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- Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
- Kategorie: Bildung
- Serie: J-B Ed: Survival Guides
- Sprache: Englisch
The Updated Fourth Edition of the Award-Winning Book that Offers Beginning Educators Everything They Need in Order to Survive and Thrive! Designed for new educators, this award-winning book covers the basic strategies, activities, and tools teachers need to know in order to succeed in the classroom. Now it its fourth edition, The First-Year Teacher's Survival Guide contains new and updated material on essential topics including: classroom management (how to prevent or minimize disruptions), sustaining professional growth, differentiated instruction, nurturing a growth mindset, and much more. The fourth edition also offers downloadable forms and worksheets, and video instruction on key topics. In addition, this must-have guide: * Offers ideas for dealing with homework and instructional concerns from parents and guardians * Includes suggestions for helping new professionals maintain a successful work-life balance * Contains guidelines to classroom technology and ideas for using digital tools to create engaging lessons * Proposes proven strategies for forging positive, supportive relationships with students * Presents recommendations for successfully managing the most common discipline problems This must-have guide is filled with the information and tips new teachers need in order to face classroom situations with confidence.
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Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2018
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CONTENTS
Cover
Jossey-Bass Teacher
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
About the Author
Acknowledgments
About This Survival Guide
I: Learn the Skills Necessary to Become a Professional Educator
Section One: Begin Your Professional Growth
How to Handle Your New Responsibilities
Develop the Mindset of a Professional Educator
What's Expected of Twenty-First-Century Teachers
Professional Growth: Develop Your Skills and Add to Your Knowledge
Use Action Research to Inform Classroom Decisions
Attend Conferences
Participate in an Edcamp
Join Professional Organizations
Read Professional Journals
Investigate the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards
Explore Educational Websites
Establish Your Own Plan
Take Learning Walks and Make Snapshot Observations
Set and Achieve Professional Goals
Teacher Worksheet 1.1
Teacher Worksheet 1.2
Teacher Worksheet 1.3
Other Strategies for a Successful First Year
Teacher Worksheet 1.4
Teacher Worksheet 1.5
Twenty-Five Strategies Specifically Geared for an Educator's Tough Times at School
Questions to Discuss with Colleagues
Topics to Discuss with a Mentor
Reflection Questions to Guide Your Thinking
Section Two: Develop Professional Productivity Skills
Arrange Your Work Space for Maximum Productivity
Your Desk Area
Supplies You Will Need
The Dos and Don'ts of Your School Computer
Tips for Managing E-mail
Time Management for Teachers
Teacher Worksheet 2.1
A Teacher's To-Do List
Teacher Worksheet 2.2
Teacher Worksheet 2.3
Quick Tips for Maximizing the Time You Have at School
How Teachers Sabotage Their Time Management Strategies
How to Minimize the Time You Spend Working at Home
Planning Period Productivity
Create Handouts and Other Instructional Resources Quickly
Online Bookmarking Sites
Paperwork: Ten Thousand Documents and Counting
Professional Documents You Need to Manage
What to Keep and What to Discard
Organizing Paper File Storage
Three-Ring Binders
Managing Digital File Storage
How to Organize and Manage Student Information
Develop a Consistent Paper Flow for Student Papers
Grading Student Work
How to Grade Papers Quickly and Well
Grading Electronic Work
How to Create a Useful Professional Binder
Questions to Discuss with Colleagues
Topics to Discuss with a Mentor
Reflection Questions to Guide Your Thinking
Section Three: Collaborate with Colleagues in Your School Community
Establish Your Professional Reputation
Teacher Worksheet 3.1
Finding Your Place in Your New School Community
Fifteen Quick Tips for Making a Good Impression at School
When Personal and Professional Lives Collide: Social Media
The Surprising Importance of Perfect Attendance
What to Do When You Have to Miss School
Collaborate Successfully with the Support Staff
Follow the Chain of Command
Collaborate Successfully with Administrators
Learn How to Collaborate as a Member of a Team
Professional Behavior during Meetings
How to Handle Professional Disagreements
Be Guided by These Helpful Attitudes about Collaboration
Questions to Discuss with Colleagues
Topics to Discuss with a Mentor
Reflection Questions to Guide Your Thinking
II: Establish a Productive Classroom Environment
Section Four: Become a Capable Classroom Leader
Capable Classroom Leaders Communicate Their Beliefs
What Are Your Fundamental Beliefs about Teaching?
