Teaching in Mind:
How Teacher Thinking Shapes Education

by Judith Lloyd Yero, MA

REVIEWS

Reviews refer to the 1st edition of Teaching In Mind: How Teacher Thinking Shapes Education, published in 2002. The 2nd edition, published in 2010, retains all of the content in the 1st edition, in addition to updated references and a new appendix devoted to a discussion of "Dispositions."

"If teacher educators want to deepen and ultimately transform teachers' ways of understanding themselves and their actions in the classroom... then have every pre-service and in-service teacher read this book."
Professor Howard Weiner, School of Education, Adelphi University

INSIGHT: TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS PROFESSIONAL JOURNAL FALL 2003

Reviewed by Susan Thompson, curriculum principal, Katy ISD

From the introduction of Teaching In Mind: How Teacher Thinking Shapes Education, to the last word of the conclusion, Yero has authored a useful source for and about teachers. This book asks for a reflection on beliefs, metaphors, and mental models held about teaching and learning. It provides a thought provoking look at school improvement and education reform and offers insight into a critical missing component. The author provides many examples to underscore the basic theme of this book: teacher thinking is what shapes education.

The book is divided into 14 chapters and includes an appendix containing a self-inventory for teachers to explore their current beliefs, values, and metaphors. It begins with an examination of teacher thought and many examples of how perceptions and behaviors are impacted by beliefs and values. The remaining chapters are clustered around these topics: The last chapter asks teachers to begin making a difference through conscious choice and not from a "that's the way we've always done it" stance. The author proposes the critical missing component in school improvement and education reform is the lack of consideration of teachers in the planning and designing of such efforts. To consider the reason behind this omission she cites the research involving teachers' thought processes and actions and their observable effects as the two major domains in the process of teaching. It becomes much easier to observe and quantify the latter domain of teacher behavior, student behavior, and scores, so this information is what is traditionally collected, analyzed, and emphasized.

What Yero brings to light is the power of teachers' thought processes in improvement and reform work. This domain of teaching is unobservable because it occurs inside the teachers' heads making it highly subjective and "messy," therefore avoided. Engaging in the processes to surface these thoughts is the most commonly avoided work-in-change efforts, but a key component in ensuring success. The author gives many examples and suggests strategies to support exploration into this arena.

There are numerous thought-provoking passages in the book that shed light on the need to examine beliefs. One such passage is in Chapter 6, "Beliefs-Lenses of Perception," where the concept of "thought viruses" is introduced. Thought viruses are described as limiting beliefs based on a generalization or a distortion from prior experience and has become separated from its original context. Here are some examples of thought viruses:

Students are motivated by grades.
Students must learn the basics before they can tackle more complex problems.
Students who have done poorly in early grades are less likely to succeed in later grades.

These statements sound like fact, but they are not always true. Teachers base their decisions about learning, knowledge, teaching, and the nature of students on a set of basic assumptions. If thought viruses are accepted without question, it limits their choices of behavior.

So what do you do with this book? Anyone who has worked in an educational environment will recognize the scenarios and examples Yero uses to make her points. You will nod your head in agreement; you will stop and question your own assumptions; you will listen for metaphors in your conversations; and you will share the information with other educators. This book provides endless possibilities to begin the conversation with your faculties and to bring the vision to a conscious and intentional level.

From the March, 2002 Midwest Book Review (http://www.midwestbookreview.com/ibw/mar_02.htm)

Teaching In Mind: How Teacher Thinking Shapes Education, by education specialist Judith Yero takes a powerful and insightful look at how a teacher's beliefs about teaching and learning bring an overwhelming influence into perceptions, behavior, and communication with students. From the danger of poorly chosen metaphors or unrestrained emotion to learning how to better understand and use one's own deeply held beliefs in teaching, Teaching In Mind emphasizes the importance of personal psychology in improving one's skill in the art and science of education. A fine book written to provoke lengthy reflection, Teaching In Mind is a welcome and much appreciated addition to teacher education reading lists, academic curriculum texts, and reference collections."

The following is an excerpt from a review in Library Journal, Dec 2001 v126 i20 p143(1) For the full text, see Library Journal or the Expanded Academic ASAP in Infotrac.

"What does it really mean to learn, to teach, or to understand? These are some of the fundamental questions that longtime teacher and trainer Yero considers in this eclectic blend of psychology, philosophy, and educational criticism. Drawing on literary, educational, and psychological research, popular culture, and a range of humanistic criticism of the schools from George Leonard to John Taylor Gatto, Yero examines how our fundamental beliefs about teaching and learning affect our professional work as educators. Teachers are invited, for example, to examine their "personal metaphor" for the educational process and to consider how an individual change informed by this self-scrutiny might have a positive impact on teachers' performance."

From Fearless Book Reviews, March 2002.

