Teaching is not just what we do. Teaching is what we ARE. Written by one of America's top teachers, Owning It is being used by educators everywhere to transform their teaching with fresh strategies that deliver proven results. A collection of highly readable columns based on over a decade of teaching in some of California's poorest schools, California Teacher of the Year, Alex Kajitani offers easy-to-implement strategies for success in our classrooms, on our campuses, and throughout our communities. This book has become a favorite among teams of teachers looking to shift the culture of their school to one that is highly collaborative, and where every student thrives. Specific topics include: *Leading your classroom and engaging students *Dealing with tests, parents and data *Handling poverty, ethnicity and at-risk students *Managing colleague relationships and staff meetings *Raising the profile of teachers and schools in the public eye. Owning It was named "Recommended Reading" by the U.S. Department of Education, and was praised by education guru Dr. Harry K Wong as, "No jargon. No fads. Instead every page has so much you can use immediately, to enhance your success as a teacher. Buy this book as soon as possible."