Teacher Worksheet 4.1
The Three Components of Classroom Leadership
Teacher Worksheet 4.2
Your Front-of-the-Class Persona
Use Body Language to Your Advantage
Use Your Teacher Voice
How to Make a Point Students Will Remember
Set the Stage
How to Catch Your Students' Attention
The Right Spot at the Right Time
Teach with Purpose
Teach Your Students to Follow Directions
Your Role as a Supportive Teacher
Hold Students Accountable for Their Own Success
The Importance of Helping Students Make Good Decisions
Help Students Develop a Growth Mindset
Celebrate Mistakes in Your Classroom
Motivation: A Daily Requirement for All Students
How to Use Extrinsic Motivation Effectively
Why You Should Not Use Food as a Reward
Make Sure Intrinsic Motivation Is a Classroom Constant
Make Success Visible
Control the Flow of Class Time
You Control the Time Your Students Have with You
How Teachers Waste Classroom Time
Teacher Worksheet 4.3
Use the Principles of Effective Classroom Time Management
How to Handle Interruptions
How to Handle Student Requests to Leave the Classroom
Keeping Track of Students Who Leave the Classroom
Sample 4.1
Teacher Worksheet 4.4
Use Time Wisely by Pacing Instruction Well
The First Ten Minutes of Class
Teacher Worksheet 4.5
Productive Transitions
The Last Ten Minutes of Class
Teacher Worksheet 4.6
How to Use Any Time Left at the End of Class
Questions to Discuss with Colleagues
Topics to Discuss with a Mentor
Reflection Questions to Guide Your Thinking
Section Five: Start the School Year Productively
Get Ready for a Great School Year
Classroom Safety Issues
Evaluate Your Classroom
Prepare Your Classroom for Students
Seating Arrangements That Work at the Start of the Term
The Why and How of Seating Charts
Flexible Seating
Welcome Your Students to a New Year
How to Hold a Successful Open House
Parent or Guardian Worksheet 5.1
How to Manage the First Day
Overcome Those First-Day Jitters
What to Do on the First Day: Your Priorities
How to Get Everyone in the Right Seat on the First Day of Class
Activities for the First Day
Teacher Worksheet 5.1
First-Day-of-School Welcome Packet
How to Establish Positive Relationships Right Away
Connect with Your Students on the First Day
Sample 5.1
Help Students Connect with One Another on the First Day
How to Help Your Students Look Forward to the Rest of the Year
Student Information Records
Student Worksheet 5.1
Learn Your Students' Names Quickly
How to Manage the First Week
What You Can Expect during the First Week
Have a Plan for Start-of-School Stress
Questions to Discuss with Colleagues
Topics to Discuss with a Mentor
Reflection Questions to Guide Your Thinking
Section Six: Cultivate Positive Classroom Relationships
It's Necessary to Work Well with Parents or Guardians
Develop a Positive Reputation among Parents or Guardians
Prevent Miscommunication with a Transparent Classroom
Be Positive with Parents or Guardians
Sample 6.1
Assist Parents or Guardians Who Do Not Speak English
Make Telephone Calls with Confidence
Conduct Successful Conferences with Parents or Guardians
The Importance of Keeping Contact Records
Teacher Worksheet 6.1
Why Some Parents or Guardians May Not Relate Well to You
Helicopter Parents or Guardians
Unreasonable Requests
Angry and Uncooperative Parents or Guardians
Helping Students Learn to Work Well with You
Be Yourself: Use Your Unique Strengths
Teacher Worksheet 6.2
The Focus Should Be on Your Students
Be Clear about Your Role in Classroom Relationships
The Limits of Your Responsibility to Your Students
Connect and Lead: Become a Warm Demander
The Warm Qualities of an Effective Teacher
How to Be a Likeable Teacher
Verbal Immediacy
A Long-Term Process: Get to Know Your Students
Create a Positive Group Identity
Create a Sense of Belonging to the Whole Group
Hold Class Meetings
Help Students Learn to Relate Well to One Another
The Demander Qualities of an Effective Teacher
Call on Students Equitably
Hold the Entire Class Accountable for One Another
Student Worksheet 6.1
Questions to Discuss with Colleagues
Topics to Discuss with a Mentor
Reflection Questions to Guide Your Thinking
III: Teach the Whole Child
Section Seven: Meet the Needs of All Students
The Whole Child Movement and Its Implications for Your Classroom
How to Include Social Emotional Learning in Daily Classroom Life
Establish a Risk-Free Environment
Create a Culturally Responsive Classroom
Integrate Mindfulness to Support Students
Students Who Need Special Care
Students with Attention Disorders
At-Risk Students
LGBTQ Students
Students Who Are Not Native Speakers of English
Students Who Are Underachievers
Students Living in Poverty
Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders
Gifted Students
Children of Trauma
Reluctant Learners
Impulsive Students
Students with Oppositional Defiant Disorder
Students Who Fall through the Cracks
Students with 504 Plans
Students with Special Needs
Strengthen the Skills That Can Make a Difference for Your Students
Questions to Discuss with Colleagues
Topics to Discuss with a Mentor
Reflection Questions to Guide Your Thinking
Section Eight: Adapt Instruction through Differentiated Instruction
Differentiated Instruction Supports All Learners
Misperceptions about Differentiated Instruction
“How Can I Possibly Meet Everyone's Needs?”
Create a Classroom Environment That Supports Differentiation
Use Growth Mindset Principles to Support Differentiation
Key Strategies for Differentiation
Teacher Worksheet 8.1
Teacher Worksheet 8.2
Sample 8.1
How to Plan for Differentiation
Teacher Worksheet 8.3
More Differentiated Instruction Planning
Teacher Worksheet 8.4
Classroom Management Strategies for Differentiation
Response to Intervention
Strategies Just for Managing Differentiation Stress
Resources to Help You Learn More about Differentiation
Questions to Discuss with Colleagues
Topics to Discuss with a Mentor
Reflection Questions to Guide Your Thinking
IV: Use Effective Instructional Practices
Section Nine: Design and Deliver Effective Instruction
How to Develop a Lesson Plan
Why Strategic Steps Are the Keys to Success
Backward Design: Think Big, but Start Small
Cover the Curriculum or Teach Your Students?
How Prepared Should You Be?
Common Planning Problems
The Practicalities of Planning
Your State's Standards
The Common Core State Standards Initiative
How to Begin Planning Instruction
Teacher Worksheet 9.1
Teacher Worksheet 9.2
Teacher Worksheet 9.3
What to Include in Your Plans
Teacher Worksheet 9.4
Successful Learning for Nontraditional Schedules
How to Adjust a Lesson
Always Have a Backup Plan
Direct Instruction or Student-Centered Activities?
