Essential Reads for School Teachers: A Study of Select Notions in School Education

Many factors influence teachers’ teaching and students’ learning. Most attempts at factor analysis focus on teachers’ competencies, attitudes, and performance, as well as students’ socio-economic background, motivation, and learner involvement. A critical factor that can upend all these factors is notions – words of accepted wisdom – that teachers and principals hold and perpetuate, and hence requires closer examination. For example, ‘Silent reading is better than loud reading,’ ‘Rote learning should be discouraged,’ Students should have exam fear, otherwise they won’t study,’ ‘Tuition is inevitable; you can’t guarantee 100 per cent success in school examinations without sending students for tuition!’, and many more ideas like these are routinely stated as advice to students. ‘Essential Reads for School Teachers’ examines twelve such notions prevalent in school education, clarifies what notions are acceptable and what are inappropriate, and provides practical tips for teachers and students to be successful in their joint endeavour to succeed in their chosen roles.
This book piques our interest due to its startling observations on hitherto unquestioned practices in school education. It compels us to think, reexamine, and reassess our understanding of practices such as loud reading, rote learning, examinations, project work, and tuition. Hence, his writing assumes great significance for all stakeholders in education.
– K.L. Nagaraj, Assistant Commissioner (Retd.)
This book is a comprehensive compendium of education in its quintessential form, addressing all the possible problems faced by students, teachers, and managers, and providing the most feasible solutions. This must be the kind of book Francis Bacon meant when he said, ‘Some books should be tasted, some devoured, but only a few should be chewed and digested thoroughly!’
– Dr M. K. Krishnamoorthy, Principal (Retired)