The First Years Matter: Becoming an Effective Teacher

A Mentoring Guide for Novice Teachers
Second Edition
The First Years Matter: Becoming an Effective Teacher
July 2016 | 296 pages | Corwin
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eBook
ISBN: 9781506345079
Available from January 0001
Paperback
ISBN: 9781506345062
Available from January 0001

Description

Use this updated resource to prepare for your journey into teaching
 
Teaching is an ongoing learning process. Where do you begin? This newly revised and updated 2nd edition of The First Years Matter sheds light on what your first years are all about. Key actions steps and a flexible twelve-month curriculum - including July for reflection and planning - keeps you proactively prepared for the classroom. Use this book to collaborate more effectively with your mentor who may be using the companion text Mentoring in Action.
 
The First Years Matter includes a planning section, affirmations, and activities to help you master classroom management, instruction, assessment, goal setting, and more. Whether you’re a first year teacher or entering your second or third year, you’ll learn to mindfully

  • Align mentoring to your state or district evaluation standards
  • Integrate student voice to build a community of learners
  • Prepare for teacher observations and standardized testing
  • Apply mentoring lessons to differentiate instruction
  • Develop leadership opportunities
  • Gather evidence to document your progress

This updated version includes convenient QR codes and a robust companion website featuring videos, downloadable forms, and a journal for reflection. Start your teaching journey off right. Use this empowering book to become a competent and confident teacher! 

“I love the idea of having mentors and mentees work alongside each other with Mentoring in Action and The First Years Matter, sharing their thoughts about challenges and successes each month and opening up a reflective dialogue.”
Karen Mayotte, Grade 2 Classroom Teacher/ Co-coordinator Mentor Program
Nashoba Regional School District

Use with Mentoring in Action, the companion guide for mentors!

Contents

Foreword: Peter M. DeWitt

Foreword: Peter M. DeWitt

Preface

Preface

Acknowledgements

Acknowledgements

About the Author

About the Author

Introduction

Introduction

Part I Beginning Your Journey Into Teaching

  • The Purpose of Induction and Mentoring
  • Sustainable Mentoring
  • What is Mentoring in Action?
  • Building a Relationship With Your Mentor
  • Purposeful Mentoring Conversations

Part II Month-by-Month Mentoring: Being Mentored in Action

  • Why Do We Need a Mentoring Curriculum?
  • A Month-by-Month Cycle for Mentoring
  • The Transformation of a Teacher

August Orientation to the School and Community: Resources and Values

August Orientation to the School and Community: Resources and Values

September Beginning the School Year Successfully: Creating a Community of Learners in the Classroom

September Beginning the School Year Successfully: Creating a Community of Learners in the Classroom

October Teaching For Understanding: Planning and Delivering Effective Instruction

October Teaching For Understanding: Planning and Delivering Effective Instruction

November Assessing Diverse Learners: How Do Teachers Know Students Have Learned?

November Assessing Diverse Learners: How Do Teachers Know Students Have Learned?

December Maintaining Balance: Teaching and Keeping the Students Interested

December Maintaining Balance: Teaching and Keeping the Students Interested

January Beginning a New Calendar Year: Looking Back and Moving Forward

January Beginning a New Calendar Year: Looking Back and Moving Forward

February Engaging Students in the Curriculum: Focus on Content through Active Inquiry

February Engaging Students in the Curriculum: Focus on Content through Active Inquiry

March With Your Mentor: Building a Trusting Relationship

March With Your Mentor: Building a Trusting Relationship

April Standards: Creating Meaningful Standards-Based Learning Experiences for Students

April Standards: Creating Meaningful Standards-Based Learning Experiences for Students

May Assessing Students’ Progress: High-Stakes Tests and Teacher Assessment

May Assessing Students’ Progress: High-Stakes Tests and Teacher Assessment

June Completing the Year: Paperwork, Relationships, and Closing a Room

June Completing the Year: Paperwork, Relationships, and Closing a Room

July Final Reflection and Planning For Next Year: Retreat, Reflect, Review

July Final Reflection and Planning For Next Year: Retreat, Reflect, Review

Resources

Description

Use this updated resource to prepare for your journey into teaching
 
Teaching is an ongoing learning process. Where do you begin? This newly revised and updated 2nd edition of The First Years Matter sheds light on what your first years are all about. Key actions steps and a flexible twelve-month curriculum - including July for reflection and planning - keeps you proactively prepared for the classroom. Use this book to collaborate more effectively with your mentor who may be using the companion text Mentoring in Action.
 