How to Use Scaffolding to Help Students Learn
How to Review Material as Students Learn
Critical Thinking Skills Are a Crucial Instructional Element
Maintain a Bank of Activity Ideas
How to Make Lessons Enjoyable as Well as Effective
Class Discussions Your Students Will Enjoy
The Power of Play: Using Toys to Capture Attention
Learning Games Your Students Will Enjoy
Use Graphic Organizers to Engage Students
Two Simple Techniques: Learning Cubes and Colored Dot Labels
Providing Models, Examples, and Samples
How to Make Seatwork Appealing
Resources to Help You Plan Lessons
Classroom Technology Resources to Aid Your Instructional Practices
Useful Websites for Instructional Activities
“There's an App for That!”
How to Survive the Homework Debate
Sample 9.1
Student Worksheet 9.1
Questions to Discuss with Colleagues
Topics to Discuss with a Mentor
Reflection Questions to Guide Your Thinking
Section Ten: Measure Student Progress with Summative Assessments
Summative Assessments Must Be Accurate Measures of Mastery
The Two Most Common Written Assessments: Tests and Quizzes
Create Useful Objective Questions
How to Grade Objective Questions Quickly
Trading Papers?
Conduct Rules for Quizzes and Tests
What to Do if Many of Your Students Fail a Test or Quiz
How to Use Alternative Summative Assessments
Rubrics: Formative and Summative Assessments
Sample 10.1
How to Manage Student Grades
Keep Track of Grades
How to Personalize a Grade Report
How to Cope When Grades Are Challenged
How to Handle a Request to Change a Grade
Extra Credit Dilemmas and Solutions
The No-Zero Debate
Transparency and Other Crucial Grading Considerations
How to Have Difficult Conversations with Students about Their Grades
Success with Standardized Tests
Questions to Discuss with Colleagues
Topics to Discuss with a Mentor
Reflection Questions to Guide Your Thinking
V: Create a Well-Managed Discipline Climate
Section Eleven: Policies, Procedures, and Rules: The Framework of Classroom Management
Develop Policies for Your Classroom
Teacher Worksheet 11.1
Establish Procedures for Your Classroom
Teacher Worksheet 11.2
Teach and Enforce School Rules
Create Rules for Your Classroom
Consequences: Positive and Negative
Teacher Worksheet 11.3
Teaching Classroom Policies, Procedures, and Rules
Setting Limits
How to Say No Courteously
Empower Your Class with Student Ownership
Moving beyond Crowd Control to Promote Self-Discipline
Resources for Further Exploration
Questions to Discuss with Colleagues
Topics to Discuss with a Mentor
Reflection Questions to Guide Your Thinking
Section Twelve: Prevent or Minimize Discipline Problems
Teacher Worksheet 12.1
It's Up to You
Your Goal: Instruction without Interruption
Establish Your Authority with the Calm Assumption of Cooperation
Be Aware of the Causes of Most Discipline Problems
Easily Avoidable Mistakes Many Teachers Make
Three Crucial Teacher Traits That Make a Difference
If You Want to Receive Respect, Show Your Students That You Respect Them
Withitness: An Attitude, a Skill, and a Necessity
Teacher Worksheet 12.2
How to Help the Whole Group Stay on Task While You Work with Small Groups
Monitoring Student Work Habits
Be Proactive: Three Helpful Activities While Monitoring
Intervene Appropriately to Minimize Misbehavior
An Invaluable Tool: The Power of Positive Peer Pressure
Questions to Discuss with Colleagues
Topics to Discuss with a Mentor
Reflection Questions to Guide Your Thinking
Section Thirteen: Handle Discipline Problems Effectively
Changing Approaches to Handling Classroom Discipline Problems
Restorative Justice and Its Impact on Classrooms
The Big Picture: Be Positive and Not Punitive
What Is Expected of You as a First-Year Teacher?
Understand Your Legal Responsibilities
Due Process Procedures
How to Handle Discipline Problems if Your School Climate Is Not Positive
Focus on These Priorities
Helpful Attitudes for Your Discipline Anxieties
Cultivate Grace under Pressure
Great Advice: Don't Take It Personally
You Could Be Creating Some of the Problems in Your Class
Could What You Say Create Discipline Problems?
Are You Too Permissive?
Teacher Worksheet 13.1
Patience Is Key: There Is No Fast Track to a Good Discipline Climate
Think before You Act
How to Investigate When a Problem Happens
Project a Calm and Confident Demeanor
Be Clear about the Behaviors You Should Not Accept
Respond Instead of Just Reacting
Teacher Worksheet 13.2
Take a Problem-Solving Approach
Teacher Worksheet 13.3
Enforce Your Classroom Rules
Redirection without Enacting Consequences
Redirection Involving Consequences
You Must Preserve Student Dignity When Redirecting
How to Obtain Discipline Assistance When You Need It
How to Talk with Parents or Guardians about Behavior Problems
How to Hold Successful Conferences with Students Who Have Misbehaved
Teacher Worksheet 13.4
How to Refer a Student to an Administrator
What to Do When Students Are Violent
Warning Signs of Trouble You Should Not Ignore
Help Students Move Forward after a Discipline Problem
Maintaining Behavior Documentation All Year
Teacher Worksheet 13.5
Teacher Worksheet 13.6
Teacher Worksheet 13.7
Teacher Worksheet 13.8
Teacher Worksheet 13.9
Questions to Discuss with Colleagues
Topics to Discuss with a Mentor
Reflection Questions to Guide Your Thinking
Section Fourteen: How-to Quick Reference Guide to Common Classroom Discipline Problems
Category One: Problems Associated with Individual Students
How to Cope with Students Who Tell Lies
Category Two: Problems Associated with the Enforcement of School Rules or Policies
Category Three: Problems Associated with Misbehavior during Instruction
Category Four: Problems Associated with Students' Relationship with Their Teacher
Questions to Discuss with Colleagues
Topics to Discuss with a Mentor
Reflection Questions to Guide Your Thinking
A Final Word
How to Access Additional Content Accompanying The First-Year Teacher's Survival Guide, Fourth Edition
Video Clips, Templates, Checklists, and More!
