Dennis Wiseman, associate provost at Coastal Carolina University, and Gil Hunt, dean of Coastal's College of Education, have written a new book designed to help K-12 teachers meet the new challenges of today's classrooms. Best Practice in Motivation and Management in the Classroom, published recently by Charles C. Thomas Publisher, Ltd., offers practical information for both beginning and experienced teachers on how to apply knowledge and skills in student motivation and classroom management in order to achieve an effective climate for teaching and learning.

Teachers in charge of today's K-12 classrooms are challenged as never before, according to Wiseman, who is also special assistant to Coastal President Ronald R. Ingle for University/Schools Collaboration. "Not only must teachers have an in-depth understanding of their subject matter and the skills to teach it, but they are also expected to understand and respond to the unique needs of each of the students in their classrooms. They are expected to create and manage a learning environment that motivates each student to achieve his or her highest potential," says Wiseman.

"Teachers today are called on to provide services to their students, schools and communities that would never have been considered 10 years ago," says Hunt.

Wiseman and Hunt have collaborated on many publications relating to teacher education, including Effective Teaching: Preparation and Implementation, and the Middle Level Teachers' Handbook: Becoming a Reflective Practitioner (now in its third edition), co-written with Coastal education professor Timothy Touzel.

Wiseman, who joined the Coastal faculty in 1974, earned a Ph.D from the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. Hunt joined the Coastal faculty in 1975 and earned a Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.