Not your typical how-to manual for new teachers, this no-nonsense, jargon-free guide offers a wide variety of tools and tactics for getting through every school day with grace and sanity. Covered in glue, glitter, orange juice—or worse? Make a quick change into the spare set of clothes you keep on hand for just this purpose. Butterflies in your stomach before your first-ever Meet the Teacher Night? Keep your cool by writing the agenda on your board—it’ll double as a crib sheet for you.
These tips and hundreds more, covering virtually every aspect of teaching, have all been learned the hard way: from real-life classroom experience. Otis Kriegel’s “little black book” will be a treasured resource for teachers who want not only to survive but to thrive in any situation.
Table of Contents:
Introduction: Welcome to the Front Line
BEFORE THE SCHOOL YEAR
1. Making Your Classroom Work for You
Room Design and Traffic Patterns
The Teacher’s Desk
The Meeting Area
So Many Supplies and So Little Room
Backpacks and Jackets
Rain and Snow Wear
Lunch Boxes
Decorating
Classroom Library
Getting Books
Organization Manipulatives and Other Supplies
Don’t Forget a Padlock
Your Lesson Plan Book
Stay Comfortable: Clothes and Shoes
Setting Up for the Year, Not the Moment
2. Learning Your School’s Culture
Who You Need to Know: The Big Four
The Office Manager, Administrative Assistant, or School Secretary
The Custodian
Your Teacher Representative (or Union Representative)
The Principal
Finding a Mentor
Other Important People
The Art of the Stolen Idea
Day-to-Day Routines and Rules
Absence and Lateness
Sickness and Substitutes
Walking the Halls
Restroom Policies
Lunchtime
Inclement Weather Procedure
Communication
Let Them Know Before You Go
Technology and Internet
Morning Drop-Off
After-School Routines
Field Trips
Copies
Bulletin Boards
Teaching and Student Assessment
Teacher Assessment
Report Cards
Getting to Know the Parents
First Day of School Note Home
Back to School Night or Meet the Teacher Night
Parent-Teacher Conferences
PTA/PTO
Responsibilities Beyond the Classroom
Committees
Meetings, Conferences, and Professional Development
Fundraisers
Graduation
Holidays and Birthdays
School Performances, Trips, and Functions
Calendar of Events
Emergencies and Drills
A School Where You Fit—And That Fits You
3. Setting Up for a Terrific Year
The Daily Schedule
The Lesson Plan
The Morning Meeting
Morning Independent Work
Extra Worksheets
Organizing Student Work
Student Portfolios
Homework
Why Give Homework?
The Homework Folder
The Homework Notebook
The Homework Folder Bin
The Homework Record Book
Checking In Homework
Returning Homework
The Scrap Paper Bin
Recycling Paperwork
The File Cabinet
Pencils
The New Student
IEPs and Special Education
Working with Specialists
You Don’t Need to Be a Genius to Use an Interactive Whiteboard
The Internet
Prepare, Learn, and Teach
DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR
4. Working with Students
Cubbies or Desks?
Seat Assignments
Managing School Supplies
Managing in the First Days
Managing Throughout the Year
Managing Unwanted Donations Is Raising Hands Too Old-Fashioned?
I Can’t Get Their Attention!
Transitions
Class Guidelines and Tone
Consistency
Student Input
Reward Systems
Consequences for Misbehavior
Empathize
Behavior Contract Behavior Modifications (B-Mods) Community Building
Celebrate Your Students’ Work
Teaching Whole Class, Small Groups, and One-on-One
Whole Class
Small Groups
One-on-One
Getting Your Class into the World: Tips for Field Trips
Plan for the Season
Traveling with Your Class
Did You Talk to All of Your Students Today? When the Rubber Hits the Road, Be Flexible
5. Working with Your Principal
Try to Solve the Problem on Your Own
Principals Need Your Help, Too
1. Keep Your Principal Informed
2. Share Ideas and Opinions
3. Take on Extra Tasks
What Principals Can Do for You Making Friends with Your Boss
YOUR STUDENTS’ FAMILIES
6. The Parent-Teacher Relationship
What You Want from Parents
What Parents Want from You
What Might Make Parents Unhappy with You
Methods of Communication
Email
Class Website
Phone Calls
Notes Home
When Is a Phone Call or Meeting Best?
A Mutually Beneficial Relationship
7. Communicating with Families
The First Day of School Note Home
Information About You
Attendance
Communication
Arrival and Dismissal
Vital Information
Local Walking Field Trip Permission Slip
Lunch and Snack
Homework
Physical Education
Art
Field Trips
Supplies
Wish List
The Weekly Note Home
Parents, Their Child, Social Media, and Your Classroom
Getting on the Same Page
8. When Families Come into the Classroom
Encouraging Involvement
The Classroom Door: Your Parent Visitation Policy
When Is a Good Time to Visit?
Angry Parent Visits
The Smooth Meet the Teacher Night
Preparing for the Evening
Getting Through the Evening
Sharing Bad News
Getting Yourself Through the Pile: Report Cards
Parent-Teacher Conferences
Making a Schedule That Works
Who Should Come to the Conference?
Share the Report Card Before the Meeting
What Do I Say During the Conference?
Your Volunteer Squad
Volunteering in Class
Volunteering on a Field Trip
Befriending a Parent: A Good or Bad Idea?
Working with Parents Is a Big Part of the Job
YOUR LIFE AS A TEACHER
9. Managing the Workload
Leave It at School!
One Week Ahead: Lesson Planning
Under the Magnifying Glass:
How to Have an Awesome Observation
Let Your Class Know
Display the Schedule and Lesson Plans
Have All Materials Ready Know Why You’re Doing What You’re Doing
Differentiate Be Ready with Past Work
Be Yourself
Start—and End—with a Bang
Manage Your Time
Curriculum and Behavior
Delegate: Get Help!
Keep Your Perspective
10. Balancing Your Responsibilities
The Jobs Not Included in Your Job Description
The Positive Influence: Your Exciting Life
The Well-Rested Teacher vs. the Exhausted Teacher
You’re Ready
Resources
Acknowledgments
Index
About the Author
About the Author :
Otis Kriegel is a seventeen-year veteran teacher, having taught in dual language (Spanish/English and German/English), monolingual, and integrated co-teaching (ICT) classrooms in the public schools of Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York City, and Berlin, Germany.
For the past three years, he taught at the JFK School in Berlin, where he also developed a teacher coaching program. He received his M.S.Ed. in bilingual education from the Bank Street College of Education and has taught at the Steinhardt School at New York University. Otis has also been a guest lecturer at the Bank Street College of Education, City College of New York, and Touro College.
He created the workshop, “How to Survive Your First Years Teaching & Have a Life,” which was the impetus for his book. An experienced presenter, Otis has conducted this workshop with hundreds of preservice and new teachers and continues to present in universities and teacher education programs.
Otis lives in New York City.
Review :
“Good advice for novice and veteran teachers alike. Whether readers take in the guide from cover to cover or dip in as needed (which will be often), they will leave with a greater sense of confidence.”
“In a straightforward, friendly tone, Kriegel details all the things a teacher needs to know to keep those plates spinning . . . This book is one to keep on the resource shelf for new teachers, mentor teachers, as well as experienced teachers looking for new solutions for common classroom issues.”
“Otis Kriegel is the teacher every parent wants their child to have. For those who care about improving the quality of our schools you simply have to hope that elementary teachers and parents will buy and read this book.”
“When I first started teaching, I didn’t even know what I didn’t know. I was taking attendance by calling out kids’ names, I didn’t use a seating chart, and I couldn’t figure out why it felt like my students were running the class. How I wish I’d had Otis Kriegel’s book back then! This is an indispensable guide for any teacher, whether they’re just starting out or looking for straight-up, sensible advice on how to improve their classroom and their practice.”
“Challenging many of the night frights that haunt newcomers to the teaching profession, Everything a New Elementary School Teacher REALLY Needs to Know offers sweeping and practical guidance to the novice teacher. Through engaging anecdote and lucid reflection, Kriegel draws on his own professional journey in making a vital contribution to the field of teacher education.”
“Drawing upon his own years of teaching and reflections on what it means to teach well, Kriegel offers readers a practical, personable road map for how they can become better teachers.”