Index
End User License Agreement
List of Illustrations
Figure 2.1
Figure 2.2
Figure 8.1
Figure 9.1
Guide
Cover
Table of Contents
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The First-Year Teacher's Survival Guide
Ready-to-Use Strategies, Tools & Activities for Meeting the Challenges of Each School Day
Fourth Edition
Julia G. Thompson
Copyright © 2018 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Published by Jossey-Bass
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From The First-Year Teacher's Survival Guide, 4th Edition, by Julia G. Thompson. Copyright © 2018 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Reproduced by permission.
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Thompson, Julia G., author.
Title: The first-year teacher's survival guide : ready-to-use strategies, tools & activities for meeting the challenges of each school day / Julia G. Thompson.
Description: Fourth edition. | San Francisco, CA : Jossey-Bass, 2018. | Includes index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2017061587 (print) | LCCN 2017054190 (ebook) | ISBN 9781119470366 (pbk.) | ISBN 9781119470410 (epub) | ISBN 9781119470304 (pdf)
Subjects: LCSH: First year teachers--Handbooks, manuals, etc. | Teacher orientation--Handbooks, manuals, etc. | Teaching--Handbooks, manuals, etc.
Classification: LCC LB2844.1.N4 T47 2018 (ebook) | LCC LB2844.1.N4 (print) | DDC 371.1--dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017061587
Cover image: © airdone/Getty Images
Cover design by Wiley
For Phil, with gratitude, love, and admiration
Please visit www.wiley.com/go/fyt4e for free online access to templates, checklists, video clips, and other useful content.
About the Author
Julia G. Thompson received her BA in English from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, Virginia. She was a teacher in the public schools of Virginia, Arizona, and North Carolina for forty years. Thompson taught a variety of courses, including freshman composition at Virginia Tech, English in all secondary grades, mining, geography, reading, home economics, math, civics, Arizona history, physical education, special education, graduation equivalency preparation, and employment skills. Her students have been diverse in ethnicity as well as in age, ranging from seventh graders to adults.
Thompson recently retired as a classroom teacher but continues to be an active speaker, consultant, mentor, and advocate for first-year teachers. Author of Discipline Survival Guide for the Secondary Teacher, First-Year Teacher's Checklist, and The First-Year Teacher's Survival Guide, Thompson also provides advice on a variety of education topics through her website, www.juliagthompson.com; on her blog, juliagthompson.blogspot.com; and on Twitter, https://twitter.com/TeacherAdvice.
Acknowledgments
I am grateful to my editor, Kate Gagnon, for her encouragement and patience during the preparation of this book.
Thank you to the faculty, staff, and students of two excellent schools: Windsor High School in Isle of Wight County, Virginia, and Langley High School in McLean, Virginia. I was honored to have been a teacher in both of these schools. It was a privilege to work with so many knowledgeable, caring teachers who represent the highest standards of professionalism.
Special thanks to the following thoughtful educators who offered their wise counsel and who could remember what it's like to be a first-year teacher:
Michael A. Barrs
Deborah McManaway
Jennifer Burns
Laura Moore
Anna Aslin Cohen
Jay O'Rourke
Edward Gardner
Shelly Sambiase
Kevin Healy
Margaret R. Scheirer
Vivian Jewell
Luann West ScottJared Sronce
Betsy Jones
Jessica Statz
Mary Landis
Jeff Vande Sande
About This Survival Guide
This is the book that I needed as a first-year teacher. I knew a great deal about the content I was expected to teach, but I did not know very much at all about the students who would be occupying the desks in my new classroom. I did not know how to set up a grade book or administer a test or grade papers. I did not know what to do when a student talked back, told me a lie, or stopped paying attention to my carefully planned lesson. Worst of all, I did not even know where to begin to look for the answers that I needed then.
If you are like me, there is a great deal about our profession that intrigues you. You may feel uncertain at times about what to do, but you can also feel pretty confident when things go as planned. It's a great feeling to look around your classroom and to realize that everyone is learning. As a first-year teacher, you know what you and your students are supposed to achieve, but you are not always sure how to proceed.
Almost everyone begins a teaching career with the same emotions. Many veteran teachers also suffered through the tough days when they didn't know what to do and gloried in the days when they were able to engage every student in the magic of learning. Even though you may have a great deal to learn about your new profession, your teaching career can still be immensely satisfying. Every day is a new opportunity to make a difference in a child's life. Your first years as a teacher can be years of dynamic professional growth and personal fulfillment as you learn how to master your new responsibilities.
