EDUCATORS' BLUEPRINT

A career educator shares her humanistic approach to teaching.

While primarily targeting new teachers, this debut book is likely to be enlightening even to experienced ones. Jones focuses on “holistically considering the needs of learners” in a work that weaves together philosophy and practicality. In the first chapter, the author makes an impassioned case for the teaching profession, noting the importance of “soft skills,” such as motivation, persuasion, and patience, which enhance an educator’s ability to have a positive impact on students. Also in this chapter, Jones effectively addresses the need for combining enthusiasm with reality; she suggests, for example, that education can be elevating and enriching, but teachers must recognize “students may not be able to see a better future from their current position in life.” Subsequent chapters concentrate on specific aspects of teaching in support of the book’s “Blueprint” construct. Chapter 2 is an overview of how to proceed with a new school year, including helpful tips for classroom setup, first-day steps, and parent-teacher conferences. The remaining chapters focus on developmental areas, including behavior, instruction, and performance. In each chapter, the author’s caring philosophy is evident, but she also offers concrete teaching tools. A graphic of a hand depicts each of the five fingers cleverly representing a particular desired behavior; “Stay Positive (Thumbs Up)” and “No Disrespect (Middle Finger),” for example. “Twenty-One Skills that all kids should have” broadly applies across all age groups. An exhaustive list of “Types of Fund Raisers” will prove valuable to the entire school community. A description of 10 “Technology Applications (Apps)” specific to teaching will come in handy. There doesn’t seem to be an area related to elementary and secondary classroom teaching that Jones omits in this comprehensive work. Her zeal for teaching is apparent, as is her view of what an instructor can accomplish: “You can be the teacher who looks at a student and doesn’t see a failure, a behavior problem, a slow learner, but a student who has limitless potential who can be anything with the investment of time, dedication and effort.”

Encouraging and positive teaching advice that’s realistic and pragmatic.