Review for The Quick Guide To Classroom Management by Richard Rogers

I wish I could go back in time and hand my first-year teacher self a copy of this book. That’s not to say that the present version of me didn’t find reading The Quick Guide to Classroom Management: 45 Secrets That All High School Teachers Need to Know more than worthwhile too. Richard Rogers has compiled a relatively easy-to-follow guide on how to help keep students focused and learning in the classroom instead of disrupting it with a spotlight on increasing student engagement as opposed to outright discipline.

One theme continuing throughout the book is the emphasis that what works for one teacher doesn’t always work for others. Having taught in a district that wanted scripted teaching and uniform classrooms, this mentality was very refreshing. As were examples of different teachers trying to implement some of the techniques or practices Rogers describes. He doesn’t just talk about using games or other types of activities in the classroom, he gives instructions and descriptions for actual games that can be used.

I also appreciated that along with the descriptions of actionable steps that can be taken to improve classroom or even school ethos, there were side-by-side comparisons of good and not-so-good practices using real examples. The humorous anecdotes used throughout also kept the reading enjoyable while still being informative because they were tied to the points being made. The fact that two former students of Rogers actually illustrated his book speaks for itself just how much of an impact he made as a teacher as well.

Despite the wealth of information, there are a few issues that prevented me from giving the book the gold standard. The title is a bit misleading because so much of The Quick Guide to Classroom Management and the secrets listed within do not actually pertain to classroom management. The vast majority of the 47 (not 45) secrets are wonderful to know. But I hesitate to say even half actually focus on the realm of classroom management and not just best practices for educators in general. The use of acronyms is of course expected in a book on education. But some of those acronyms are not really explained at all or the explanation comes much later than they are first brought up.

Overall though, I would highly recommend this edition to my fellow teachers, particularly if they lean toward more utilitarian methodologies. And if a time machine ever is invented, I’ll be getting my copy much sooner.

The Quick Guide to Classroom Management: 45 Secrets That All High School Teachers Need to Know by Richard Rogers is available to buy on Amazon or you can find more of the author’s works at their website.