The Everything New Teacher Book: A Survival Guide for the First Year and Beyond
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Filled with real-world life lessons from experienced teachers as well as practical tips and techniques, you'll gain the skill and confidence you need to create a successful learning environment for you and your students, including how to:
Melissa Kelly
Chef Melissa Kelly named her restaurant Primo, located in Maine, after her grandfather, Primo Magnani, a local butcher. Primo has two satellites in Marriott hotels in Orlando and Tucson. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Chef Kelly is a 1999 James Beard Foundation Award winner.
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The Everything New Teacher Book - Melissa Kelly
THE
EVERYTHING®
NEW TEACHER
BOOK
2ND EDITION WITH CD
A survival guide for
the first year and beyond
Melissa Kelly, MEd
9781440500381_ps_0004_001Copyright © 2010, 2004 Simon and Schuster All rights reserved.
This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced
in any form without permission from the publisher; exceptions
are made for brief excerpts used in published reviews.
An Everything® Series Book.
Everything® and everything.com® are registered trademarks of F+W Media, Inc.
Published by Adams Media, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
57 Littlefield Street, Avon, MA 02322 U.S.A.
www.adamsmedia.com
ISBN 10: 1-4405-0038-X
ISBN 13: 978-1-4405-0038-1
eISBN 13: 978-1-4405-0039-8
Printed in the United States of America.
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
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This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information with regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional advice. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought.
— From a Declaration of Principles jointly adopted by a Committee of the American Bar Association and a Committee of Publishers and Associations
This book is available at quantity discounts for bulk purchases.
For information, please call 1-800-289-0963.
THE EVERYTHING® NEW TEACHER BOOK 2ND EDITION
Dear Reader,
You are about to embark on a grand adventure: teaching. Sometimes teaching can be an awesome experience, other times it can be extremely challenging. However, in the end it is worth it when you look at your students and see them learning, participating, and growing. I have written this book directly from my and my husband’s classroom experiences, as well as those of many other teachers with whom I have worked. I hope you will find that these pages hold lessons they didn’t teach you in the college of education. The information here is from the trenches. It is not based on theories of education, but rather on experience. I do hope that you enjoy this book and, more importantly, that you find true happiness and fulfillment in your profession as a teacher. You have chosen a truly amazing career. As George Bernard Shaw said, To me the sole hope of human salvation lies in teaching.
Welcome to the EVERYTHING® Series!
These handy, accessible books give you all you need to tackle a difficult project, gain a new hobby, comprehend a fascinating topic, prepare for an exam, or even brush up on something you learned back in school but have since forgotten.
You can choose to read an Everything® book from cover to cover or just pick out the information you want from our four useful boxes: e-questions, e-facts, e-alerts, and e-ssentials.
We give you everything you need to know on the subject, but throw in a lot of fun stuff along the way, too.
We now have more than 400 Everything® books in print, spanning such wide-ranging categories as weddings, pregnancy, cooking, music instruction, foreign language, crafts, pets, New Age, and so much more. When you’re done reading them all, you can finally say you know Everything®!
9781440500381_ps_0003_003Answers to common questions
9781440500381_ps_0003_004Important snippets of information
9781440500381_ps_0003_005Urgent warnings
9781440500381_ps_0003_006Quick handy tips
PUBLISHER Karen Cooper
DIRECTOR OF ACQUISITIONS AND INNOVATION Paula Munier
MANAGING EDITOR, EVERYTHING® SERIES Lisa Laing
COPY CHIEF Casey Ebert
ACQUISITIONS EDITOR Lisa Laing
SENIOR DEVELOPMENT EDITOR Brett Palana-Shanahan
EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Hillary Thompson
EVERYTHING® SERIES COVER DESIGNER Erin Alexander
LAYOUT DESIGNERS Colleen Cunningham, Elisabeth Lariviere, Ashley Vierra, Denise Wallace
Visit the entire Everything® series at www.everything.com
To my true joys in life: Marty, Ty, and Jessalyn.
