the beginning teacher’s field guide: embarking on your first years

The joys and pains of starting a teaching career often go undiscussed. This field guide dives deep into the personal side of teaching, offering crucial advice, empathy, and support. The author details six phases every new teacher goes through (anticipation, survival, disillusionment, rejuvenation, reflection, and second anticipation) and outlines targeted classroom strategies and self-care practices for each.

Transcend the emotional, mental, and physical problems teachers face in the classroom:

• Understand the feelings and teaching challenges of each phase during a beginning teacher’s career.
• Practice self-care to combat beginning and first-year teacher stress and burnout; avoid the mental pitfalls that so often lead to teachers changing careers.
• Learn effective classroom-management strategies for new teachers and how to maintain positive relationships with students.
• Respond to prompts that will help you process and reflect on your first years’ culmination.
• Utilize the prompts and journaling spaces throughout the book to reflect on your professional improvements and successes.

Contents:
Introduction: First Things First
Chapter 1: The Anticipation Phase
Chapter 2: Survival Phase
Chapter 3: The Disillusionment Phase
Chapter 4: The Rejuvenation Phase
Chapter 5: The Reflection Phase
Chapter 6: The Second Anticipation Phase
Appendix: End-of-the-Year Activities
Epilogue: First Things in Retrospect
References and Resources
Index