Education Books

To Honor A Teacher is a wonderful gift book! How many coffee mugs can one person use? I'm always looking for creative ways to thank the teachers (including piano and coaches)that work so wonderfully with my children. I've already given several as gifts and the receipiants have all been delighted. The entries are moving without being sappy. The stories illustate that it's sometimes the little caring gestures that really matter to people. How nice it would be if anyone considering a teaching career could hear these first hand accounts of what is important from a student's perspective.

Students pay tribute to teachers from all walks of life and show that all of life's lessons do not take place in the classroom. It gives teachers and ,mentors hope that even if no one ever thanked them personally, they can relate to some of these tributes and know that they still touched the lives their students in ways they will never know.

I am so happy I bought this book - it has now become my favorite gift for all those who have been teachers and mentors in my life. There are so many excerpts which connect straight to the heart of the mentor/student/life learner relationship. I hope that Jeff Spoden comes out with a second volume for next year's holiday gifts!

How many of us can look back on our education and formative years and remember a particularly enlightening moment, when a teacher, or coach, or mentor, opened our eyes and changed the direction of our lives? For me it was ninth grade honors biology class, taught by Mr. Wong. He was so enthusiastic and motivating, I decided right then and there to study biology. I majored in biology in college and have never regretted it. This wonderful book is filled with memories of these great moments. Some of these entries are filled with heart-warming emotion, others with clarity and logic. Yet all pay tribute to a special teacher or mentor who made a lasting difference in someone's life. Oftentimes we don't realize the impact until it is too late. Several of the entries are written from that perspective, as tributes to teachers who are no longer alive, but never forgotten. Inspiring, thought provoking, refreshing, and motivating, every one who teaches should read this.

Anyone with any skill as a teacher quickly becomes accustomed to the platitudes thankful students and parents use. This gift book gets pass all of that.

Here is a bouquet of thoughtfully written stories about the important work teachers do challenging, inspiring and guiding their charges. It is about teaching that goes beyond the routine of instruction to affect lives.

A teacher somewhere in your life deserves this book. Make a gift of it to him or her.

This true story reads like a first class spy thriller. It is so surreal that Stephen King could not do a better job. The average person would not think things like this could possibly happen in a field that is supposed to be dedicated to educating our students. Instead, we find that solid professionalism takes a back seat to powerful individuals political agenda. I am a teacher and have seen some pretty strange things happen, but never on this scale. Read it and see what I mean.

Your (hi)story remains so fascinating that I only reluctantly interrupt
reading it to look up words in the dictionary. It took a while since it is
not written in my native tongue but (it) is fascinating and (a book) one can
hardly stop reading. You certainly are a gifted writer. The more I read the
more I felt uneasy, annoyed (and)even disgusted by the behavior of some
people you describe. If it were a story that (was) made up from a to z,
OK, but when . . . everything really happened - well then it is almost a
miracle that you are still the sound mind and pleasant, interesting, engaged
and lively, well-balanced person friends love and appreciate.
Congratulations Erwin Kaufmann

Isobel Kleinman told us how a school district with no standards can engineer a dedicated teacher's dismissal. Where was her union when the district set her up for failure and used the students to this end. Ms Kleinman describes how her naive support of the students and academic stardards led to disaster. All teachers should read this book to learn how important it is to develop survival skills in a district that seems to support passing students just to pass them rather than educating them for their future benefit. Her dialogue was so engrossing and events so riveting that I couldn't put it down.
A must read.

"To Dangerous To Teach" is too good to miss. This incredible story is so well told that it aroused anger, incredulity, disgust,empathy and pushed all my buttons. If you have an interest in how schools are run, students are being taught, teachers are asked to assume burdens beyond the classroom, this story will capture you. Elizabeth Feinman's struggle to be a great teacher while protecting her professional status makes a great read.

Elizabeth....worked in a Kafka-esque world where evil ruled....(That)she survived with her principles in tact is....a triumph. Every chapter will shock you!

