Start your teaching journey with your best foot forward
Within your classroom walls, seeds of curiosity, creativity, and resilience are sown, and your impact will ripple far beyond and into the future with each lesson you teach and every heart you touch. As you embark on your teaching journey, let this book be your guide.
Written by experienced teachers and mentors, Navigating the First Years provides new teachers with tried-and-true strategies, resources, and personal stories to support you in your first years. Presented in an accessible and approachable format, Navigating the First Years explores:
- Equity and Culturally Responsive Practices
- Well-Being and Balance
- The First Days of Teaching
- Planning and Lesson Design
- Instructional Practices
- The Learning Environment
- Assessment Practices
By supporting new teachers in these critical areas, Navigating the First Years empowers you to create dynamic learning environments that inspire curiosity, promote critical thinking, and prepare students for success in an increasingly complex and interconnected world.
Table of Contents:
Foreword
Introduction
Chapter 1: Equity and Culturally Responsive Practices
Chapter 2: The First Days: Figuring Out Your New School
Chapter 3: The Art and Science of Planning and Lesson Design
Chapter 4: Setting the Stage: The Significance of the Learning Environment for Student Success
Chapter 5: Instructional Practices: Building a Strong Foundation in the Classroom
Chapter 6: Assessment: The Heartbeat of Effective Teaching
Chapter 7: Wellbeing and Balance
Conclusion
Appendix
About the Author :
Vince Bustamante, EdD, is a Calgary-based instructional coach, curriculum content developer, and author. Vince specializes in working with teachers, leadership teams, schools, and school districts in implementing high impact strategies and systems. With a strong background in implementation, assessment, and deep learning, he is passionate about understanding and evaluating teachers′ impact. Having worked with schools and school districts across North America and internationally, he brings a wide variety of experience and perspectives when looking at school improvement, pedagogical and leadership development, and implementation of high impact strategies across school environments. Vince’s doctoral research focused on the sustainable implementation of professional learning across school districts and the impact of long-term school partnerships.
Vince has co-authored two bestselling books with Corwin Press: Great Teaching by Design and The Assessment Playbook for Distance and Blended Learning. His other title, Leader Ready: Four Pathways to Prepare Aspiring School Leaders, is also available from Corwin Press. You can find more information about Vince at www.vincebustamante.com.
Sarah Adomako-Ansah is a graduate of the University of Alberta, B Ed (2013). She is a former teacher with the Edmonton Catholic School Division, teaching Grades 3 through 6 from 2013 until 2021. She was the Division’s first Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Anti-Racism Consultant in 2023 and provided support to administration, teachers, and students in their journey with this important topic. In 2021, she began her term as the Educator in Residence at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, supporting human rights education in Canada, but also creating a program titled “Pass the Mic: Let’s Talk About Racism.” Currently, she has left the classroom and is now the Manager, Education Outreach for the CMHR. In addition, Sarah is the cofounder of the Black Teacher’s Association of Alberta and strives to amplify all voices in schools. Finally, she is the fortunate recipient of both the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal and the Randy Palivoda Award for her efforts in contributing to human rights and diversity in education and leadership. Timothy P. Cusack, EdD, has over 30 years of experience as a classroom teacher, assistant principal, principal, and superintendent. Having taught in rural boards in northern and southern Alberta, Tim also has 10 years of experience as a school leader (K–12) and 8 years of experience as a system leader of a large urban school board. Tim currently serves as the Dean of Education of Concordia University of Edmonton (CUE) where he leads a teacher preparation program (after degree in education) and a Master of Education in educational leadership program. His doctoral research focuses on new teacher preparation, teacher mentorship, and leadership development. His dissertation (University of Portland, 2020), which centered on preparing aspiring school leaders, evolved into his first book with Corwin: Leader Ready: Four Pathways to Prepare Aspiring School Leaders (2023). Tim has worked with school jurisdictions across Canada and the United States in sharing his passion for leadership development and teacher mentorship.
Tim also serves in the Royal Canadian Navy (Reserve) and is currently the Commanding Officer of HMCS Nonsuch, Edmonton’s naval reserve division. His experience in K–12 education, postsecondary leadership, and military leadership adds richness and depth to his work as an educational consultant and author.
Wayne Davies, Ed.D., is the Director of Student Teaching at the University of Winnipeg where he also teaches. Prior to this role, he spent 32 years as a teacher and school leader. He has taught and led in many settings including on the Lax Kw’alaams reserve in British Columbia, Canada as well as in rural and urban school divisions in Manitoba. As a principal in Selkirk, Wayne was part of the nationally acclaimed BOSS Guitar Works project which he eventually wrote about in his novel “The Guitar Principal”. In 2014, Wayne was recognized as one of Canada’s top 40 school leaders and is a Distinguished Alumnus at the University of Manitoba for his community work. A citizen of the Red River Métis, Wayne holds an Ed.d in educational leadership from the University of Western Ontario where his work focused on high school graduation rates and the role of culture, student voice and two-eyed seeing in increasing Indigenous student success.
Review :
"Every new teacher longs for a mentor—someone to guide them through the exhilarating, daunting, and transformative first years in the classroom. Navigating the First Years serves as that mentor, blending real-world wisdom, practical strategies, and heartfelt storytelling to help educators find their footing with confidence. With a strong focus on equity, cultural responsiveness, and personal well-being, Bustamante empowers teachers to create inclusive, engaging learning environments while sustaining their passion and purpose. This book can also serve as your mentor, your trusted companion, source of inspiration, and steady guide—reminding you why you chose this incredible profession, helping you navigate challenges, offering clear direction, and reinforcing the profound impact you can have every single day."
"As an instructional coordinator, I highly recommend Navigating the First Years to any new teacher. This book is packed with practical strategies, toolkit tactics, and an implementation tracker to help you be mindful of how you use the tactics in your classroom. The ′Author’s Corner′ provides real-life examples from experienced educators, making the advice relatable and easy to apply. With its focus on equity, well-being, and building an inclusive learning environment, this book is like having a mentor by your side, giving you the tools and support to guide you through your first years of teaching."
"This book is a compendium of knowledge that discusses virtually everything you ever wanted to know about teaching. It will be of particular interest to beginning teachers, but even seasoned educators will find helpful ideas. I wish I had such a book when I began my teaching career. It speaks to me like a mentor’s handbook. I particularly like the first-hand accounts of practicing educators who have lived what they advocate and the culturally responsive practices. As in days gone by, this can be a challenge to teachers unfamiliar with Indigenous communities or schools with students from other countries, which is certainly the case in city schools. I believe we learn much by watching fantastic teachers, which practicing teachers enjoy whenever possible. The first-hand accounts presented in the book do in part fulfill that need. In summary, this book presents a treasure chest of useful suggestions for teachers navigating their first years."
"If ONLY I had a guide like this to support me through my own personal journey as a teacher in my early years! The strategic, thoughtful and intentional tools offered in this book are a gift to anyone who is beginning their educator journey and gives them the affirmation and reminders they need to step into their worth and uniqueness in their own classroom communities. I know they say ′you can′t teach an old dog new tricks,′ but THIS old teacher added some things to her own personal toolbox! This is a guide for us all to use as we promote inclusion, community, and collaboration in our own classrooms."
