Fall Semester
August
1. Managing a class of thirty-five.
2. Creating a teaching unit.
September
3. Handling the pressure.
Interlude 1: A Difficult Student
4. Challenging all students, and meeting their challenges.
5. Knowing that you make a difference.
October
6. Approaches to teaching writing.
Interlude 2: Getting Discouraged
7. Engaging students, and competing for their attention.
November
8. Poetry for teachers and students.
Interlude 3: Substitute Teachers
9. What works and why?
10. Different types of teacher personalities.
11. Professional reading.
December
12. Harnessing self-doubt.
Spring Semester
January
13. Learning the most from each semester’s experiences.
14. Managing your time.
February
Interlude 4: Working to Improve.
15. The teacher’s power.
Interlude 5: Sexual Abuse
16. Boundaries.
March
17. The teacher’s role during a classroom crisis.
18. Student suicide.
19. Teacher/parent relationships.
Interlude 6: Juggling the Demands of Teaching and Living
20. Open House.
April
Interlude 7: Applying for a New Teaching Job
Interlude 8: Testing Season
21. End-of-year challenges and expectations.
May
22. Doing it all, especially with a family
June
Dear Joy: A Final Letter
Dear Jim: A Final Letter
Notes
Appendices
Classroom Management
Action Planner
The Four Cs of Academic Success
