Ask the Teacher: A Practitioner's Guide to Teaching and Learning in the Diverse Classroom

Using a question-and-answer format, this text presents the teacher candidate with the opportunity to confront issues dealing with foundations, educational psychology, curriculum, methodology, or family involvement in the teaching process. Teacher candidates learn to reflect on classroom problems when they are confronted with curiosity, confusion, or uncertainty. The replies to those queries, within this text, are based on educational theory and practice that attempt to resolve various educational issues by indicating a variety of solution sets. Because its purpose is to stimulate reflective thought, Ask the Teacher is not for the passive reader but for one who desires a contextual intellectual discourse—a dialogue that promotes a genuinely reflective understanding of the diverse classroom in the 21st Century. This text, which is based on a two-year pilot study and subsequent practitioners' reviews of a preliminary edition, is designed to guide the student throughout the curricula of a professional education program. Chapters relating to educational foundations, applied psychology, curriculum, methodology, technology as well as family involvement in the learning process make this text a useful, handbook for teachers in culturally and linguistically diverse classrooms. For the wider audience of current inservice teachers, Ask the Teacher: A Practitioners Guide to Teaching and Learning in the Diverse Classroom is like “Dear Abby” only in this case about education.

Table of Contents:
1. Corner stones. The competent and caring teacher. America's schools need an educational philosophy for a democratic society. What early schools taught. How public education began. How teachers stay good. The best way to teach a class. Find a nurturing teacher. Mentors help students succeed at high school. Why are some teachers better than others are? Is your child's classroom conducive to learning? Professional development: Who teaches the teachers? The mesh of theory and practice in professional education. Programs for at-risk kids do pay off. Quality of charter schools depends on many factors. Are high schools getting easier? Small-scale schools offer consistently better education. School size is crucial to child's success. Small classes yield big results. Changing public schools to serve all students. Girls getting the short end of the educational stick. Gender in children's literature: Cinderella or Cinderfella? Students will rise to the challenge. Being “politically correct” in school. How schools can get more “bang for their buck.” Students should rate their professors. Four requisites to academic accomplishment. Struggling students aren't bad students. Not all students work at the same pace. What are critical thinking skills? Solving the dropout problem. Effort is the key to success in school. A poor educational choice: grade retention. Social promotion or being held back—are these the only choices? Nutrition affects intellectual performance. The future of education needn't be bleak. 2. Culture to Culture. Schools should celebrate ethnic diversity. Ebonics enters the language debate. Two-way system solves bilingual problem. Two-way bilingual education benefits all. Roots of intolerance. Parents and teachers can help all students succeed. Multicultural education the right way to go. Inclusive schools see diversity as strength. Some kids develop skills faster than others. School's vision begins with educational platform. Teaching the bilingual student. Multilingual heritage. The United States: An English speaking nation or multilingual nation. What has to happen for standards to work. What U.S. schools could learn from Japan. How can all students experience success? Fostering the bilingual child. Nurturing the bilingual child. Attracting minority students to science and math. Mathematics for the English as a Second Language student. 3. The Why and How of Classroom Psychology. There's more than one way to be smart. Bell curve isn't the best learning indicator. Teachers don't give grades. Does the size of your brain matter? Brain growth: A second bite of the apple. Don't abandon the academic ship. Mixed-age grouping works. Take a positive thought. What is self-esteem? Help your child beat the fear of school. College athletes don't always have it so easy. Self-esteem is everything. Kids will behave with proper motivation. Student motivation. Understanding a misunderstood notion—student motivation. How to set up an environment that fosters motivated students. An answer for unsuccessful learners—cognitive retraining. Learning requires a dual investment: Time and effort. Best efforts are more important than being exceptional. Teacher expectations a self-fulfilling prophecy. Pro-social behavior: A product of positive expectations. Sidelined athletes grumble about grades. Grouping by IQ. The fear of making mistakes. Educational research and common knowledge. 4. Discipline: Rules of the Road. Classroom discipline. Classroom discipline that really works. The disadvantages of punishment in the classroom. Punishments and rewards: One and the same? What constitutes appropriate discipline? Effective classroom discipline. Rules of discipline that work. How to cope with at-risk students. Negative thoughts lead to poor self-image. Behavioral standards in the classroom. Tackling school violence. Which works better—punishment or reward? When a teacher should call a student's home. There's lots of hope for your shy child. How to solve the 'bully' problem. Is spanking ever a good idea? Mutual respect is key to preventing violence. The gang problem and a solution. Changing student behavior. Dealing with truancy. What is sexual harassment? How to deal with verbal abuse in the classroom. Sarcasm has no place in school. Teaching children how to behave. Habitual tardiness is a symptom, not a problem. One-size-fits-all dress code can seem like a straightjacket. 5. Testing: Getting It Right. Performance assessment. Best tests. What to do on the day of an exam. What are standardized tests? How to prepare for standardized tests. Preparing for short answer and essay tests. What is test bias? How to test children in lower grades. IQ tests are only one tool in measuring intelligence. Tests should measure development, not limit a student's opportunities. A formula for success on quizzes, tests, and examinations. How to prepare you child for a test. 6. Curriculum: What to Teach. Slow learners deserve full curriculum. An answer to the diversity gap in schools. Where in the world is geography? What about science? Evolution theory has roots in science. Why is spelling so hard? Finding out about the world around you. What's the point of reading Shakespeare? The arts are undervalued. What's going on with arts programs? Does pronunciation matter? Are physical education programs worth the time, effort, and money? Why is physical education taught in secondary school?. Oral history project. Students learn a lot on field trips. Television has a place in the classroom. Economics is a vital element of citizenship education. The language of mathematics. What is a portfolio? The evolution of literacy. 