Your First Year As an Elementary School Teacher: Making the Transition from Total Novice to Successful Professional

Real Solutions and Advice from the Teaching Trenches Many begin teaching because of a desire to make a difference. But faced with everyday challenges of the classroom, this idealism is often lost. The fact is, teaching is not easy. While there are many personal rewards, teachers must satisfy many constituencies, including students, parents, and administrators. But by being prepared and organized, you can ensure that your first year is fulfilling and productive for both you and your students. Your First Year as an Elementary School Teacher provides practical solutions to the most common and difficult issues of teaching. Inside is everything you need to know to create an atmosphere of cooperation, learning, and respect within your classroom. Use this helpful book as your mentor and enjoy your first year as a teacher. Have a successful first year by knowing how to: ·Reach, teach, and have fun with your students ·Create an interesting and interactive classroom environment ·Manage and find new ways to help difficult students ·Develop positive relationships with parents and administrators ·Organize your day to stay on top of the curriculum and grading ·Develop effective and engaging lesson plans "This complete book is the first thing principals should hand to their new teachers. It has it all!— Angela Kleinberg, reading specialist, Washington School

About the Author :
Lynne Rominger is a teacher and freelance writer. An accomplished journalist, she lives in Roseville, California. Karen Heisinger, a former elementry school teacher and vice principal, is the director of the Placer-Nevada Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment (BTSA) Consortium in Auburn, California, where she lives with her husband and two children. Natalie Elkin is a high school teacher with a psychology background who also has experience as a middle school teacher. She resides in Sacramento, California.

Review :
"Kids are smarter than we sometimes give them credit for!" — Roxanne P., Buffalo, New York "The most fun part of teaching is simply listening to the things kids say. On the first day of school I was introducing the subject matter we'd be covering in American history. I asked the kids to think of how a knowledge of history could help people to get along better in life. One of the tough kids in class wasn't volunteering any answers, so I called on him to respond. As he sat up straight in his seat, some of his buddies began guffawing behind him. I ignored them and repeated the question: 'How do you use history to get along?' He turned around to his friends and said, without missing a beat, 'Knock off the laughing, or you're history.'" —Becka R., Mesa, Arizona "Sometimes the day's curriculum goes in unexpected directions, no matter how well you plan. Jeff, a chemistry teacher in Minnesota, sat down after a class to plan his next unit. "Suddenly, this loud crack scared me half to death," Jeff says. "I must have jumped three feet. Let's just say one of my students had mixed something combustible! You can tell them over and over again to clean up their messes, but sometimes they don't!" "What did I learn my first year of school? Get organized!…Even two minutes of disorganization results in complete chaos for the rest of the hour. Get organized." — Robert T., Galveston, Texas "Some lessons you only learn through experience." — Joan M., Kent, Washington "I really benefited from our state's mandated mentor system my first year teaching, especially in the area of discipline. I overcame several really difficult discipline issues with the sage advice of my mentor. I can't recommend mentoring highly enough. It gave me the foundation I needed to continue teaching through the rough spots." — Tamara B., Michigan "I have discovered over the years that there is no technique that always works. What was magic last week is boring this week. To that end, I frequently change the environment by rearranging furniture, updating the materials I place on my walls, and completely changing the look and feel of my classroom….Ever since I gave up the 'nailed-to-the-floor' mind-set, teaching¾and learning—have been exciting for all of us." — Genna R., Phoenix, Arizona