Listening Is Learning

Listening is Learning: Conversations Between 20th and 21st Century Teachers is a unique approach for meeting the challenges of today’s teachers. In sixteen chapters of conversations between veterans and young teachers, readers will discover engaged teaching from the previous century that captures the attention of students. The classroom is the perhaps the last vestige of hope where children will discover the joy of being together without intermediary devices. Conversations invite reflection. Listening to respectful discussions between young and older teachers allows readers to slow down and take stock of their own positions and beliefs. Young teachers will come away with not only rich ideas but also a sense of encouragement to meet the challenges of digitally driven students. Face-to-face classrooms are the best hope for students to discover their best selves, without distractions so prevalent in social media. If teachers choose to show students from the first day that they care about them and are willing to listen to their lives, they will build trusted relationships––essential for students––and for teachers.

Listening is Learning offers all of us who strive to become better teachers valuable insight, inspiration, and the reminder that teaching is a collaborative process. Frank Thoms’ excellent book illustrates just how much we have to learn from the hard-earned wisdom of other teachers, and how the pursuit of teaching excellence never ends.  A valuable book for anyone in the classroom., You have such a wonderful way of drawing the reader into the dialog going on in your books. It makes the reader start “talking to the text” to want to become part of the conversation. I don't know another writer who does this., The best way to learn is from others who have been there before you. This book is filled with the kind of wisdom available when veteran teachers and young teachers share ideas in conversation. It is an extraordinary collection of wise suggestions any teacher will want to inhale., Frank Thoms encourages us to slow down. He sets us up to linger and observe conversations between veteran and new teachers and allows their insights about teaching and learning to calmly and deeply wash over us. You will be rewarded with the opportunity to think, reflect, and learn alongside thoughtful veteran and new teachers alike., Frank Thoms writes with passion and joy, empathy and inclusiveness. In these pages, teachers will find not only hands-on solutions but nourishment for the soul.

Frank Thoms, fifty years a middle school teacher, international educator, and consultant in more than 125 schools, is known for innovative practices and his ability to connect with students, parents, and colleagues. He prides himself on his writing to make his ideas accessible to readers.