Contents
Top Ten Things Every New Teacher Should Know
Introduction
01 Welcome to Teaching
The Noble Profession
Education Today
Your Role as a Teacher
A Day in the Life of a Teacher
What Your Students Expect from You
Habits of Successful Teachers
02 The Secret Formula for Success
With an Attitude
Practice Consistency
A Fair Deal
Learn to Be Flexible
Putting It All Together
Practical Applications
03 From Expectations to Results
Great Expectations
Fears Associated with High Expectations
Shedding Your Biases
Communicating Your Expectations
Effect of Expectations on Behavior
Effect of Expectations on Achievement
Meeting Your Own Expectations
04 Setting the Ground Rules
The Wisdom of Posting Class Rules
Missing School Supplies
Dealing with Tardiness
Late-Work Policies
Make-up Work Policy
Restroom Use and Hall Passes
05 Behavior Management
Beginning on the Right Foot
Discipline Plans
Humor Is the Most Effective Tool
Active Listening
Positive and Negative Reinforcement
Appropriate Disciplinary Actions
Parental Communications
06 Prejudice, Controversy, and Violence
Prejudice in the Classroom
The Most Effective Tool
Discussing Controversial Topics
Religious Matters
Holiday Celebrations
Political Issues
Dealing with School Violence
School Bullying
07 Organizing Your Space
Setting Up Classroom Space
Classroom Supplies
Textbook Use
A Filing System
Making Your Life Easier
Copying Tips and Tricks
08 Working with a Lesson Plan
What Is a Lesson Plan?
The Learning Objective
Sources of Ideas
Your Planning Tools
Knowing How Much to Include
Assigning Homework
Learning to Be Flexible
09 Maximizing Your Instructional Time
Warm-ups
Keeping a Journal
Housekeeping Time
Daily Review
Moving from Activity to Activity
Additional Tips and Ideas
If You Have Extra Time
10 A Variety of Teaching Methods
Three Types of Learning Styles
Nine Measures of Intelligence
Importance of Varying Instruction
Class Lectures
Group Discussions
Learning Centers
Cooperative Learning
Role-Playing and Debates
11 Technology in the Classroom
The Haves and the Have-Nots
It’s Not Just about Money
Computer Technology
Learning Online
Using Technology Effectively
When Your School Can’t Afford It
12 Assessments and Grading
Valid Assessments
Pretesting to Track Progress
What Do Grades Really Mean?
Grading with Rubrics
Staying Organized
Academic Integrity
13 High-Stakes Testing
What Is High-Stakes Testing?
Current Trends
What’s at Stake
Arguments for High-Stakes Testing
Arguments Against High-Stakes Testing
The Impact on You
Teaching to the Test
14 Beyond the Classroom
Are Field Trips Worth It?
Field Trip Destinations
Planning the Field Trip
Field Trip Day
Virtual Field Trips
Visits to the Media Center
15 Avoiding Stress and Illness
Expect to Get Sick
Be Your Own Best Sub
Getting Hurt on the Job
Sick Buildings
Causes of Stress
Stress Relief
Sleep Deprivation
16 Giving Substitutes a Fighting Chance
The Substitute Folder
Effective Substitute Lesson Plans
Scheduling Substitutes
Final Preparations
Student Behavior
Not All Substitutes Are Created Equal
17 Meeting Diverse Needs
Learning the Lingo
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
The Individual Education Plan
Inclusion in the Classroom
Teaching Students with Diverse Needs
Pull-Out Programs
Working with a Co-Teacher
18 Walking the Staff Tightrope
Your Place as a New Teacher
Keeping People Happy
Following the Chain of Command
Making Good Colleague Choices
Staff Gossip
Personality Conflicts
19 Avoiding New Teacher
Exploitation
Positive Effects of Participating
Your Teaching Assignment
School Committees
Extracurricular Activities
Additional Duties
How to Say No
20 The Pendulum Swing of Reform
Cyclical Reforms
Changes in Classroom Procedures
Ability Grouping
Interest and Career Grouping
Block Scheduling
Year-Round Education
Setting Up Smaller Schools
Voucher Reforms
21 Thinking about Education in a New Way
Educational Theories of the Past
Revisiting the Purpose of Education
A New Way to Look at Curriculum
Twenty-first Century Skills
Taking Learning to a Higher Level
Building a New Mindset
22 Online Learning: The Wave of the Future
What Is Online Education?
