Teaching is a lifelong challenge, but the first few years in the classroom are typically a teacher's hardest. This expanded collection of writings and reflections offers practical guidance on how to navigate the school system, form rewarding relationships with colleagues, and connect in meaningful ways with students and families from all cultures and backgrounds.
"This book is for teachers who have good days and bad -- and whose bad days bring the suffering that comes only from something one loves. It is for teachers who refuse to harden their hearts, because they love learners, learning, and the teaching life." - Parker J. Palmer [from the Introduction] Teachers choose their vocation for reasons of the heart, because they care deeply about their students and about their subject. But the demands of teaching cause too many educators to lose heart. Is it possible to take heart in teaching once more so that we can continue to do what good teachers always do -- give heart to our students? In The Courage to Teach, Parker Palmer takes teachers on an inner journey toward reconnecting with their vocation and their students -- and recovering their passion for one of the most difficult and important of human endeavors.
Learn all the essentials for making your first year of teaching a success! In this exciting new book, internationally renowned educator Todd Whitaker teams up with his daughters--Madeline, an elementary teacher, and Katherine, a secondary teacher--to share advice and inspiration. They offer step-by-step guidance to thriving in your new role and overcoming the challenges that many new teachers face. Topics include: Learning classroom management skills such as building relationships and maintaining high expectations and consistency Setting up your classroom and establishing procedures and rules Planning effective lessons and making your instructional time an engaging experience Managing your own emotions in the classroom and dealing effectively with misbehavior Working with peers, administrators, and parents to build support and foster collaboration The book is filled with specific examples and vignettes from elementary, middle, and high school classes, so you’ll gain helpful strategies no matter what grade level and subject area you teach. You’ll also find out how to make tweaks or hit the "reset" button when something isn’t going as planned. Things may not always go perfectly your first year, but the practical advice in this book will help you stay motivated on the path to success! Bonus: As you read the book, get even more out of it by discussing it with others. Free study guides for practicing teachers and student teachers are available as eResource downloads from our website (www.routledge.com/products/9781138126152).
You're teaching first grade this year. What do you need to know? Margaret Berry Wilson gives you practical information about daily routines, furniture, and much more. She starts with a concise review of first graders' common developmental characteristics and then shows how to adjust your classroom and your teaching to fit these common characteristics. The result: Students can learn, and you can teach, with minimum frustration and maximum ease and joy. In a warm, conversational style punctuated with anecdotes and examples from her own classrooms, Margaret shares practical know-how on topics like this: Arranging a circle, desks, and tables Choosing and storing supplies Scheduling a child-centered day and teaching daily routines Planning special projects and field trips that maximize learning and build community Understanding the special concerns of first graders' parents and finding the best ways to communicate
Being a great teacher is more than lesson plans and seating charts. In this revised and expanded new edition of the classic bestseller, you learn what it takes to be the very best educator you can be, starting from day one in your new classroom! Filled with real-world life lessons from experienced teachers as well as practical tips and techniques, you'll gain the skill and confidence you need to create a successful learning environment for you and your students, including how to: Organize a classroom Create engaging lesson plans Set ground rules and use proper behavior management Deal with prejudice, controversy, and violence Work with colleagues and navigate the chain of command Incorporate mandatory test preparation within the curriculum Implement the latest educational theories In this book, veteran teacher Melissa Kelly provides you with the confidence you'll need to step into class and teach right from the start.
Survive & Thrive in the Classroom From Day One! Teaching high school students is the toughest job you'll ever love. Of course, often it is an acquired love. You must learn to manage your students' education and play parent, counselor, police officer, and mentor. Wow! Now relax—it doesn't have to be overwhelming. With a little preparation you can ensure that you and your students get the most out of your time in the classroom and enjoy it! Full of real-world advice and answers for the complex issues facing today's high school teachers, this down-to-earth and witty book will teach you how to create an atmosphere of cooperation, learning, and respect within your classroom. Use this helpful guide as your personal mentor to achieve a successful and satisfying career as a high school teacher. Earn straight A's your first year by knowing how to: ·Create an attention-grabbing and interactive teaching environment ·Manage difficult students and unique teenage problems ·Communicate, educate, and have fun with your students ·Balance the demands of old-school administrators and pushy parents ·Fairly assess, grade, and evaluate students ·Develop effective and engrossing lesson plans "Straightforward, up-to-date, and engaging. I've seen a lot of resource books for new teachers, and this is the best of the bunch." —Wendell Geis, continuing education administrator, University of California, Davis
New teachers have it tough. They have a very difficult and complex job, and they must learn how to do it in front of a studio audience of unruly adolescents, anxious parents, and watchful administrators. To help new teachers navigate this daunting backdrop, Finding Success the First Year is here to act as a personal guide to the first year of teaching. This book was written by a new teacher navigating through his own first year, and it uses those experiences to serve as a foundation for a step-by-step guide on how to survive and thrive in that all important first year. With everything from answers to frequent new-teacher questions and warnings of common new teacher pitfalls to specific strategies and veteran tricks useful for clawing back precious hours of the day, Matthew Johnson gives clear tips and clear reasons for them in a straightforward, jargonless voice and a mixture of practicality and philosophy.
Give new teachers the time and professional guidance they need to become expert teachers. Investigate key research, and examine the four types of support—physical, emotional, instructional, and institutional—that are crucial during a teacher’s first year in the classroom. Discover essential strategies for K–12 mentors, coaches, and school leaders to develop an effective mentoring program schoolwide.
The Tough Kid New Teacher Kit is the latest addition to the popular and time-tested "Tough Kid" management series. The authors have built on the strategies contained in previous Tough Kid books to offer a complete and practical system for managing the most recalcitrant class Especially designed for the first-time teacher, the kit contains: A simple, easy-to-use manual chock-full of tips, suggestions, and proven tactics that will make any class pay attention, be respectful, and comply with your rules; Attractive classroom charts that use Mystery Motivators and other Tough Kid strategies to clearly layout what happens when the class does, and doesn't, behave; Classroom games to make following the rules fun; The Tough Kid Tool Box, a book of forms, charts, and other reproducibles used successfully in many schools around the country.
