This easy-to-use reference—with hundreds of helpful, classroom-tested answers, ideas, techniques, and teaching tools—will help you on your way to a successful and productive school year. Designed to be flexible, the book offers a choice of ideas and approaches that best fit your classroom situation. Julia Thompson shows you how to:
• Develop successful relationships with students, colleagues, administrators, and parents
• Manage professional responsibilities and develop career skills
• Create an orderly classroom where students are courteous and respectful
• Motivate students to become independent learners
• Use proven strategies to prevent misbehavior
• Design instruction that will appeal to every student
• Set up a classroom for maximum comfort and learning
• Thrive in the world of high-stakes testing
"Thompson's work helps beginning teachers—even those with no prior teaching experience—to understand the basics of effective teaching. The First Year Teacher's Checklist makes it easy for educators who are just starting out to understand what it will take to become a successful teacher. I will definitely make this book required reading for my teacher interns." —Bill Snead, director of Alternative Certification Programs, Harris County Department of Education, Houston, Texas
"A must-have resource for new teachers and interns. Easy to read, discuss, and implement, it will improve your instruction along with helping you manage your to-do lists, your classrooms, and all of the new tasks and items involved with your first year of teaching. Keep it handy!" —Mike Rogers, president, EverythingAboutLearning.com, a PEAK Learning Systems Company
"New teachers and those who support their success will thrive on Julia's succinct delineation of the daily business of teaching." — Layne Ferguson, teacher development specialist, Department of Teacher Leadership and Professional Development, Prince George's County Public Schools, Maryland
1 - 3 How to Take Charge of Your Career
• Professional growth does not happen by chance. Take charge by developing a personal plan to improve your teaching skills.
• Although you will almost certainly be assigned an official mentor, other teachers can also serve as role models. Look to them for support, inspiration, and advice.
• In addition to teachers in your building, form relationships with colleagues outside your school. Professional organizations and online educational forums are good places to begin building a
professional network.
• Set career goals for yourself, and work to achieve them.
• Read materials that will keep you informed about current issues, trends, and techniques.
• Learn what the No Child Left Behind Act requires of all teachers.
• Join professional organizations related to your teaching assignment.
• Try to attend a conference sponsored by a professional
organization, too.
• Take advantage of professional development opportunities such as workshops, webinars, online courses, and seminars offered by your school district.
• Keep a professional portfolio so that you will be able to measure your own growth as a teacher as the year progresses.
• Try to observe other teachers as often as you can. Ask them to observe you and offer their insights about your teaching performance.
• Make a plan to manage your stress levels so that you can avoid burnout.
Investigate the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. Many school districts now assist teachers who enroll in this program.
1 - 8 How to Use Best Practices in Your Classroom
As a new teacher, you have probably heard the term best practices many
times in your education courses, but you may not be sure what itmeans or what constitutes educational best practices. While there is no clear - cut definition of the term as it relates to education, most
educators would agree that best practices are the actions that teacherscan take to ensure that their instruction is effective, appropriate, and
productive. Following is a list of some of the classroom - tested activities that qualify as educational best practices:
• Cooperative learning
• Portfolio assessments
• Alternative assessments
• Rubrics
• Tiered instruction
• Scaffolding instruction
• Anchoring activities
• Graphic organizers
• Essential questions
• Project - based learning
• Student - directed learning
• Workshop approaches to reading and writing
• Interdisciplinary instruction
• Inquiry - based instruction
• Authentic experiences
• Data - driven instruction
• Integrated technology
• Standards - based curriculums
• Benchmark testing
• Capitalizing on background knowledge
• Differentiated instruction
• Recognizing learning styles
• Recognizing multiple intelligences
• Teacher as coach and facilitator
• Student research
Table of Contents
SECTION ONE: BECOME A PROFESSIONAL EDUCATOR.
Chapter 1: Professional Development Begins with You.
List 1-1 Be Guided by the Principles of Professionalism.
List 1-2 What Is Expected of You.
List 1-3 How to Take Charge of Your Career.
List 1-4 Set Professional Goals with These Easy Steps.
List 1-5 Develop a Professional Demeanor.
List 1-6 Master These Important Workplace Skills.
List 1-7 Manage Your Time Wisely with These Strategies.
List 1-8 How to Use Best Practices in Your Classroom.
List 1-9 Strategies to Help You Prepare to Be Evaluated.
List 1-10 Learn to Weather Career Ups and Downs.
List 1-11 How to Build Your Confidence.
List 1-12 Reflection: The Key to Becoming a Successful Educator.
