Full Description
This book is the peer teacher everyone wishes they had been assigned when they entered the profession and the refresher veteran teachers might be searching for later in their career. But, teachers are busy. Really busy. Exhaustingly busy- we don't want this book to be one more thing that consumes your spare time. It is important to us that each chapter can be read independent of one another, in any particular order, and in short bursts, so if you need some quick tips on the fly, we want you to be able to find what you need and save the rest for another spare moment. The chapters are arranged chronologically to take you through the school year, but it doesn't need to be read that way. You get to read what will help in the moment.
Contents
Table of Contents
Preface
Introduction
Section 1: Preparing for the Start of School
Start Each Year Fresh
Know Your Standards Before the School Year Begins
Open House Night
Setting Up Your Room
Don't Spend Your Check Before You Earn It
Pre-School Nightmares
Section 2: Starting the School Year
Have Reasonable Expectations
Start Them Right Into Content In an Engaging Way
Ice Breakers Are a Death Sentence
Accessing Online Platforms
Battling Cell Phones
Find Out Who the Friends Are and Move Them
Section 3: Making Your Workload More Manageable
Starting the Morning
Checking Email
Lesson Planning
Photocopies
Keeping Up With the Grading
Build In Work Days
The Teacher Bag
Leaving for the Day
Stay Organized and Write Everything Down
Section 4: Establishing Student Routines
Collecting Student Work
Handing Back Student Work
Assigning Work
Behaviors That Need Routines
Section 5: Dealing With Administration
Don't Panic When They Call (Or Email)
Informal Walk-Throughs
Formal Evaluations
Section 6: Communicating With Students, Parents, and Administration
Answering Emails
Calling Home
Using Mass-Text Alert Systems
Parent Conferences
Section 7: Optimizing Interpersonal Skills
Treat Your Students Like Rational Humans
Keep the Rules Simple
The Chronically Absent
The Loud Kids
The Mean Kids
Choose Your Battles
Section 8: Thriving as an Educator
Choosing Your Work Tribe
Deciding Where You Eat Lunch
Know What You Can (and Cannot) Control
Using Your Time On Teacher Workdays
Ditch the Red Pen
What You Wear Matters
Good Teachers Are Always Students
Don't Let the Data Scare You
Polish Your Dragon Scales
Section 9: Increasing Student Engagement and Learning
Back to the Basics
Get em' Movin'
Show Students the Work Means Something
Make It Yourself
Student Choice
Let Your Kids Struggle
Holy Sh*% We Ended Early, Now What?
Section 10: Incorporating Reading and Writing
Reading Isn't Just for English Class
Get Them Writing
Section 11: Crossing the Digital Divide
Incorporating Technology
Let YouTube Help
Keep it PG
Section 12: Creating and Maintaining Your Work-Life Balance
Know Your Limits
Allow Yourself Time to Recharge
Know Your Contract
Censor Your Social Media
Don't Overshare With Your Students
Section 13: Ending the School Year
Don't Just Shove It All In a Box.
Have the Kids Help
Celebrate What Worked
Financially Surviving the Summer
