What Successful Teachers Do: A Dozen Things to Ensure Student Learning

Mary C. Clement

Dr. Clement is a “key woman educator” in DKG.

Pro’s
This book affirms teachers—we need that at all stages of our career.
• The format of the book provides for guidance in an “easy read.”
• Many highlights of each chapter provide a summary and a “quick read.”
• The author acknowledges the pleasure and the challenges of being a teacher.
• Information in this book applies across national/international boundaries—addresses needs of learners and teachers generally.
• Teachers in training are not aware of what they need; student teachers are just overwhelmed; newly-minted teachers follow the paths and sage suggestions of their mentor teachers. After about 5-9 years in the classroom, teachers begin to recall “something” they read once—heard once, but they have difficulties recalling the details. This book guides them back to the theories and affirms their practices as well as providing new ideas for activities or new variations on “tried and true” activities. Teachers are refreshed; teachers are reborn; teachers are reassured that what they have been doing is effective for student learning.
• The book synthesizes research and applies it to the classroom for teachers who do not have the time to do in-depth reading and research on their own because their focus is on their own learners.
• The focus is on learning, not teaching.

Con’s
• Some may contend that the book is only a recapitulation of education classes for teaching majors and students should have retained that information. Life does not always reflect “what should be.”
• Includes Common Core, which is no longer a federal mandate, but it may be still called that in the author’s state. It is not a state program and may yet reflect much of CC.

This could be great as a gift when teachers earn tenure—affirmation of their achievements and a guide for the next stage.