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

Second Edition

Edited by:

Scott M. Mandel - Pacoima Middle School, Pacoima, CA

Other Titles in:
Classroom Management & Student Behaviour | Teacher Induction | Teaching Methods & Learning Styles

July 2009 | 136 pages | Corwin

This revised edition of the bestseller is a practical, one-stop resource that introduces tips by grade level, making the book easy to read sequentially or for reference as needed. First-year teachers will find strategies to keep students engaged, handle grading, interact with parents, make it through teacher evaluations, and maintain professional sanity in the midst of stress.

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.