[.ca] Invitations: Changing as Teachers and Learners K-12 with ... (ISBN 043508836X)

A MUST READ for emerging and veteran educators!:
This is an absolute MUST for both emerging educators and for veteran teachers who are willing to keep up with the never-ending changes in education! Ms. Routman does not get bogged down with quoting today's "educational standards" in her book, because she does not write in order to please State Boards of Education (which I'm sure she accomplishes, anyway). This is the "inviting" thing about "Invitations"! She writes out of her love of learning, and even more, her love and belief in children, ALL children, as capable learners! As a novice myself, entering into the world of teaching, I have found Ms. Routman's book to be my bible, at my fingertips in the classroom and on my desktop when preparing lessons, research papers, and answering some of those tough questions like, "Well, Johnny doesn't WANT to read! What can I do to motivate him into a love of learning?" Ms. Routman answers this question and more. I'm not talking about an author who gives wonderfully idealistic examples of "what to do", but an author who describes, through concrete examples, lessons, approaches, philisophy, and ideas as to HOW to set up your classroom and get your kids reading and writing. She also includes an abundance of resource information (in her "Blue Pages" section) as to where to seek out additional information. An entire section is outlined in detail on how to present "fantasy" writing for children. It's as if somebody took the time to do the work for you, yet she leads you to a place where you want to go beyond what she's done and create even more for yourself and for your students. I have used many ideas and suggestions from this book, from "flip books" to the tiny "eight-page" booklet (out of a single piece of paper, no less!) in order to encourage my students' writing in ways which are both fun and meaningful. Never have I been met with a grunt or groan in my classroom when using an "enterprise" from Ms. Routman's book. As for the "veteran" teacher, well...while I cannot claim to be one, I have seen (during my student teaching experience) teachers who are afraid (yes, afraid!) of making the leap from so-called "tried and true" ways of teaching to utilizing today's newer ideas in education. Routman addresses these issues in a non-condescending, respectful manner, and attempts to sort out ways of individualizing education, emphasizing cooperation in the classroom, and including ALL students in lessons no matter what their "seeming" ability is said to be, in order to bring each and every student to his or her fullest potential. This is not an easy task in today's classroom where the teacher lives and breathes under a microscope. Perhaps there are better books than this one out there...if there are, I haven't yet located one which includes the wealth of knowledge and insight that this one does. Call me an "over-zealous novice" if you must. I don't mind. I'm going with Routman and her suggestions. Go ahead! Try it yourself! Consider yourself officially "Invited"!

Excellent resource!:
I am a former teacher-turned-stay-at-home-mom and I find myself referring to my tattered book over and over again.