Dr. Richard Saland

If you like books about adventure then you should read "The Top 10 Ways to Ruin the First Day of School" by Ken Derby.
The book takes place in Kansas City and New York. It is about Tony, Mo, Anna, and Mr. Gore. Ever since Tony can remember he has been watching The Late Show and wanting to be on it .Now he has the chance to get invited to the show. So he goes with his teacher and friends on an escapade but Tony, Anna, and Mo get lost. Do Tony and his friends find their teacher? Does he get to be on The Late Show? You just have to read this book to find out.
I would recommend this book because it is interesting and funny .I give this book4 stars because many exciting things happen.

This book is funny. My teacher is making us read 5 books but by far this is my favorite. Tony ( the "funny man" ) seems to always find a way to soak his teacher. You will love his lists at the end of each chapter. IMPORTANT: READ! IS VERY FUNNY!!!

Have you every messed up the first day of school with 10 good ways? We think that you should definitely read this book!! The way we felt about this book was that it was very funny and interesting. We give it five stars because it is a hilarious book. We recommend this book to all ages because it can cheer you up when you are feeling down. This awesome book is guaranteed to make you laugh.

Book review by: Lauren, Vaness, and Rebecca

The Top 10 Ways to Ruin the First Day of School

Do you like comedy books? If so, The Top 10 Ways to Ruin the First Day of school written by Ken Derby is for you. Tony Madison, (Tony Baloney or TB) Anna, Mo, and Mr. Gore are the main characters. The 3 (not including Mr. Gore) are always getting into trouble. They really bug their teacher. TB stops at nothing to get on The Late Show with David Letterman. One day on Halloween, he wears a bear suit at the Chiefs/Jets football game. Pretending to go to the restroom, TB, Anna, and Mo, sneaks down to the field to get a football autographed by a professional player. He runs out on the field, and runs away from the people on the field. He scores a fake touchdown. Will it make him famous? Will he make it to the Late Show? You'll just have to read and find out for yourself in the book The Top 10 Ways to Ruin the First Day of School. We recommend you to read this book, because it was good and no boring parts all the way through the entire book. That's why we give the book 5 out of 5 stars.
By: Jake, Robert, Nathan, Tyler

THIS IS A EXELENT BOOK I BOUGHT IT OF OF OUR SCOLASTIC BOOK OREDER THING AS A JOKE TO MY TEACHERS AND SAID"ILL USE THIS STUFF NEXT YEAR" THEN I READ IT AND I LOVED IT!!!!! IT IS HALARIOUS WHEN HE GETS INTO LOTS OF TROUBLE AND THINKS OF WAYS TO GET OUT OF IT I DONT THINK I SHOULD TELL YOU ANYMORE OR IT WILL SPOILL THE BOOK THANKS FOR READING MY REVIEW
AND ALSO I AM WAY KOOLER THAN YOU AND BETTER!!! JUST KIDDING

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My 11 Year old daughter is telling me what to write here:

This book is very funny! The book starts with Tony wanting to get on the David Letterman show. Tony writes some top 10 lists and sends them into David Lettermans show hoping that David will read them and invite Tony onto the show. Here is an example of one of the Top 10 Lists:

The Top 10 ways to ruin the 1st day of 5th grade:

10. Wear your pajamas to school instead of your favorite jeans and T-shirt.

9. Tell the rest of the class what a dork your teacher is when he is standing behind you.

8. Notice that your fly is down... After you have been in class for 3 hours!

7. Rush into the restroom, drop your pants, sit, and realize your in the wrong restroom.

6. Sneeze, and accidentally blow boogers all over your teachers desk.

5. Fall asleep in class and dream you are using the toilet.

4. Enjoy playing building blocks on the 1st day of school, only to wonder why you are a giant compared to the rest of the kids in the class.

