The New Teacher Toolbox
Proven Tips and Strategies for a Great First Year
- Scott M. Mandel - Pacoima Middle School, Pacoima, CA
Student Teaching/Field Experience
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
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!"
"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."
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.
