The First-Year Teacher's Survival Guide: Ready-To-Use Strategies, Tools & Activities for Meeting the Challenges of Each School Day

by Julia G. Thompson

The best-selling First Year Teacher's Survival Kit gives new teachers a wide variety of tested strategies, activities, and tools for creating a positive and dynamic learning environment while meeting the challenges of each school day. Packed with valuable tips, the book helps new teachers with everything from becoming effective team players and connecting with students to handling behavior problems and working within diverse classrooms.

The new edition is fully revised and updated to cover changes in the K-12 classroom over the past five years. Updates to the second edition

• New ways teachers can meet the professional development requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act
• Entirely new section on helping struggling readers, to address the declining literacy rate among today’s students
• Expanded coverage of helpful technology solutions for the classroom
• Expanded information on teaching English Language Learners
• Greater coverage of the issues/challenges facing elementary teachers
• More emphasis on how to reach and teach students of poverty
• Updated study techniques that have proven successful with at-risk students
• Tips on working effectively within a non-traditional school year schedule
• The latest strategies for using graphic organizers
• More emphasis on setting goals to help students to succeed
• More information on intervening with students who are capable but choose not to work
• Updated information on teachers’ rights and responsibilities regarding discipline issues
• Fully revised Resources appendix including the latest educational Web sites and software

Genres: Education, Teaching, Nonfiction, Professional Development

433 pages, Paperback

First published March 16, 2002

About the author

Julia G. Thompson received her B.A. in English from Virginia Tech and has been a teacher in the public schools of Virginia, Arizona, and North Carolina for more than thirty-five years. She has taught a wide variety of courses including freshman composition at Virginia Tech and all of the secondary English grades (7-12). Her students have been diverse in ethnic groups as well as in age, ranging from remedial seventh graders to adults. Currently, she teaches English in Fairfax County, Virginia, as well as being an active speaker and consultant. She is also the author of several books for teachers: Discipline Survival Guide for the Secondary Teacher, The First-Year Teacher’s Survival Guide, The First-Year Teacher’s Checklist, and The First-Year Teachers’ Survival Guide Professional Development Kit (a DVD series). In addition, Julia maintains a Web site for educators: www.juliagthompson.com, a blog at juliagthompson.blogspot.com, and offers advice on Twitter at http://twitter.com/TeacherAdvice. She is also a guest lecturer at http://www.healthyteachingonline.org.

Reviews

[Bree Hill]

So much great information! I know I’ll return to a lot.

[Bird · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, I liked this book. I have post-it flags on dozens of pages, noting things I want to go back to, or items to make copies of. There is quite of bit of practical advice, and I think it serves as a nice reference to have on hand.

That said, there are a few things about it that prevented me from rating it any higher. First off, the book says it is for K-12 classrooms, and in trying to be "everything to everybody" I felt that it wasn't as useful as it could have been if it were more narrow in its focus. A kindergarten teacher hardly faces the same issues each day that someone teaching AP English does. Are some things the same? Of course. But other times, the author was referring to something that didn't work for both grade levels. Making two editions, an elementary and a secondary, would have been ideal. About 50% of each book would have been the same practical tips, while the other half would cater to each specific level.

Some of the advice was so obvious as to induce eye rolling. Do teachers really need to be told not to swear in the classroom? Or to dress appropriately? If so, there are larger problems afoot. It always annoys me to have to slog through information like that in a teaching book, because I think that space could be devoted to something else.

Lastly, some of the advice sounded nice in theory, but wouldn't work in practice. One example is recording each interaction with students and students' families when a problem arises. As an elementary teacher who never has more than 30 students, that is time-consuming, but doable. My husband, a secondary teacher, sees nearly 150 students a day. Keeping a "file" on each one, as is recommended, would be nearly impossible. (This again refers to the book's topics not being suitable for all grade levels.)

[Stef Rozitis · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had mixed feelings about this book and I am sure part of the problem was cultural dissonance. I think the school culture in USA and Australia while having some parallels, is sufficiently different that I am surprised that a shop specialising in teaching resources for local teachers was selling this book (and I should have checked it out more carefully instead of assuming it was going to be useful locally I suppose).

