Classroom Management: Engaging Students in Learning

by Tim McDonald

Classroom Management Third Edition provides teachers with the skills to create quality-learning environments with their students, demonstrating effective instructional strategies that engage students in learning as well having the skills to respond positively to misbehaviour and de-escalate conflict.

Following the Positive Learning Framework (PLF), the text offers practical strategies for working with challenging behaviours, real life examples of classroom scenarios and critical reflection activities. This edition has also been updated to address the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) Teacher Standards.

Providing comprehensive coverage of early childhood, primary and secondary years, Classroom Management is a practical and engaging text that will prepare pre-service teachers for experiences in the classroom.

Genres: Teaching, Nonfiction, Education

280 pages, Paperback

First published March 15, 2010

About the author

True to its provocative name, the New York launched, Phoenix based band Broken Poets has been exploring exciting new ground with their lyric based modern indie rock for the past eight years. In many ways, however, the band’s founder, singer, songwriter and guitarist Tim McDonald is a throwback to an era when lyrics were king and fans craved songs that pierced the soul and could change the world. One critic said it best about the tunes McDonald brings to life with his Broken Poets partner, classically trained Russian pianist, keyboardist and vocalist Lana Antropova and a revolving series of top sidemen: “Soulful poetry turned into song, rock & roll and introspection all in one.”

Perfectly reflecting this vision, their fourth full length CD Everything In Nature, finds McDonald digging deep into his personal philosophy and contemplating life’s deeper meanings. “I like to joke that as a modern songwriter, I think way too much about the lyrics,” he says, “but I grew up being force fed all the great singer-songwriters from the 60’s and 70’s who were also very contemplative writers. I think the standards for lyric writing were much higher in those days, and even though I didn’t really ‘get it’ back then, I guess it set the bar high for the songwriter and storyteller I wanted to become.”

Broken Poets’ 2006 release Optimism in E minor enjoyed a successful college radio campaign, with medium to heavy rotation at over 140 stations nationwide and peaking at #13 on the Most Stations Added chart.

The band’s previous album, Reincarnation, was released by Haden’s Ferry Records via City Hall distribution, and earned solid airplay and critical acclaim.

McDonald released his debut effort Looking For Aldous Huxley in 2000; the song “Welcome To My Life” was selected for a Clear Channel compilation disc and the song “Velvet Elvis” was used as a promotional demo for Neumann Microphones.

Continually expanding their creative universe, Broken Poets have recently made free verse and musical contributions regarding the block where they live in Phoenix on a unique multi-media website called www.26blocks.com. The photos and essays have been part of a touring art exhibit and have inspired a new app on iTunes.

Reviews

[Shaun · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is well written, and easy to read. The concepts are well explained, with the various theories defined clearly. However, as is the want of the subject matter, it will occasionally come across as warm, fuzzy, and unrealistic.

[Smitchy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read as part of Primary teaching qualification.
Interesting and a great resource for teacher and one I am sure I will go back to many times. Set text in first subject done as part of qualification so took some time to get my head around the terminology and concepts but even as a complete newbie by the time I reached the end of the book I can see how it comes together as a holistic approach.