Tools for Classroom Instruction That Works
Tools for Classroom Instruction That Works
By: Harvey F. Silver, Cheryl Abla, Abigail L. Boutz, Matthew J. Perini
Download a free sample that includes the Foreword, Table of Contents, and 4 tools
When McREL published Classroom Instruction That Works, we encouraged a generation of educators to focus instruction around nine categories of teaching strategies proven to raise student achievement. The challenge for teachers has always been how to build these achievement-boosting strategies into their everyday instruction. This book provides more than 50 classroom-ready tools that make it easy to implement the strategies across grade levels and content areas. By incorporating these tools into your daily practice, you can turn your classroom into a place where high levels of engagement and deep learning happen every day.
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Learning® Magazine 2019 Teachers' Choice℠ Award for Professional Development
Title information
This book provides more than 50 classroom-ready tools that make it easy to implement the nine categories of effective teaching strategies from McREL’s bestselling book, Classroom Instruction That Works (2012) across grade levels and content areas. By incorporating these tools into your daily practice, you can turn your classroom into a place where high levels of engagement and deep learning happen every day. The challenge for teachers has always been how to build these achievement-boosting strategies into their everyday instruction:
• Setting objectives and providing feedback
• Reinforcing effort and providing recognition
• Cooperative learning
• Cues, questions, and advance organizers
• Nonlinguistic representations
• Summarizing and note taking
• Assigning homework and providing practice
• Identifying similarities and differences
• Generating and testing hypotheses
Each of the 50+ tools in the book includes a summary of that tool’s research-based benefits, the 3-7 basic steps for using the tool, concrete examples that model how to use the tool in classrooms, and a “Teacher Talk” section that gives tips on lesson planning and implementation.
The final chapter in the book walks educators through a process for combining tools with principles of effective instructional design and knowledge of how student learning works to design focused, learning-driven, effective instructional plans.
Harvey F. Silver
Co-founder and president of Silver Strong & Associates, Dr. Silver has more than 40 years of experience as a teacher, administrator, and consultant. He is a regular speaker at national and regional education conferences, addressing a wide range of topics, including differentiated instruction, thoughtful assessment, school leadership, tools and strategies for meeting today’s standards, and lesson/unit design. Dr. Silver also conducts workshops for schools, districts, and educational organizations around the world. He is the co-author of several education bestsellers, including Tools for Thoughtful Assessment, Tools for a Successful School Year, and The Core Six. He has also collaborated with Matthew Perini to develop the Thoughtful Classroom Teacher Effectiveness Framework, a comprehensive teacher evaluation system that is being implemented in school districts across the country.
Cheryl Abla
Cheryl Abla is a managing consultant with McREL International, where she trains and coaches K–12 teachers and school leaders on effective instructional strategies, classroom technology, teacher coaching, English-language-learner supports, and creating engaging school cultures and climates. Prior to joining McREL, she taught grades 1–12 for more than 20 years; served as a national facilitator for the FACES, Inc. character education program; and was the director of both a Parents as Teachers district program and a Migrant Education Even Start district program. Drawing on her extensive and diverse classroom experience, she has presented at educational conferences around the United States and the Pacific and has authored several articles for McREL’s Changing Schools magazine.
Abigail L. Boutz
During her tenure with Silver Strong & Associates, Dr. Boutz has designed training modules and workshop materials on classroom tools and strategies, learning styles, and instructional leadership. She has also co-authored three award-winning titles in the Tools for Today’s Educators series: Tools for Thoughtful Assessment, Tools for Conquering the Common Core, and Tools for a Successful School Year. Dr. Boutz is a former tutor and mentor for students at the elementary through college levels, most recently at the University of California, Los Angeles, where she served as a lecturer for the Life Sciences Department, a university field supervisor for the Teacher Education Program, and an academic coordinator for the Undergraduate Research Center/Center for Academic and Research Excellence.
