Secrets of Timeless Teachers

The perpetual anxiety about America's educational system has created a state in which teachers, administrators, and parents are on a constant search for magical solutions for what ails the American classroom. Theories, reforms, and strategies abound, each purporting to be a panacea the educational establishment has long been waiting for. In The Secrets of Timeless Teachers: Instruction that Works in Every Generation, Jeremy S. Adams argues that the methods, habits, and behaviors that constitute powerful teaching do not change over time. In fact, an effective and impactful teacher a hundred years ago used many of the same habits and strategies a powerful teacher uses today. In essence, extraordinary teaching is timeless in nature. Like the speed of light or the sun rising in the East, it is a constant. Modern teachers who want to understand what timeless teaching looks like--and more importantly, how to do it--would be wise to study this text that is both highly descriptive and pragmatically actionable.

In my nearly 40 years in public education, I have seen many reform efforts to improve the education of our youth. While some have been incrementally successful, there is no substitute for an effective teacher in the classroom. Jeremy Adams insightfully and articulately captures the essence of the 'timeless teacher' - a concept he practices daily as he inspires, uplifts and makes a difference in the lives of his students. In this book, he shares a deep fundamental understanding of the complex nature of effective teaching - as both an art and a science - that can serve as a tremendous resource for current teachers and for the country's teacher preparation programs. American education continues to flourish because of 'timeless teachers' like Jeremy Adams., Right now across the world, teachers are finding themselves in an interesting conundrum—contemplating leaving the profession or finding a way to make teaching ‘fun’ again. Despite district and nationwide initiatives, many teachers are leaving the profession in droves; angry at what has happened to a noble career as a teacher. Then comes this book, The Secrets of Timeless Teachers: Instruction that Works in Every Generation, written in a way that intertwines his personal reflections on how to rejuvenate his love for the profession with practical advice on how to fall in love with teaching once again by embracing what it means to be a timeless teacher. This book is written by a teacher who has made it his mission to be an expert in his classroom and is a page-turner from the beginning to the end. The laughter, common sense logic needed for teaching and sensible advice for teachers, captures the enchantment needed for teaching in American public schools., Over the past several years, I have interviewed over 1,000 college students and graduates about the common characteristics of the most effective, life changing teachers they experienced in high school. Comparing their anecdotal observations to the most recent academic research on teacher effectiveness, I discovered students are the very best at assessing effective teaching. Jeremy Adams embodies the essence of what these young people identified as the most important elements of effective teachers. In this book, Jeremy is able to describe and define clearly the key components of effective teaching in such a clear manner that readers are able to incorporate these skills immediately into their own practice. This book encourages classroom teachers to reflect on their practice. It provides several ways to enhance their teaching and improve their effectiveness with students. The students of those who read this book will be the REAL winners.

Jeremy S. Adams is a graduate of Washington & Lee University and teaches Political Science at both Bakersfield High School and California State University, Bakersfield. He is the recipient of numerous teaching and writing honors including the 2014 California Teacher of the Year Award (Daughters of the American Revolution), was named the 2012 Kern County Teacher of the Year, was a semi-finalist in 2013 for the California Department of Education’s Teachers of the Year Program, and was a finalist in 2014 for the prestigious Carlston Family Foundation National Teacher Award. The California State Senate recently sponsored a resolution in recognition of his achievements in education.