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MC Means Move the Class: How to Spark Engagement and Motivation in Urban and Culturally Diverse Classrooms
Does your urban or culturally diverse school keep you stuck in survival mode?
For so long, teaching in urban and culturally diverse schools has been a daily struggle for many educators. There is a lot of fear, stress and anxiety that comes along with teaching in general, but it can seem to be even more difficult in these types of schools. Different personalities, different backgrounds and different learning abilities can raise a lot of questions about how to meet the needs of such a variety of people.
However, the good news is that there are educators who regularly experience high levels of success in these circumstances with the use of practical tools and strategies. Created by an educator, for educators, Shaun Woodly, Ph.D. offers a fun and insightful approach to unleashing your full potential by increasing culturally diverse student achievement, building stronger relationships, exercising teacher self-care and maximizing teacher creativity.
Drawing on research-based pedagogy and culturally responsive instructional methods, MC Means Move the How to Spark Engagement and Motivation in Urban and Culturally Diverse Classrooms is an entertaining combination of educational theory along with the best teaching strategies and methods to help you be great in the classroom. This book tackles issues and common mistakes made facing many in Title I, urban and/or culturally diverse schools by offering inspirational stories and easy-to-digest ways to not just survive but thrive in some of the most challenging conditions.
This book will help you
In short, this book is here to help you absolutely flourish as an educator. This book is here to help you Move the Class.
For so long, teaching in urban and culturally diverse schools has been a daily struggle for many educators. There is a lot of fear, stress and anxiety that comes along with teaching in general, but it can seem to be even more difficult in these types of schools. Different personalities, different backgrounds and different learning abilities can raise a lot of questions about how to meet the needs of such a variety of people.
However, the good news is that there are educators who regularly experience high levels of success in these circumstances with the use of practical tools and strategies. Created by an educator, for educators, Shaun Woodly, Ph.D. offers a fun and insightful approach to unleashing your full potential by increasing culturally diverse student achievement, building stronger relationships, exercising teacher self-care and maximizing teacher creativity.
Drawing on research-based pedagogy and culturally responsive instructional methods, MC Means Move the How to Spark Engagement and Motivation in Urban and Culturally Diverse Classrooms is an entertaining combination of educational theory along with the best teaching strategies and methods to help you be great in the classroom. This book tackles issues and common mistakes made facing many in Title I, urban and/or culturally diverse schools by offering inspirational stories and easy-to-digest ways to not just survive but thrive in some of the most challenging conditions.
This book will help you
In short, this book is here to help you absolutely flourish as an educator. This book is here to help you Move the Class.
- GenresProfessional Development
166 pages, Paperback
Published October 16, 2018
32 people are currently reading
47 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
November 6, 2022
This book was written with the best intentions and I wanted to like it. The author came to our school to provide professional development for our faculty and got decent reviews. I was at a convention for our union and not at the assembly, which based on the book I assume was motivational rather than pragmatic.
The book basically tells you to build relationships, got it. Then it continues to do that, but not how, no pragmatic advice got new teachers, no new insights for experienced teachers. it tells you to deliver culturally relevant instruction, got it, but not how, no pragmatic advice for new teachers, no new insights for experienced teachers. It tells you to be self reflective about your craft, got it, but not how, no pragmatic advice for new teachers, no new insights for experienced teachers. It tells you to actively listen, got it, but not how, no pragmatic advice for new teachers, no new insights for experienced teachers. It tells you to have your classroom visuals reflect content relevant to you students, got it, but no actual advice on how to determine that.
The previous paragraph of this review is similar to the book’s delivery. The writing in the book is more in the vernacular, and it belabors the metaphor that the teacher is an MC mixing content and delivery to “move the class” the author making a connection with their side gig as an MC. I’m alright with that, if that is your philosophy. This book expounds a philosophy of the “performing teacher” the center of classroom attention, controlling the outward actions of the students rather than a student-centric classroom where kids are personally empowered and given confidence in themselves, which is how I prefer to my classroom culture.
Another worry I have from the book is how it talks about “urban” schools, which has a dog-whistle feel. The methods listed are applicable in all educational environments, they are just good practice, but listing them for 140 pages does not convey actionable knowledge.
The book feels like somebody needed to make money. It could have been a ten page magazine article. It contains buzzwords and the same information repeated differently and nauseum, but no details on how a new educator can crack the code on making the recommendations happen, and it lacks any paradigm changing insights for the experienced educator.
My time would have been better spent reading something else.
The book basically tells you to build relationships, got it. Then it continues to do that, but not how, no pragmatic advice got new teachers, no new insights for experienced teachers. it tells you to deliver culturally relevant instruction, got it, but not how, no pragmatic advice for new teachers, no new insights for experienced teachers. It tells you to be self reflective about your craft, got it, but not how, no pragmatic advice for new teachers, no new insights for experienced teachers. It tells you to actively listen, got it, but not how, no pragmatic advice for new teachers, no new insights for experienced teachers. It tells you to have your classroom visuals reflect content relevant to you students, got it, but no actual advice on how to determine that.
The previous paragraph of this review is similar to the book’s delivery. The writing in the book is more in the vernacular, and it belabors the metaphor that the teacher is an MC mixing content and delivery to “move the class” the author making a connection with their side gig as an MC. I’m alright with that, if that is your philosophy. This book expounds a philosophy of the “performing teacher” the center of classroom attention, controlling the outward actions of the students rather than a student-centric classroom where kids are personally empowered and given confidence in themselves, which is how I prefer to my classroom culture.
Another worry I have from the book is how it talks about “urban” schools, which has a dog-whistle feel. The methods listed are applicable in all educational environments, they are just good practice, but listing them for 140 pages does not convey actionable knowledge.
The book feels like somebody needed to make money. It could have been a ten page magazine article. It contains buzzwords and the same information repeated differently and nauseum, but no details on how a new educator can crack the code on making the recommendations happen, and it lacks any paradigm changing insights for the experienced educator.
My time would have been better spent reading something else.
October 29, 2018
Means Move the Class is an excellent and interesting resource to help teachers motivate their students. Focused on culturally diverse and low-income classrooms, Dr. Woodly relates teaching to being a DJ mixing music with a purpose. He shows how you can create an environment rich in relationship, engagement, and respect in order to truly teach those kids that seem out of reach, who aren't applying themselves, or are just absolutely disruptive in class. This book should be read by every homeschool parent, and every teacher in urban, suburban, or juvenile corrections classrooms.
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November 29, 2018Quick and easy read. Relevant to all positions in education for individuals who work directly with students.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews