From Lesson Plans to Power Struggles, Grades 6–12: Classroom Management Strategies for New Teachers

"As a novice teacher craving more and more knowledge about the elaborate and multifaceted world of teaching, I couldn't wait to delve into the stories and techniques Zuckerman highlighted from other novice teachers. I found comfort in the fact that many of my teaching experiences were the same as other novice teachers. Zuckerman's ability to provide exceptional techniques from lesson planning to discipline issues and overall effective classroom management strategies is by far the most useful information any novice teacher could ask for." -Lecia Zulak, Science Teacher Franklin Roosevelt High School, Hyde Park, NY "An excellent resource for beginning and veteran secondary teachers, offering strategies that work to meet the challenges they encounter daily. I am recommending this book to my staff for reflection on how they address difficult situations and implement positive change." -Joseph J. Mazzetti, Assistant Principal Poughkeepsie High School, NY Straight talk about classroom management from new teachers who have developed solutions! Nearly half of beginning secondary school teachers leave teaching within three years and many cite frustration over classroom management problems as the major issue. This practical book illustrates how new teachers can benefit from the experiences of their peers to successfully resolve common classroom challenges. Filling the gap between what is taught in teacher preparation programs and what actually happens in the classroom, the author presents authentic stories from novice secondary school teachers in urban, suburban, and rural districts with diverse students. Each chapter contains instructional and disciplinary cases, plus the author's expert analysis of each teacher's successful strategies. This reference guide includes: A table of contents with specific instructional/discipline topics Ways to identify when problems are related to lesson delivery or discipline A glossary of terms and a resource list for detailed information Like a personal mentor, this invaluable resource gives new teachers the critical support for creating positive learning environments and developing thriving careers.

Table of Contents:
Foreword by Jean Lythcott, Phd Preface Acknowledgments About the Author Part I. Lesson Execution Problems 1. The Advantage of a Well-Planned, Activity-Based Lesson 2. When Your Lesson Plan Is Inadequate 3. When Your Lesson Is Boring 4. When Your Directions Generate Frustration 5. When the Activities You?ve Planned Don?t Fill the Allotted Time 6. Getting the Class Settled for the Start of the Lesson 7. When You Have a Persistently Noisy Class 8. When Your Normally Attentive Class Is Noisy 9. When the Class Misuses Instructional Materials 10. When Students Don?t Do Their Homework 11. When There?s a Threat to Student Safety 12. When There?s a Mishap 13. When a Tragic Event Affects the School Community Part II. Discipline Problems 14. When a Good Student Violates a Minor Rule 15. When You Have a Class Clown 16. When Students Are Your Buddies 17. When You Have a Student Who Talks a Lot 18. When a Group Misbehaves (Or Is Likely to Misbehave) 19. When a Student Is Outspoken 20. When a Student Does Little or No Schoolwork 21. When a Student Seems Troubled 22. When Students Bully 23. When Students Cheat 24. When Students Fight 25. When You Find Yourself in a Power Struggle 26. When Your Student Has a Tantrum 27. When a Student Persistently Seeks Attention 28. When a Student Provokes the Class?s Animosity 29. When an Administrative Intervention Is Necessary Conclusion: Becoming an Effective Classroom Manager References Glossary and Index of Technical Terms Alphabetical Index of Practical Principles Topical Index of Practical Principles Index of Supplementary Concepts General Index

About the Author :
June Trop Zuckerman has had over 40 years of experience as an award-winning teacher and educator, approximately half of those years as a middle and high school science teacher and half as a professor of secondary education. Over the years, she has conducted countless classes and seminars for and about novice teachers and coached scores of them in their own classroom to improve their management skills. With an EdD in science education from Teachers College, Zuckerman has focused her recent research on the mentoring of novice teachers, their classroom management strategies, and the practical knowledge they construct and communicate through storytelling. Her papers on these topics have appeared regularly in the Journal of Science Teacher Education, Science Educator, and American Secondary Education. Now associate professor emerita at the State University of New York at New Paltz, she uses her extensive theoretical and practical knowledge of pedagogy to speak to and coach teachers at colleges and secondary schools in the region.

Review :
“An excellent resource for beginning and veteran secondary teachers, offering strategies that work to meet the challenges they encounter daily. I am recommending this book to my staff for reflection on how they address difficult situations and implement positive change.” “A much-needed how-to guide for beginning teachers. This book gives beginning teachers a heads up on the real-life management issues that envelope the art and science of effective instruction.” “How I wish I had this book when I began my teaching career 45 years ago! I found in each story another ‘aha’ of recognition. While the author claims the book to be simply a practical, concise classroom management guide for novice teachers, she delivers so much more, providing the grist to enhance her readers’ confidence as well as their competence and preparing them for interpersonal challenges well beyond the classroom. Helping novice teachers triumph over their insecurities and fears, Zuckerman provides the windows for them to understand themselves so they can better nurture their students. In effect, her book inducts all teachers, whether novice or experienced, into the art of teaching, pointing the way for them to bestow upon their students the priceless gift of a love of learning.” “As a novice teacher craving more and more knowledge about the elaborate and multifaceted world of teaching, I couldn’t wait to delve into the stories and techniques Zuckerman highlighted from other novice teachers. I found comfort in the fact that many of my teaching experiences were the same as other novice teachers. Zuckerman’s ability to provide exceptional techniques from lesson planning to discipline issues and overall effective classroom management strategies is by far the most useful information any novice teacher could ask for.” “Provides practical, helpful information for novice teachers. Emphasizes the importance of activity-based lesson plans that influence effective classroom discipline.” "Prepares the novice teacher for success in classroom management with a guide that exposes the real nature of disruptive events, along with clearly stated solutions."