3. Drop your lunch bag into an unflushed toilet.

2. Eat beans the night before the first day of school.

1. Get your foot stuck in the toilet in the boys restroom and then have to get rescued by the 911 guys.

That is a sample of what you will find in the book. David Letterman is surprised by how funny the lists are and invites Tony on the show. I wont tell you anymore cause I will give it all away, but you will enjoy the book if you read it!

PARENTS! Buy this book for your high school or college age child! College is the worst place to accumulate debt. This book will show any student entering college the way to make money while going to school full time. All of his busines ideas are smart and require minimal start up cash. Perfect for the full time student!

If you can only read one book in high school on how to make money, this is it right here! This book is going to show you a whole new frame of mind. If others can make it so can you! No more flipping burgers. Leave that for the 'other guys.'

Need to make money while in school? Read this book and get used to hearing, "Cha-Ching!" David's entrepreneurial ideas are methodical, comprehensive and easy to apply. The Student Entrepreneur is a winner!

"The Student Entrepreneur" is a simple yet concise financial formula written for the strategizing young adult. David Soltau does an excellent job of describing his own personal entrepreneural endeavors and passing the creative ideas onto the average beer drinking college student. He makes earning money doing the activities you already do seem simple and easy. I highly recommend giving this book as a gift for any new highschool graduate.

I found this book refreshingly informative, motivational as well.

I am glad someone has put together a book multitude of tangible moneymaking small business ideas. I have tried a few of the jobs listed, and never thought of charging for it.

Being the owner of a small business as a college student brings confidence to manage a large successful business later in life.

Makes a great gift for a tight budgeted teenager.

This is an excellent book for new and more experienced teachers! It is broken into small chunks, which makes for easy reading. Thank you for a wonderful book!

Johnson's book is the best book I've ever read for new high school teachers. So much of what I found out there when I was starting teaching was really only suitable for elementary teachers, like Harry Wong's _The First Days of School_. This book made me realize that the kids would respect me if I was the real me-- not the hardnose that I clearly was not-- and that it was possible to do this without getting trampled. This is an especially useful resource for English teachers in urban schools!

I am writing this review as a brand new, "fresh out of the bag" teacher in their first post. If there was ever a single book that enables you to survive through teacher training and during your first teaching post THIS HAS GOT TO BE IT!
The techniques may appear to some slightly "off the wall" but they work! The book is a source of insiration and comfort, and one that I will treasure upon my bookshelf.
To the author, words cannot express just how much help this one book has given me. Thank you - on behalf of my students and myself.
This book is not 5 STAR its 55 STARS ...

Two Parts Textbook, One Part Love is a wonderful book! I rarely the same book twice, but I fully intend to re-read this one in the future. It is very difficult for me to put it down, and I know I will be sad when it ends. I am a student who is preparing to become a teacher, and I have found that the advice in this book is very helpful. I will definitely share it with all of my friends who are already teachers as well as my friends who will become teachers. I began reading this book before I saw the movie Dangerous Minds. I also love the movie, as well. This is the first book by LouAnne Johnson that I have read, and I will definitely read all of her other books.

My favorite thing about this book is the way that Johnson uses her sense of humor to illustrate her points. I have often found myself bursting out in laughter in the middle of the night because I have thought about some of her stories. Whether you are a teacher or even if you are just thinking about becoming a teacher, I urge you to purchase this book.

I'm a first year teacher who was assigned this book for an Ed. course in college, and ended up buying her own copy! I love it, and have just started re-reading it in preparation for next school year. Why do I love it? Johnson is honest, her approach is no-frills and realistic, and yet she inspires and shows true commitment to her students. This book points out things you would never think of considering before stepping into the classroom, yet should. Johnson practically covers everything you need to know, and instead of telling you exactly how to be a cookie-cutter version of herself, she offers ways to take the way she does things and make them your own. This book is a real eye-opener, and should be taught to every new teacher before stepping into the classroom. Thank you for this book, Mrs. J! :) Laura (lilpace@aol.com)

Understanding by design was recommended to me by one of my teachers. This book helped me understand how to approach lesson planning. Backwards design is an excellent way to design curriculum. The templates are very helpful, and almost mindless even. You just have to know what your goals are, and the templates help you do the rest.
I think they should come up with a computer program to make it even easier, but hey, writing is good practice. I rated it four stars, because I haven't found some of the information int he back too helpful- of course I haven't thoroughly read it. I guess it's there for something, but I'm a stickler for not including unnecessary information.