State of Online Education Today
Case Study: The Florida Virtual School
The Wave of the Future
The Mind of an Online Instructor
Benefits of Teaching Online
Issues for Online Instructors
Tips for Success in Online Teaching
23 Dealing with the Unexpected
Expect the Unexpected
Not Enough Texts
Overcrowded Classes
No Classroom at All
Multiple Preps
In Case of Emergency
24 Survival Mode: First Day, First Week
The Right Learning Environment
Attitude Is Everything
Dealing with Nervousness
Before the Students Arrive
The First Day
Checklists for Success
25 Can You Really Do It All?
A Part of Your Community
What Parents Want
Working with Your Students
Appeasing the Administration
Setting Your Own Expectations
A Rewarding Career
Appendix A: Additional Resources
Further Readings
Organizations
Online Resources
Appendix B: Glossary of Terms and Acronyms
CD Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
Many thanks go to the staff at Florida Virtual School, especially Julie Young and Pam Birtolo. I would also like to thank Mike Daecher from About.com, Rita Kienle, Lynn Roll, Mickey Colen, Loretta Schultz, Tom Fleming, Tim Newman, Laurie Peterson, Jennifer Smith, Lana Howe, Pat Naylor, the Ericksons, and Tammy Rabon. Without each of your special gifts, I would not have had the role models necessary to write this book. Finally, very special thanks go to my agent, Barb Doyen, for starting me out on this path, to my entire family, especially my parents who were and are my greatest teachers, to my awesome husband Marty without whom this book would not have been written, to my beautiful and amazing children Ty and Jessalyn for love and laughter through it all, and most importantly to Jesus Christ, my Lord and savior.
Top Ten Things Every New Teacher Should Know
1. Always have high (but not impossible) expectations for yourself and your students.
2. Effective classroom management starts on the first day.
3. Humor can help diffuse a tense classroom situation.
4. Consistency and fairness go hand in hand and should be practiced every day.
5. Be flexible, but don’t become a doormat.
6. Smile at your students.
7. Avoid confrontations in front of other students.
8. Be friendly, but avoid becoming friends with your students.
9. Get to know the people around you, and choose your friends and battles wisely.
10. Never advertise your inexperience.
Introduction
TEACHING HAS A LONG and noble history. From the ancients, like Plato and Aristotle, to the educators of today, teachers have made a huge impact on the world around them. Almost everyone remembers one or more teachers fondly, and some people credit a particular teacher with their success in life. Teachers are hugely influential, many times in a positive way but sometimes in a negative way, too. Teachers can inspire their students to greatness — or they can inadvertently give inaccurate information that will stick with their students for a lifetime.
Being a teacher is a special calling. It takes a kind yet firm heart. It also takes a person who basically believes in the goodness of all people. A cynical teacher can cause a borderline student to lose faith and give up. On the other hand, a positive and perceptive teacher can help a student turn her life around and begin to meet her potential. Just having a positive attitude is not enough, though. A classroom teacher relies on many special skills.
Lee Iacocca said, In a completely rational society, the best of us would aspire to be teachers and the rest of us would have to settle for something less, because passing civilization along from one generation to the next ought to be the highest honor and the highest responsibility anyone could have.
Teaching can be a stressful and sometimes a thankless job, but when a teacher finally does see that he is making a difference, he receives a reward like no other.
As a new teacher, you will be faced with many challenges and, hopefully, will reap many rewards. The Everything®New Teacher Book, 2nd Edition with CD is designed to be a tool that can help guide you down the path of effectiveness, leading to the ultimate goal of a truly rewarding career. Though it is designed for the novice, more experienced teachers will also find it useful in their day-to-day careers.
Teaching is truly a cumulative activity. The advice in this book is drawn from the accumulated experience of many teachers. You can trust that the information you find here is based on what really happens in the classroom. It is not pie in the sky
theory but realistic and effective practice. Most of the information in this book can be used from day one. In fact, much of it should be implemented before the first day of classes.
One of the main reasons that new teachers have such a tough time in the beginning is that they do not feel comfortable in their position. Because of their lack of experience, they make some very common mistakes, like making friends with students or being lax in terms of discipline. In fact, most new teachers start to worry about keeping discipline before they even enter the field. It is one of the more difficult challenges that a new teacher faces. This book aims to steer you around those common errors and keep you from making them in the first place.
As a new teacher, you will be in survival mode for the first few weeks of school. However, after things calm down and you begin to feel comfortable in front of your students, you may begin looking beyond the latest housekeeping task to the big picture, which includes the school at large. As with any new career, you will be faced with a new vocabulary and customs. The school culture is like no other industry because of the unique nature of its product
: educated children. This book is designed to give you some insight into the inner workings of the school system. You will learn about the trends and ideas that abound in education today. Just knowing what these terms and ideas mean can help you converse intelligently with your coworkers and administration.