Matthew J. Perini
As senior director of content development for Silver Strong & Associates, Matthew Perini has authored numerous books, curriculum guides, and articles on a wide range of topics, including reading instruction, formative assessment, and effective teaching practices. Most recently, he collaborated with Harvey Silver and Abigail Boutz on Tools for a Successful School Year, winner of both a Teachers’ Choice Award and an Independent Publisher Book Award (IPPY). Matthew has been a driving force in the development of Thoughtful Education Press, the publishing division of Silver Strong & Associates. He serves as both a contributing author and series editor for Thoughtful Education Press’s award-winning Tools for Today’s Educators line of books.
Robert J. Marzano
"Harvey Silver and colleagues have made a great framework even better."
—Robert J. Marzano, Co-author, Classroom Instruction That Works (First Edition), Co-founder and Chief Academic Officer, Marzano Research
Jim Knight
"This book is packed with powerful, easy-to-use tools. Anyone who wants to improve teaching—teacher, coach, administrator, anyone—will find it incredibly useful."
—Jim Knight, Author of The Impact Cycle and Better Conversations
Nicholas DiSanto
"This book of practical tools meets teachers at the crossroads of easy, effective, and exhilarating. Thoughtful Classroom tools are always one of my go-to’s for planning professional learning. All educators will benefit from incorporating these tried-and-true tools into their repertoires."
—Nicholas DiSanto, Borough Instructional Lead, Affinity Field Support Center, New York
Bj Stone
"This book is an ideal resource for meeting the growing call for 'best first instruction.' It is strongly aligned to the Classroom Instruction That Works research base, and it provides high-impact tools that help educators turn the research into powerful classroom practice."
—Bj Stone, Co-author, Classroom Instruction That Works (Second Edition)
Ross Cohen
"Tools for Classroom Instruction That Works has helped our schools develop a shared, research-based instructional focus and engage in deep conversations about how students learn best. It has also provided easy to personalize grab-and-go resources for our teachers. Rarely does a single text offer both."
—Ross Cohen, Program Administrator, Eastern Suffolk BOCES, New York
Robert Wilson
"I have used Thoughtful Classroom tools to turn around four different schools with varying demographics and challenges. My current school system has adopted a tools-based approach to professional development districtwide because of the growth that tools have helped us to create in our elementary school. I know from experience that these tools provide teachers with the 'know-how' they need to make a huge impact on student success."
—Robert Wilson, Principal, Lyman Hall Elementary, Georgia
Kellie Roe
"As a principal of an elementary school I am constantly looking for resources for my teachers. So often the resources I find are filled with 'what' teachers should be doing with little support on the 'how.' This book was designed for busy teachers that need a 'how' they can use the next day. It provides great tools backed by solid research that will benefit new and veteran educators alike. I can't wait to get this resource in the hands of my teachers!"
—Kelli Roe, Principal, Clear Sky Elementary, Colorado
Lynese Zukowski
"This book offers practical tools that work in real classrooms—and that are based on sound educational research and design principles. These tools will promote high levels of learning and deep understanding for all the students in your classroom."
—Lynese Zukowski,Teacher, Clear Sky Elementary, Colorado
Bryan Breuer
"An outstanding resource filled with practical tools and strategies for teachers at all levels. It's sensibly organized and efficient. A must have and immediately useful."
—Bryan Breuer, Principal, Goddard Middle School, Colorado
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The Classroom Instruction That Works (CITW) book series is one of the most widely used resources for increasing student achievement for good reason: Each book provides evidence-based insights from rigorous research to strengthen teachers’ instructional planning and delivery. Through these books, you’ll understand why and how McREL’s nine categories of instruction work, and learn to effectively use them in specific situations, including with English language learners and with classroom technology. You’ll see how these methods connect directly to students gaining key 21st-century skills. Learn how to design lessons and teaching techniques that will work best in your classroom to heighten engagement and deepen understanding with your students. A Handbook for Classroom Instruction That Works offers guidance, rubrics, checklists, templates, tools, protocols, and tips to help you easily apply the various CITW teaching strategies in specific situations and with various tasks. Make your classroom the paradigm for CITW!