The Quality School by, William Glasser

William Glasser gives his thoughts on developing a quality school with the purpose of managing students to do quality schoolwork. He discusses the importance of lead-management versus boss-management as the key to creating the right leadership in the classroom. With this type of management, coercion is eliminated and is replaced with patience, freedom of choice, problem solving, creativiy, and student evaluation. Cooperative group work also symbolizes the ideal learning situation versus learning by lecture and independent work. Students are taught the importance of setting high standards and accomplishing them by doing quality work. Students thus learn how to judge what determines quality work by doing their own evaluating.

I enjoyed reading this book. However, I feel some of his idealogy is unrealistic not because the bulk of our present educators teach in a way that allows them to exercise their control, but because I can understand how some children can be difficult to motivate to the level of doing only quality work. I want to see all of my students strive to do their best and always turn in quality work, but it doesnt always happen. There are many variables that play a part in this process. I encourage my students to do quality work, but I dont mandate it. I often conference with them individually about the work they are turning in and I ask them to evaluate their work. Through this experience they grasp the importance of carefully checking over their work before they turn it into me.

Glasser also discussed the importance of encouraging students to express themselves. I think this is a wonderful learning opportunity that should be exercised daily. I start my daily classroom schedule with sharing time. The children take turns talking about a specific topic or what what they did over the weekend or the night before. They also bring in items to show the class. This activity lasts between 20 and 30 minutes. I feel they value this part of the day the most. From the moment they enter the classroom, they are bubbling over with things they want to tell their peers and me. Allowing this time right away puts their minds at rest so that they can better concentrate on doing their work.

As I read through this book, I kept the Preface in mind as I continually flipped back to this page to reread the key statements. The following statements really summarize Glassers idealogy of The Quality School: A boss drives. A leader leads; A boss relies on authority; A boss says I. A leader says We; A leader relies on cooperation; A boss creates fear. A leader creates confidence; A boss knows how. A leader shows how; A boss creates resentment. A leader breeds enthusiasm; A boss fixes blame. A leader fixes mistakes; A boss makes work drudgery. A leader makes work interesting. These statements are the commandments of The Quality School.

-- Anonymous, December 13, 1998