This is one of the problems with globalised markets. While we can all gain insights from how people in different countries teach, it is a place specific activity and we can't just cut n paste what seems to work in one place into another.

Then I found the book to be sort of speaking down to teachers as if it assumed I had had minimal or no training (surely that is not the case in US) and certainly as if I hadn't done a whole uni degree on things like pedagogy. Much of the advice I thought was obvious, over-simplified or in some cases just plain wrong. The book had for the first few chapters a catechetical tone (and it returned to this in a couple of the later chapters too) where it makes claims, does not bother offering explanation or backing up and then adds in a check-list of "don'ts" or set of questions for us to examine ourselves. The titles of these are things like "How will you rate as a teacher" and "How to avoid ruining your career". While the book (rightly in my opinion) turns toward an agenda of always being positive and understanding toward students, I think the same needs to hold true for the author's attitude to teachers (lead by example).

There is a great deal of emphasis on drilling and testing throughout the book, much greater than I would use as a teacher. There are generally some ideas that seem to me to be right-wing or out-right outdated. One or two new insights that are proposed are already common practice in this country. It's hard not to come to sad conclusions about how it must be in US. At the same time there is an expectation that teachers be superhero paragons who can do amazing lessons in overcrowded classrooms with inadequate resources while also modelling ideal interpersonal, social and moral skills. Yeah right! And then mark all the quizzes for all the overcrowded students very promptly and offer differentiation as well.

Anyone who watches TV or reads the newspaper already expects this from a teacher, I would want the book to either tell me HOW to do it, or give me some hacks about things I don;t have to do...as too many balls in the air at once will mean students miss out. I was irritated by the claim that even though "teacher shortages [where?], overcrowded classrooms and expensive school repairs [by implication not promptly completed]" are NOT reasons why teachers leave the profession...oh no! Apparently most teachers who leave do so because they (the deficient individual) have failed to relate effectively to students (p123). That was really the point where I stopped having real respect for the book. Then also little to none of it applied to early childhood (R-2) even though the book claims to be aimed at k-12 teachers (when I think about this I realise the very broad spectrum should have made me suspicious to begin with because between ages 5 and 17 a LOT of changes happen in a child's life.

Another low point was the implied slut-shaming on p 350 where we are told the reason for dress codes is so other students won't be "distracted". !!!! Words fail me...

...

But I did give it two stars because in the midst of all the lists some stuff was usable and well set out so I think I can probably find it again (perhaps via Mr Sticky-note). The section on harassment on pp 182-3 is excellent as is the section on underachievers starting on p397. I was a chronic underachiever and I think many of these observations are SPOT ON! Much of the chapter of diversity is good although the expectations on teachers once again are pretty unrealistic (without any help in how to juggle it all) and I feel there is excessive emphasis on "gifted" children who in my experience already tend to have what Jane Kenway calls "compounded advantage". Also I think the "needs" of "average" children are often silenced or underestimated in the quest to pander to an elite "gifted". Nevertheless if you take out the "gifted" label many of the ideas would be good for classes in general (and are what I have seen excellent teachers do).

The section on passing notes is also excellent. It turns some of the traditional ideas about passing notes on its head and shows some progressive insight (as does nearly all of the final chapter). I'd love to know which parts of the book were the original version and which have been updated for the second edition, because it seems a mish-mash of out of date and progressive information (with more progressive stuff toward the back of the book). At times it contradicts itself and yet there is no problematising or critical work, things are set out (in all bar the last chapter) as black and white unarguable "truths" about the "correct" way to do things.

Which gets the defiant brat in my going...

And I'm the teacher!

[Sam Sawazki · Rating 1 out of 5]

There’s better, free information all over the internet. Everything in here is obvious or questionable. I feel like this book really shows the way America is deprofessionalizing its teachers, talking down to them and expecting them to follow step by step instructions on how to teach. Don’t waste your money.

