Urban Development- A Teacher Book Study
Having heard Dr. Hal Urban speak at the district's 2008 opening day in-service, teachers and staff continued to deepen their learning through after-school book studies of three Hal Urban publications. Books were purchased for those electing to participate. Directly following Dr. Urban's visit to the district, the natural selection was his latest work, "Lessons From the Classroom: 20 Things Good Teachers Do." After reading the first selection and discussing its implications for the students and ways to put selected "lessons" into practice, participants wanted to read more. It was after that first book study that the idea of an author study was suggested. The second selection was "Positive Words, Powerful Results" which was followed by "Life's Greatest Lessons." The book studies have become popular events that attract a crowd of 20+ members. Rich discussions take place, ideas are shared and suggestions for possible practice evaluated. The staff members have enjoyed getting to make connections across books and interacting with colleagues with similar interests and knowledge.