Making Your Teaching Something Special: 50 Simple Ways to Become a Better Teacher

by Rushton Hurley

Two things any great teacher would tell you if there are all sorts of things that you probably didn't encounter during your professional preparation, and no matter how good you are, there is always room to improve. Making Your Teaching Something Special is a collection of 50 short chapters designed to fill gaps and build talent, with each chapter covering a piece of advice for those looking to raise their game as a teacher or trainer. Divided into five areas (rapport with students, assessments and assignments, delivery, collegiality and professionalism, and logistics), newbies and veterans alike will find plenty of ideas to try with their classes. Each area finishes with discussion questions for those using the book as part of a professional development effort. The author, Rushton Hurley, mixes stories and ideas to make this an easy read, whether spending the afternoon developing ideas or taking a few moments during lunch to be inspired.

Genres: Education

175 pages, Paperback

Published June 17, 2017

Reviews

[Sumiko Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

My still-mostly-true prepublication review:
"The information and wisdom Hurley includes is very powerful. And I LOVE the concise style of writing! Too many authors (and many more students) feel the need to write more than is necessary just to fill space. The brevity of the chapters makes it easy to pick up when I have just a few minutes (I keep it in my purse at all times for this very reason). I believe it also makes it conducive to great professional development. It would be easy for staff members to read a chapter together and discuss within the time frame of a faculty meeting." --Sumiko Clark, Making Your Teaching Something Special, p. iii

Summer 2022 Update:
This book is still one of my favorites! Rather than carrying the book with me to keep reviewing this valuable information, I have set each chapter as a reminder on my Google calendar, set to automatically repeat every 50 days. In the notes of each reminder, I included a few main points from each chapter. Every day I get a great teaching tip, and I see each one 7 times throughout the year.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many of the ideas in Hurley's book are simple reminders of good teaching practices. I appreciated the quick review as I begin another school year.

[Steven Sutantro · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I first started reading this book, I was really taken by how Rushton, sharing heartfelt & honest struggle and success stories he had in classroom. The book has successfully made me re-evaluate the impact of my past actions as a teacher to myself, students, teachers, and parents. Read my complete review here: https://wp.me/pSb0L-2Rh

[Brandon O'Neill · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite book as an educator. I used a piece of advice in this book right away and got a good result. I really appreciated the personal stories and tips for teachers to use and try so everyone feels comfortable and ready to take educational chances in our class.