One Minute Discipline : Classroom Management Strategies That Work

Rating:
Summary: ONE OF MY FAVORITES
Review: One-Minute Discipline is one of my all-time favorite books on teaching, and I've read a lot of books about teaching! It is about so much more than discipline. The section on "teaching philosophy" is profound. There are fantastic support ideas, lists, tips, techniques, forms, surveys and quotes on discipline, motivation (both student and teacher)and teaching.

My favorite thing is that nothing is taken for granted. Bianco discusses the most fundamental aspects of "basic teacher behavior" - everything from developing the "laser stare" to the "I mean business face" to "voice control" (the teacher's voice volume, though he says plenty about student voice volume too).

I took notes on the whole book and came away with a plethora of creative ideas - alternative ways for students to ask for teacher assistance (written note, desk token, etc.); multiple problem-student behavior contract forms; great ideas on dealing with a variety of hostile situations (parents, student fights, etc.); and great reward ideas.

Bianco obviously has total respect for students of all types, and his approaches are eminently positive; in fact he provides a variety of methods for monitoring that your teacher behavior is positive. However the book is about staying in control, conserving your energy for the long haul, and keeping your motivation and enthusiasm high.

The book is also so easy-to-read, with so many visuals, that it's almost like reading a comic book. I put stickies throughout the whole book, and come back and leaf through it whenever I need inspiration or strategies to solve a knotty problem.