Book Review: Clock Watchers: Six Steps to Motivating and Engaging Disengaged Students Across Content Areas - 8 views
started by Monica Orlando on 13 Feb 12
started by Monica Orlando on 13 Feb 12
/ TEMS520/ Book Review: Clock Watchers: Six Steps to Motivating and Engaging Disengaged Students Across Content Areas
started by Monica Orlando on 13 Feb 12
The authors, Stevi Quate and John McDermott, created this book because of their desire to share sound, doable ways to motivate and engage students. State mandates and funding can create an atmosphere of pressure to raise test scores in schools. As an answer to this pressure, teachers often drill their students and use strategies without thinking about an essential component: Do students' care (p. 5)? Quate and McDermott's book offers ways to change the culture in the average classroom by sparking curiosity, developing competency, and allowing students to have control over their learning.
Clock watchers: Six Steps to Motivating and Engaging Disengaged Students consists of eight chapters based on the six C's. The six C's is a framework that will guide planning, teaching, and reflecting on instruction and learning (p. 7). The six C's are: 1. Caring Classroom Community, 2. Checking In and Checking Out, 3. Choice, 4. Collaboration, 5. Challenge, and 6. Celebration. Chapter one stresses the urgency and importance of motivating and engaging all students. Chapters two through seven focus on the six C's; each chapter relating stories of teachers' trials with a particular C, citing research supporting why the concept is important, and offering strategies along with examples of how to incorporate the concept in a classroom. Chapter eight ties everything together. The book also has masters of activities, maps, rubrics, etc. available to copy and print.
The authors' message is that teachers can get their students to come to class prepared, participate in discussions and activities, and turn in quality work. The authors want to increase achievement and attitudes about school, not just offer tips and tricks. The book encourages a sense of caring, collaborating, and choice; establishing a unique environment not seen in many classrooms. Questioning, research, reading, and even assessment require the students' input and participation. In the forward, Cris Tovani states, "Our profession obligates us to motivate and engage our students. Clock Watchers supports teachers who want to create classrooms where real world learning takes place" (p. xiv).
I would recommend this book to all administrators and teachers, although with a caution that it requires dedication and determination. While the strategies can be used individually, the goal is to combine or "braid" them together. The methods become a bit overwhelming as they require a lot of practice and training of the students in order for them to be comfortable. I have seen some of the strategies used in classrooms, although not in a continuous, daily format. The combination of stories and strategies keep the book interesting; pulling it off could be challenging. However, any teacher should be proud if the culture of their classroom is as productive as the examples given. For teachers seeking to spark their students' curiosity and create competent learners - this is the book to read.
Amazon Website Link: http://www.amazon.com/Clock-Watchers-Motivating-Engaging-Disengaged/dp/0325021694/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1329094725&sr=1-1