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Marching Off the Map: Inspire Students to Navigate a Brand New World
Leading today's students often feels like being in a new country. The population in this new land has different attitudes (many entitled and narcissistic) and speaks a different language (emojis and social media). Attention spans are six to eight seconds. They multi-task on five screens. They often possess multiple personas on social media platforms. Understanding and connecting with this generation is often times frustrating and draining.
The old maps that helped adults navigate students through adolescence are now producing graduates who move back home, are afraid to take healthy risks, and are unwilling to start at the bottom of a career path.
We're in new territory.
We need new strategies on how to navigate new land...to march off our old maps and create new ones.
That is what this book is all about. From decades of research and hands-on experience, Dr. Tim Elmore and Andrew McPeak collate their conclusions into one resource.
In Marching Off the Map, they share practical, research-based solutions that help
The old maps that helped adults navigate students through adolescence are now producing graduates who move back home, are afraid to take healthy risks, and are unwilling to start at the bottom of a career path.
We're in new territory.
We need new strategies on how to navigate new land...to march off our old maps and create new ones.
That is what this book is all about. From decades of research and hands-on experience, Dr. Tim Elmore and Andrew McPeak collate their conclusions into one resource.
In Marching Off the Map, they share practical, research-based solutions that help
242 pages, Hardcover
Published January 1, 2017
84 people are currently reading
444 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
December 16, 2017
Tim Elmore combines diligent research, leadership development expertise, and wise observation to provide insight and practical help for anyone who wants to understand and work more effectively with Gen Z. Marching Off The Map is one of my “Top 5” reads for 2017. This book is for the reflective practitioner. You can’t read it and not think, “How am I going to implement this?”
June 26, 2018
I enjoyed this book. I have read a bit from Tim Elmore, in fact I have used his Habitudes books in class and there is a lot of good stuff here. Gonna use it in class and as a means to structure my lessons. So for that I recommend this book.
I have one or two concerns: first the endorsement of mindfulness was disappointing, even if this was proven to be scientifically good for students, it is a practice mirroring Buddhist meditation and one that I feel should not be endorsed. Emptying your minds and focusing on the now is not as good as focusing on truth and dwelling there! Second, the idea that students must develop (read create) morality is disconcerting. I know what he means about students figuring out what is moral, but lacking a firm foundation in truth morality is subjective and ultimately tyrannical and abusive. He does make the point that we have sort of lost our past moorings in absolute truth, but he does not go far enough. Now these are my views, please feel free to disagree, but better yet read the book and comment on that, not on my review!
I have one or two concerns: first the endorsement of mindfulness was disappointing, even if this was proven to be scientifically good for students, it is a practice mirroring Buddhist meditation and one that I feel should not be endorsed. Emptying your minds and focusing on the now is not as good as focusing on truth and dwelling there! Second, the idea that students must develop (read create) morality is disconcerting. I know what he means about students figuring out what is moral, but lacking a firm foundation in truth morality is subjective and ultimately tyrannical and abusive. He does make the point that we have sort of lost our past moorings in absolute truth, but he does not go far enough. Now these are my views, please feel free to disagree, but better yet read the book and comment on that, not on my review!
March 16, 2018
While Elmore offers some practical tips for engaging Generation Z, he desperately needs a sensitivity reader. The metaphors about explorers and conquerors are pretty whitewashed at best. Yes, Columbus and Alexander the Great covered a lot of physical ground and boldly went where no man had gone before, but they also wiped out entire populations along the way, something Elmore never addresses (even though he devotes a decent section in the book to discussing these explorers' "problems").
I know that this unifying metaphor isn't the content itself, but I lose confidence in an author's research if their take on Manifest Destiny is something to the effect of "these guys really wanted something, they got it, and that's great!"
Overall, Elmore seems to have a decent, if "kids these days" insight into Generation Z's cultural milieu. If you ignore the more cringey "historical" content, this book provides helpful insights into how to engage teenagers today.
