Meet Teacher of the Year and award-winning author Phillip Done
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The Art of Teaching Children
Today on the Authors Between the Covers Show: Meet award-winning teacher Phil Done who talks about his new book, which is filled with wit, wisdom, first-rate storytelling, and boundless compassion. It's the perfect resource for teachers and parents!
Phillip Done taught elementary school for 33 years and has been the recipient of prestigious awards for his work including the Charles Schwab Distinguished Teacher Award, Teacher of the Year in California, and a nominee for Disney’s Teacher of the Year, to name a few.
In addition to teaching in public and private schools in the United States, he has also taught internationally and served as an educational consultant around the world. He has also worked as an on-set teacher for child actors in television and film.
All of his experiences and observations have inspired him to put share his tales in magazines including Real Simple, Instructor, Parent, NE
He also turned his teaching magic into a book called 32 Third Graders and One Class Bunny. This charming tome will make you laugh until you cry, for we learn how Phil fixes staplers that won’t staple, zippers that won’t zip, and pokes pins in the caps of glue bottles that will not pour. He has sung “Happy Birthday” 657 times. A witness to the joys of learning, Phil inspires readers with the everyday adventures and milestones of his 32 third graders in this irresistible collection of bite-sized essays.
From the nervous first day of school to the hectic Halloween parade to the disastrous spring musical, Phil connects what happens in his classroom to the universal truths that touch us all. 32 Third Graders and One Class Bunny is for anyone who has ever taught children—or been to third grade. It is a testament to the kids who uplift us and the teachers who make a difference. With the perfect mix of humor and wisdom, he reveals the enduring promise of elementary school as a powerful antidote to the cynicism of our times.
Phil’s latest book: The Art of Teaching Children
Although Phil decided to retire after three decades in the classroom, he knows, “a teacher’s job is never truly done.”
So he set out to write the greatest lesson of his career: a book for educators and parents about all he learned working with kids. The result is this delightful and insightful teaching bible, The Art of Teaching Children.
From the first-day-of-school jitters to the last day’s tears, Done writes about the teacher’s craft, classrooms and curriculums, the challenges of the profession, and the reason all teachers do it: the children.
Drawing upon decades of experience, Done shares sound guidance, time-tested tips, and sage advice: Real learning is messy, not linear. Greeting kids in the morning as they enter the classroom is one of the most important parts of the school day. If a student is having trouble, look at what you can do differently before pointing the finger at the child. Ask yourself: Would I want to be a student in my class? When children watch you, they are learning how to be people, and one of the most important things we can do for our students is to model the kind of people we would like them to be.
Done tackles topics you won’t find in any other teaching book, including Back to School Night nerves, teacher pride, lessons that bomb, the Sunday Blues, Pinterest envy, teacher guilt, and the things they never warn you about in “teacher school” but should, like how to survive lunch supervision, recess duty, and field trips. Done also addresses some of the most important issues schools face today: bullying, excessive screen time, unsupportive administrators, the system’s obsession with testing, teacher burnout, and the ever-increasing demands of meeting the diverse learning needs of students.
With wit, wisdom, first-rate storytelling, and boundless compassion, this book is the definitive guide to educating children and the perfect resource for both teachers and parents.