Helping you enjoy success in the first years of your career is the goal of The First-Year Teacher's Survival Guide. The suggestions and strategies in these pages can help you develop into a skillful classroom teacher who remains enthusiastic about the possibilities in every student. For instance, in this book you'll find
Assistance in identifying your professional responsibilities and establishing priorities to accomplish them
Resources that can help you collaborate with other educators at the school level and online
Methods of reflecting on your current teaching skills and establishing goals for your professional life
Advice for learning to work well with parents or guardians as a member of a collaborative team to support student learning
Strategies for managing your school-related stress so that you can find a successful balance between your personal and professional lives
Advice about how to fulfill your legal responsibilities and protect yourself from lawsuits
Efficient ways to manage grading, professional paperwork, and other routine tasks so that you can focus on teaching
Recommended digital tools to design and deliver innovative, engaging, and relevant lessons
Inspiration, insight, and practical advice from successful veteran teachers
A wide variety of innovative and time-tested classroom management activities, strategies, and techniques to help you create a positive learning environment
Suggestions about how to get the new school term off to a great start
Advice about how to find teacher freebies and to create a productive classroom environment on a budget
Advice about how to plan instruction for the entire term, for units of study, and for each day
Suggestions for using both formative and summative assessments to measure progress
Advice about how to support students with a variety of special needs
Suggestions for handling homework and other concerns from parents or guardians
1
In response to the numerous requests for advice I receive from first-year teachers, in the fourth edition you will find a great deal of information and help on how to prevent, minimize, or handle classroom discipline issues, including a quick how-to guide to some of the most common problems all teachers must deal with. You will also find a wealth of advice about how to create those important relationships with your students to help them be successful in a supportive classroom community.
Other new material in the fourth edition includes information and resources about such timely topics as
Taking charge of your own professional growth
Creating a professional portfolio
Increasing your workplace productivity
Using digital resources to inform instruction
Organizing your workday with a professional binder
Becoming a capable and confident classroom leader
Establishing your reputation as a competent professional
Helping students develop a growth mindset
Developing positive relationships with parents or guardians
Building positive relationships with students
Creating a supportive learning community with student-to-student connections
Developing the leadership qualities of a teacher who is a warm demander
Incorporating the concepts of the whole child and social emotional learning movements into your teaching practice
Adapting instruction through differentiation to support all learners
Using restorative justice concepts in your classroom
Establishing a calm and confident classroom authority to successfully manage discipline issues
The First-Year Teacher's Survival Guide was written to help K–12 teachers meet the challenges that each school day brings. In these pages, you will find the answers to the most common how-to questions that many first-year teachers have:
Section One
:
How can I handle my new responsibilities as a professional educator?
Section Two
:
How can I develop efficient workplace productivity skills?
Section Three
:
How can I develop successful collaborative relationships with my colleagues and establish my professional reputation?
Section Four
:
How can I develop the leadership and classroom time management skills I need to become a capable classroom leader?
Section Five
:
How can I organize my classroom and connect with students during the first days of a new school term?
Section Six
:
How can I foster positive classroom relationships with and among my students as well as with their parents or guardians?
Section Seven
:
How can I meet the special needs of all students in my classroom?
Section Eight
:
How can I use differentiated instruction so that every student can be successful?
Section Nine
:
How can I design and deliver lessons that will meet the needs of my students?
Section Ten
:
How can I use summative assessments to measure student progress?
Section Eleven
:
How can I establish a framework for classroom management by using effective classroom policies, procedures, and rules?
Section Twelve
:
How can I prevent or minimize discipline problems from disrupting the positive learning environment that I want to establish?
Section Thirteen
:
How can I successfully handle discipline problems once they occur?
Section Fourteen
:
How can I quickly find advice for dealing with some of the most common discipline concerns many teachers experience?
The First-Year Teacher's Survival Guide is designed to be a helpful resource tool for busy teachers. Don't start at page one and try to slog through to the last page. Instead, think of this book as a reference or guidebook–a resource filled with classroom-tested knowledge for teachers who need answers and advice in a hurry. There are plenty of topics written with your needs in mind. Here's how to get started:
Skim through the table of contents and the index to get an idea of what the book offers. Use sticky notes to mark the sections that will address information that you already know will be helpful to you and that you would like to come back to later. You'll notice that there's a title bar across the top of each right-hand page to indicate just where you are in the book and to make it easier to pick and choose information as the need arises. You'll also find that the book is divided into five categories of information:
Learn the Skills Necessary to Be a Professional Educator:
Sections One
,
Two
, and
Three
Establish a Productive Classroom Environment:
Sections Four
,
Five
, and
Six
Teach the Whole Child:
Sections Seven
and
Eight
Use Effective Instructional Practices:
Sections Nine
and
Ten
Create a Well-Managed Discipline Climate:
Sections Eleven
,
Twelve
,
Thirteen
, and
Fourteen
After you have a good idea of the layout of the book, you can then find the specific information that you need to know. Here are some tips to help you with this:
Learn the Skills Necessary to Be a Professional Educator: Sections One, Two, and Three
Turn to these pages to find information about
Learning from professional observations and evaluations
Starting your own professional development
Establishing a work-life balance
Becoming efficient at managing your time
Developing your professional productivity skills
Setting up your work area
Collaborating with colleagues
Establishing your professional reputation
Establish a Productive Classroom Environment: Sections Four, Five, and Six
Turn to these pages to find information about
Creating your classroom persona
Establishing yourself as a classroom leader
Managing class time effectively
Instilling a growth mindset
Starting the school term positively
Creating positive relationships with parents or guardians
Creating positive relationships with students
Creating positive student-to-student relationships
Building a classroom community
Teach the Whole Child: Sections Seven and Eight
Turn to these pages to find information about
Incorporating the whole child approach into your classroom practice
Incorporating the social emotional learning movement into your classroom practice
Creating a risk-free environment
Creating a culturally responsive classroom
Supporting students with various special needs
Teaching basic school skills all students need to know
Using differentiated instruction strategies
Measuring mastery with formative assessments
Use Effective Instructional Practices: Sections Nine and Ten
Turn to these pages to find information about
Planning instruction
Creating engaging lessons and activities
Planning with technology resources
Using summative assessments
Helping students succeed with standardized tests
Create a Well-Managed Discipline Climate: Sections Eleven, Twelve, Thirteen, and Fourteen
Turn to these pages to find information about
Creating a framework of policies, procedures, and rules for classroom management
Using specific strategies to prevent or minimize discipline issues
Using appropriate interventions for misbehavior
Using proactive and not punitive approaches to classroom management
Finding effective ways to redirect off-task students
Coping with individual student misbehavior
Handling classroom misbehaviors
However you choose to use this book, it was designed to be an interactive experience. Use a pencil to fill in the assessments, set your goals, and scribble notes as you read each section. Highlight. Underline. Annotate information about the links and resources. Dog-ear the pages. Place bookmarks in the sections that appeal to you.
