The Quality School-by William Glasser - Jill Herzig

I found the text of Glasser easy to read and the content very informative. I am in agreement with much of what the author says. In showing us the difference between lead-managers and boss-managers I was able to reflect on my own educational experience and see how boss- mangers dominated the teaching style of many of my teachers. It is easy to see that the educators I held in highest regard were the ones that gave us some educational freedom and variety in the subject matter they taught. Also, in looking at the responses to different subject matter I present in my own classroom and how it is perceived, I can see that variety and empowerment make a difference. It gives the students the ability to control their own destiny and take ownership of their education. So the theory of quality education appeals to me. The major question I have is, how do we motivate students to want to do quality work all the time, and is it realistic to be able to teach all subjects with an "entertainment value " for the students? I find it difficult in my daily teaching to motivate the students in all areas of curriculum. The other concern would be continuity through the grade levels. If a particular teacher uses this method it must be continued throughout the school and I could see this being a difficult, maybe unrealistic goal, for those teachers who are set in their ways.

In conclusion, I enjoyed the book and have already used a few of the suggestions in my classroom and they did make a difference. I gave an Algebra test that the students did poorly on. I grouped the students and gave them an alternate test and told them they would be graded on their combined effort. The students took more time to go over the test because they were more conscious of errors and therefore had better results. I was impressed that this technique could work in an Algebra class and look forward to trying more empowerment ideas in the future.

-- Anonymous, December 13, 1998