The Practical Side of Teaching: A Handbook for New Teachers

By John Taylor and Margaret L. Thompson

If you are looking for techniques for behavior management, transitional periods, first day of school, managing your time, parent-teacher conferences, and other issues, then The Practical Side of Teaching is for you. Its not about the academics. Its all about the topics that are often not discussed until you find yourself confronted with them head on in the classroom. It is a guide for new teachers, kindergarten thru second grade. Youll receive straight talk from a veteran teacher who has been there and understands the frustration that is often encountered in teaching, especially the first year.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jun 24, 2010
• ISBN: 9781462841622

John Taylor

John Taylor (b. 1952) is an American writer, critic, and translator who lives in France. Among his many translations of French, Italian, and Greek literature are books by Philippe Jaccottet, Pierre Chappuis, Pierre-Albert Jourdan, Georges Perros, Jacques Dupin, José-Flore Tappy, Pierre Voélin, Catherine Colomb, Lorenzo Calogero, Franca Mancinelli, Alfredo de Palchi, and Elias Petropoulos. About the latter Greek writer, he has written Harsh Out of Tenderness: The Greek Poet and Urban Folklorist Elias Petropoulos. Taylor's translations have been awarded grants and prizes from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Academy of American Poets, Pro Helvetia, and the Sonia Raiziss Charitable Foundation. He is the author of several volumes of short prose and poetry, most recently The Dark Brightness, Grassy Stairways, Remembrance of Water & Twenty-Five Trees, and a "double book" co-authored with Pierre Chappuis, A Notebook of Clouds & A Notebook of Ridges.

Book preview

The Practical Side of

Teaching

A Handbook for New Teachers

K-2

Margaret L. Thompson

Illustrated by John Taylor

Copyright © 2010 by Margaret L. Thompson.\

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This book was printed in the United States of America.

To order additional copies of this book, contact:

Xlibris Corporation

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

[e-mail]

68611

Contents

Acknowledgments

INTRODUCTION

BEHAVIOR MANAGEMENT AND CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT

Music

Getting Their Attention

Rules and Consequences

Rewards

Prevention

PREPARING THE ROOM ENVIRONMENT

THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL

Arrival

Name Tags

Parents

Roster/Lunch

Preparing to Go Home

Activities/Directions

Rules

Bathroom and Tour

Outside Playtime

TRANSITIONAL PERIODS

Gaining Attention

Lining Up

In the Hallway

Downtime

MANAGING YOUR TIME

WORKING WITH PARENTS

PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCES

WORKING WITH A PARAPROFESSIONAL

RECORD KEEPING

ROUTINE THINGS

Schedules

Drills

Lesson Plans

Taking Care of Yourself

ADJUSTING TO A

NEW SCHOOL AND STAFF

Mentor/Coach/Buddy

Committees

Team Player

Support Staff

Responsibilities

Be Positive

TEACHING A COLLEAGUE’S CHILD

DEALING WITH A

LACK OF SCHOOL SUPPLIES

Dedicated to

all new teachers who ever

wanted to know all those

little tidbits about that first year

from the practical side.

Acknowledgments

To my husband for his unwavering support.

With deepest gratitude to one of my former principals

for tweaking and critiquing my

manuscript with her wisdom as a well-respected educator.

To all the teachers who shared some of their experiences

as a first year teacher.

INTRODUCTION

Congratulations! You’re a Teacher! Now What?

You’ve earned your degree. You went to one of the finest universities in the country. You took