I know that this unifying metaphor isn't the content itself, but I lose confidence in an author's research if their take on Manifest Destiny is something to the effect of "these guys really wanted something, they got it, and that's great!"
Overall, Elmore seems to have a decent, if "kids these days" insight into Generation Z's cultural milieu. If you ignore the more cringey "historical" content, this book provides helpful insights into how to engage teenagers today.
February 22, 2025
I had to read this book for a Youth Ministry course. The clear point that Elmore makes early on through his writing is that children’s lives are extremely digitized, and the rapid moving social media culture that they are growing up in changes so quickly that it is almost impossible to keep up. Because of this issue, youth leaders face a difficulty in staying up to date on how to reach students. Elmore and McPeak offer many tips throughout the book on how to adapt with culture but not adopt it. The authors incorporated a vast amount of research such as case studies, other statistics, observations, as well as many narratives looking into people who have “marched off the map” or “set their sails” and made a difference in the world. They provided many practical tips on how to apply the research that they had found. Early on, Elmore write that in writing, they “tried to be ‘pracademic’” Further explaining this term as “research based, but in addition, we offer practical ideas on how we can respond to the data.” The epilogue starting on page 225, is a firehouse of tips, strategies, and perspectives which serve as the authors’ strategic solutions. The three practice that serve as the broad categories for their proposed solution are integration, inspiration and identification. These practices are then elaborated on in extreme detail and are accompanied by many sub-practices all in hopes of achieving the desired outcome of reaching students despite the rapidly changing landscape of youth culture.
If I am being totally honest, I mainly found this book concerning due to the minimal talk of Christ in the book. I had to look up whether or not Elmore was a Christian. There were a few weak references to Christianity, but overall, it felt like trying to solve the issues of the world by means that will all fall short. Many of the issues that were brought up are very real, but many of the proposed solutions felt like overcorrections that could easily lead to greater troubles. As a part of Gen Z, I feel that current and aspiring youth leaders could gain a lot of knowledge, and be challenged by this book, but I would be wary of taking all of the proposed solutions. Take the research and think for yourself and this book will prove highly useful.
If I am being totally honest, I mainly found this book concerning due to the minimal talk of Christ in the book. I had to look up whether or not Elmore was a Christian. There were a few weak references to Christianity, but overall, it felt like trying to solve the issues of the world by means that will all fall short. Many of the issues that were brought up are very real, but many of the proposed solutions felt like overcorrections that could easily lead to greater troubles. As a part of Gen Z, I feel that current and aspiring youth leaders could gain a lot of knowledge, and be challenged by this book, but I would be wary of taking all of the proposed solutions. Take the research and think for yourself and this book will prove highly useful.
March 21, 2018
Elmore makes a number of good points in this book. Much of it is a rehash of a few of his previous books, and I can't say that his overarching points are a departure from or additive to his other books. If this is NOT your first Elmore book, you probably don't need this one. If this IS your first Elmore book, it can probably be your last.
Behind the insights of Elmore's core points is a penchant for catchy turns of phrase and sloganeering that really diminished my ability to enjoy his writing. ("We value 'looks over books,' we put the 'self' in 'selfie,' we choose 'virtual' over 'virtue.'"--and this was just from p. 206 alone).
Ron Popeil's Showtime Rotisserie Barbecue may well have been a high-quality kitchen accessory. But his "set it and forget it" brand of salesmanship led many to believe it was a trinket built by a trinket salesman. In similar fashion, Tim Elmore puts so much energy into making his ideas catchy, the power of the ideas themselves disappear in a fog of alliteration, rhymes, and acronyms.
If Elmore's ideas were meant to be consumed quickly and memorized, the method has merit, in which case "Marching" would be a 200-page infographic. But this is a book. We bought it, which suggest that we are willing to buy into the ideas contained therein. We didn't need the spoonful of sugar. If anything, it gave me a cavity.
