Day One and Beyond: Practical Matters for New Middle-Level Teachers

by Rick Wormeli

Your teacher training may have provided sound theory and a collection of instructional techniques, but it's often the practical details that can make day-to-day survival difficult in your first days, weeks, and years of teaching. For new teachers or those just new to the middle-school environment, here is an invaluable resource from the author of Meet Me in the Middle that will help you walk in the door prepared to teach. Oriented toward the unique experience of teaching grades 5 through 9, Day One and Beyond delivers proven best practices along with often-humorous observations that provide a window into the middle school environment. Based on his many years of research and experience in the middle school classroom, Rick offers frontline advice practical survival matters, such as what to do the first day and week, setting up the grade book and other record keeping, and what to do if you only have one computer in the classroom;classroom management, including discipline, getting students' attention, and roving classrooms;social issues, like the unique nature of middle-level students, relating to students, and positive relations with parents;professional concerns, from collegiality with teammates to professional resources all middle-level teachers should have.Content and instruction are important, but so are the practical matters that enable sound teaching practice. Day One and Beyond shows middle-level teachers how to manage the physical and emotional aspects of their unique environment so they can do what they've been trained to successfully teach young adolescents.

Genres: Education, Teaching, Nonfiction, Professional Development, School

208 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

Reviews

[Graham Bates · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wormeli gives lots of practical advice I wish I had known my first year teaching middle school. But at 20 years old the advice is aged and needs refreshing.

[Amy Gonzalez · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just wrote a blog post that I owe to this book. Here is an excerpt:

At the end of last year, I bought Day One and Beyond to help plan my vision for next year. The beginning of the book offered a bit of wisdom that is my main motivating mantra for the year:

“… allow yourselves to be 200 percent better at teaching during your second year of service instead of battering yourselves during your first year of teaching for every mistake you’ve made (Wormeli, 2003).”

If you want to read more about this book's influence go here: http://alwaysafirst.com/2012/09/29/be...

(And yes, I also praise the joys of Librarything in the post. While I have been on Goodreads for awhile now, Librarything has the most amazing app to scan books!)

I feel like I will never be finished with this Wormeli book. It seems like it demands to be reread for the next few years in my teaching. It's exactly what I needed in terms of advice.

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good Book, if you are a teacher and looking for some summer reading to freshen up your art... this would be helpful. Creative ideas for setting up our class rooms and the atmosphere. Some ideas are not necessarily doable, but one can sort through the thoughts and apply thsoe that fit you.

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful. Wormeli writes with specificity and compassion about the challenges of teaching middle school. His advice, more than any other authors' on the subject, stayed with me throughout my first year.

[Tammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Primarily for teachers in their first couple of years of teaching, this book still offers some practical tips for more seasoned teachers...with Rick Wormeli's humor, of course.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book while in grad school and think that most first year teachers should read it too. There are some ideas that I wish would work but definitely don't in my school.

[Mindy]

Really for new teachers, but has some good reminders and fresh ideas. :)

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for new teachers!

[Stacey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good ideas--this is definitely geared toward middle school. I started reading it when I thought I would be teaching 6th--but now it looks more like 4th...

I still took a lot of good notes.

[Tani · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great resource for secondary ed teachers! Wormeli gives a lot of practical solutions and ideas, along with theory behind them.

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish I had read this last summer (before my first year of teaching), however, it still had a bunch of advice and tips that I'll use this coming yeat.

[Kjerstin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of great ideas. I would recommend this book to colleagues.

[Greg Sheremeta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Should be the standard for new teacher training.

[Jon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book a few years ago when I first became a teacher but thought I should revisit it. Wormeli offers great advice for any teacher, experienced or new to the profession.