Finding Success the First Year: A Survivor's Guide for New Teachers

by Matthew Johnson

Overview

New teachers have it tough. They have a very difficult and complex job, and they must learn how to do it in front of a studio audience of unruly adolescents, anxious parents, and watchful administrators. To help new teachers navigate this daunting backdrop, Finding Success the First Year is here to act as a personal guide to the first year of teaching. This book was written by a new teacher navigating through his own first year, and it uses those experiences to serve as a foundation for a step-by-step guide on how to survive and thrive in that all important first year. With everything from answers to frequent new-teacher questions and warnings of common new teacher pitfalls to specific strategies and veteran tricks useful for clawing back precious hours of the day, Matthew Johnson gives clear tips and clear reasons for them in a straightforward, jargonless voice and a mixture of practicality and philosophy.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781607097334
Publisher:	R&L Education
Publication date:	10/16/2010
Pages:	266
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

In the two short years of his career, Matthew Johnson has already experienced a variety of schools, taught most of grades 7–12, and striven to be a part of every little corner of school life. To learn more about Finding Success the First Year, and to get your hands on essential first-year teacher resources, please visit the author's website: www.matthewmjohnson.com.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

Unit 1 The Secret Weapons 5

Chapter 1 Enthusiasm 7

Chapter 2 Setting the Right Tone 15

Chapter 3 Respect 21

Chapter 4 The Power of Positivity 29

Unit 2 Who are Your Students" 35

Chapter 5 Teaching Common Sense 37

Chapter 6 Students Are Fragile 43

Chapter 7 Teaching Is a Game of Inches 48

Unit 3 Relating to Your Students 55

Chapter 8 Keeping Lessons Clear 57

Chapter 9 How to Get the Most from Your Students 64

Chapter 10 Student Accountability, or You Can Lead a Horse to Water ... 72

Chapter 11 How to Design a Foolproof Lesson 78

Chapter 12 How to Deliver a Foolproof Lesson 87

Unit 4 Managing Your Students 95

Chapter 13 Idle Threats and Consequence Scales 97

Chapter 14 Using Your Voice and Body as Teaching Tools 102

Chapter 15 How to Respond to Unwanted Behavior 107

Chapter 16 Trouble Is Complex 114

Unit 5 Building Your Classroom Foundation 121

Chapter 17 Setting the Ground Rules 123

Chapter 18 Physically Setting Up Your Classroom 133

Chapter 19 Classroom Rituals 141

Unit 6 The Tools of the Trade 147

Chapter 20 Lectures 149

Chapter 21 Discussions 154

Chapter 22 Group Work 160

Unit 7 Cheat Sheets 165

Chapter 23 How to Respond to a Question You Don't Have an Answer For 167

Chapter 24 A Student Cheats 173

Chapter 25 When Bad Things Happen in Good Classrooms 179

Chapter 26 Pressing the Reset Button on the Classroom 187

Unit 8 The Tasks 193

Chapter 27 Dealing with Parents 195

Chapter 28 Teaching to Everyone 203

Unit 9 The Traps 211

Chapter 29 Just Say No: The Pitches 213

Chapter 30 The Urge to Be Groovy 217

Chapter 31 Friendly Fire 221

Unit 10 The Tricks 227

Chapter 32 The Advantages of Being a New Teacher 229

Chapter 33 The Role of Emotion in the Classroom 235

Chapter 34 The Use of Technology 241

Chapter 35 Becoming an Organizational Champion 251

A Final Word 257

About the Author 259

What People are Saying About This

Linda McGarry

Finding Success the First Year answers questions for new teachers that they haven't even had the time to ask. It is relevant and practical because it was written 'on the job' by a beginning teacher. This should be required summer reading for any new teachers. I will be recommending it to my students!

David West Brown

In Finding Success the First Year, Matthew Johnson delivers pragmatic teaching advice in concise, accessible prose. It's the kind of nuts-and-bolts guidance that is often overlooked in teacher training that beginning teachers—and experienced ones for that matter—will find invaluable.