Behind the insights of Elmore's core points is a penchant for catchy turns of phrase and sloganeering that really diminished my ability to enjoy his writing. ("We value 'looks over books,' we put the 'self' in 'selfie,' we choose 'virtual' over 'virtue.'"--and this was just from p. 206 alone).
Ron Popeil's Showtime Rotisserie Barbecue may well have been a high-quality kitchen accessory. But his "set it and forget it" brand of salesmanship led many to believe it was a trinket built by a trinket salesman. In similar fashion, Tim Elmore puts so much energy into making his ideas catchy, the power of the ideas themselves disappear in a fog of alliteration, rhymes, and acronyms.
If Elmore's ideas were meant to be consumed quickly and memorized, the method has merit, in which case "Marching" would be a 200-page infographic. But this is a book. We bought it, which suggest that we are willing to buy into the ideas contained therein. We didn't need the spoonful of sugar. If anything, it gave me a cavity.
August 26, 2020
This book opens up the minds of readers on how we now live in a different world that comes with a variety of challenges. One can either fall behind or adventure into these new "unexplored lands." Elmore directly addresses these challenges and gives his readers a road map to follow. Even though this books is for anyone who is desiring to help students prepare for college, career, or life in general, in my opinion, this book is most dedicated to teachers (specifically school teachers). Parents, coaches, and those in ministry can still gain insight and practical wisdom (there are a few gems in the book that are valuable to all) but I would most recommend a school teacher read this book. Be prepared to be challenged in how you approach your teaching and training!
(4.1)
(4.1)
November 4, 2017
Provocative book on the emerging Generation Z. Written for those who parent, coach, teach and mentor this generation with many ideas on how to more effectively connect and better prepare them for the world they will lead. Tim includes a wide array of research references and the insight they provide along with his own substantial engagement with teaching current university students. I found the book thoughtful and inspiring while raising appropriate warnings about the weaknesses we're seeing as this generation comes of age. A high-value resource for all of those involved in the educational enterprise.
May 30, 2018
Thought Provoking
I didn't choose the rating because I think this is the be all and end all. I chose the rating because this book forces you to think and be intentional. I'm a coach and it helped me to look at the same situation through a different lens. In some ways, it created clarity and actions plans. In other ways, it gave a vernacular to have a conversation with my colleagues, my players and potentially their parents. The only drawback is it gets very salespitch towards his own resources, but that is the way it goes.
I didn't choose the rating because I think this is the be all and end all. I chose the rating because this book forces you to think and be intentional. I'm a coach and it helped me to look at the same situation through a different lens. In some ways, it created clarity and actions plans. In other ways, it gave a vernacular to have a conversation with my colleagues, my players and potentially their parents. The only drawback is it gets very salespitch towards his own resources, but that is the way it goes.
July 28, 2019
This book is a great companion/follow-up read to Jean Twenge's iGen. Both books discuss the trends of the generation currently in high school and college. As a teacher, I found both books useful, and I was pleased to find this one included information on motivating and reaching students of this generation. While some of this seems difficult to implement in every classroom all the time, I definitely plan to rework some lessons and units based on this information. Incredibly useful read for educators!
July 22, 2020
This book was assigned summer reading for my staff at school. This is a great ruffles, meaning it stirs up our current pedagogy and challenges us in our why we do what we do and how can we be better for the present generation we teach. It hits hard on how different GenZ is from our own generations as well as Millennials. I marked up this book and will be revisiting it for inspiration and best new practices.
I recommend this book for educators, but it’s an important read for leaders and parents of young people as well!
I recommend this book for educators, but it’s an important read for leaders and parents of young people as well!
February 3, 2018
A Must for Any Teacher, Coach, or Mentor of Young People Today
Although there are times the author seems to speak in redundancies, this book contains gold for educators and mentors in every chapter. Elmore does solid work in not only discussing the theories behind what he means by marching off the map, but gives practical examples of others that are making it happen. If you're a teacher or mentor for young people you will walk away with better tools if you read this book.