The information in these pages is there to help you become the self-assured and knowledgeable educator that you dreamed of being when you chose your new career. From the first day of school to the last day, you can be one of the greatest assets that our world can have–an effective teacher.
With patience and practice, you can realize your professional dreams. Millions of others have done it; you can, too. Your first years as a teacher can set you on the path to achieving the satisfaction that only a career in education can bring.
Best wishes for a gratifying and enjoyable first year!
Julia G. Thompson
For more information on how you can have a successful first year, visit www.juliagthompson.com, juliagthompson.blogspot.com, or https://twitter.com/TeacherAdvice.
Note
1
As a classroom teacher, you will find that some of your students will live with biological or adopted parents while others will live with guardians. Throughout this book, you will find the use of “parents or guardians” or “parents and guardians” to indicate this relationship.
ILearn the Skills Necessary to Become a Professional Educator
Section OneBegin Your Professional Growth
When you decided to become an educator, you entered a very special universe–one where your unique insights, energy, skills, and knowledge can be used to change the world. Change the world? Yes, that is what educators do. Just think of what a career in education means to you and to the millions of classroom teachers who are your colleagues across the globe.
Our jobs are about far more important ideas than just the content we teach. Countless studies indicate that teachers are the most significant factor in any student's schooling. Although you may be tempted to think peer pressure or a student's home environment have more influence than you do, keep in mind that it is teachers who inspire students to become lifelong learners and to believe in their ability to achieve their dreams.
It is a classroom teacher who teaches a child to read, to do math, to cooperate with others, to write sentences, to think analytically, to do neat work, and to solve problems. It is a classroom teacher who protects a child from bullies and who is the first line of defense in the battle against racism, ignorance, and poverty. It is a classroom teacher who helps young people learn how to navigate life. To be kind. To be successful. To accomplish dreams. To be good citizens of the world.
What a weighty responsibility we face each school day. What a privilege it is to be an educator.
As a classroom teacher, you will never be rich, even if your district should come to its senses and pay you what you are worth. You will, however, be rewarded repeatedly because when you help your students achieve their dreams, you will achieve yours.
Few careers can claim to be as impactful as a career in education. Classroom teachers do change the world–one classroom at a time. Never doubt that, even on the toughest days, you are making a difference in the lives of your students. What you do matters.
Welcome to your new profession.
How to Handle Your New Responsibilities
If you are like most new teachers, you may already be concerned about how well you will handle the responsibilities that accompany managing a classroom filled with a diverse population of students–each one with individual needs and abilities. Just how do successful teachers keep those responsibilities from morphing into demoralizing anxiety?
Good teachers take it one day at a time. They work to maintain a balance between their personal and professional lives by paying careful attention to their own well-being. Good teachers manage their professional challenges by realizing that they are not alone in their struggles and that it's okay to not always know the best solution to a problem. They reach out to a colleague next door or down the hall or in an online professional community to seek help. And even when they are dealing with the pressing details of each school day, good teachers stay focused on the big picture–the success of their students.
All teachers experience professional challenges. First-year teachers, experienced teachers, and teachers at every grade level cope with complex problems, no matter how ideal their school situation. Anytime you feel overwhelmed, remember that all teachers have had to deal with what you are going through. In fact, here are some of the most common challenges that all teachers experience:
Finding a work-life balance
Stacks of tedious paperwork
Difficulty in connecting with parents and guardians
Integrating technology appropriately
A culture or generation gap with students
Not enough equipment, materials, or time
Short student attention spans
Students with overwhelming family problems
Uncertainty about the right course of action to take
If some of these problems seem all too familiar, remember that the hallmark of a great teacher is not the absence of problems but the ability to generate and implement innovative and effective solutions to an array of classroom challenges. With a positive attitude, a professional approach, a bit of creativity, and plenty of practice, you will soon be able to manage your new professional responsibilities.
Develop the Mindset of a Professional Educator
Although many educators use the term professionalism when referring to excellent teaching practices, it's not always a term with a straightforward definition. Instead, we tend to recognize it when we see it in action, but we may not be able to articulate exactly what it means. For many educators, though, professionalism means being the very best teacher that you can be every day. When you choose to develop the mindset of a professional educator, you send the message that you are in control of your classroom, your professional responsibilities, and yourself.
