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Survival Skills For The New Elementary Teacher

by Jeannette M. Konior, M. Ed.

211 pages; quality trade paperback (softcover); catalogue #04-2807; ISBN 1-4120-4999-7; US$21.00, C$26.00, EUR16.90, £11.71

If you are a new teacher, you'll want to get the inside scoop on classroom management, organization, discipline, grading/testing, school politics, parent/teacher communication, and much more.

Read more!

About the Book      About the Author      Excerpts      Catalogue Information

About the Book

Every year thousands of new teachers graduate, all hoping to obtain their dream job in the school district of their choice. They have been given a great education at their respective universitites. In addition to the usual academics, they have learned educational theory, development, lesson planning, methodology, etc. But, very few learn about the more practical side of education in the classroom - the tricks of the trade. Student teaching provides an opportunity to learn some of these things; however, not all circumstances come up in one or two experiences. In most cases, the new teacher enters the work force a true novice whose confidence is shaken when it becomes obvious how much is not known.

This book concentrates on elementary education. Here you will find answers to questions you may have asked on classroom management, discipline, organization, testing and grading, talking to parents, and much more. The teacher is the catalyst who puts all these things in motion. The teacher as classroom leader must be decisive, compassionate, ready, clear and to the point, and above all, professional.

Other books by this author include:

Survival Skills For The New Substitute Teacher.

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About the Author

Ms. Konior was born and raised in New York City where she pursued a career in business after graduating from Cathedral High School in Manhattan. She held secretarial and administrative positions in the fields of engineering, sales, utilities, and law. She began teaching religious education classes in the late 1960's. She volunteered her services in the parishes where she lived on a continuous basis. After the birth of her daughter, she returned to school and earned a B.S. in elementary education from The State University of New York at New Paltz. While employed by the Archdiocese of New York as an elementary teacher, she earned her M.S. in education. She is now certified to teach the following grades: K-6 (all subjects), English 7-12, and Social Studies 7-12. After retiring from the Archdiocese, she continued to teach on a substitute basis in the area in which she now lives. Ms. Konior brings a unique collection of experiences with a wide range of expertise in all grades.

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Excerpts

Introduction

A few words from the author

Like most teachers, I have always been willing to convey my thoughts, ideas, and knowledge in the hope that I could in some small way positvely affect the life of the person I was speaking to.

Over the years, I have spoken to many student teachers who were strong academically but lacked confidence when entering the classroom. One student teacher told me that he felt he knew everything when he arrived in school but realized that he knew very little. He was talking about the fact that he did not know his way around the classroom. He was at a loss as to how to handle certain situations regarding discipline, lesson planning, the presentation of lessons, etc. Concepts in classroom management had to be learned in order to be an effective teacher.

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Organizing a classroom especially on the elementary level requires time and creativity. The more attractive the classroom, the better the student will feel about her environment. So, the teacher must prepare colorful, happy-looking bulletin boards that are both attractive and educational. The teacher must also arrange desks, bookcases, tables and chairs, audio-visual equipment like televisions and VCRs, computers, etc. Oh, computers! In addition to preparing traditional lesson plans, today's teacher must now be able to utilize classroom computers. This means learning how they work (usually a course or two), integrating textbook lessons into classroom projects and assigning book reports utilizing programs like Power Point for visual presentations. For the veteran teacher who has not grown up with computers, this is a monumental task. A good analogy would be somebody's great, great, grandparent who is used to driving a horse and buggy coming back to life and trying to learn how to drive an SUV with all the bells, whistles, and mechanical paraphernalia that go along with it.

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Teacher/parent communication -

Talk the "Teacher Talk"

Parents do not like to hear anything bad about their child. But, if the occasion arises, there is a certain posture that the teacher should take. When the parents enter the room, invite them to sit at a table in an informal way. Never sit behind your desk with parents in front of you. You are not their judge. Put the parents at ease right away by introducing yourself using your first and last name. Never introduce yourself as Mr. or Mrs., etc. The parents are adults and should be treated as such. You may find yourself eventually on a first name basis with many of them. Be sure to be very friendly and supportive of the parents who are trying to deal with a difficult child. (You will not need to talk to parents who feel that they do not have problems. You rarely hear from them). Explain to the parents what you are trying to do to help their child and make suggestions as to what they can do at home. Parents are very often at a loss as to how to handle any given situation.

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Catalogue Information

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