What We Say and How We Say It Matter: Teacher Talk That Improves Student Learning and Behavior

Mike Anderson has been an educator for more than 25 years. An elementary school teacher for 15 years, he has also taught preschool and university graduate level classes. He spent many years as a presenter, consultant, author, and developer for Northeast Foundation for Children, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping create safe, joyful, and challenging classrooms and schools. In 2004 Anderson received a national Milken Educator Award, and in 2005 he was a finalist for New Hampshire Teacher of the Year. Now, as an education consultant, Anderson works with schools in rural, urban, and suburban settings. He is the author of many books about great teaching and learning, including The Well-Balanced Teacher (ASCD, 2010) and Learning to Choose, Choosing to Learn (ASCD, 2016).

What teachers say to students - when they praise or discipline, give directions or ask questions, and introduce concepts or share stories - affects student learning and behaviour. In What We Say and How We Say It Matter, Mike Anderson digs into the nuances of language in the classroom to help teachers improve their classroom practice.