Choose to Learn: Teaching for Success Every Day

by Russell T. Osguthorpe, Lolly S. Osguthorpe

"There is a real power in this book that offers a way of understanding failure and overcoming it. The authors present a message of possibility and hope to learners and teachers alike and foster a resolve to put the strategies for changing behavior and attitudes into practice."—Robert S. Patterson, Emeritus Professor of Education Brigham Young University Discover powerful principles that help students raise their goals, expect success, and make extraordinary strides in achievement! Education becomes exciting and successful when both learners and teachers accomplish what they previously thought to be impossible. Written in an inspirational, compelling style, this resource shows educators how to motivate students to be successful learners through the development of key personal attributes that foster success. This user-friendly book is organized around an easy-to-use, research-based model derived from multiple fields, including education, psychology, and philosophy, and is focused around eight field-tested principles, including the "Three D′s of Success"—desire, decision, and determination—that can

Increase every learner′s self-confidence Create new expectations and infuse students with new energy and motivation Encourage individuals to go beyond familiar goals, take manageable risks, and achieve desired outcomes Choose to Learn gives teachers a proven approach for helping students exceed their expectations and experience academic growth by making a conscious decision to learn and to succeed.

Genres: Teaching

138 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 15, 2008

Reviews

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

This a great book that talks about the power of personal agency and how to apply that to our lives. It talks about how students can use this power to overcome their "addiction to failure" and choose to succeed!
Should be required reading for anyone in education, but Its principles can be applied to anyone or any organization!

[Bryan Tanner · Rating 5 out of 5]

While generic books about teaching and learning are a dime a dozen, I whole-heartedly recommend reading this one if you are serious about improving in either area. I'm this book, Russ and Lolly synthesize decades of experience as patents, teachers, mission presidents, and more, into a simple set of principles that helped me understand why I make certain decisions regarding my own teaching and learning.

Reading this book was an intuitive and fluid experience. I finished it in only one sitting, which hardly ever happens. The prose and organization worked together to allow me to clearly understand the Osguthorpe's every intention. Their ideas leapt off the page and hit my brain with total clarity. While not all of the ideas were new to me, their organization definitely was.

"Choose To Learn" is an 8-principle (agency-driven) model designed to help everyone become better teachers and learners. The process guides all readers beyond where they have gone before in teaching and learning—doing better than they thought they could do, and helping others to do the same.

My favorite part of the book, and what I most needed to hear, was understanding the differences between urgency and pressure, and how that affects both teaching and learning (Chapter Two).

Truth be told I read this book to distract me from working on a project that I felt tremendous pressure to finish. Naturally, I avoided working on it at all costs. But now I feel an internally-driven sense of positive urgency. (I guess sharpening the saw really does work; thanks Stephen Covey.)

[Zina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This little book was given Ron and me by the authors as we visited them in their home. It concerns success - from the desire, decision and determination to the resulting success of making it happen. They write the book from their years of personal experience with teaching at the university (Russ) and elementary school (Lolly) levels as well as being parents/grandparents. It involves teaching faith in in oneself and the how-to of being successful. I found the book inspiring. Elder Osguthorpe, by the way, was sustained in April 2009 LDS Conference as the General Sunday School President of the Church.

[Juleseebug · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm currently reading this to find ways to motivate my students to become proactive and take responsibility for their own learning. So far, it is very helpful and as a teacher/parent to learn the 3 D's of success: desire, decision, determination in helping children (and oneself) to set goals and relish in achieving them.

[Charles · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an easy read and was especially good because I know the author Russ and was able to see so much of his personality and philosophy in the book.