1. PREFACE
2.INTRODUCTION
3. PRACTICE ONE: CLARIFYING VISION
4. PRACTICE TWO: UNIFYING VISION
5. PRACTICE THREE: “PERFORMING” INSTRUCTION
6.PRACTICE FOUR: HOLDING STUDENTS ACCOUNTABLE
7. PRACTICE FIVE: ACCEPTING INSTRUCTIONAL RESPONSIBILITY
8. PRACTICE SIX: MONITORING THOUGHTS
9. PRACTICE SEVEN: MONITORING ACTIONS
10. PRACTICE EIGHT: MAINTAINING DISCIPLINE
11.PRACTICE NINE: QUESTIONING SKILLFULLY
12. PRACTICE TEN: MODELING WHAT MATTERS
13. PRACTICE ELEVEN: PROMOTING EFFORT BELIEF
14. PRACTICE TWELVE: UNDERSTANDING MOTIVATION
15. PRACTICE THIRTEEN: PARTNERING WITH PARENTS
16. PRACTICE FOURTEEN: INTERNALIZING KAIZEN
17. BEGINNINGS
18. REVIEWING THE ESSENTIAL PRACTICES OF MASTER TEACHERS
19. APPENDIX
20. REFERENCES
21. INDEX
Neil Bright is a retired Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction, a former faculty union officer and chief negotiator, a college professor of Psychology and Government, a staff developer, and a teacher of students from fifth grade through high school seniors. Currently a writer and student teacher supervisor in New York’s Catskill Mountains, he was nominated for the Dean’s Award as distinguished county educator, was named outstanding district instructor, and gained semifinalist recognition for the New York State Teacher of the Year competition in 1992.
Bright outlines and supports his argument that increased student
achievement is dependent on improved teacher skill with appropriate
and ample research in his introduction. From there, he delineates
and explains 14 practices of effective teachers. Bright makes an
effort to link theory with practice, and clearly draws on his
experiences as an educator to address topics including vision,
curriculum, student motivation and expectation, instructional
responsibility, classroom management, questioning techniques, and
working with parents. Additionally, he offers practical examples in
each chapter and sample rubrics in the appendix for readers to
consider. The author's writing style has the conversational tone of
an expert lecturer speaking to his audience. It is readable and
contains a great deal of helpful research, discussion, and
suggestions. It would prove valuable to all educators, particularly
those actively seeking greater professional efficacy and improved
student success. Bright's most obvious audience is the classroom
teacher or prospective classroom teacher, and the book would be
appropriate supplemental reading in teacher preparation classes.
School administrators would also benefit from reading this book as
they lead their staffs toward master teaching. Summing Up:
Recommended. Upper-division undergraduate, graduate, research, and
professional collections.
*CHOICE*
The book’s greatest contribution lies in its recognition that
masterful teaching is more than using research-based practices. It
involves an unwavering belief in the importance of education as
life preparation, an understanding of teachers’ own role in
modeling, scaffolding and promoting deep and meaningful learning,
and a recognition of their own interdependence with colleagues,
administrators and parents.
*Dr. Giselle Martin-Kniep, president of Learner-Centered
Initiatives and the founder of Communities for Learning: Leading
Lasting Change®, two different organizations that promote sustained
school improvement, her books include Why am I doing this?;
Becoming a Better Teacher: Eight Innovations that…*
I have read Those Who Can: Why Master Teacher Do What They Do and
enjoyed it immensely. I liked and agreed with all of Neil Bright’s
essential practices of master teachers and was particularly
impressed by his thorough references to scholarly
research---another characteristic I believe master teachers should
possess. I want to thank Professor Bright for his contribution to
this scholarship.
*Xiufeng Liu, professor and associate dean for Interdisciplinary
Research, University of Buffalo*
I have read Those Who Can and have shared it with a couple of my
colleagues. In fact, I have suggested that the Director of Field
Placements require her student teachers to purchase this book.
Currently, I am on a U. S. Department of Education grant to
transition candidates from other careers to teaching math or
science at the high school level. I have 12 students who will soon
be completing their professional development practicum and I am
requesting that they purchase this text.
Professor Bright has delivered an important message in a pleasing
tone…not something readily found in academic tomes.
*Linda Quinn, professor, department of teaching and learning,
University of Nevada, Las Vegas*
After reading Those Who Can, I was struck by the congruence between
so many of the practices Professor Bright advocated, such as using
Bloom’s taxonomy in generating classroom questions, and how we
instruct our university students in our Multiple Abilities Program
to craft questions for their science and social studies units.