Not every person is cut out to teach. However, if you feel the calling and you work to improve yourself, you can be an effective teacher, the kind of teacher who truly makes a difference in her students’ lives. As Henry Adams said, A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.
CHAPTER 1
Welcome to Teaching
Effective teaching is both a science and an art. Formal education can lay the foundation through the examination of various theories of effective teaching, but nothing can replace the experience of being out in the trenches. The art of teaching comes mainly from observation and experience. The scenarios and examples in this book are drawn from real life to help prepare you for your teaching career. The first step to becoming an effective teacher is to have a clear picture of what teaching is really like.
The Noble Profession
Consider why you became a teacher. What made you decide to devote your life’s work to teaching? Was it an influential teacher you admired, a desire to help others, or some other personal reason? At times, teaching can be a thankless profession, so you need to find your satisfaction from within. Yes, you will receive some rewards, but from day to day, you will have to create your own support system.
The teaching profession is a true calling. Not everyone is cut out to be a teacher. Some people just don’t have the patience. Others are not detail-oriented enough to keep up with the logistics and paperwork. Inflexible people will find that they have a hard time working within the strictures of a school system. If you are in teaching for the money, you will probably be disappointed. However, if you approach teaching as a calling and a noble endeavor, you will find satisfaction.
Education Today
Education is in a state of flux. It’s commonly believed, whether accurately or not, that something is seriously wrong with education in the United States. Politicians often run on education-reform platforms. Reform is also a common topic on talk shows and news reports.
Changing Attitudes about Education
The truth is that no one has a real handle on the issues and problems with education in America today. The reasons are multifaceted and deal with the core of our changing society itself:
• Attitudes among parents have changed. Many parents no longer choose to be partners in their children’s discipline process.
• The teacher’s role has expanded but is no longer well defined, so many teachers lose their focus.
• It’s difficult to remove ineffective teachers from the school system.
• Society has become more permissive as a whole. Less emphasis is placed on personal responsibility.
• Student attitudes have changed over time. A greater number of students today believe that teachers and schools must accept them the way they are.
• Administration is often stymied by laws and budget concerns. It no longer joins teachers to create a consistent message and outlook on education.
It is obvious that because of all of these intersecting and conflicting issues, the ideas on how to fix
education are varied. Educational professionals, parent groups, politicians, editorialists, and many others have their own opinions on which reforms are necessary to overcome these difficulties. However, the task is extremely difficult, if not impossible, because the solutions have to alter people’s attitudes and actions.
It is often difficult to adjust to the newest educational reforms. Changing the structure of your teaching day or year can be disruptive, both to you and to your students. Keep a positive attitude, and realize that reforms come and go, but the things that make you an effective teacher will never change.
The Changing World of Reform
Many of the proposed reforms don’t provide solutions. They merely offer a bandage for the battered system of education. This does not mean, however, that education in America is dying or already dead. It is alive and well in the classroom of every effective teacher.
Education reforms are like swings of a pendulum. If you have been in education long enough, reforms that you thought were long forgotten will be revived, dusted off, and given a new coat of paint. As a teacher, you should be prepared to see your school jump on the reform bandwagon at some point. While many reform movements have good points, adopting them can cause problems. School systems often invest a lot of time, effort, and money into a specific reform. With all this investment, it can be hard for schools to admit if a reform does not work as planned.
Reforms will happen to your school sooner or later, so you may expect any of the following:
• Year-round education
• Block scheduling
• 4 × 4 scheduling
• High-stakes testing
• Learning communities
• School voucher system
Each of these reforms has its champions and its critics. They all will be discussed in greater depth in Chapter 20.
Your Role as a Teacher
The role of teachers has expanded to a point that it will sometimes be difficult for you to grasp exactly what is expected of you. Today, education is the topic of many social and political debates. The problems that education faces are not clear-cut, and the answers to these problems are even less apparent. In this atmosphere of blame and reform, teachers often find themselves sinking instead of soaring. To keep your sanity, you must define the role you are going to have in education.
Teaching has become much more complicated over time. Teachers wear many hats:
• Facilitator
• Coach
• Nurse
• Knowledge specialist
• Special-education expert
• Surrogate parent
• Record keeper
• Guidance counselor
• Technology expert
• Social worker
The truth is that no one person can fulfill all of these roles. It is your job as a teacher to decide where to put your emphasis. Develop a clear vision of the role you want to play. This will give you the power to make a much greater impact and will also shield you from the pressures and stresses that affect many other teachers.