[She'S Shelby · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't believe that this is a book that is worth reading for new educators nor would first-year teachers have time to read this book. This book is entirely too long and filled with "helpful tips" that have not only already been covered while still in their undergrad but would also be covered in their PD meeting with their school.
This book reads like a textbook that you would read in your first education class. I think that this book could say everything it wants to get across in 150 pages or less. If this book was significantly smaller than I would feel it would be fit for new grads to read.

[Ashton Copeland · Rating 1 out of 5]

After reading The First Year Teacher’s Survival Guide by Julia Thomas, I have concluded that I would not recommend it. While the book does provide some useful information, most of the source material is less than stellar. The majority of the information provided comes from common sense. The book is also written in bullet point format which makes it difficult to obtain any further explanation behind Julia’s concepts. The book is also full of self-assessment pages that are, in my opinion, not helpful. I believe if the assessment pages were replaced with relevant and useful information, the book would be more effective.

[Nina Granitz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall in this book I made some mixed opinions and thoughts. I liked some of the topics in the book and found some useful others not. Due to the length of this book it was a rough one to read it was a heavy textbook and especially teachers dont have the time to sit around and read it. Instead I would recommend to read the table of contents and choosing which chapters you would like to read and then head to that section and read or skim it. The chapters still have a great amount of information in them if you were to skim or read part of it. I definitely felt that this kind of topic is a hard area to make super interesting but I felt the author did a great job with the writing aspect.

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of decent stuff. Tips, checklists, references and more. I am curious how many of the websites mentioned are still around to learn more from. I really liked some of the tips for how to handle the students in the early days of the school year. How to keep kids engaged and ensure they are learning the lessons. Different styles and examples are constantly shared. Lots of advise and I am eager to implement some of what I learned over this next year and see what works!
Parts of this book to get a bit dull to read so I advise taking it in small sections. There is a lot of info packed in these pages and lots of ways to question kids and yourself!

[Rode Walters · Rating 1 out of 5]

I thought this book was overly long for what the content suggested. I thought that this book did not provide any additional knowledge to help first-year teachers. It was pretty standard information in this book. It provided information on how to dress professionally, and how to act professionally with other teachers. But in my opinion, these are topics that are already known for teachers going into the profession. Overall, I was not too overly impressed by this particular book.

[Kylee Willis · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although it does offer a few nuggets of useful information, much of the source material lacks depth. Many of the insights provided seem like basic common sense. The bullet point format used in the book makes it challenging to explore Julia’s concepts in detail. Additionally, the abundance of self-assessment pages doesn’t add value, in my opinion I believe replacing these pages with more pertinent and practical information would help the book’s effectiveness.

[Tabbitha Rivera · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fairly helpful book. It covers K-12 so some stuff doesn't apply to me but overall I found it helpful in giving me an overview of what to expect when I get my very own classroom. I'm still in the student teaching phase so I can't apply everything yet but I still found it useful.

[Lisa Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my textbook for recertification to teach elementary school, and it is a well written and valuable resource for all teachers. I highlighted a ton, and even marked up sections to go back to, as it was full of useful information, especially for differentiation.

[Kayla Canning · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super helpful book I will continue to use throughout teaching. This is my first year and I know this book will be super helpful this year. But i can keep referencing back throughout the years if I need.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some extremely useful strategies. It's also well organized and ready to flip through to look up ideas for the problem if the week.

[Ashley Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Most of this is common sense but it is helpful to think about different aspects of the first year.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Masters program

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is comprehensive. And really good.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

read this for my teachworthy alternative certification. had some very easily accessible tips and tricks

