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Holding Onto Good Ideas in a Time of Bad Ones: Conversations About Teaching Worth Fighting For

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Core Principles in the Middle of Great Teaching

Posted: June, 2009
Run Time: 35:29
Tom Newkirk, author of Holding on To Good Ideas in a Time of Bad Ones, talks with Nancie Atwell, author of In the Middle, about the core principles in their teaching, the obstacles that work against them, and the ways in which their teaching values have changed over time.

A Definate Read

As I finished reading Holding on To Good Ideas by Thomas Newkirk I was relieved to know there was a book that relayed the messeage-just because it's a new idea means it's a good one!  Newkirk gives a short journey though the history of Reading and Writing instruction.  Many of the ideas have circulated, while many have come and gone.  I found it interesting that Newkirk point to the standardize test makes for the Reading crisis "Those who are pushing standardized, scripted education first created a climate of crisis-despite all evidence to the contrary, they would claim that reading failure was widespread in schools, there we were in an epidemic, that schools were failing, that we were still a "a nation at risk," and that a big new remedy (their) was the answer." (Newkirk pg. 41)  With so many new and improved ideas, it was a relief to know there are some that are tried and true.  Mostly it's based on common sense.  Reading needs Writing, let students enjoy the process and not view it as a punishment.
This book is refreshing and humorous, he is honest in his view of the continually changing education instruction.  I would definitely recommend to this book to any one who has been frustrated by the education system.