Clear user friendly guide for effective use of UbD for planning.
Understanding by Design: Professional Development Workbook

This book not only provides clear examples of the work that it supplements, it is effective for planning beyond lessons alone. It enables one to plan for school wide or system level comprehensive approaches. An excellent application of the "Begin With the End in Mind" as advocated by Stephen Covey's work.

I have used this resource again and again when working with teachers who are either just starting out with unit design in a UbD framework, as well as with those who are quite familiar with the model. The templates and other tools are user-friendly and make the application of UbD much more straightforward than using the original text alone.

This book complements in practical form the ideas presented in Understanding by Design (UbD). I am using this book as a guide for the design of courses online in higher education. Both have been a wonderful aid to rationalize the amount of resources that I must include in the courses online that I am developing. They are effective tools to determine in concise form and practices the synchronous or asynchronous activities that must make the learners as it demonstrates the intentions reached from the "big idea". I recommend them widely to obtain the deep learning.

This reference book is easy to understand and provides step-by-step instructions for taking care of diabetes. I would recommend this book to a diabetic or a caregiver to a diabetic.

We were given the previous edition of this book in the hospital when our son was initially diagnosed with Type I diabetes. It was referenced in every appointment and class following that. When the new edition came out, we knew we needed it to have current information at our fingertips. It is easy to read and reference - you do not need to be in the medical field to understand it - you simply need to know someone with diabetes that you want to help!

We were given a copy of this book when my son was first diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes five years ago. The information in this book has literally saved his life ... not to mention my sanity! It is well organized and you don't have to read it all at once, which is especially important for newly diagnosed kids and their overwhelmed parents. The sick day information proved invaluable ...

A must-have for all people and families with type 1 diabetes. Each edition is ahead of the game with information about all the new and upcoming types of treatment options (insulin, continuous glucose monitors, insulin pumps, etc.) I have bought every edition since I was diagnosed with diabetes 15 years ago and will continue to buy all future editions.

A clear and well-organized manual for understanding and managing Type I diabetes. Covering virtually every aspect of diabetes care, Understanding Diabetes is practically a crash course in a single book. The book is easy to read and full of excellent illustrations and helpful equations and tables. Also a great resource for discussions with your diabetes care team.

This book is a fantastic resource for activities on right-brained learning. Vitale's format is very easy to follow. The lessons are practical and easy to use. I have used this book in my classroom and have found that the lessons engage students and help them to understand difficult concepts.

I read this book twelve years ago. As a homeschool mom it helped me understand the ways I needed to work with my child. Now, as he approaches graduation...he is a musician and speaks two languages fluently. I will never forget the day this book fell into my hands!

This book gives a basic description of a right brained visual learning style and some very easy to implement strategies for helping right brained learners.

about brain mysteries and learning. Her book helps to make a dent in that pathway of mystery. She gives practical advice as well as personal stories to support her point of view. This is a must have for any teacher.

Then I read this book and applied a few of the very simple exercises into his everyday routine. Last year he received his MFA in photography and experimental animated film from the California Institute of the Arts. He now has a job at USC and is excited that one of the benefits it offers is free classes. He wants to pursue a degree in Civil Engineering! Most importantly he is happy and proud of himself, with good reason.

This book saved his life!

This book is easy and enjoyable to read. It explains, in simple terms, what VB is and gives you guidelines which are easy to follow. Useful for both parents and professionals.