Chapter 2: Learn to Work with Other Educators.
List 2-1 Schools Require Teamwork.
List 2-2 Tips for Cultivating Professional Relationships.
List 2-3 How to Fit In at School.
List 2-4 Successful On-the-Job Communication Skills.
List 2-5 Professional Courtesy.
List 2-6 Suggestions for Working Well with Your Supervisors.
List 2-7 Guidelines to Help You Develop Productive Relationships with Mentors.
List 2-8 Work in Partnership with Substitute Teachers.
List 2-9 Dealing with Difficult Colleagues.
List 2-10 How to Deal with the Demands of Your Colleagues.
List 2-11 Join Other Educators in Online Learning Communities.
Chapter 3: Create a Link between Home and School.
List 3-1 The Benefits of a Positive Relationship with Parents and Guardians.
List 3-2 Questions You Should Ask Your Students? Parents.
List 3-3 What Parents Expect of Their Child’s Teacher.
List 3-4 Tips for Productive School-Home Relationships.
List 3-5 How to Make Constructive Home Contacts.
List 3-6 Strategies to Manage Formal Conferences Successfully.
List 3-7 How to Handle Conflicts with Parents or Guardians.
List 3-8 Courteous Interactions with non-Nuclear Families.
List 3-9 How to Manage Student Information.
SECTION TWO: CREATE A POSITIVE CLASS CULTURE.
Chapter 4: Make Your Classroom a Productive Learning Environment.
List 4-1 The Essentials of a Productive Learning Environment.
List 4-2 The First Step: Evaluate the Room.
List 4-3 Create a Safe Classroom.
List 4-4 Arrange Your Classroom for Learning.
List 4-5 Create Effective Seating Arrangements.
List 4-6 Organize Your Own Work Area.
List 4-7 Make Your Classroom Greener by Using Paper Wisely.
List 4-8 Basic Teaching Supplies and Professional Documents.
List 4-9 Create a Student-Centered Environment.
List 4-10 Inexpensive Bulletin Board Ideas.
List 4-11 Don’t Just Decorate, Instruct!
List 4-12 Display Student Work.
Chapter 5: Forge Positive Relationships with Students.
List 5-1 Characteristics of an Appropriate Teacher--Student Relationship.
List 5-2 What Students Expect of You.
List 5-3 The Greatest Gift: High Expectations.
List 5-4 Tips to Help You Gather Information about Your Students.
List 5-5 Respect Your Students? Dignity.
List 5-6 Strategies to Help Students Who Are Reluctant Learners.
List 5-7 Strategies to Help Students with Special Needs.
List 5-8 Strategies to Help Students with Attention Deficit Disorders.
List 5-9 Teach Good Citizenship.
List 5-10 Strategies to Make Every Child Feel Valuable.
Chapter 6: Create Opportunities for Student Success.
List 6-1 The Principles of Motivation.
List 6-2 Positive Teacher Attitudes that Create Student Success.
List 6-3 Questions to Provide Opportunities for Success.
List 6-4 Questions to Provide Opportunities for Enjoyment.
List 6-5 Questions to Provide Opportunities for Students to Feel a Sense of Belonging.
List 6-6 Quick and Easy Motivation Strategies.
List 6-7 Suggestions for Using Rewards and Praise Effectively.
List 6-8 Appealing Tangible Rewards.
List 6-9 How to Encourage Your Students.
List 6-10 Suggestions for Incorporating Intrinsic Motivation into Instruction.
Chapter 7: Take a Proactive Stance to Prevent Misbehavior.
List 7-1 Be Prepared: Know Why Students Misbehave.
List 7-2 Prevent Misbehavior with These Commonsense Strategies.
List 7-3 Avoid These Discipline Mistakes.
List 7-4 Support Student Self-Management.
List 7-5 Make Things Run Smoothly with Classroom Procedures.
List 7-6 Enforce the School’s Code of Conduct.
List 7-7 Create and Teach Classroom Rules.
List 7-8 Strategies to Help You Enforce Classroom Rules.
List 7-9 Strategies to Help You Monitor Student Behavior.
List 7-10 How to Redirect Students Who Are Off Task.
List 7-11 Strategies to Prevent Cheating.
List 7-12 Strategies for Creating Successful Seating Charts.
List 7-13 Help Students Make Successful Transitions.
List 7-14 How to Have Fun with Your Students.
Chapter 8: Minimize Disruptions Caused by Misbehavior.
List 8-1 Sound Discipline Principles.
List 8-2 Misbehaviors You Should Handle Yourself.