It is not always easy to be an educator, especially when you are just starting out, but resolving to act in a professional manner is a sound decision with far-reaching effects. You will earn the respect of your students, their families, and your colleagues. You will be able to enjoy your school days instead of struggling with the unpleasant consequences brought about by poor decisions.
What's Expected of Twenty-First-Century Teachers
As a twenty-first-century teacher, you will be expected not only to maintain a well-managed classroom but also to establish a classroom culture of high performance for your students. All teachers, no matter what subject matter they teach or the age and ability levels of their students, are expected to create this culture in their classes. Although this can seem difficult at first, this expectation can make your life as a teacher much more rewarding as you watch your students master the material they are expected to learn. How will you know when you have created the productive culture of high performance that you want for your students?
The classroom is student centered, with students taking ownership of their learning and responsibility for their success.
Students are fully engaged in meaningful, respectful, and appropriate learning tasks.
The overall focus of the work is goal oriented and purposeful.
The teacher has classroom management structures in place so that students are confident about expectations for mastery of material, social interactions, and self-regulated behaviors.
The teacher uses current research findings and best practices to inform instructional decisions.
The teacher makes instructional decisions based on a thoughtful analysis of available data.
Students move forward in their learning, mastering the assigned material and then moving on to the next topic under study. Students learn what they are supposed to learn.
Creating a culture of high performance is not a task that can be done in a day or two but rather requires consistent and sustained effort. It begins with the expectations that you have for your students. Set high goals and expectations; make sure that these expectations and goals are ones that students perceive as achievable.
I do everything I can to make my students feel successful, safe, and cared for. That means arriving before the expected time so that the classroom is organized and ready for students. It means having lessons thought through and implemented effectively. It means modeling for my students good behavior, thoughtfulness, and a positive outlook.
Betsy Jones, 12 years' experience
Knowledgeable teachers have found that it is impossible to create a culture of high performance without encouraging collaboration. Students who work together learn to support one another. Successful teachers also focus on helping students understand the importance of practice and effort in achieving success.
Finally, in classrooms where there is a culture of high performance, the students and their teachers take the time to acknowledge their triumphs and to celebrate their successes. The culture of this type of classroom is overwhelmingly positive and conducive to creating more success.
Even though the expectation that you will create a culture of high performance in your classroom is daunting at first, it is a worthy goal with far-reaching rewards. Start small. Plan carefully and with the needs of your students in mind. Others have achieved this. You can as well.
Professional Growth: Develop Your Skills and Add to Your Knowledge
As a classroom teacher, you will become a lifelong learner just by the very nature of the profession. It is simply impossible to be a good teacher and to not want to know more about the content you are teaching or about the best methods to instruct your students. One of the most intriguing recent educational movements is the proactive role that teachers now take in determining the kinds of professional development activities that work best for them.
No longer do teachers rely only on their districts' professional development programs; instead, proactive educators determine for themselves the professional development activities that serve them best. Becoming a teacher who is actively involved in a program of self-directed sustained professional development is one of the wisest decisions you can make as a novice educator.
Fortunately, there are many different professional development opportunities available for interested teachers. As you begin to take ownership of this important aspect of your new career, you may want to consider some of the options on the following pages. Learning to use the resources that are available to you is a productive step in your quest to develop into the kind of teacher you dreamed of becoming when you first considered a career in education.
Use Action Research to Inform Classroom Decisions
The term action research has been part of the glossary of education terms for many years; it is a very personal and very effective way to learn how to solve common classroom or school-based problems. Action research is simply the research that educators do as they go about testing new strategies and ideas, analyzing the resulting data, and then deciding how to implement their findings. It differs from scholarly or theoretical research in that it is solution-oriented and controlled by the members of a school community themselves.
In fact, at any given time in a school, there may be many different types of action research projects under way: individual teachers may be investigating ideas for their classroom, collaborative groups of teachers may be testing ideas that affect their grade levels or departments, and the entire school community may be involved in a large-scale exploration of a topic of interest to all. To begin the procedures in the action research process in your own classroom practice, follow these proven techniques for successful action research:
Step One:
Determine an issue or problem that you want to investigate. It can be as simple as asking why your students don't always complete their homework assignments or as elaborate as helping your students learn to use effective reading practices.
Step Two:
Formulate a potential solution and apply it to the problem. The solution that you apply should be something that you believe has the potential to resolve the issue or problem. Once you have determined a possible solution, systematically put it into practice.
Step Three:
Collect data. Depending on the problem or issue that you are investigating, the data can be examples of student work, standardized test scores, formative assessment results, or products of any other method that allow you to test the effectiveness of your possible solution.
Step Four:
Analyze the data you have collected. Your analysis will indicate if you should continue the implementation of your possible solution or if you should formulate another one based on what you have learned from your original data collection and analysis.
Action research will enable you to be methodical in the way you assess the effectiveness of new ideas; assume responsibility for your classroom decisions; contribute in a meaningful way to the culture of your school; and increase your own knowledge, skills, and confidence as an educator.
Attend Conferences
As a first-year teacher, you may not believe that attending a professional conference is a good use of your time when you have so much work to do that you struggle not to be overwhelmed. However, if your school district offers you an opportunity to attend a conference, accept it. You'll benefit from the opportunity to learn new strategies and network with other professionals.
