ABSTRACT
Rhoda is right: Sometimes teachers hear a lot of theory, and usually it doesn’t seem as important as the practical ideas-the good stuff. And some theory really isn’t very useful: We’ve all heard or read theories that obviously came about in a laboratory or office, developed by people who didn’t seem to have any idea what real children do in real classrooms. But theory, like teaching, can be good, bad, or somewhere in between. From our perspective, good theory helps teachers make sense of their own experience: It provides them with a clearer understanding of what they see in their classrooms every day-the “Ah ha!” Rhoda mentions. Good theory also helps teachers plan more effective and meaningful lessons for their students: Just as Rhoda explains, theory allows teachers to separate ideas that teach something important from those that are simply cute, novel, or well packaged. Rather than devoting years to trial-and-error attempts to find the best lesson ideas, a teacher who understands the theory behind how students learn can more consistently develop effective plans.
