The Art of Teaching Children: All I Learned from a Lifetime in the Classroom

Elementary school teacher Done (Close Encounters of the Third-Grade Kind) mines his 33 years of experience for colorful stories and sound advice in this spirited teacher’s survival guide. He focuses on integrating spontaneity and fun into the classroom as a way to foster passion and creativity, and lays out a wealth of “teachers truths” to do so, among them putting stuffed animals near books to make reading areas more enticing for younger students; making writing practice an “every day routine,” which can be made more enjoyable by playing soft music in the background; and making geography lessons more personal by using such questions as “Where on the map have you been?” He offers wisdom on how to set up a classroom (making it comfy is key, so bring in a couch), and, for dealing with parents, establishing email boundaries is a good idea. Done emphasizes that the most important part of teaching is establishing a connection with students; instead of teaching a grade level, he writes, “eventually you realize that what you really teach is children.” Well-crafted examples and pithy prose drive his points home. Done’s experience will hearten those in the trenches and be a tonic for young teachers. Agent: Janis A. Donnaud, Janis A. Donnaud & Assoc. (July)