Participate in an Edcamp
An important part of the proactive professional development movement, edcamps (often referred to as unconferences) are participant-driven gatherings where K-12 educators can collaborate informally to share ideas and concerns with other like-minded educators in an inclusive and friendly environment. You can learn more about edcamps that would benefit you most from the Edcamp Foundation (www.edcamp.org).
Join Professional Organizations
One of the best ways to acclimate yourself to your new profession is to join an organization for education professionals. Joining a professional association is an excellent way to stay abreast of the latest developments and trends in education. Through collaboration and networking, you learn from other teachers with shared interests and concerns. Here is a list of some of the national professional organizations for teachers:
American Federation of Teachers (AFT) (
www.aft.org
).
The AFT is a teachers' union allied with the AFL-CIO. With 1.3 million members, AFT has been a strong voice supporting the classroom teacher for decades.
Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE) (
www.amle.org
).
With more than thirty thousand members, AMLE is the largest national education association committed to the educational needs of young adolescents.
Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) (
www.ascd.org
).
This group is a nonpartisan, nonprofit national and international organization for educators at all grade levels.
Coalition of Essential Schools (CES) (
www.essentialschools.org
).
This organization provides professional development and networking opportunities, conducts research, and serves as a policy advocate for public education.
National Alliance for Public Charter Schools (NAPCS) (
www.publiccharters.org
).
This nonprofit organization works to shape federal and state policy and advocate for funding as well as to improve the public understanding of the charter school movement.
National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) (
www.naeyc.org
).
This organization is the nation's largest organization for early childhood educators. Its focus is to provide support and resources for the educators of young children.
National Education Association (NEA) (
www.nea.org
).
With more than three million members, the NEA is the largest organization for public school teachers in the United States. It provides strong national support for educators at all grade levels.
National High School Association (NHSA) (
www.nhsa.net
).
This nonprofit association is dedicated to improving the professional knowledge of high school educators.
Read Professional Journals
Just as attending conferences can help you develop professional expertise, so can reading professional journals. Through such reading, you can learn a great deal about the interests you share with others in your field. Subscribing to one of these journals will enrich your teaching experience in many ways:
Educational Leadership
(
www.ascd.org
).
This journal is the voice of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development and a useful resource for teachers at all grade levels. Here you can find professional resources for your classroom as well as for schoolwide issues.
Education Week
(
www.edweek.com
).
This journal is a weekly periodical devoted to up-to-the-minute news and commentary about education-related topics.
Instructor
(
www.scholastic.com
).
This widely read magazine devoted to K-8 educational concerns offers practical support through a variety of timely articles.
Kappan
(
www.pdkintl.org
).
This professional journal produced by the international organization for teachers, Phi Delta Kappa, addresses issues of policy and serves as a forum for debates on controversial subjects.
Learning
(
www.learningmagazine.com
).
This is another supportive resource for teachers of younger students, offering practical advice on a wide range of topics.
Investigate the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards
As a first-year teacher, you may not be eligible to work toward national certification, but it is a positive choice for teachers to make as early in their careers as they can. As you work to improve your overall teaching skills, you will also learn how to effectively teach the material in your state and district standards. You can learn more at the website of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (www.nbpts.org).
Explore Educational Websites
From elaborate and carefully curated sites to more humble offerings, online resources are a valuable resource for twenty-first-century educators. Once you have spent some time exploring some of the more well-known websites, additional research can help you find online resources tailored to your needs. Here are just a few of the more popular and useful sites available to teachers across the globe:
A to Z Teacher Stuff (
www.atozteacherstuff.com
).
This teacher-created site is designed to help teachers find lesson plans, thematic units, teacher tips, discussion forums, and printable worksheets as well as many more online resources.
Discovery Education (
www.discoveryeducation.com
).
This site offers an enormous wealth of resources for teachers–digital media, hundreds of easily adaptable lesson plans, worksheets, clip art, and much more.
Education World (
www.educationworld.com
).
This is an excellent general site for K-8 teachers in particular. It offers plenty of valuable resources, including free weekly newsletters.
Edudemic (
www.edudemic.com
).
Offering hundreds of articles on wide-ranging topics, Edudemic provides information on teaching trends and techniques as well as educational news.
Edutopia (
www.edutopia.org
).
This is a wonderful site for K-12 teachers. It offers timely articles, sage advice, videos, and a wide range of materials.
HowtoLearn (
www.howtolearn.com
).
An extensive and popular site, teachers can participate in various learning communities, enroll in online courses, learn new teaching strategies, and research various educational topics.
MiddleWeb (
www.middleweb.com
).
At MiddleWeb's extensive site, middle school educators can find many resources, articles, and useful advice geared to help them reach and teach middle school students.
Share My Lesson (
www.sharemylesson.com
).
At Share My Lesson, educators can access greater than four hundred thousand lesson plans, activities, and other resources shared by the more than one million members of the American Federation of Teachers who maintain the site.
Teaching Channel (
www.teachingchannel.org
).
Funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, Teaching Channel is a video showcase of innovative and effective teaching practices. Instead of traditional lesson plans, teachers can watch brief videos of effective teaching ideas that they may want to implement in their own classrooms.
Establish Your Own Plan
Many teachers use social media to create a PLN, or personal learning network. A PLN is simply a way for individuals to use social media to connect with other educators to collaborate, share ideas, and explore common professional interests. Many educators who want to establish a PLN start by following bloggers who post about topics they want to explore further and investigating social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.
Educational Bloggers