[Janay Lawrence · Rating 4 out of 5]

easy to read, informative, and useful...exceptional resource for new teachers

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am conflicted about my rating of the latest edition of Julia G. Thompson's teacher handbook. First of all, it should be noted that I am NOT a first year teacher; fortunately I already have that under my belt. Nonetheless, I will read anything that might improve my teaching and, as it has been 11 years since I obtained my teaching credential, when I spied this book abandoned on a study table in my local library, I figured there may be information regarding current trends in education I should be aware of. There is a lot of useful data provided. A plethora of helpful websites are discussed. I do wish I owned a copy of this book. It would be terrific to have it as a reference tool.
Having said that, at times this "survival guide," rubbed me the wrong way. It is billed as material for teachers of kindergarten through the twelfth grade. While there are certainly many similarities among teachers, the magnitude of a guide for teachers of such a diverse group is far too ambitious. What results is such vague generalizations it brought to my mind horoscopes. You know how you can read a description of your sign and think, "Yeah, that really fits!" In actuality of course, nothing of substance has been said and the description could apply to most anyone. Even more grating, was the overly-PC stance. For instance, at the outset she states that today's students may be raised by parents or guardians. True. However, is it really necessary to mention parents or guardians every single time she talks about involving family? I am quite certain simply parents would suffice and most moderately intelligent people could infer guardians were included under the parent moniker. She always refers to students as students never children or kids as though such a term might be demeaning. C'mon! Mix it up a little! Unless a student is over eighteen he (notice how I did not say he or she? Yeah, I'm badass like that) is technically a child. Admittedly, I am hypersensitive to word choice and I loathe redundancy. The word success was used so many times (sometimes twice in a sentence!) it had me running for my thesaurus desperate for a synonym. (Blossom, flourish, prevail...) Lastly, I abhor being "should" upon. I would never set out to hurt a student's feelings. Much of the advice read like a university text book; it sounded good but also very cautious, written the way one drives when a cop is in the next lane. I have enough compassion to figure out "desk-side manner" on my own.
While I do take this book to task for the style in which it is written you better believe I have renewed my copy and will begrudgingly return it to the public library in three weeks sorry I cannot add it my collection.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Despite the fact that you really only can ever learn how to be a teacher by teaching and being in the nitty gritty of it day in and day out, this expansive text offers quite a number of strategies to help you cope. The immense task of teaching is incredibly difficult the first couple of years and this book is designed to help ease the pressures off of your back.

Each chapter is specifically geared towards an aspect of teaching from effective instruction to classroom management to being a team player with coworkers that you may not be too crazy about. In the chapter, there are helpful hints, personal advice from teachers, and tools/activities to help guide you through proper practices.

The overall purpose of the text is not to panic and to realize that there are multitudes of resources out there for aspiring new teachers, and even seasoned professionals, to assist you in the struggles and tribulations of teaching.

[Jacki · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this guide was very helpful. I got a lot of ideas and suggestions for things to do in the classroom. It's a really quick read, set up with bullet points and well laid-out categories. This is a good reference and I will keep it for my upcoming student teaching. This was a very good guide to read and I would recommend it for anyone about to enter the classroom.

[Elisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a really good, helpful overview of what a teacher needs to do when getting ready for her first year. However, it is aimed at K-12 teachers, and not everything suggested would work for secondary, so I didn't like it quite as much. With all of my college Education classes, I'd also felt like I had heard a lot of it before.

[Fatima · Rating 4 out of 5]

I couldn't finish the entire book due to my tight schedule, but I' ve read the greatest deal of it. It was very useful and gave me a heads-up about what I should expect to encounter during my first year. Although there were some ideas that I found were not very practical, there were others that I believe I could implement in my classes.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is definitely not a book that you would read from cover to cover. However, it does have a lot of good ideas and information. I do like all of the internet resources that it makes available. There are also sample activities and reproducibles.

[Paula · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like how this book is set up, the layout is wonderful. And it's full of a lot of very useful information. I just feel like most of it is for elementary teachers. And as I'm still a student, zero of it applies yet. I just like reading, and this was recommended on the Cult of Pedagogy podcast.

[Nora · Rating 3 out of 5]

Helpful, but much of my teaching is going to be shaped by the school policies and practices. As a new special education / exceptional children teacher, a lot was also not really relevant. I will have to look for other resources to help me in my area.

[Dee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I use this as a resource for the three "beginning teacher education" courses I teach--and it's excellent.

[Chelsea Hallam]

I think this is going to be a really helpful book for me as I prepare to teach.

[Kimberly]

I haven't read this yet, but it looks like it could be helpful for beginning teachers.