Final Reflection

I felt like the book was a reminder of things we probably all know. The hard part is remembering to continually practice these things and not fall into a comfort zone. It is hard to remember sometimes that students, just like adults, are more likely to remember things that emotionally affected them. It is easier to say, "We went over this, and then we practiced it, and they still can't remember!" Background knowledge was an important section in the book too. It really made me think of standardized tests and how hard they must be for students who don't have a lot of world experience. I think, however, the most important thing to take away from the book is that students don't like school because of the way it is often presented to them. All to often, it doesn't fit into their schema, it doens't appeal to their emotions, and it doesn't engage them the way they want. Furthermore, the author drives this point home in the final section where he asks all teachers to reflect more on themselves and how they are teaching. The book truly was a lesson in practicing, reflecting, and improving your teaching methods every day using science and statistics.