Our Monthly Book Pick: Lessons from the Classroom

​Our book pick for the month is Lessons from the Classroom: 20 Things Good Teachers Do by Hal Urban. In his book, he offers great advice for veteran teachers and new teachers. Urban’s 20 lessons combine a harmonious mix of classroom management, personal improvement, and character development.

“When you focus on developing the whole child, not just their mind, children will learn to do things they didn’t think they could possibly do.” Hal Urban 

A book for newbies and veterans.
Hal Urban, a 35-year veteran high school teacher, offers newbies and veterans teachers an incredible tool for creating a kinder, more inclusive school and classroom. Urban gives 20 practical lessons about building community, creating a positive atmosphere, and debunking cliques.

Think outside the box.
Although it is directed at classroom teachers, counselors, librarians, and administrators can too greatly benefit from the lessons found in this book. Particularly, Lesson 6: Good teachers create a caring community; Lesson 10: Good teachers, along with their students, have a mission; Lesson 14: Good teachers help students discover the power of choice, and Lesson 12: Good teachers help their students both own and honor their rules; Lesson 16: The power of quotations.

Suggestion for “others” on campus.
If you are a counselor, librarian, or administrator complete Lesson 6: Good teachers create a caring community. In this lesson, Urban suggests students conduct a two-minute interview with other students in their class, but we suggest you sit down with every student at your school and conduct your own two-minute interview. Here are a few of Urban’s suggested questions: With whom do you live with? You may include siblings away at college (or serving in the arm forces). What is something you own that is very special to you and why? What is an important goal you have for your life? Who is someone you greatly admire? Why? It must be someone you know. 

Share your thoughts with us.
We’d love for you to share your thoughts on this month’s book pick: Lessons from the Classroom: 20 Things Good Teachers Do by Hal Urban, with us as a comment following this blog post or on our social media channels Facebook and Twitter.