25 Biggest Mistakes Teachers Make and How to Avoid Them

Preface to the
Second Edition
The first edition of 25 Biggest Mistakes Teachers Make and How to Avoid Them
has been a bestseller for a number of years and has been translated into
three languages, Thai, Chinese, and Slovenian. It has been reviewed in India,
used in a school of midwifery in Ireland and in numerous other contexts in
many states in the United States and several countries such as Ireland,
Romania, India, France, China, United Kingdom, Japan, and others.
When I wrote the book, I thought it had an important message that teachers
could avoid making mistakes by being aware of the mistakes of others.
However, I was surprised by the global appeal of the book. As I reflected on
why the global appeal, I recalled a picture I received. Rachel Livsey, my editor
at the time, sent the picture and a message that said, “I thought you might
get a kick out of this.” My first reaction was why? The picture looked like it
was taken in San Antonio, Texas. The children were lined up in straight rows
and a male teacher with a stick was directing them to get on a bus. I understood
why when I saw that it was a picture in a newspaper that accompanied
a book review of the 25 Biggest Mistakes Teachers Make and How to Avoid Them.
After more careful examination and further reading, I realized that it was a
scene from a school day in Bangalore, India. Somehow, this scene unlocked
the mystery of why the book appealed to educators in different countries.
The answer was that the need for discipline and control in classrooms is
universal. How teachers respond to that need, apparently, is also universal.
Teachers all over the world realize that in spite of research advocating best
practices and teachers having best intentions, teachers make mistakes when
trying to control student behavior. Why, because teachers have power, power
that can be used constructively or that can be abused. They have the power
to determine success or failure, to empower or destroy, to elevate or diminish,
to enrich or deprive. Their power is embodied in what they say and don’t
say, what they do and don’t do, what they teach and don’t teach. Like any
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