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Rating: 
Summary: Excellent, usable ideas
Review: As a beginning composition teacher at a community college, I have struggled to find readable guides to teaching comp and useful exercises for the classroom. This book is readable (I read most of it in one afternoon) and has many ideas that I am planning to try. Much of the philosophy is based on that of Donald Murray, who taught at the editor's and the contributors' institution (The University of New Hampshire) in past years. The editor also provides a good bibliography of suggested reading. I would recommend this book for the beginning teacher; I'm not sure if the experienced teacher will get as much from it as I did
Rating: 
Summary: Very Useful: A True "How-To" Guide
Review: The most important thing I can say about this book, is that it is genuinely and practically useful. It does NOT tell you that you SHOULD do things, then not tell you HOW to do them, like so many useless books. Instead, it provides real-life examples of exercises, lesson plans, and approaches, written by real-life writing instructors. The major subjects discussed were exactly what I needed to understand better as a first time college freshman writing instructor. I have been looking at many books since I started teaching a couple of months ago, and I keep returning to this one for usable advice.I'm not sure I would fully agree with the other review who said the book wouldn't be very useful for experienced teachers. I've taken many courses from professors who would have benefited from some of this book's teaching suggestions. However, it is probably MOST relevant to a new instructor. If you're just starting to teach college writing, or perhaps high school writing too, please purchase this book. I honestly believe you'll be glad that you did. It's practical, simple, clear, friendly, and encouraging. The first semester and/or year of teaching writing is very difficult. I can't emphasize enough that this book will make it much easier.
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