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Ratings & Reviews

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  By Maria Martinez

  Apr 18, 2012
  I found your resource at just the right time. It's almost May, and that's when we do our end-of-year testing. The administration at our school is putting a lot of pressure for us to teach testing strategies to help our students succeed. It's good to read someone that believes that kids can do well on standardized test but hasn't dumbed down the curriculum to the level of the test. Thanks for the practical strategies to make classrooms rigorous and fun!
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  By Jenny Tran

  Apr 14, 2012
  After reading your insightful comments on the Wall Street Journal website, I decided to check out your book. You are such a staunch advocate of charter schools, and you piqued my interest when a lot of your comments (grounded in numbers and research) proved that they weren't as evil and as bad as people in my union had claimed. By reading your book, I was pleasantly surprised to find so much solid research-based theories; poignant, powerful examples; visually appealing pictures; and concrete ideas. It's not at all surprising why this is a bestseller! I will be sure to pass this resource on to my teacher friends. Thanks again for this wonderful piece of literature. Please keep writing, and please let me know when you come out with another book.
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  By Valerie Vasquez

  Apr 11, 2012
  I linked to your website after reading one of your insightful posts on Huffington Post. After reading your book, I printed our two copies: one for school and one for home. It is such an EXCELLENT resource and what I feel I was lacking in the "professional development" that I was getting at my school! The pictures of your classroom and others have generated a lot of ideas on how I can set up the physical space in my classroom. The concept of passive and active activities was also helpful, as I think I have a tendency to lecture for too long (and consequently bore my students). There are a ton of other wonderful gems in your book, but I'll have to comment more later when I have time.
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  By Kristina Walker

  Apr 7, 2012
  Thanks for reaching out to me via FB. I purchased and read the book, and I can see why it's regarded so highly and selling so well. Congrats on getting it in the top 200 books out of millions on this website! One thing that I particularly liked was the international math study that you referenced and how the cause of the US performing below other industrialized countries such as Germany or Japan is because of our lack of rigor and developing concepts. In addition, I really like the pictures that you took of your (?) classroom. It gives me a ton of ideas of how I can best set up the physical space in my classroom.
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  By Diana Hanson

  Apr 2, 2012
  I couldn't put this book down! It was a fantastic read, and you had me hooked the entire time. I want a classroom like the one that you described - rigorous and joyful. It's clear that it'll take intentional planning and work, but I'm glad I have this road map that gives me direction on some concrete steps I can take so that my students will have successful outcomes.
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  By Sarah Medina

  Apr 2, 2012
  Thanks for reaching out to me through Facebook. As someone that has never taught and is about to enter a classroom for the first time this summer, I found a copy of your book to be refreshing and relieving. It touches on many of the topics that I was freaked out about - classroom management, pacing guides, and lesson planning. It's well written, with a good balance between research and personal stories as well as between theory and practice. Thanks again for all your help, and I will do my best to let other teachers know about this resource!
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  By Daniel Nguyen

  Mar 25, 2012
  This was great. Very well organized, great backing from research, and good personal illustrations that convey your point. 5 stars!
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