The Conscious Teacher is about all kinds of strategies and techniques educators might employ to become more effective teachers. In an accessible, conversational style, Deborah Nichols Poulos presents unique approaches to teaching that will inspire new and veteran teachers alike. She begins with her personal story of not being able to read all through elementary school. Her early failures convinced her she was dumb. At first, she struggled, but when she still failed, she adopted an avoidance strategy that served her well until junior high. An experience in the seventh grade flipped a switch and started her on a journey to becoming an outstanding student and, later, to applying the lessons she learned as a child to her own teaching What makes The Conscious Teacher unique are the inspirational lessons that are unlike what most teachers get in their teacher-education courses or student teaching. Ms. Nichols Poulos points out, for example, that from the very first day, it is important that students learn they will be treated with dignity and respect no matter what. And especially helpful are the steps Ms. Nichols Poulos employs to set up a behavior management plan that works. She explains the strategic steps she takes before school starts—how essential it is to get to know each student before they walk into class on that first day. She also illustrates how setting up classroom routines helps students know what to expect and how to make the best use of every minute. And she emphasizes the importance of the parent-student-teacher team and includes many examples of how to communicate with—and involve—parents, even those who may be difficult. Foundational to her program are reading and writing. Among other things, she lays out the steps for students—even as early as fourth grade—to write five paragraph essays and their own student-authored books, and to research and write reports that include bibliographies. When she differentiated curriculum to support all students’ needs, she found their learning accelerated. All teachers will appreciate her ideas about how to teach the basics of math, as well as advanced math concepts. And her ideas for teaching the arts are inspirational, as she describes in detail how her fourth graders performed Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Macbeth, King Lear, Julius Caesar, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. She also shows how to integrate social studies with literature and writing. Her experiences taught her that young students are much more capable than many people realize. The Conscious Teacher is an indispensable guide for all new teachers. Many of the ideas Ms. Nichols Poulos provides will also be an eye-opener for parents and experienced teachers as well. The Conscious Teacher is simply a must have for anyone truly interested in giving young children a positive and solid foundation for their later schooling.
Home Schooling: During COVID-19 and Beyond By: Deborah Nichols Poulos Homeschooling has been a challenge for parents and grandparents who have worked so well to keep their children engaged in learning this pandemic year. Debbie speaks to respect and humor in this second book, which are so important for kids and parent/teachers. This book will be a good organizational tool for future homeschoolers and can be adapted to all teaching levels. -- Carole Plack, retired Administrator, Yolo County Office of Education; parent from Debbie Poulos’ 6th grade class, and grandparent ________________ Ms. Nichols Poulos was my son’s 5th grade teacher and, although a bright child, he had certain behavior issues which created challenges in the classroom. Debbie was the only teacher my son had throughout his schooling that I felt really understood him. She knew how to work with him to help him achieve his best potential; to feel cared about and accepted at school. Her skills, knowledge and abilities, along with her compassion for her students, made her an outstanding teacher. She was unforgettable to her students and their parents alike. Home Schooling: During COVID-19 and Beyond is a treasure trove of information parents (and grandparents!) can use to achieve the same success with their children. She has pulled from her first book, The Conscious Teacher, written primarily for teachers, what she thinks will be of the most help to parents. She has added some new information as well. The book’s sections on behavior standards and working with gifted students are especially helpful as a parent and now as I work with my grandkids as they school at home. The advice on how to teach the various subjects of reading, writing, math, social studies and computer skills is invaluable. I have greater confidence to help the kids learn at home, regardless of whether they are primarily learning remotely or in a classroom; this book gives you the tools to enrich their learning. -- Sue Woods, Mediator/Facilitator; Consensus and Collaboration Program, CSUS; BA (1975) Social Welfare, San Diego State University ______________ I'm a grandparent and not homeschooling on a regular basis, but I am often helping grandkids with schoolwork. So Home Schooling: During COVID-19 and Beyond is helpful even for having a successful single lesson. The parts about mutual respect and working WITH your student are very useful. The book is well organized, easy to understand and is full of specific routines for productive and rewarding homeschooling for teacher and student. Debbie taught my daughter, Vinci, in fourth grade and it was a wonderful year for her. She gained the necessary confidence to succeed academically in Debbie’s class that propelled her lively mind and scholastic achievements to this day. -- Dawn Daro, mother of Vinci Daro, B.A. and secondary teaching credential UC Berkeley, taught Junior High Richmond Unified School District _____________________ For parents new to teaching, as for anybody else, simple tools can help a lot. Deborah Nichols Poulos’ Home Schooling: During COVID-19 and Beyond supplies them in a well-organized format. For math, she gives you handy grids for adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing, plus simple tricks that aid intuition, such as the use of manipulative objects. To build up reading and spelling, she offers bonus devices for rewarding new learning without any mark-downs for errors. For writing, try her tips on building sentences and paragraphs. Positive feedback, no tears. Even without covid, this book would have been timely. -- Peter and Lin Lindert, parents of Nick Lindert, one of Deborah’s students You can contact Ms. Nichols Poulos at dnpoulos@urcad.org
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