Connect and Involve

Connect and Involve: How to Connect with Students and Involve Them in Learning is a practical handbook of strategies and procedures for teaching at all grade levels-elementary, middle, and high school.
The secret to increasing teaching effectiveness is to make small changes in what teachers think and do-and to get their students to make small changes in what they think and do. Every time teachers connect with students and involve them in learning, teachers engage them in powerful ways that make it more likely that they will choose to learn and to do quality work. This book shows how to be a more effective teacher through small changes in planning and classroom procedures. Each chapter focuses on a key strategy, and each chapter head and its subheads are an outline of how to put the strategy into practice. Teachers can preview all the ideas by reading the chapter titles, heads, and subheads. There are no prescriptions here; teachers bring their expertise on the age group, the subjects they teach, and the big ideas and key skills students need to achieve on high-stakes testing. The strategies and procedures provide ways for teachers to evaluate where small changes can make a difference in achievement for their students.

Robert J. Martin, Ph.D. is a licensed psychologist and has worked with teachers and students K-12 in the public schools and with all age groups in private practice. He has taught graduate and undergraduate students in educational psychology and counselor education, and is Professor Emeritus at Truman State University.

Table of Contents
Foreword
Preface
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1. Make Small Changes
Chapter 2. Connect Through Getting to Know Students
Chapter 3. Connect Through Helping Students Make Choices
Chapter 4. Design Learning Starting from The Big Ideas and Key Skills
Chapter 5. Design Lessons Starting From the Big Content Ideas and Key Skills
Chapter 6. Use Scoring Guides to Increase Quality Work
Chapter 7. Motivation Follows Action
Chapter 8. Increase Learning by Teaching Procedures
Chapter 9. Help Students Learn Through Practice and Revision
Chapter 10. Use Teams to Increase Practice
Chapter 11. Plan Projects that Use Teams
Chapter 12. Conversation that Increases Learning and Builds Community
Chapter 13. Involve Students in Your Presentations
Afterword
References
About the Author