Whitaker - What great teachers do differently: seventeen things that matter most

First published 2012 by Eye on Education

Published 2013 by Routledge

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Second edition copyright 2007 Taylor & Francis

First edition copyright 2000 Taylor & Francis

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.

Notices

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Whilaker, Todd, 1959

What great teachers do differently : seventeen things that matter most / Todd Whilaker. 2nd ed.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN 978-1-59667-199-7

1. Teacher effectiveness. 2. Effective teaching. 3. Teacher-student relationships. I. Title.

LB1775.W443 2011

371.2012dc23

2011029023

ISBN 13: 978-1-596-67199-7 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-317-92590-3 (ePub)

Compositor: Richard Adin, Freelance Editorial Services

Cover Designer: Dave Strauss, 3Fold Design

Also Available from EYE ON EDUCATION

Study Guide:

What Great Teachers Do Differently (2nd edition)

Todd Whitaker & Beth Whitaker

What Great Principals Do Differently:

Eighteen Things That Matter Most (2nd edition)

Todd Whitaker

50 Ways to Improve Student Behavior:

Simple Solutions to Complex Challenges

Annette L. Breaux & Todd Whitaker

Study Guide:

50 Ways to Improve Student Behavior

Annette L. Breaux & Todd Whitaker

Seven Simple Secrets:

What the BEST Teachers Know and Do!

Annette L. Breaux & Todd Whitaker

Study Guide:

Seven Simple Secrets

Annette L. Breaux, Todd Whitaker, & Nancy Satterfield

Dealing With Difficult Parents:

And With Parents In Difficult Situations

Todd Whitaker & Douglas J. Fiore

Teaching Matters:

Motivating and Inspiring Yourself

Todd Whitaker & Beth Whitaker

Great Quotes for Great Educators

Todd Whitaker & Dale Lumpa

Teaching Matters:

Motivating and Inspiring Yourself

Todd Whitaker & Beth Whitaker

Dedication

This book is dedicated to my favorite teachers, who are my three children: Katherine, Madeline, and Harrison. Watching them grow and sharing life with them has taught me more than I ever dreamed possible.

Recognized as a leading presenter in the field of education, Dr. Todd Whitaker has been fortunate to be able to blend his passion with his career. His message about the importance of teaching has resonated with hundreds of thousands of educators around the world. Todd is a professor of educational leadership at Indiana State University in Terre Haute, Indiana. He has pursued his love of education by researching and studying effective teachers and principals.

Early in his career, Todd taught mathematics and coached basketball in Missouri. He then served as a principal at the middle school, junior high, and high school levels. He was also a middle school coordinator in charge of staffing, curriculum, and technology for the opening of new middle schools.

One of the nations leading authorities on staff motivation, teacher leadership, and principal effectiveness, Todd has written more than twenty books, including the second edition of What Great Principals Do Differently. Other titles include 50 Ways to Improve Student Behavior, Teaching Matters, The Ball, 7 Simple Secrets, Motivating & Inspiring Teachers, and Dealing with Difficult Parents.

Todd is married to Beth, also a former teacher and principal, who is a professor of Elementary Education at Indiana State University. They are the parents of Katherine, Madeline, and Harrison.

I would like to thank Celia Bohannon for her outstanding work in editing the original manuscript. Her ability to make sense of my grammar while keeping the heart of the book is a special gift.

I would also like to give a special thanks to my publisher, Mr. Robert Sickles. His support, energy, and confidence have enabled me to remain true to myself and helped me share my vision with fellow educators.

And to Beth, my wife: Your continual love and support help me to be a better person than I could ever have been without you.

Any teacher can fill a bookshelf with books about education. Any teacher can study lists of guidelines, standards, principles, and theories. The best teachers and the worst teachers alike can ace exams in their undergraduate and graduate classes. The difference between more effective teachers and their less effective colleagues is not what they know. It is what they do.

This book is about what great teachers do that sets them apart. Clarifying what the best educators do, and then practicing it ourselves, can move us into their ranks.

This book is not meant to prescribe a narrow set of instructions. Instead, it frames the landscape of school from the perspective of great teachers. What do they see when they view their classrooms and the students in them? Where do they focus their attention? How do they spend their time and energy? What guides their decisions? How can we gain the same advantages?

There is no one answer; if there were, surely wed all have it by now. Education is extremely complex, and so is classroom teaching. But we can work toward understanding what the best teachers do. We can gain insight into how effective we are as educators. Most of all, we can continue to refine our skills. All of us have this in common with the best teachers: No matter how good we are, we still want to be better.

The book flows from three different perspectives. I have participated in many research studies on the effectiveness of school principals. Each study was grounded in visits to more effective schools and to less effective schools. In every school, no matter what the environment, I found a wide range of teacherssome more effective, some less so. Better schools may have a higher percentage of better teachers, but I found great teachers in every setting, and I grew curious about what made them great. Second, every year I work with more than fifty schools as a consultant. Through years of observing and visiting with teachers, principals, students, and staff, I have gained insight into the attitudes and behaviors that lead to success. The third perspective is very personal: I write from my own experience as a teacher and principal. I have worked with many outstanding colleagues. What made them great? What kept others from reaching that level?