The First Years Matter includes a planning section, affirmations, and activities to help you master classroom management, instruction, assessment, goal setting, and more. Whether you’re a first year teacher or entering your second or third year, you’ll learn to mindfully

  • Align mentoring to your state or district evaluation standards
  • Integrate student voice to build a community of learners
  • Prepare for teacher observations and standardized testing
  • Apply mentoring lessons to differentiate instruction
  • Develop leadership opportunities
  • Gather evidence to document your progress

This updated version includes convenient QR codes and a robust companion website featuring videos, downloadable forms, and a journal for reflection. Start your teaching journey off right. Use this empowering book to become a competent and confident teacher! 

“I love the idea of having mentors and mentees work alongside each other with Mentoring in Action and The First Years Matter, sharing their thoughts about challenges and successes each month and opening up a reflective dialogue.”
Karen Mayotte, Grade 2 Classroom Teacher/ Co-coordinator Mentor Program
Nashoba Regional School District

Use with Mentoring in Action, the companion guide for mentors!

Contents

Foreword: Peter M. DeWitt

Foreword: Peter M. DeWitt

Preface

Preface

Acknowledgements

Acknowledgements

About the Author

About the Author

Introduction

Introduction

Part I Beginning Your Journey Into Teaching

  • The Purpose of Induction and Mentoring
  • Sustainable Mentoring
  • What is Mentoring in Action?
  • Building a Relationship With Your Mentor
  • Purposeful Mentoring Conversations

Part II Month-by-Month Mentoring: Being Mentored in Action

  • Why Do We Need a Mentoring Curriculum?
  • A Month-by-Month Cycle for Mentoring
  • The Transformation of a Teacher

August Orientation to the School and Community: Resources and Values

August Orientation to the School and Community: Resources and Values

September Beginning the School Year Successfully: Creating a Community of Learners in the Classroom

September Beginning the School Year Successfully: Creating a Community of Learners in the Classroom

October Teaching For Understanding: Planning and Delivering Effective Instruction

October Teaching For Understanding: Planning and Delivering Effective Instruction

November Assessing Diverse Learners: How Do Teachers Know Students Have Learned?

November Assessing Diverse Learners: How Do Teachers Know Students Have Learned?

December Maintaining Balance: Teaching and Keeping the Students Interested

December Maintaining Balance: Teaching and Keeping the Students Interested

January Beginning a New Calendar Year: Looking Back and Moving Forward

January Beginning a New Calendar Year: Looking Back and Moving Forward

February Engaging Students in the Curriculum: Focus on Content through Active Inquiry

February Engaging Students in the Curriculum: Focus on Content through Active Inquiry

March With Your Mentor: Building a Trusting Relationship

March With Your Mentor: Building a Trusting Relationship

April Standards: Creating Meaningful Standards-Based Learning Experiences for Students

April Standards: Creating Meaningful Standards-Based Learning Experiences for Students

May Assessing Students’ Progress: High-Stakes Tests and Teacher Assessment

May Assessing Students’ Progress: High-Stakes Tests and Teacher Assessment

June Completing the Year: Paperwork, Relationships, and Closing a Room

June Completing the Year: Paperwork, Relationships, and Closing a Room

July Final Reflection and Planning For Next Year: Retreat, Reflect, Review

July Final Reflection and Planning For Next Year: Retreat, Reflect, Review

Resources

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The First Years Matter: Becoming an Effective Teacher

A Mentoring Guide for Novice Teachers


July 2016 | 296 pages | Corwin

Format Published Date ISBN Price
Paperback 01/02/2026 9781506345062 $43.95
Lifetime 01/02/2026 9781506345079 $40.00

Use this updated resource to prepare for your journey into teaching
 
Teaching is an ongoing learning process. Where do you begin? This newly revised and updated 2nd edition of The First Years Matter sheds light on what your first years are all about. Key actions steps and a flexible twelve-month curriculum - including July for reflection and planning - keeps you proactively prepared for the classroom. Use this book to collaborate more effectively with your mentor who may be using the companion text Mentoring in Action.
 