Jeff Cammann

Being a first year teacher, I knew I had many unknown challenges ahead of me. After reading this book not only do I have an idea of what these challenges will look like, I also have different tools to handle these situations. This book is a must read for all beginning teachers

Editorial Reviews

First-year teachers frequently have difficulty finding a resource that is succinct, helpful, and all encompassing. Johnson's Finding Success the First Year is the ticket. He has written an extremely practical book that addresses nearly every possible aspect of a first-year teacher's experiences. The book is divided into clear units and chapters on topics such as secret weapons (e.g., enthusiasm, setting the right tone, respect, and power of positivity), relating to students, and more. The chapters are short and easy to read and include specific experiences (e.g., parent e-mails, participation, body language, picking one's battles, and rituals) that first-year teachers will relate to readily. The author keeps a focus on student learning and engages in self-reflection, which makes his suggestions powerful. Each chapter ends with an exit slip that sums his writing well. In addition, there are some connections to other texts for further readingFirst-year and preservice teachers will find this resource invaluable. Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and practitioners.

Choice Reviews - July 2011

First-year teachers frequently have difficulty finding a resource that is succinct, helpful, and all encompassing. Johnson's Finding Success the First Year is the ticket. He has written an extremely practical book that addresses nearly every possible aspect of a first-year teacher's experiences. The book is divided into clear units and chapters on topics such as secret weapons (e.g., enthusiasm, setting the right tone, respect, and power of positivity), relating to students, and more. The chapters are short and easy to read and include specific experiences (e.g., parent e-mails, participation, body language, picking one's battles, and rituals) that first-year teachers will relate to readily. The author keeps a focus on student learning and engages in self-reflection, which makes his suggestions powerful. Each chapter ends with an exit slip that sums his writing well. In addition, there are some connections to other texts for further readingFirst-year and preservice teachers will find this resource invaluable. Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and practitioners.

CHOICE

Finding Success the First Year answers questions for new teachers that they haven't even had the time to ask. It is relevant and practical because it was written 'on the job' by a beginning teacher. This should be required summer reading for any new teachers. I will be recommending it to my students!

Linda McGarry

In Finding Success the First Year, Matthew Johnson delivers pragmatic teaching advice in concise, accessible prose. It's the kind of nuts-and-bolts guidance that is often overlooked in teacher training that beginning teachers—and experienced ones for that matter—will find invaluable.

David West Brown

Being a first year teacher, I knew I had many unknown challenges ahead of me. After reading this book not only do I have an idea of what these challenges will look like, I also have different tools to handle these situations. This book is a must read forall beginning teacherssss

Jeff Cammann

First-year teachers frequently have difficulty finding a resource that is succinct, helpful, and all encompassing. Johnson's Finding Success the First Year is the ticket. He has written an extremely practical book that addresses nearly every possible aspect of a first-year teacher's experiences. The book is divided into clear units and chapters on topics such as secret weapons (e.g., enthusiasm, setting the right tone, respect, and power of positivity), relating to students, and more. The chapters are short and easy to read and include specific experiences (e.g., parent e-mails, participation, body language, picking one's battles, and rituals) that first-year teachers will relate to readily. The author keeps a focus on student learning and engages in self-reflection, which makes his suggestions powerful. Each chapter ends with an exit slip that sums his writing well. In addition, there are some connections to other texts for further readingFirst-year and preservice teachers will find this resource invaluable. Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and practitioners.

Choice Reviews

First-year teachers frequently have difficulty finding a resource that is succinct, helpful, and all encompassing. Johnson's Finding Success the First Year is the ticket. He has written an extremely practical book that addresses nearly every possible aspect of a first-year teacher's experiences. The book is divided into clear units and chapters on topics such as secret weapons (e.g., enthusiasm, setting the right tone, respect, and power of positivity), relating to students, and more. The chapters are short and easy to read and include specific experiences (e.g., parent e-mails, participation, body language, picking one's battles, and rituals) that first-year teachers will relate to readily. The author keeps a focus on student learning and engages in self-reflection, which makes his suggestions powerful. Each chapter ends with an exit slip that sums his writing well. In addition, there are some connections to other texts for further readingFirst-year and preservice teachers will find this resource invaluable. Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and practitioners.

Choice