I am an ABA/VB professional as well as an author of a book on the topic of the Verbal Behavior Approach to ABA. I have met Mary only once but I have read her book and found it to be an excellent introduction to the science of behaviorism and particularly to the Verbal Behavior Approach to ABA. If you are currently trying to decide the best way to approach the education of the child with autism in your life or if you have already found the benefits of ABA and want to see the science of Behaviorism through the eyes of someone versed in Skinner's analysis of Verbal Behavior, this book is a great start. Once you have the basics down, you can continue your education of VB with "Educate Toward Recovery: Turning the Tables on Autism" A Teaching Manual for the Verbal Beahvior Approach to ABA also available here on AmazonEducate Toward Recovery: Turning the Tables on Autism.

because I used to use ABA with children. Then I found out that 1. Children were more interested in communicating with me when I was communicating with them in ways they could relate to, and 2. ABA skips developmental skills that are needed earlier so that an action becomes meaninful later. If you are one of the many who thinks ABA is a flawless technique, you probably won't like this review.

There is no sense in teaching children labels for rewards if those labels will never be used to actually communicate with you. I have seen dozens of children who can label "red truck", "green circle", and etc. across the ABA table... who never speak to people outside that setting, never show any desire to use language to communicate. They have the labels, but have no idea what they should be used for.

Typical children have the desire to communicate BEFORE they have the labels we call words for everything they want in their world. This is the source of many toddler fits - a desire for something that they are unable to effectively communicate. Contrast this with an Autistic child who has yet to recognize other people in his environment, who throws fits because the air conditioning unit is too loud for his sensitive ears. Think on the desire to communicate, and whether you would like to be able to do that with your child.

I now use a DIR/Floortime (Greenspan) approach in conjunction with Communicating Partners. I look at the developmental level the child is on, and I interact with the child on his/her level, then move my actions up a step and try to persuade the child to come with me. This might mean that I sit next to the child twisting yarn with him for hours before I move it up a notch and try to make it interactive by starting to twist his piece of yarn and hoping he'll twist mine back. The point is, the child is actually interested in ME and my ACTIONS, not in the cookie he knows I have on my side of desk.

I get children interested in interacting with me, not just interested in obtaining a reinforcer. Now, how many typically-developing children need you to hold a cookie up in front of your face to focus on you? Not very many. Why should this be a goal with a child just because s/he is autistic?

I am not interested in running experiments with Pavlov and Skinner. I am interested in having the children I work with grow up to be the best PEOPLE they can be, autistic or otherwise.

I, by the way, am High Functioning Autistic myself. I used echolalia as my primary form of interaction and communication until I was 8 years old. I spent most of my time in classrooms being ignored by teachers and children who were too neurotypical to understand me. I used to flap until my mother mentioned to my first grade teacher that I hated loud noise and then started receiving ruler whaps across the desk whenever I flapped (I transferred to picking my skin... now which hurts me worse?). What is ironic is that, as an adult, I first met other Autistic people. And they are the ones who have helped me start to understand and actually feel somewhat linked to humanity for the first time in my life.

If you want interested, involved children, please look at switching your program to something more humanistic, more developmental in its approach. Read Greenspan and MacArthur, and put your ABA books in the back of your library. I've had so much more success with developmental approaches that my old ABA books are gathering dust.

As a mother of three children on the spectrum, I want to share how much this book has changed our lives forever. Hope is a powerful feeling and one given to us from this book.

We were going along following the "standard" recommendations of the professionals working with our children on the spectrum without much change for over the past two years. Sure, we had some changes, but not like the ones we were about to experience using the Verbal Behavior Approach.

This book was very easy to read and did a great job of detailing exactly how to do what we were reading about. For us, the concepts were all completely new and a totally different way of intervening. Having Mary Barbara's personal story throughtout the book helped make it more real for us as a parents.

