Table of Contents
Acknowledgments v
About the Author vi
Introduction: What New Teachers Really Want to Know 1
Part I The Room Environment and the First Weeks 5
1 Things to Do Before the School Year Begins 6
2 Arranging Your Classroom 15
3 Bulletin Boards 18
4 A Helpful Binder to Leave for Substitute Teachers 22
Part II The Curriculum and the Students 25
5 Fairness and Critical Thinking in Classroom Discussions 26
6 Teaching Five Hours of Material in Only Three Hours 32
7 Keeping Students Interested 37
8 Teaching Test-Taking Skills 42
9 The Internet as the Ultimate Teacher Resource Center 46
10 Discipline Issues 50
Part III Grading 56
11 Marking Papers and Promoting Self-Esteem 57
12 A Beginner's Guide to Figuring Grades 60
13 Rubrics 66
14 Grading for Classroom Participation 71
15 A Student Self-Esteem Check 74
Part IV Parents 79
16 Parent Involvement 80
17 Parent-Teacher Conferences 86
Part V Students Who Have Special Needs 90
18 Modifying the Classroom Curriculum for Students With Special Needs 91
19 Full-Inclusion Mainstreaming 95
20 Students With ADD/ADHD and Classroom Management 98
21 Preparing for a Special Education Class 102
Part VI How to Maintain Your Santiy 106
22 Making It Through Your Teacher Evaluation 107
23 Ten Ways to Avoid Stress 112
24 Putting It All Into Perspective 116
Further Reading 122
References 125
Index 126