Moreover, I certainly appreciated all of the book’s citations, felt
that the work would be particularly good in a Master’s program, and
found myself in agreement with Mr. Bright nearly all of the time. I
am glad that I bought the book and was happy that it was brought to
my attention.
*Madeleine Gregg, department of special education, University of
Alabama*
Since we obviously need to do a better job showing novice educators
what good teaching looks like, Those Who Can is a very fine
resource to start their thinking about the nonnegotiables of
excellent practice. I especially appreciated Mr. Bright’s mandate
that we think about the essential skills and habits of mind for
students to do well in life and not merely in school and how he
encouraged performative pedagogy, the safeguarding of instructional
time, and the value of high instructional expectations. Professor
Bright, thank you for offering rich fodder for reflection, for
encouraging school reinvention of the sort that is sorely needed in
many of our nation’s failing schools, and for reminding us about
the power of teachers.
*Maya, professor of education, Honolulu, Hawaii*
I have greatly enjoyed reading Those Who Can and have used some of
the information from the behavior management chapter in my
secondary methods class when discussing classroom environment. For
me, the book immediately makes a lot of sense and I have shared it
with several of my colleagues. It was wonderful to know there is
someone out there who has written a book that comes from a similar
intention as my own and because of that it has been fueling my
passion for good teaching.
*Jessica Krim, assistant professor, department of curriculum and
instruction, Southern Illinois University*
As Those Who Can is a no nonsense direct look at practical
strategies effective teachers use, I highly recommend it.
Especially useful for novice instructors, experienced educators
will benefit from the work as well. Overall, this is a great
book.
*Mitchell Jay Kelly, clinical associate professor, College of
Education, University of Iowa*
Those Who Can has been thoughtfully written to motivate its readers
to become highly effective instructors and I deeply appreciated its
message that education is to help students prepare for success in
life. This being so, the author demonstrated great insight into
qualities that excellent teachers share and I particularly found
the first half of the work inspiring and the last chapter to be
brilliant. The book’s review of essential practices will also be
well received as will its appendix.
*Dr. Retha Meier, associate professor, college of education and
public service, Saint Louis University*
As District Superintendent for the Department of Defense Dependent
Schools in Okinawa, Japan, I have found Those Who Can to be a
useful resource as we work to provide world class instruction for
our students. In fact, our administrators, 26 in all, are using the
book as a part of our monthly administrative meetings.
Additionally, Those Who Can has become a valuable discussion
starter for the Professional Learning Community at one of our
schools. Our thanks to Neil Bright for providing this important
vehicle to improve our schools.
*Mike Thompson, district superintendent, Department of Defense
Dependent Schools, Okinawa, Japan*
As Middle School Coordinator for the Rutherford County Schools in
Murfreesboro, Tennessee, I recently reviewed Those Who Can and
found the book to be closely aligned with the progressive nature of
our district. And because the work reaffirms the very advanced
philosophy of so many educators in our system, the book will be
shared with our principals and also with our staff as an
appreciated resource in our professional library.
*Barbara Powers, Middle School Coordinator, Rutherford County
Schools, Murfreesboro, Tennessee*
In Those Who Can: Why Master Teachers Do What They Do, master
teacher Neil Bright distills the secrets of effective teaching into
fifteen “practices” that he describes using clear language and
extensive support from research literature. In dismissing oft-cited
excuses for ineffective teaching and underperforming students, his
tone is authoritative, yet empowering and readable, and
no-nonsense. Ever realistic and practical, Bright gives detailed
and evidence-based examples of effective and ineffective classroom
management techniques, discussing why and how some common
techniques do not work to improve classroom climate and learning.
Unlike other books aimed at this audience, these easily implemented
examples are written in ways that allow educators to immediately
try them out in their classrooms. This approach empowers teachers
rather than disheartening them, providing strategies that equate to
success for those striving for teaching excellence. Overall, Those
Who Can is an excellent starting point for discussion of the art
and science of teaching.
*Meghan E. Marrero, Global Education Review*
The author of Those Who Can has a clear vision of the things that
instructors should be mindful of---and has translated that vision
into a book that, really, is a pedagogical tool. Without
being preachy or pedantic, each chapter presents an essential “need
to know” concern for teachers by distilling educational research,
by introducing key concepts, and by raising big issues of practical
concern. Moreover, each chapter focuses on a SINGLE dimension
of classroom practice and not the hodge-podge or laundry list one
often finds in “tips for teachers” books. Those Who Can is an
essential resource for beginning and even more experienced
instructors.
*Glenn Lauzon, professor of education, Indiana University
Northwest*
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