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The New Teacher Toolbox
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The New Teacher Toolbox
Proven Tips and Strategies for a Great First Year

Second Edition
Edited by:


May 2009 | 136 pages | Corwin

Praise for the first edition:

"Mandel has written a very practical, informative manual for new teachers. His examples for classroom standards, incorporating a variety of activities for diverse students, and teaching test-taking skills are right on target. For answers to fundamental questions and stress relief, Mandel's manual is a must!"
—Johanna K. Lemlech, Professor Emerita
University of Southern California

"An extremely practical and user-friendly time-saver. Rather than beating around the bush with pages of statistics, philosophies, best practices, and methodologies, this toolbox cuts to the heart of real questions burning inside new teachers. New and experienced teachers can benefit from the quick fixes presented in this plentiful toolbox."
—Leslie Gaillard, First-Year Teacher
Pacoima Middle School, Los Angeles, CA

A one-stop resource for all your first-year teaching needs!

This second edition is a concise yet complete guide for novice teachers, covering all the essentials for getting off to a good start. With new tips for everything from establishing an ideal classroom environment to making it through teacher evaluations, this revised edition helps you plan ahead with confidence, keep your perspective, and prepare for the unexpected.

The author introduces techniques by grade level, making the book easy to read sequentially or as a reference for specific situations. Written in a conversational tone, this completely revised edition includes an expanded section on Internet use and provides field-tested strategies on how to:

  • Encourage student participation and critical thinking
  • Establish fair grading practices
  • Modify instructional methods and curriculum for students with special needs
  • Increase parent involvement
  • Manage stress and maintain sanity

 
Acknowledgments
 
About the Author
 
Introduction: What New Teachers Really Want to Know
 
Part I. The Room Environment and the First Weeks
 
1. Things to Do Before the School Year Begins
 
2. Arranging Your Classroom
 
3. Bulletin Boards
 
4. A Helpful Binder to Leave for Substitute Teachers
 
Part II. The Curriculum and the Students
 
5. Fairness and Critical Thinking in Classroom Discussions
 
6. Teaching Five Hours of Material in Only Three Hours
 
7. Keeping Students Interested
 
8. Teaching Test-Taking Skills
 
9. The Internet as the Ultimate Teacher Resource Center
 
10. Discipline Issues
 
Part III. Grading
 
11. Marking Papers and Promoting Self-Esteem
 
12. A Beginner's Guide to Figuring Grades
 
13. Rubrics
 
14. Grading for Classroom Participation
 
15. A Student Self-Esteem Check
 
Part IV. Parents
 
16. Parent Involvement
 
17. Parent-Teacher Conferences
 
Part V. Students Who Have Special Needs
 
18. Modifying the Classroom Curriculum for Students With Special Needs
 
19. Full-Inclusion Mainstreaming
 
20. Students With ADD/ADHD and Classroom Management
 
21. Preparing for a Special Education Class
 
Part VI. How to Maintain Your Sanity
 
22. Making It Through Your Teacher Evaluation
 
23. Ten Ways to Avoid Stress
 
24. Putting It All Into Perspective
 
Further Readings
 
References
 
Index

Praise for the first edition:
"Mandel has written a very practical, informative manual for new teachers. His examples for classroom standards, incorporating a variety of activities for diverse students, and teaching test-taking skills are right on target. For answers to fundamental questions and stress relief, Mandel’s manual is a must!"

Johanna K. Lemlech, Professor Emerita
University of Southern California

"An extremely practical and user-friendly time-saver. Rather than beating around the bush with pages of statistics, philosophies, best practices, and methodologies, this toolbox cuts to the meat of the real questions burning inside new teachers. I strongly encourage any new teacher who is feeling the stress of the first year to take a few minutes and read up on some of the issues that may be contributing to that stress. This book covers just about every issue or concern that one might have and will only save time in the end. In fact, all teachers, new and experienced, could benefit from the quick fixes presented in this plentiful yet to-the-point toolbox."

Leslie Gaillard, First-Year Teacher
Pacoima Middle School, Los Angeles, CA
Key features

Beginning teachers will find tips for:

  • Establishing an ideal room environment
  • Teaching the curriculum
  • Grading for classroom participation
  • Parent involvement
  • Preparing for an inclusive or special education class
  • Managing stress

There are a number of significant changes in this second edition of The New Teacher Toolbox. To summarize:

Updated information for today's classroom in the age of NCLB. When this book was originally written, No Child Left Behind (NCLB) was relatively new. Since then, virtually every classroom in the country has been affected by its requirements and consequences. Material throughout the book has been updated to reflect this new reality, and what it means for the new teacher.

New ideas and a new chapter. I have included many of the wonderful ideas offered over the past six years since the first edition, adding to what was already here, and substituting better ones when appropriate. Many of the classroom examples have also been expanded. In addition, a new chapter entitled, "Making it Through Your Teacher Evaluation" is a direct result of new teacher feedback on the first edition.

Updated Internet sites and resources. A lot has changed in six years—links have been updated or replaced, and new resources added. Every chapter now has a special section called "For Further Reading on This Subject" which provides teachers with new selected resources for additional information. This is material that goes beyond the scope of the chapter, for the teacher who wants to go into greater depth on a particular subject.

Sample Materials & Chapters

Preface

Chapter 1


For instructors

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ISBN: 9781452273372

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ISBN: 9781412971355
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