Instruction is not individualized instruction as practiced in the 1970s, it's not chaotic and out of control, and it's not just another way of doing homogenized grouping.
   The author says instead, Differentiated Instruction is proactive, meaning that the teacher has to learn to assess the various needs and abilites of each student, and then decide what the best approach is to helping them learn designated material. And among other things, differentiated instruction is student centered. By this Tomlinson means that since students learn best when they find the material relevant, engaging and interesting, it is the student who has a large part in determining how the material should be presented to him. The teacher will go to lengths to figure out how to make the material interesting to the student, so the learner can attack it head-on. Finally she says differentiated instruction basically means that the teacher discovers various ways to present the material so that she can meet the individual learning needs of a variety of students, and in turn, she also learns something about how those students learn.

Chapter 2
talks about the Rationale for Differentiated Instruction in Mixed Ability Classrooms.

Here, the author asserts that the idea of the " standard issue" student is one that simply won't fly.
In other words, there's no such thing as a ' one size fits all' approach to educating a classroom full of students.
Their individual needs, learning styles, strengths and weaknesses have to be taken into account.  She also states that there's no substitute for high quality curriculum in the classroom. But beyond this, she insists that such curriculum alone isn't enough. A 'bridge' has to be built between the learner and the learning.
Tomlinson says these three facts are the engine that drive effective differentiation.
  She encourages teachers to move outside their own comfort zones to embrace different kinds of learners, struggling learners, advanced learners and those in between.  And once embracing those learners, she encourages teachers to learn and employ differentiated instruction to help meet the needs of all the learners. She insists that by doing this the students will grow, and so will teachers.

 Chapter 3
outlines the Role of the Differentiated Teacher in the Classroom

Tomlinson begins by admitting that in order for a teacher to begin to accept the idea of Differentiated Learning, a paradigm shift is required.  The new teacher to these techniques must change the way she thinks about education. There is a difference between this kind of learning and traditional learning.
 Teachers who accept this new role move away from seeing themselves as simply dispensers of knowledge, and begin to view themselves as 'organizers of learning opportunities'.  This means they do things like assess students' readiness through a variety of means; read and interpret students interests and learning preferences, and create a variety of ways students can gather information and ideas.
   The author drives these points home by comparing the teacher to an orchestra director. She likes this metaphor of a professional who knows the material intimately, can interpret it elegantly, and can pull together a group of people who may not know each other well, all so they can achieve a common goal.
  She also compares the successful Differentiated Instruction teacher to a coach, and a jazz musician.  Finally, she reminds the reader that there should be a balance between student-selected and teacher-assigned tasks. She states that all students should have a number of choices they are allowed to make as they learn,  and they should be matched with tasks compatible with their individual learner profile.

The 17 Essential Qualities of a Team Player

     The first six chapters of the book outlines six crucial characteristics of a team player.
The first quality is adaptability.
The author recounts the life story of legendary music producer, Quincy Jones.
We learn how Jones’ flexibility and adaptability helped him overcome life’s obstacles to reach the pinnacle of his profession.
Team Players who are adaptable exhibit certain qualities, among them..a willingness to be taught, creativity, emotional security  and a willingness to serve others.
I can become more adaptable by opening myself up to learning new things…reevaluating my role on the team and looking for creative solutions to challenges.
Chapter two shows how important collaboration is to the team player.
 A true team player sees his fellow teammates as collaborators not
competitors.
His attitude must be supportive not suspicious..this can happen only when the team player focuses on the team, not himself.
In chapter three we learn the importance of commitment to the  team player.
Commitment does not depend on gifts or abilities, it is the result of choice.
Next we learn how crucial communication is to becoming  a team player.
The author tells the story of the famous Virginia High school football team who overcame their racial differences and went on to a successful season by communicating effectively with one another.
In chapter Chapter five we learn that the team player is competent.
In this sense the word does not mean “barely adequate”, but  to be well qualified, to fit.
I can become more competent by focusing on the areas of
my strength.. paying attention to details and learning how to put great ideas into practice.
In chapter six we discover the role dependability plays in the team’s success.
I can improve my dependability by examining my motives, letting a respected colleague hold me accountable, and letting other team members to rate my reliability.