"Everyone knows that good teachers are important. Author Judith Yero takes this common wisdom a radical step further, asserting that teachers—and more importantly, the unconsciously held beliefs and metaphors that shape a teacher's behavior—are the single most significant factor in determining a child's educational experience..."

"[I]ndividual teachers . . . decide the goals and indeed, the very meaning of education. . . . modify the official curriculum according to personal preferences . . . [and] teach [their] personal beliefs and values. . . I suggest that individual teacher control of classroom practice has existed from the earliest days of formal schooling, exists now, and will continue to exist." If teachers truly hold such ultimate power, then it is vitally important for teachers to be aware of their operative metaphors. With sharp insight, Yero points out how even the simplest and most universally held concepts used by teachers are grounded in metaphors, including the concept of a concept itself. She asks, "What if, instead of perceiving concepts as generic objects, we perceived them as tools?" Yero suggests that teachers would then have students learn to use these tools, rather than merely collect them."

"Yero also dissects commonly held educational assumptions, such as the idea that students must learn the "basics" before they can tackle complex problems. ("Have you ever learned anything where you jumped in at a fairly complex level and eventually worked your way down to the basics?") She examines beliefs about curriculum, standards, knowledge, understanding, and more. She presents a well-researched array of optimistic visions about what education can be, nearly all of which are characterized by 'joy' (as opposed to, say, boredom). In the end, she offers an extensive self-inventory for teachers to identify their own core beliefs and metaphors, and to understand how these bear on what they do in the classroom. Backed by abundant scholarly research, this book offers an extraordinarily revealing and hopeful message for educators."

M.POLONSKY—3/02

"What goes on in the minds of teachers facing the challenges in today's classrooms? A master teacher offers valuable insights and useful strategies based on twenty years of experience working with a great diversity of students. ...brilliant, usable, and highly inspirational...a fine contribution to educational reform literature."

Dee Dickinson, Director of New Horizons for Learning

From the April issue of Anchor Point: The Practical Journal of NLP. To read the entire review, go to http://www.nlpanchorpoint.com/aTeachInMind.pdf

"This book is a must for anybody who takes part in any kind of educational process. Teachers [and] professors will find in this material a treasure to discover and enjoy. An extensively documented book, richly illustrated with excellent and relevant examples of real situations...This is definitely a book to be read more than once..."

Laura Szmuch, Co-founder of Resourceful Teaching, Buenos Aires, Argentina

From Education Review, May 2002

"Judith Lloyd Yero takes a different approach to improving teaching and learning in Teaching in Mind. While many books on education proscribe a specific philosophy or practice, Yero delves deeper into the teaching experience by analyzing the "unconscious underpinnings" and subjective realities that each teacher brings to the classroom. Focusing on that perspective, Yero attempts to convince readers that knowing what beliefs lie beneath each instructor's teaching practices will lead to more effective teaching and, thus, more effective learning on the part of students."

"Throughout thirteen chapters, Yero provides the structure to help teachers reflect and analyze their beliefs and behaviors. In Chapters 3 to 5, she explores "the metaphors teachers use to describe their work" and explains why the ones used are significant. Subsequent chapters investigate how commonly held beliefs influence teachers' decision-making and actions. Yero also examines the "conventional wisdom" of education. The last chapter is a call for action, in which Yero implores teachers to make conscious decisions to change their realities and behaviors in order to become better educators. The book concludes with a Self-Inventory and substantial bibliography, which includes websites."

"Using both research and anecdotal evidence, Yero carefully builds the case for her call to action, encouraging teachers to become more self-aware and self-reflective and to develop the vision and courage to change their moribund teaching methods. She offers some insightful observations and provides the structure for teachers to explore—and change—their own assumptions. ...[E]ducators interested in investigating new approaches to education will find this very readable book illuminating and helpful."

Reviewed by Shellie Jeffries, Aquinas College

"I finished reading the book over the weekend (for the first time). I will be re-reading several times. I want to get all the juice out of this refreshing fruit of your labours. ...thank you for [a] life enhancing experience."

Gord Grieg, Ontario, Canada

A Review of Teachers Mind Resources website from the Scout Report, April 26, 2002

Teacher's Mind Resources

"Proposing a teacher-based approach to educational reform, the Teacher's Mind Resources site is built around a recently published study of education, entitled Teaching in Mind: How Teacher Thinking Shapes Education. While largely promotional, the site offers a great deal of perspective into the current analysis of reformist trends and initiatives to stand on its own as a valuable source of insight and inspiration to educators at every level."

"Philosophically, the site's author is convinced that popular efforts to apply 'universal' educational standards are meaningless—if they fail to take into account what each teacher brings to the class as an individual. Thus, it focuses on the teacher's mind as a unique tool destined to interpret every mandated standard differently and uniquely. The Teacher's Mind site looks both to inform and engage all users."