Schools Without Failure

by William Glasser

The author of the bestselling Reality Therapy offers daring recommendations to "shake up educators" (Alexander Bassin).

Genres: Education, Psychology, Nonfiction, Teaching

273 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1373

Reviews

[Zeynab Babaxani · Rating 4 out of 5]

جزو کتابهای خوب در زمینه ی جامعه شناسی و روانشناسی بود. موضوع کتاب نقد و تحلیل آموزش و پرورش در آمریکا هست. با تمرکز بر دوره ی دبستان. کتاب در واقع آموزش و تبیین نوع دیگه ای از تدریس هست که منجر به روابط گرم تر با دانش آموزان میشه و هدف این هست که دانش آموزان به عنوان نسل جدید انسانها، در زندگی شون بهتر بتونن با مشکلات کنار بیان و به جای استفاده از ذهن برای حفظ کردن درس، به استفاده از ذهن از نقطه نظر تحلیل و تفکر و راهیابی تاکید میکنه.
طبیعتا وقتی سن آدم بالا میره باید در بعضی موارد خودش برای خودش نقش یه معلم دلسوز اما سختگیر و مصمم رو بازی کنه و با وجود اینکه این کتاب اساسا در مورد روابط دانش آموز و معلم بود، اما برای من در مورد خودم و تصمیماتم مفید بود.

[Nur D. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yazar toplumsal başarısızlığın nedeninin okul olduğu düşüncesiyle bu kitabı kaleme almış. Eğitimin unsurları olarak velilerden öğretmenlere ve okul yöneticilerine kadar herkesin anlayabileceği ve yararlanabileceği ne hafif ne ağır bir kitap. Yaptığı araştırmaya da dayanarak kitap sonunda faydalı soru önerileri vererek iyi bir düşünce akışı sağlıyor.

[Alfonso · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really interesting read for anyone involved or interested in the field of education. Originally published in 1969, it is a book about education that continues to be pertinent, necessary, and ahead-of-its-time.

Although some of its content can be regarded as outdated (yes, I'm laughing at the 50-year-old "we need to eliminate physical punishment"), it's kind of depressing that most of it is still a work in progress at contemporary schools (especially the main themes of the book: relevant education, promotion of thinking, and involvement).

With really interesting suggestions on how to tackle the topics of involvement, promoting student thinking skills and keeping education relevant for students, this book –which comes across as a grandparent of modern the Social and Emotional Learning theories– continues to be a must-read. Strongly recommended!

[Steven H · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE INVENTOR OF "REALITY THERAPY" LOOKS AT SCHOOLS (FOR THE FIRST TIME

William Glasser (born 1925) is an American psychiatrist, who is the developer of reality therapy ['Reality Therapy: A New Approach to Psychiatry'] and choice theory ['Choice Theory: A New Psychology of Personal Freedom'.

He wrote in the Introduction to this 1969 book, "I believe that most people who write about these [failing] schools have not raised the critical issue... they have not looked deeply enough into the role education itself has played in causing schools to fail... It is the faults and shortcomings of the system itself that I wish to examine, and make suggestions to correct... The main obstacle is our present educational philosophy, a philosophy of noninvolvement, nonrelevance, and limited emphasis on thinking. Education must move toward ... involvement, relevance, and thinking---or we will not solve the overwhelming problems of children who fail in school." (Pg. xiii-xiv)

He states, "As a psychiatrist... I have discovered an important fact: regardless of how many failures a person has had in his past... he will not succeed in general until he can in some way first experience success in one important part of his life. Given the first success to build upon, the negative factors, the ones emphasized by the sociologists, mean little." (Pg. 5) He adds, "this is the keystone of Reality Therapy, when a child makes a value judgment and a commitment to change his behavior, no excuse is acceptable for not following through. This is discipline." (Pg. 23)

He observes, "Many teachers are starting to use some of the techniques involved, especially the circle and the open-ended question, in regular teaching... however, most teachers ... have not incorporated classroom meetings into an integral part of their class program. Unfortunately, it is usually isolated from regular teaching... [but] the success of the meetings is slowly winning them over. Students have responded very favorably in every class... they become involved quickly in the meetings." (Pg. 142)

He suggests, "Another way for the school to maintain contact with the community is to invite back its graduates, both successful and failing... Graduates of one to ten years are of the same generation as the students, so communication is intact, yet they have had experience that the students have not. Graduates should be invited back to discuss not only their successes, but their failures." (Pg. 223-224)

This book was written during the "educational experiments" of the 1960s, yet Glasser's ideas are not without relevance to today's scene.

[Tijani Aminu · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am new here , I'm stuck right now , I don't know how to use this app to read and study books. Any help please

[Maggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. I was so idealistic in 1983. "Class meetings are ways to work through discipline problems, to discuss relevant issues, to build war, honest relationships." Hah!

[TheGirlWithTheHeartShapedGlasses · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are really good advices to lead a newby teacher.At least make you think about the things you learn without questioning.As teacher we have traditional methods book advise you that you should change your perspective not students.Its easy to read i recommend it.

[Robert Bogue · Rating 4 out of 5]

With seven children in various parts of their educational journey, one could understand why I’d want to understand more about schools and what can be done to prevent failure. However, the truth is that reading Schools without Failure was triggered by a conversation with my friend Ben Gibson. We were exchanging emails about the idea of an integrated self-image and he suggested I look at Glasser’s work. Candidly, when Ben recommends that I read something – I read it. He’s been an educator his entire career. Currently on the school board in Bay City Michigan – where I attended high school – I know he’s seen education from nearly every point of view. As a student of his while in high school and at college, I know that he has a passion for students learning. Being honored to be called his friend, I know that he thinks deeply about how to make the process better for everyone.

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[jacky · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a book I used for a research project I did on teacher my freshman year of high school.

[Steve Coscia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting data about different learning styles and how schools can improve their content delivery.

[Deb]

Author just died...read the Times obit and decided that this book would seem to fit well with the Steiner educational theory.