As a teacher in a school that tries to follow the model of teaching and learning Glasser promotes, this was a book to finally give insight into how a teacher can make this work. To see teaching as fostering life-long learning in the context of the workplace and not academics is something missing from our schools. As Glasser points out, employers do not want someone who can memorize definitions and formulas. Employers want employees who can think, and know when and how to look up the definition and formulas they need when they want it. Employers want workers who can solve problems, and work in a team while still creating their own unique product of work. And teachers want these things too.
However, as a teacher it is hard to hear that knowing the formula for the surface area of a cone is not important. What's important is knowing the problem requires said formula, and how to use it. The formula is not what's being tested, it's use of the formula that is important.
I like this. It means that students work to be good at what they do, whether it be a subject that suits them or not. They know where to find information when needed, whether it be a book, website, or peer.
Discussing this today I thought of an example. When you work in a restaurant, you need to set tables with silverware before customers arrive. As a new employee, you may be shown an example table and then given supplies to do the job. If you run out of forks before you're done, it's expected you go find more, and not just stop and wait for someone to tell you what to do.
This is the kind of on-your-feet thinking that we expect from people as adults (enough so that my example probably seems ridiculous), but we forget that this kind of behavior is learned. And where better to learn it than in school with the support of caring teachers and peers.