7. Methodology: How to Teach. Collaboration is a formula for better education. Working in groups can yield positive results. Cooperative learning leads to results. The essay menu. A high school design flaw: Six classes a day, five days a week. Replacing the six-period school day. A game plan to enhance student achievement. What is andragogy? Experiences affect how and what we learn. Critical thinking skills in the classroom. Children learn best from self-initiated activities. Students balk at assignments. Getting homework done on time. Mixed-age activities. How to get students to turn in their homework. The self-directed student. Teacher should distribute lecture notes. Real-world thinking and problem solving. Collaborative skills: Teamwork that lasts a lifetime. Halting grade inflation. How to teach conventional math classes in a short period of time. Using portfolios to assess mathematics progress. Teaching mathematics to children. Types of math portfolio assessment. 8. Learning to Read, Reading to Learn. Encourage young readers by reading aloud. Language skills are key to intellectual development. Taking steps toward writing good essays. Revision is an important part of an assignment. Learn to read, then read to learn. Integrated approach to language arts pays off. Newspapers in class encourage reading. Like, how come kids, you know, can't communicate? Helping beginning readers. The first lesson in reading can be an experience. Reading starts with identifying sounds. Finding that inner voice to make reading enjoyable. Help your child love to read. Mix of teaching strategies is key to reading success. Ways 'poor students' can learn to read. Learn grammar without drills. Five ways to become an exemplary listener. Q&A sessions need right kind of questions. Understanding the textbook. How to encourage reading. Use this trick to get your child to read. Helping your children read at home. Questions to ask about school reading programs. Early reading builds lifetime. Story time helps kids learn to read. Reading and writing work hand in hand. 9. Inclusion and Service: Yes, That Means Everyone. Decisions that concern disabled students. Ways to test disabled students. Is your child learning-disabled? Teaching special education students in the regular classroom—a team approach. Setting up learning environments for students with Attention Deficit Disorder. Will all non-gifted students please raise their hands? An inclusive educational strategy: Specially designed academic instruction in English. Having friends at school. Dealing with dyslexia. Dealing with ADD. What is service learning? Linking students in the classroom with their communities through service learning. Nurturing children of mixed heritage. Extending the school day. The most popular class is the one least taught. Oral history project a winner from first question to final presentation. 10. Tools of the Trade. It's important to travel the information highway. Computers' impact on education. Why every student isn't on the information highway. Computers in the classroom. Why computers are important. Getting started on computers. How to distribute computers on campus. Are computers worth the expense? Technology in today's schools. Computer Age changes librarians' roles. Learning on the Internet. The best kind of school technology plans. Technology offers a big plus to the instructional process. The potential of distance education. Is e-mail changing scholarly dialogue? Online classes change the concepts of time and space. How to teach an online course. What makes a quality educational Web site experience. Quality online learning. Testing be e-mail. Andragogy meets online education. Online collaborative learning. Collaborative online education. Online access to higher education. 11. Parents and the School. Parents and teacher must work together. Your child's success a joint mission. Eliminating drug abuse requires team approach. After-school programs to entertain kids. How to turn students into good citizens. Communicating with parents. How to get involved in school reform. The jump to junior high or middle school. Middle school selection of crucial importance. Is PBS a national treasure? Reform movements. How to choose the best preschool. Preparing a child for kindergarten. Preschool checklist. Appropriate teacher conferences. Appropriate questions at an open house. Unhappy with your teacher? What to expect from a student teacher. Classroom visit may help concerned parent. How parents should deal with teachers. Father's involvement is very significant. The powerful effect of a father's involvement on his children's education. Changing schools requires a community effort. Summer school approach to learning. School-to-work transition. Employability skills. Six steps to better grades. 12. Education: A Family Affair. Parents are their child's most important teachers. How to help your child with homework. Your child's self-esteem. Helping your children with homework. Parents are right to limit TV. TV or not TV, that is the question. Start teaching your child about nature now. What about home schooling? Helping the unsuccessful student. How to help your child overcome social inhibitions. Parents' role in the education of their children. New learning tools for your children. How parents can help with homework. Parent involvement that pays off. Review child's work to improve performance. Families involved in classroom learning experiences. Specific kind of family involvement really work. Parents role in science and math education. How to tell kids about the world of work. Glossary.

About the Author :
Mark Ryan has taught at all grade levels, from elementary classes to university seminars.  He holds a Bachelor’s degree in history from the University of California at Santa Cruz, a Master’s degree from the University of Puerto Rico at Rio Piedras, and a Doctorate in Higher and Adult Education from Arizona State University at Tempe.     From 1994 through 1997 he wrote the Ask the Teacher column syndicated by Copley News Service and was regularly published in such newspapers as the Boston Herald, the Denver Rocky Mountain News, and the San Diego Union Tribune.  In 2004 Dr. Ryan received the President’s Distinguished Teaching Award from National University. He recently co-authored Writing Effective Lesson Plans: The Five-Star Approach, with Peter Serdyukov.