Although there are times the author seems to speak in redundancies, this book contains gold for educators and mentors in every chapter. Elmore does solid work in not only discussing the theories behind what he means by marching off the map, but gives practical examples of others that are making it happen. If you're a teacher or mentor for young people you will walk away with better tools if you read this book.
September 29, 2018
I was forced to read this book. It was a work thing.
Thanks to my boss, however, for forcing this upon me.
I found Elmore a bit redundant and didactic at times, but his message is more than relevant for today. He takes what could be a pessimistic and frightening subject and gives it hope. The target audience includes teachers, coaches or anyone that works with Generation Z.
A very interesting and perhaps required reading for all adults today.
Thanks to my boss, however, for forcing this upon me.
I found Elmore a bit redundant and didactic at times, but his message is more than relevant for today. He takes what could be a pessimistic and frightening subject and gives it hope. The target audience includes teachers, coaches or anyone that works with Generation Z.
A very interesting and perhaps required reading for all adults today.
January 27, 2018
Well written/organized book that helps us understand/appreciate the next generation and how we could guide them best. Listened to it on a long car ride. Wish there were PDFs/visuals offered to audible listeners allowing them to look back over the charts/tables described. May have to purchase a visual copy as well...
July 19, 2018
A great author to read when looking into trends in culture with the emerging generation of kids. Tim Elmore's writings on the previous generation gave such credibility to this book and we are already seeing the trends he speaks of show up in our work.
May 28, 2019
I can't say enough about how much I loved this book. I've recommended it to everyone I know who has/works with/has ever met youth. The world is constantly changing and we need learn how to change with it, rather than lament about "they way things used to be."
June 17, 2019
Thought provoking
Well researched and written with observations grounded in the reality of today. The principles of Dr Elmore’s work are foundational to going beyond communication to build connections that will add value to both parties.
Well researched and written with observations grounded in the reality of today. The principles of Dr Elmore’s work are foundational to going beyond communication to build connections that will add value to both parties.
September 3, 2019
The book has some gems of knowledge and at the same time it is constantly mixing some statistics. It was an interesting book (repetitive at times) but it definitely has things worth remembering. The last couple of chapters are definitely worth a read.
May 25, 2020
I read this book for work. I also attended a presentation by Tim Elmore on the book. Although I can see his attempt to educate, I feel he is too far separated from the generation itself. A lot of the jokes, generalizations, and examples are outdated.
April 25, 2023
Elmore has some great points and ideas...and some outdated ones. He uses some disproven stories and old versions of theories, but he also uses a fair amount of solid research. Despite some shortcomings in the details, overall he has some solid work. Worth reading.
February 20, 2018
Excellent information to consider with Generation Z!
April 7, 2018
Tons of great info for parents and teachers
October 2, 2018
I found this book to be very informative for teaching to the next generation. I highly recommend this for anyone who is teaching this generation of high-tech students.
October 4, 2018
A must read for anyone with children born after 2000. Eye opening, informative and a call to re-evaluate how we are parenting in this new paradigm. Makes me grateful my kids are grown!
April 28, 2019
The insights held lots of promise but the overall organization of the book seemed like scatter shot. Never finished it.
May 21, 2020
Supposed to read for work but then didn't have to finish and I didn't like it enough to finish for my own sake.
June 16, 2020
A must read for anyone- teachers, employers, parents- anyone- who has contact with the youth of today.
August 20, 2020
A must read to better understand youth and also as teacher-leader to help motivate the next generation.
October 11, 2020
Some good points, but not much I have not already heard. Seems a little dated already.
Read
October 25, 2020Good and challenging.
July 7, 2021
Marching Off the Map gives an excellent perspective of how to guide today's youth/teens learn.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews