Schools and Instruction Books

Very helpful for graduate students who may receive little to no guidance in their teaching assistantships. As with most books of this nature, some topics address issues that are out of the graduate student's control, but will nevertheless be helpful for the future. Chapters cover a wide range of topics from designing a syllabus, weekly preparation, and running a discussion, to office hours and balancing student/teaching life. I relied heavily on this book when teaching a course for teaching assistants.

Considering that universities are relying more and more on graduate student instruction these days, I often wondered why none of the books I saw about teaching were directed towards grad students. Curzan & Damour's book fills that need and offers useful suggestions that will be appreciated by graduate student instructors and the faculty that supervise them. The strength of the book is that the authors clearly speak from personal experience about the issues unique to graduate student instructors. They give useful advice that ranges from the broad (how to lead discussions, how to grade a paper) to the more specific yet nevertheless important (how to dress, how to respond to student emails). That this is a book designed specifically for grad student teachers is demonstrated by coverage of topics such as how to maintain respect and authority in the classroom even though you might only be a few years older than your students, and how to deal with requests from students to socialize with them. I read the book before my first semester of graduate teaching, and I would highly recommend that others do the same. And anyone who supervises or works with graduate student instructors should consider getting the book for them as part of their training/development as teachers. As I said earlier, this book fits an important need given the growing number of courses taught by grad students, and it does so in an easy-to-read and very practically-useful manner. I've used the book in my own training, and as I move on to a faculty career, I will incorporate it into my work with other graduate students.

"Gods Little Instruction Book for Graduates" is a great gift for any graduate starting out in their career. It's not meant to be an in depth guide to success, but rather a source of inspiration to be kept at one's desk and referred to throughout the day as needed. I like this book because you can read it numerous times and find something new each time. A fun read, and one that graduates can come back to again and again.

Anne Brown
Author of Grad to Great
Grad to Great

I am a high school teacher and senior class advisor. I bought this book as a gift for our class president. After reading through it I felt it would be an appropriate gift for more of my students.(I've bought 5 so far.) The format of "translating" a passage from The Bible into a modern setting is very effective. I hope they enjoy it as much as I did.

Although this book could use a little flashier presentation, it does a fine job with describing the physical changes of growing up. The line-drawings of people at different stages are detailed and commendable.

As a health educator, I have used Growing and Changing as the classroom text for Puberty and Human Sexuality units for grades 6-8. The student generated questions reflect similar questions my own students have, making discussion easier. Excellent. - Ph.D. in Maine, USA

My 13 year old daughter is at an intermediate piano level (level 3-4) and wanted to play something more contemporary than the piano methods, or classical scores, or the NYSMA selections. She liked the songs from High School Musical 2 better than the first, and asked me for the music. This songbook sounds authentic. The transcriptions play nicely and sound like that used in the movie. My daughter is pleased that she can now play songs that her schoolmates recognize and can sing along with.

I bought this for my 14 year old son, who is taking piano lesson's, and loved the movie's. He was very pleased with and is playing from this song book.

I bought this book for my son. It has good basic step by step line drawings (4 for each bird) to draw a number of different birds with full color pictures to look at if you want to color in your birds. You draw your birds on a separate sheet of paper. This is a book for the young or beginning artist as the finished drawings are simple and not extremely detailed.

I got this book for my eight year old grand daughter and she loved it. Even took it to school.

I bought this for my 5 year old son who LOVES to draw. The steps were pretty easy to follow. It breaks the whole thing down into simple shapes. We have enoyed drawing the dinosaurs together and he enjoys it alone. If your child likes to draw and likes dinosaurs, he will have fun with this book!

I purchased this for my grandson for Xmas 2006 (I do my shoppng early) ... I did peruse the book and know he will love it. The material is well presented and EASY to understand. Great book for the little ones who love dinosaurs and love to draw them.

I teach art to elementary students and have used many of the
wonderful ideas in this book: making a truck out of an envelope,drawing catepillars, making crayoned paper snowflakes, and a loopy snake paper sculpture(big hit with the students). The price is great for all of the inspiring ideas.

This book is very easy to follow. It has very creative ideas and the final product is very nice.