This book has given us the power to help our children ourselves. No longer do we have to follow recommendations from others that just don't seem "quite right" for our children. We have the tools to make a difference ourselves. The therapists we do have that work with our children, are much happier also and feel a better sense of direction now. They have told me how much more hopeful they feel now having the resources they needed. They report that following the Verbal Behavior Approach has changed them professionally as well.

We have spent the past few months working through behavior problems with our children. I am glad to report that for my middle son, age 4, 20+ meltdowns a day is literally down to none or an average of 3 a week. What a difference! We have our lives back! Each child on the spectrum is different of course, but I just wanted to share one personal detail in this review to give specific evidence of the changes we are experiencing.

We feel so much closer and more connected to our kids. I don't know what more a parent with a child on the spectrum wants. We are forever grateful. I highly recommend this book to anyone out there who wants to help their children, clients, family member, and self grow and learn. I recommend this book to parents on the spectrum and parents of non-spectrum kids as well.

We still have a long road ahead of us, but we are up for the journey having the resources we need now. (This book stays by my side and I refer to it daily.)

As a Board Certified Associate Behavior Analyst, I find myself recommending this book to my clients on a daily basis. Applied Behavior Analysis is a very complex field. Barbera takes some pretty difficult concepts and shows us how to apply them in an interesting and easy to understand format.

Applied Behavior Analytic techniques are tried and true interventions, backed by decades of scientifically validated (and replicated)research. I noticed in the review by Tara, she recommended against ABA techniques in favor of developmental approaches. While it was extremely interesting to read her review from the perspective of a High Functioning woman with Autism, I would like to reiterate that ABA is backed by decades of research and the importance of intensive behavioral intervention for individuals with autism cannot be ignored. Tara mentioned the importance of teaching communication-- this is covered in depth in Chapter 5 of the book. She also mentioned the importance of teaching a child to be interested in her and her actions-- I'd recommend re-reading Chapter 4 on reinforcement and pairing. Chapter 10 discusses using the child's motivation during Natural Environment Teaching (NET). Also, the ABLLS can be used as an assessment and curriculum guide so you can be sure you are teaching skills in a developmentally appropriate sequence.

Again, this book is an excellent guide for parents and clinicians to use. I'm very impressed with it and recommend this book to all!!!!

It was not what I thought. I thought it was a book to read to kids, instead it is a WONDERFUL workbook with ideas, activities, etc. Definately for teachers but very useful even for this grandma!

A great book for parents and kids on anger management; filled with strategies and activities. Put this on your bookshelf. Another outstanding resource for parents and educators is Bully-Proofing Children: A Practical, Hands-On Guide to Stop Bullying. It not only helps kids to deal with feelings of anger but expression of all feelings; it provides activities and detailed classroom-tested lessons on how to manage these feelings, assertiveness vs aggressiveness; conflict resolution; getting along; being kind and helping others.

I am an Elementary School Counselor. I got this book to help me put together small groups for some of my students. The book is wonderful. It is full of great and effective ideas. I bought many resources in the past, and this is by far the best one to help children understand and work through anger.

The premise of the book is that anger is okay and natural, and you do not need to feel ashamed or scared when you are angry. You can talk about your anger, and try to physically calm your body, but you cannot be abusive and hurt yourself, others, or property.

If you are a parent hoping to help a child with anger issues, this is probably not the best book for you. It is basically a series of lesson plans designed for teachers/counselors to use when teaching students about anger and constructive ways to manage their anger.

OTOH, I do plan to adapt a few of the lessons for my family. There are a few useful stories and worksheets that could reinforce some of the messages I am trying to get through to my children, such as: using "cold water" words to diffuse someone else's anger; figuring out "what lit the fuse" for an outburst of anger; slowly escalating your words "using your muscles" to explain when someone is bothering you, rather than exploding all at once; and coming up with "safe ways" to express anger, among others.

Excellent short workbook for kids with anger problems. Probably most appropriate for kids between 5 and 9. Highly reccomended.