Tarheel reviewed The Skillful Teacher by Stephen D. Brookfield
University Book Club Selection
4 stars
This was our Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning's book club selection for the fall semester in 2017 at Kennesaw State University. As it had been the focus of other workshops I'd had, I was eager to get my hands on a copy and go through the whole thing with colleagues.
There were a number of things in it that I tried in my courses and liked but ultimately abandoned. #1, the book is still basically built around the sage-on-the-stage or banking (Freire) model of instruction. #2, I've shifted to interteaching and I now teach exclusively on line and his book is very much geared toward the physical classroom.
Some things I did not try were ableist, like the "Rotating Stations" exercise that assumes all bodies have equal access to all parts of the room--which I do not, and neither do a steady percentage of my students from semester …
This was our Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning's book club selection for the fall semester in 2017 at Kennesaw State University. As it had been the focus of other workshops I'd had, I was eager to get my hands on a copy and go through the whole thing with colleagues.
There were a number of things in it that I tried in my courses and liked but ultimately abandoned. #1, the book is still basically built around the sage-on-the-stage or banking (Freire) model of instruction. #2, I've shifted to interteaching and I now teach exclusively on line and his book is very much geared toward the physical classroom.
Some things I did not try were ableist, like the "Rotating Stations" exercise that assumes all bodies have equal access to all parts of the room--which I do not, and neither do a steady percentage of my students from semester to semester.
That said, I love his emphasis on the developmental quality of good teaching, the importance of reflection and constant feedback, and the importance of modeling for your students.