KIAT Book Club: Becoming a Better Teacher Ch. 9

Chapter nine in Becoming a Better Teacher is basically a summative conclusion. No new information is introduced so, to be totally honest, there’s not much I can say about it.

In case the reader has forgotten, the chapter discusses what was brought up in the first eight chapters and it poses the question: “what does it look like to be a learner-centred teacher?” Indeed, that is what all of the tips and information have been guiding us toward for this entire time; learning how to teach for the kids rather than for the standardized tests.

We are reminded of the important ideas from throughout the book, including essential questions, integrated curriculum, curriculum and assessment design, authentic assessment, rubrics, portfolios, reflection, and finally action research.

It also discusses the fact that we don’t need to follow a specific order or design in order to adopt these practices and change our focus to student-based learning. We can begin with what seems easiest to implement, what we feel the strongest desire to change, etc.

Overall, I found this book extremely engaging and inspiring. As a teacher who thrives on planning and organization, and who always wants to improve her practice, this book offered excellent tips and advice. Albeit, I found myself slightly disengaged through chapter 8, but chapters 1-7 and 9 were excellent resources.

If you are interested in Becoming a Better Teacher, here is the link to its page on Amazon!