Your First Year As a High School Teacher : Making the Transition from Total Novice to Successful Professional

Rating:
Summary: The best book I've read yet
Review: As a recent grad with a job starting in August I find myself reading as many books as possible. Most tell me what I already know. This book is different. I've never seen a book cover so many topics so well. The beginning focuses on lesson planning, setting up your classroom, management, etc. Not only does it discuss these issues but the sidebars have different helpful themes. Some define teaching terms, others give the address of a useful webpage, while some are quick stories or tips from established teachers.

Not only does this book help with the basics and give plenty of resources, it goes deeper than any other book I've seen. This book covers touchy subjects that most don't dare talk about. It discusses relationships with peers (it even touches on going out drinking with them), problems with students (such as sex, drugs, abuse, rape, depression, etc) and more.

In short I would highly recommend this book to any new teacher.

Rating:
Summary: Fills a void in teachers' references
Review: I think that the authors were trying too hard to make this a how-to book, when it should be regarded instead as a reference book.

What I mean is, the book spells out everything a new teacher has to think about, from discipline, to lesson plans, to staff relations, to supplies, etc. etc. etc. I don't think it really succeeds as a how-to book, though. If you want something like that, start with Harry Wong's "First Days of School" instead.

This book might be handy next to your dictionary and thesaurus as a reference guide, though. The numerous sidebars are what set apart this book from some others. "From the desk of..." provides nice anecdotes and stories. "Making the grade" points to numerous excellent online resources.

"Teaching terms" is a bit condescending (What first-year teacher doesn't know what curriculum means? If there are a lot, we are all in big trouble!) but on the whole, I think first-year teachers will be able to use snippets of this book. But unless you are a subsitute looking for a "crash course" approach to the profession, I think you will be a bit disappointed if you read this book cover to cover.

Rating:
Summary: Great Resource
Review: This book is fantastic- a great reference book for a first year high school teacher!

Rating:
Summary: Fills a void in teachers' references
Review: This is one of the few books available that specifically addresses teaching at the high school level. It presents a very realistic picture of what students at this level are like and where they are coming from. The approach is very pragmatic, including things like setting up classroom rules, arranging your desk area, setting up a filing system, preparing for parent meetings, and managing your time. I found the many website recommendations to be especially useful.

I had to rate it less than five stars, however, because much of the material is rudimentary. For example, I think that even new teachers would find little in the lesson planning chapter that they didn't learn in school. This would be a better book if it stuck to the topics that aren't taught in traditional education programs. I recommend reading only the chapters that are of personal concern to you.