Sunday, March 07, 2010

Classroom management, "Lemov's Taxonomy"

There is an interesting article in the New York Times sent to me as a link by former shop teacher Reuben. Building a Better Teacher explores the question, Are there classroom management styles and teaching methods that provide better results? No doubt the answer is yes. It is a lengthy read but interesting and of probable value to teachers. My thanks to Reuben for the link.

It would be a wonderful thing if education could be brought to its best by tweaking our teachers and refining teaching styles and methods. We know that teaching is more art than science and just as in any art or craft, there is no exact limit to a teacher's potential for improvement and growth. But if we are really concerned about the futures of our community, nation and planet, the education of hearts, minds and hands will be required. The strategic engagement of the hands is the best place to start.

Today I finish my box making class in Dayton and return home to Arkansas.

3 comments:

  1. A search for Doug Lemov's Taxonomy lead me to this site. I was interested in that article too.

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  2. Anonymous10:58 PM

    Please rethink your opinion that teaching is more an art than a science. I think that's one of the things that is coming out of Lemov's work. It was a great article for me too. Why is it I never heard about the Holmes Group? 1986! I should have known and wish I had.

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  3. Let's just say teaching is art & science. the idea that it can be boiled down to a script, loses the life of it. When a teacher is involved in it as a pursuit of artistic perfection (requiring intrinsic rather than extrinsic motivation) he or she is compelled toward that point that art and science are nearly indistinguishable from each other.

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