Working on the Work: An Action Plan for Teachers, Principals, and Superintendents

by Phillip C. Schlechty

Book Overview

Is the work you give students engaging--enabling them to learn what they need to learn in order to succeed in the world? Maverick educator Phillip Schlechty believes that the key to improving education is to improve the quality of this student work. He calls this "Working the Work" (WOW), and he's developed a framework that allows educators to put the WOW principles into practice. Beginning with 12 essential components of a WOW school, Schlechty suggests...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0787961655
• ISBN13: 9780787961657
• Release Date: April 2002
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass
• Length: 160 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 8.0" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

Theory is good..Practice needs to come from teachers

Schlechty's Shaking Up the Schoolhouse is the parent to Working on the Work. Both books make the effort to provide information and put forth a different perspective. It's disheartening to read the reactionary comments from educators who are familiar with Schlechty and the WOW book. When is the blame shifting going to stop? How long will teachers focus on all the things they cannot control instead of on the things they can? Nothing gives a teacher more freedom by administrators than success. By shifting our focus to what we give our students to work on, we do work smarter, which brings more joy to the passion for kids that led us to teaching. Teaching the same way we always have is why we continue to have a 30% drop out rate at the high school level(and rising). The book does not say that no teachers want to be more engaging. It simply gives a framework for improving the tasks that we assign our students. If you don't like your job, get out! Education has to continue to make the paradigm shifts needed if we are to expect a responsible, informed citizenry. Here are the facts: -Research tells us that the engagement precedes learning. Without authentic attention and investment, true and deep learning does not occur. -Research tells us that a variety of tasks and instructional delivery is required to meet the needs of the variety of learners in any given classroom. -Research tells us that the most effective teachers are those who are risk-takers in the classroom and make great effort to connect personally with their students. -Research tells us that last year's lessons won't necessarily work with this year's students. Any job you take will be evaluated, be it education or not. If we, as teachers, do not continue to reflect on the kinds of work we give our students, then we are simply a warm body in the classroom. What's the great harm in looking more closely at our lesson design and thinking outside the box? I say this book is an interesting read that can encourage any educator to take stock of what is happening in their classroom. Open your lessons up for some reflection and criticism. That's the only way we can grow as educators.

Working on the Work

The thesis of the author, offer students work that is meaningful and engaging, is a paradigm shift. The usual way of improving students' experience in the classroom is to offer professional development seminars to teachers so that they might become better educators. However, Schlechty shifts the focus away from improving instruction to working on the work that we require students to do. I thought the book was convincing of its proposal and an approach that educators need to work on. My only disappointment with the book is that the author did not offer any examples of what "engaging" work might look like. Educators often are bombarded with "theory" and little "practical" examples - which would have been great to have in an Appendix. It is in the "practical" that the book is lacking. Yet, it is a great read and a revolutionary approach.

A great sidekick to other books

Working on the Work isn't meant to be read, it's meant to be used. Here is a handbook that lays out specific things educators can do to act on the ideas that Schlechty and CLSR present in their conferences and other books. If you have been to a conference or read Schlechty's other books, this one is a good one to use for a checklist of things to think about and do in your school to improve the quantity and quality of what students learn from their schoolwork.

Essential

Working on the Work is an essential book for educators. It is logical, straight-forward, and comprehensive. It starts from a broad philosophical base but discusses practical hands on ideas. Student engagement -- a crucial element of improving education in my opinion -- is described and worked through in a depth I have not seen in other educational literature. I highly recommend this book.