Dynamics of Effective Secondary Teaching (5th Edition)

Dynamics of Effective Secondary Teaching integrates theory and research with current classroom practice to help future and in-service secondary teachers make instructional and management decisions for the purpose of improving instruction.

Realistic scenarios, numerous examples and illustrations from all subject areas, classroom observation forms, and valuable websites are what makes this text so practical, providing preservice teachers a direct link to classroom practice. As with previous editions, the major feature of this book is the authors' emphasis on decision-making as the thread that links all the topics together. Decision-making is introduced in Chapter 1 as a process fundamental to educators and is revisited to enforce the application in each chapter. The authors’ view of decision-making considers it from a constructivist view of teaching and learning based on reflection and “meaning making.”

Unique to this book is the inclusion in each chapter of a scenario in which a middle or secondary school teacher, representing a wide range of subject areas and grade levels, applies key ideas to the classroom. These scenarios, which appear near the beginning of each chapter, are referred to and analyzed throughout the chapter to provide a running commentary on the theoretical content being presented.

Dynamics of Effective Secondary Teaching, Fifth Edition

The authors of Dynamics of Effective Secondary Teaching believe that decision-making is at the heart and soul of teaching. The Fifth Edition of this successful text reflects this by including an in-depth treatment of reflection, professional collaboration, and action research. As a result, students come away with how to make sound decisions on planning, management, curriculum and instruction.

Practical pedagogy for your students:

• “Hints for Beginning Teachers” provides practical ideas and activities for new teachers.
• “Graphic Organizers” introduce each chapter, helping students visually focus on important ideas.
• “Questions for Reflection” conclude each chapter, encouraging personal insight and critical thinking.
• “Key Ideas and Hints for Beginning Teachers” boxes highlight key ideas and practical tips for the new teacher.
• “Classroom Teaching Scenarios” introduce each chapter, showing students what real classrooms are like.

• A new chapter devoted to differentiated instruction, “Differentiated Instruction: Meeting Special Needs of Students” (Ch.9), helps teachers accommodate mainstreamed special needs students.
• Approximately two-dozen new Web site resource boxes provide pre-service and in-service teachers with direct Internet resources.
• Updated topics include establishing democratic discipline (Ch. 3), encouraging reflective thinking (Ch. 11), developing students' critical thinking skills (Chs. 6 & 7), understanding standards-based curricula (Ch. 4), applying cooperative learning and grouping practices (Ch. 8), using multiple intelligences (Ch. 5), and creating rubrics and portfolios (Ch. 10).