Free the Teachers

Today's educators are bound by chokingly-detailed mandates of testing, test preparation, and all of the accompanying busy paperwork. This has produced increased pressure, unrealistic demands on teachers' time and the systematic removal of joy from public school classrooms. Inspired by teachers, Dave Markward's Free the Teachers will put a little wind in your sails, remind you of why you became a teacher in the first place, and help you experience the unmitigated satisfaction and pure joy of working with kids in and beyond your classrooms.
We live in a complex world. Education has not been immune to forces of change, some of which are long overdue. With due respect to standards and strategic plans and myriad financial concerns that are commonplace today, the joy of teaching students has taken an unnecessary backseat to the technical aspects of educating our children. The work in our classrooms today, while well intentioned and certainly not short on effort, is overly complex and saps the energy and optimism of our teachers. This book provides the opportunity to access an approach to teaching and learning that is succinct and logical, supported by research, and bolstered by working examples that bring the framework to life in a useful way.
The books noteworthy features include: -A succinct, yet encompassing, guide for teaching and learning
-Research that supports each of the four components of this teaching approach
-Examples of tasks that assist the reader to utilize the guide for a variety of classroom settings
-A sincere sense of respect and concern for those educators who are doing the important and difficult work of educating our kids at a time when true success is vital for our future
-A conversational and, at times, lighter tone that strikes a harmonious chord with those who need a bit of fresh air in their busy professional lives.