The First Years Matter includes a planning section, affirmations, and activities to help you master classroom management, instruction, assessment, goal setting, and more. Whether you’re a first year teacher or entering your second or third year, you’ll learn to mindfully

  • Align mentoring to your state or district evaluation standards
  • Integrate student voice to build a community of learners
  • Prepare for teacher observations and standardized testing
  • Apply mentoring lessons to differentiate instruction
  • Develop leadership opportunities
  • Gather evidence to document your progress

This updated version includes convenient QR codes and a robust companion website featuring videos, downloadable forms, and a journal for reflection. Start your teaching journey off right. Use this empowering book to become a competent and confident teacher! 

“I love the idea of having mentors and mentees work alongside each other with Mentoring in Action and The First Years Matter, sharing their thoughts about challenges and successes each month and opening up a reflective dialogue.”
Karen Mayotte, Grade 2 Classroom Teacher/ Co-coordinator Mentor Program
Nashoba Regional School District

Use with Mentoring in Action, the companion guide for mentors!

Table Of Contents:

  • Foreword: Peter M. DeWitt
  • Preface
  • Acknowledgements
  • About the Author
  • Introduction
  • Part I Beginning Your Journey Into Teaching
  • The Purpose of Induction and Mentoring
  • Sustainable Mentoring
  • What is Mentoring in Action?
  • Building a Relationship With Your Mentor
  • Purposeful Mentoring Conversations
  • Part II Month-by-Month Mentoring: Being Mentored in Action
  • Why Do We Need a Mentoring Curriculum?
  • A Month-by-Month Cycle for Mentoring
  • The Transformation of a Teacher
  • August Orientation to the School and Community: Resources and Values
  • September Beginning the School Year Successfully: Creating a Community of Learners in the Classroom
  • October Teaching For Understanding: Planning and Delivering Effective Instruction
  • November Assessing Diverse Learners: How Do Teachers Know Students Have Learned?
  • December Maintaining Balance: Teaching and Keeping the Students Interested
  • January Beginning a New Calendar Year: Looking Back and Moving Forward
  • February Engaging Students in the Curriculum: Focus on Content through Active Inquiry
  • March With Your Mentor: Building a Trusting Relationship
  • April Standards: Creating Meaningful Standards-Based Learning Experiences for Students
  • May Assessing Students’ Progress: High-Stakes Tests and Teacher Assessment
  • June Completing the Year: Paperwork, Relationships, and Closing a Room
  • July Final Reflection and Planning For Next Year: Retreat, Reflect, Review

Recent Product Reviews:

"What amazes me about the Mentoring in Action and First Years Matter books is that every aspect of the teaching field is addressed."
Kerri Schoonover, History Teacher, Atlantis Charter High School
“I love the idea of having mentors and mentees work alongside each other with Mentoring in Action and The First Years Matter, sharing their thoughts about challenges and successes each month and opening up a reflective dialogue.”
Karen Mayotte, Grade 2 Classroom Teacher/ Co-coordinator Mentor Program, Nashoba Regional School District
"The two texts, Mentoring in Action and The First Years Matter, are companion texts that give both participants a guide for discussions, suggestions for activities, and a place to track reflections. They also allow for targeted differentiation."
Maureen Perkins, Reading Specialist, William A. Berkowitz School
"Integrating teacher evaluation standards fits naturally into the reflection prompts and activities in The First Years Matter and Mentoring in Action texts."
Caitlin Corrieri, Mentor Coordinator, Belmont Public Schools
"I will most definitely use the Mentoring in Action text paired with The First Years Matter text as a month-by-month curriculum to focus mentoring conversations."
Kristen Daly, First Grade Teacher, Kenneth Coombs School

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