Choosing Your Roles
So how do you decide where to place your emphasis? One way to begin is to rank the roles in order of importance according to your beliefs. It is an interesting exercise to create a similar list according to how you believe your school would rank these roles. Compare the two lists. If you are feeling frustrated, it may be that your values are conflicting.
To be a successful and happy teacher, it is advisable to work in a setting that matches your values as closely as possible. However, it may not be possible to quit your position at a school where your values conflict. Just having a clearer picture of why you are experiencing difficulties in this kind of situation can help you find ways to cope.
Administrators, colleagues, parents, and students will pull you in many different directions. Have a strong foundation for what you believe your role should be, and you will be better armed to meet the challenges you face.
A Day in the Life of a Teacher
It is important to remember that no one is born with the skills, understanding, and experience to be an effective teacher. However, with perseverance, a positive attitude, and the tools found in this book, you can be successful. Teaching may be challenging, surprising, and even exciting. Days are often filled with unexpected events and are also occasionally blessed by amazing rewards. These, of course, are what make teaching worthwhile. One thing is certain: Rarely is any day in the life of a teacher typical.
The Basic Schedule
As a teacher, you usually get to school early and leave late. Your day probably begins with some planning time that allows you to make last-minute preparations for the students. Once the students arrive in the classroom, you will probably not get another moment of quiet until your next planning period or the end of the day. In fact, some elementary teachers do not get a planning period each day of the week. In such cases, they might only get planning time when their students leave for their enrichment activities such as art and physical education.
Each class is a new challenge. You will find some students who love learning and some who despise it. You will present your lesson and may not have any unexpected disruptions. When the day ends, you will probably have meetings to attend before you can settle down to grading and planning for the next day.
9781440500381_ps_0003_005Sometimes new teachers don’t get the same consideration as those who have worked at a school for a while. If you feel that you are not being treated fairly by colleagues or the office staff and administration, find a mentor at your school who can help you work through these issues.
Unexpected Events
Part of the challenge of teaching is dealing with the many unexpected events that will arise each day. Here are just some examples of these events:
• Office announcements: While schools try to limit these during class time, it may still happen a few times each week.
• Fire drills: Most fire drills are announced beforehand, but there may be times that a student pulls the alarm as a prank.
• Minor student disruptions: Minor disruptions, such as inappropriate talking, happen on a daily basis.
• Major student disruptions: Everybody hopes to avoid major disruptions, but they still happen — to all teachers.
• Unexpected visitors: Students on official or unofficial business, other teachers or administrators, and even parents have been known to unexpectedly interrupt class time.
• Unannounced assemblies: While most assemblies are announced beforehand, sometimes you will be given only a day’s or even a few hours’ notice.
• Guidance interruptions: In high schools at certain times of the year, it is common for guidance counselors to call students to meetings and appointments.
• Other disruptions: Many other disruptions will arise when least expected, including unlikely events like very noisy construction work or power outages.
As this list shows, it is in your best interest to be flexible and expect the unexpected. Be ready to change your lesson plans at a moment’s notice. And always remember to keep your sense of humor.
A Teacher’s Rewards
Some days will also be filled with rewards. While you should not expect these little treats, you can feel confident that they will happen. A chronically disruptive student might experience a turnaround, a slower student might grasp a difficult concept, or a simple discussion might serve as an excellent educational experience. These are the moments that will continue to motivate you through your career.
9781440500381_ps_0003_006It is useful to keep a journal with positive observations, clippings, and student comments throughout your teaching career. When you are feeling stressed or burned out, just pull out your journal and get recharged.
One of the most wonderful rewards of teaching is having former students come back to tell you how much you influenced them. Students will sometimes write you letters or notes expressing how important you were or are to them. If you remember back to your school days, you can probably think of a couple of teachers who were truly influential. Strive to be that teacher for your students, and you will be well rewarded.
What Your Students Expect from You
A week or two before school starts, students start gearing up for the new year. They usually get their new class schedules in the mail or go to their school for a meet-the-teacher event. They’ve probably been shopping for new school clothes and supplies. When the first day arrives, most will come prepared with clean notebooks, fresh boxes of crayons, and unsharpened pencils.
Something else happens at this same time: Students get excited. Many, if not