You Haven't Taught Until They Have Learned: John Wooden's Teaching Principles and Practices

by Swen Nater

Co-author Swen Nater, one of John Wooden's former basketball players at UCLA, provides insightful first-hand accounts on the many life lessons he learned from Wooden that has applied to his life since becoming a teacher himself. Wooden's principles, conveyed by Nater and co-author Ronald Gallimore in this book, can be studied and applied by teachers, coaches, parents and anyone else who is responsible for, works with, or supervises others. In this revised version of the book, the authors include an afterword, in which specific examples and anecdotes are provided of how You Haven't Taught Until They Have Learned has impacted people in the teaching, coaching, and business industries.

Genres: Leadership, Nonfiction, Education, Sports, Philosophy, Basketball, Cultural

245 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 1, 2005

Reviews

[Tony · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes you like a book simply because it's so earnest. Here you have a former basketball player turned coach and educator explaining the educational secrets of another coach and educator, peppering it with snippets from his own poetry, none of which will win him a Nobel in literature, but which is altogether endearing.

A couple of key coaching takeaways:

1) There's a vast difference between coaching away errors and developing a season-long plan for developing your kid into the player (or student) you want him to be.

2) There's no substitute for extensive study of the field you want to coach. Witness Wooden's massive research and documentation of the best posture for a free throw.

3) The title ought to be drilled into every teacher who feels no shame when stating that one of his students failed a test. Your students don't fail tests. You fail your students.

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exceptional teaching refresher for an old fellow in the teaching profession as I am. I felt the authors did tend to get repetitive at the end -- a strong editor would make this book compelling all the way through. I highly recommend for beginning and veteran teachers alike.

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This book gave great insight into leadership and teaching. I highly recommend it!

[Brendan M Lawler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Classic

Classic read for any person charged with leading and impacting the development of any other person. Always improve and never settle.

[Matthew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good content but application requires highly motivated learners who can put up with, or thrive on, a continuous stream of corrective feedback- a rarity nowadays.

[Desmond · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good Starting point for someone interested in the coaching of John wooden. Good way to spark some ideas and methods in order to be a more successful and productive coach.

[Rob · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kindle recommend the book. I read the title and decided I liked the author before I even read the book. I've never really been into basketball, but I still had plenty to gain from reading this. Lots of helpful info for anyone who wants to get better at coaching or teaching.

It was nice finding out that someone else agrees with me on a lot of my own approach to teaching, but I ended up getting a lot, A LOT, of great info on how I can step up my teaching game. Most of it is a whole lot of habits I need to refine.

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was an assignment for all teachers/staff to read over the summer. I got one because I will be working in the office and I thought it was a fabulous read. Very inspiring. I may have found it more interesting because of my 9 years of substitute teaching - but I still feel it could be useful to all people because (as the book says) we are teachers! We are also all learners or should be learners our whole lives. I found things that I could parallel to my own learning & teaching in my church and as a parent and thought it would be fabulous in it's application for our marching band. Plus - I learned a little bit about college basketball and a historic figure in that arena!!

[Christina · Rating 2 out of 5]

They should have sold a nice glass of wine to serve with the cheesyness of this book. It smacked of good old fashioned values and common sense, which I suppose in this day and age may be of surprise to some people.

There were a few things I picked up.. like the idea that "Success is the peace of mind which is a direct result of the self-satisfaction in knowing that you have made the effort to become the best of which you are capable."

Also, the idea of providing direction/correction with information only.. not passing judgement, such as the empty, 'good job,' but adding specificity.

If you need a dose of warm fuzzies, this might be the book for you.

[Bskidmore · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though the writing was a little dry, I really enjoyed learning more about Coach Wooden, who's known as one of the (if not THE) greatest basketball coaches of all time. I love how he viewed himself as a teacher, not just in the classroom, but also on the court. (He even called his players "students" at times.) It's inspiring to see how influential a teacher can be in the lives of his/her students, and to be reminded that I can actually practice these traits to be a better teacher myself.

[Alex Morales · Rating 3 out of 5]

I finished this book about a month before John Wooden died. It was written by a former collegiate basketball player, Swen Nater. Swen basically outlines what it was like be coached by Wooden, and details Wooden's teaching principles and practices. As a teacher, I found this book to be informative and validating.

[Jim Serger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book by a former player under Coach Wooden-Swen, the author and they player applied what he was taught on the court to what happened after UCLA-- great takes from this player, it is what he learned that made this a good book--teachers effect each student differently, and in this book the author clearly shares that point.

[Brian · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book has a lot of potential, a few interesting stories, but virtually no substance. The title of the book and the author's relationship with John Wooden sells the book. None of the information it contains is worthy of passing along.

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

The best chapters are the last two that really talk about being a good teacher. Wooden was a great teacher.

[Annabharmon · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little over the top but It had some good ideas and insights

[Tim Pollock · Rating 4 out of 5]

John Wooden books are magic. Usually they are uplifting, though, but this one made me feel inferior as a teacher and coach. Dude was like good at his job and stuff.

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

John Wooden books are magic. Usually they are uplifting, though, but this one made me feel inferior as a teacher and coach. Dude was like good at his job and stuff.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book. not a ton of new information but still some. poems

[Michael Teter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting perspective on teaching. Offers I think a different approach.