Developing these qualities would impact my teaching by
helping me to tap into the strengths and resources available to me through my co-workers and supervisors.

    17 Essential qualities of a Team Player  
Chapters 7-12

Chapter 7 deals with discipline.
No individual or team can succeed without discipline.
This discipline must extend to three areas, your thinking, emotions and actions.
To become disciplined, strengthen your work habits, tackle new challenges  and don’t overeact emotionally.

In chapter 8 we learn the importance of helping your team members be successful or enlarging them.
Enlargers  value their teammates,  what is important to the teammate is important to the enlarger.
To be an enlarging team player , believe in others before they believe in you, serve others before they serve you, and encourage and support teammates before they  add value to you.
Next we we discover how enthusiasm for the product
helped employees of the Harley Davidson  company bounce back from near collapse.
 When members of the team are enthusiastic the whole team is energized.
If you want to be enthusiastic..start acting that way, don’t wait for the feeling.
 Teammates can improve their enthusiasm by performing tasks with urgency, going the extra mile,  and striving for excellence.
Chapter 10 explains the importance of being intentional.
That means working with a purpose or making every action count. 
This includes knowing your strengths and weaknesses as well as knowing when to say no.
One important step to being more intentional  is to plan your my calendar with a purpose. 
Chapter 11 focusing on what it means to be a mission
Conscious team player.
The author recounts the story of  Mary Hays an American  Revolutionary war widow who fought in her husband place when he fell on the battlefield.
Hays is an example of the mission conscious person.
Mission conscious teammates  have a sense of vision.. they know where the team is going and are committed to reaching the goal.
Mission conscious team players also allow the leader of the team to do the leading, they do what is necessary to achieve the mission and finally  they place team accomplishments ahead of their own.
I can become more mission conscious by keeping the mission in mind and by contributing my  best as a member of the team.
Next we learn how important  assement, alignment, action and attitide is to being prepared.
Preparation can make the difference between winning and losing.    I can improve my preparedness by  becoming a process thinker,  doing more research and learning from  my mistakes.
As an educator I can use the information learned in chapters 7 through 12 to improve my personal dicipline and ability to work well in a team setting.
This would include  how I plan my lessons, relate to my students as a group and on an idividual basis.
These qualities give me another prespective on the periodic and year end evaluations on student progress.
If I as an educatior apply these qualities to my teaching the end result  will be better prepared students.

17    In Essential Qualities Of A Team Player –chapters 13-17
chapter 13 we learn what it means to be relational and how important that is to being a good team player.
Former Reagan deputy chief of staff Michael Deaver recalls his experiences with the President.
Deaver says everyone liked being around Ronald Reagan because he liked people and really connected with him or her regardless of their job or background.
Teams want people who are relational.
These characteristics are important in building team relationships:
Respect, shared experiences, trusts reciprocity and mutual enjoyment.
In chapter 14 we see the value of self-improvement
Self-improving team player think about how they can better themselves now. Not some far off time in the future.
Preparation..contemplation and application must be  an ongoing process in the life of a team player.
To become self-improving a teammate must put him in a learning mode that means taking advice and putting pride aside at all times.
  Strive for self-improvement instead of self-promotion.
Chapter 15 underscores the importance of an attitude of selflessness to the team player.
To become selfless. practice promoting others above oneself,
give secretly and take a lesser role on the team.
Generosity and loyalty are also crucial to becoming a team good player.
 In Chapter 16 we discover how America’s Most Wanted host, John Walsh, used the horrific tragedy of losing his son to create programs that helped saved the lives of countless children.
Walsh is an example of a solution minded person.
A Team player must think in terms of solutions not problems.
Solution seekers realize that all problems are solvable.. they refuse to give up no matter how difficult the situation.

Tenacious team players work with determination, quit only when the job is done and give their all.
 To improve tenacity.. act with integrity, work harder and make work a game.
This book has given me new insights into what makes a
 Team player in every endeavor.
The knowledge that this book has provided me will propel me forward into becoming a better teacher as well as a more valuable member of the team.