List 8-3 Don’t Punish, Solve the Problem Instead.
List 8-4 General Strategies to Minimize Disruptions.
List 8-5 Be Alert to the Potential for Violence.
List 8-6 How to Respond in a Student Fight.
List 8-7 How to Refer Students to an Administrator.
List 8-8 Control Your Reactions When Students Misbehave.
List 8-9 Questions to Ask Yourself When Students Misbehave.
SECTION THREE: BE A DYNAMIC TEACHER.
Chapter 9: Plan Effective Instruction.
List 9-1 Your Goal: An Active Learning Community.
List 9-2 Steps in the Planning Process.
List 9-3 How to Assess Your Students? Prior Knowledge.
List 9-4 The Principles of Differentiated Instruction.
List 9-5 Create Enduring Understanding with Essential Questions.
List 9-6 Include Activities with Student Appeal.
List 9-7 Use Resources that Take Students beyond the Text.
List 9-8 How to Create Unit Plans.
List 9-9 How to Create Daily Plans.
List 9-10 How to Plan for Nontraditional Schedules.
List 9-11 How to Create Backup Plans.
List 9-12 How to Adapt Lessons for Less-Proficient Learners.
Chapter 10: Deliver Effective Instruction.
List 10-1 Your Enthusiasm Creates Their Success.
List 10-2 Strategies to Make Instruction Relevant.
List 10-3 How to Build Background Knowledge.
List 10-4 Incorporate Higher-Level Thinking Skills.
List 10-5 Appeal to Your Students? Learning Styles.
List 10-6 Suggestions for Incorporating Technology.
List 10-7 Tips for Making Effective Electronic Presentations.
List 10-8 Tips for Making Interesting Presentations.
List 10-9 Tips to Make Your Handouts Appealing.
List 10-10 Tips for Traditional Field Trips.
List 10- 11 Virtual Field Trips.
List 10-12 Tips to Make Homework a Success.
List 10-13 Tips for Using Collaborative Activities in Class.
List 10-14 Tips to Help Groups Control Their Noise Levels.
List 10-15 Strategies for Using Games to Help Students Learn.
List 10-16 Ask the Right Questions the Right Way.
List 10-17 Strategies to Focus Attention at the Start of Class.
List 10- 18 Use the End of Class to Reinforce Learning.
List 10-19 Strategies to Increase Retention through Review.
List 10-20 Promote Academic Success by Teaching Study Skills.
List 10-21 Create Helpful Study Guides.
Chapter 11: Assess Your Students? Progress.
List 11-1 The Types and Purposes of Assessments.
List 11-2 Alternative Assessments.
List 11-3 How to Manage Portfolios.
List 11-4 Traditional Question Types.
List 11-5 How to Create Beneficial Tests.
List 11-6 The Versatile Multiple Choice Question.
List 11-7 Constant Informal Assessment.
List 11-8 How to Give Constructive Feedback.
List 11-9 Success Strategies for Standardized Tests.
List 11-10 Attitudes that Will Help You Keep Testing in Perspective.
List 11-11 Keeping Up with Grading Paperwork.
List 11-12 What to Do If Many Students Are Not Successful.
SECTION FOUR: LOOK TO THE FUTURE.
Chapter 12: Twenty-first Century Issues for All Teachers.
List 12-1 The Education of Students Who Are Not Native Speakers of English.
List 12-2 The Growing Concern over Literacy.
List 12-3 The No Child Left Behind Act.
List 12-4 Project Based Learning.
List 12-5 Laptops for All.
List 12-6 The Internet as a Teaching Resource.
List 12-7 The Theory of Multiple Intelligences.
List 12-8 The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.
List 12-9 The Theory of Constructivism.
List 12-10 The Proliferation of Gangs.
List 12-11 Response to Intervention.
SECTION FIVE: RESOURCES.
Professional Organizations for Teachers.
Books to Help You Connect with Your Students.
Books to Help Students with Special Needs.
Online Resources to Help Students with Special Needs.
Books to Help You Improve Student Literacy.
Online Resources to Help with Literacy.
Books to Help You with Classroom Management and Discipline.
Online Resources for Classroom Management and Discipline.
Books to Help You Become a Better Teacher.
Books to Help You Create Engaging Instruction.
Online Resources for Lesson Plan, Teaching Ideas, and Instructional Materials.
Books to Help You Work Well with Others.
Books to Help You with Time Management and Organization.
Online Resources for Time Management, Professionalism, and Workplace Skills.
Online Resources for Classroom Arrangement and Decoration.
Online Resources for Assessment.