Sloan's last wife is responsible for this catalogue. I am looking forward to the exhibition at the end of this month at the University of Chicago's Smart Museum.John Sloan was a high school drop out,( as was Stuart Davis). His meeting Robert Henri was transormational to him: He read more . He walked more. All of the Ash Can painters walked to absorb and find subjects in New York City.Most worked as artist/reporters.They did very sophisticated drawings for newspapers during this period. They were inspired by Aubrey Beardsley and the Ukiyo Japanese prints. Stuart Davis was a fan of Beardsley and was one of the influences that led him to abstraction.The catalogue has repros of Sloan's graphic work.I am pleased that the art world has come out with so many good books about these artists. I believe that the Abstract Expressionist have follwed them in their interest in subject matter...the city. They also follow the painterliness of John Sloan and George Bellows.Sloan was a long time friend to Stuart Davis.In Davis we find remnants of the Ash Can painters.Helen Farr Sloan died in 2005 she is responsible for the story of John Sloan as from the time she spent as his student ,to the time they were man and wife ,she kept notes and records of his thinking on art.The catalogue contains essays on different aspects of Sloan. I would like to see all of the paintings in the show,in this catalogue. But, nonetheless the book will be a good seller.

It is an excellent book on John Sloan. A catalog of a show they put on at the Delaware Art Museum. The information on Sloan is complete and engaging. Reproduction of the art is fine.

Good coverage of the period of his art career from 1908 to 1920 when he was working in New York City. This is the most interesting period of his art. Anyone who is interested in this period of art for America will find this a good worthwhile book.

Dr. Tim has inspired many through his clinics and books, and you should not let this one pass you by. His passion for education is ever-present, and his is a true God-sent in my own life. Tim, my dear friend, I love you, you have meant the world to me. Thank you for all you do.

I saw Dr. Tim as a Freshman and sophomore in High School during one of his clinics. He greatly inspired me then to be the best that I can in all of my endeavors. Today, as a 22-year-old working my first full time job doing what I love (arts administration), I still refer to my notebooks from the clinics to inspire and remind me how to handle situations. I am looking forward to reading this book.

I first read this book when I was a young teacher and have read it several times since. I had checked it out from my local university library, and tried to buy a copy of it, only to find it is out of print. Books like these need to be reprinted and should be required reading for elementary music teachers.

Today, almost anything goes in the music classroom. Songs are sung about the 100th day of school, naming the planets of the solar system, or "character counts". Music teachers are asked to use songs to teach safety, math facts, consonants and vowels. All the artistry is being sucked out of the curriculum. Luckily, there are still teachers who want to teach music (not math and reading) and who want to teach children the culturally-rich, artistic folk music of our country and other countries around the world. They want to teach children to be able to read music, understand music, perform music, and create their own music. They want children to experience music that doesn't have a "Broadway"-style soundtrack or dopey cartoon characters altering the words of it to make it politically correct or saccharinely sweet.

The book focuses on several topics of interest to music teachers: early childhood music, using movement in the music class, teaching the older beginner, working with the elementary school chorus, and developing a Kodaly curriculum. It also contains a song collection with many of the materials used throughout the book. There is much common-sense to be found in its pages.

Although one can still find plenty of information in the author's updated "Kodaly Method I and II", this book is still worth reading and keeping on hand. I wish the author the best in her well-deserved retirement. She has made more than a significant contribution to the music education world!

The author discusses how to apply the Hungarian curriculum to the United States. She goes over the many questions involved in sequencing the curriculum, teaching notation, planning each lesson, and helping the students to appreciate good music.

I got somewhat lost in her chapter on directing a choir. I have always had trouble understanding instructions given by voice teachers and choir directors. (Voice teachers have told me to "imagine yourself wearing a mask." "Imagine the sound spinning out of the top of your head." What the heck does THAT mean!)

I take issue with Choksy's blanket rejection of popular music. It seems inconsistent. Kodaly said that the children's own folk music is familiar to the children, and therefore should be the starting point of the children's music education. Should not the children's own popular music be incorporated for the same reason? Choksy might be speaking more from her own musical tastes than from her training and experience. I discuss this question in my review of 0139491732.

Last I heard, Choksy had retired from music education and gone into the bed-and-breakfast business. I hope the bed-and-breakfast business gained as much as the music education profession lost.