This book is NOT a textbook on teaching strategies, it does not offer instructions on how to develop a lesson plan, or how to compose a test, or how to talk to students or their parents - there are plenty of books like that.
The mission of this book is to help young or prospective STEM teachers to get in the right state of mind, which would:
(a)help them to get a better understanding of the complicated and constantly changing world of education;
(b)let them see clearly all important processes happening in that world and the reasons for those processes to be happening, and
(c)help them to make the right decision (a.k.a. choice) when something unpredictable happens and a regular textbook has no answer to a question: “What do I do now?”.
Some people call this state of mind “a teaching philosophy”.
I do not disagree with that, but I would like to note that an individual teaching philosophy does not ever come from reading a book, it develops over years of teaching practice and regular and deep reflection on that practice.
This book comes from a long term science teacher/adviser/administrator/consultant. The target audience of this book is people who are thinking about becoming a STEM teacher, or who recently started working as a STEM teacher and still trying to make sense of the new (or upcoming) reality of their life.
However, a large part of the book will attract an interest of anyone who wants to participate in a current heated discussion of what is wrong with the current education (if anything), and how to fix it (if needed).
A teacher or a student, a school or a district official, a parent, a politician, or a philanthropist, anyone involved in education will find in this book many helpful advices, as well as unorthodox and even controversial statements, which would help readers to formulate their own personal vision.
The mission of this book is to help young or prospective STEM teachers to get in the right state of mind, which would:
(a)help them to get a better understanding of the complicated and constantly changing world of education;
(b)let them see clearly all important processes happening in that world and the reasons for those processes to be happening, and
(c)help them to make the right decision (a.k.a. choice) when something unpredictable happens and a regular textbook has no answer to a question: “What do I do now?”.
Some people call this state of mind “a teaching philosophy”.
I do not disagree with that, but I would like to note that an individual teaching philosophy does not ever come from reading a book, it develops over years of teaching practice and regular and deep reflection on that practice.
This book comes from a long term science teacher/adviser/administrator/consultant. The target audience of this book is people who are thinking about becoming a STEM teacher, or who recently started working as a STEM teacher and still trying to make sense of the new (or upcoming) reality of their life.
However, a large part of the book will attract an interest of anyone who wants to participate in a current heated discussion of what is wrong with the current education (if anything), and how to fix it (if needed).
A teacher or a student, a school or a district official, a parent, a politician, or a philanthropist, anyone involved in education will find in this book many helpful advices, as well as unorthodox and even controversial statements, which would help readers to formulate their own personal vision.
