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High School's Not Forever
Your survival guide to the maze that is the maze that is the high school experience With real-life stories from teens across the country - as well as high school "survivors" - this book paints a real picture of how teens like you feel about the struggles and triumphs of the daily grind and how they get through it. If you ever feel like you're on the sidelines or that the pressure to perform, conform or maintain appearances gets to be too much, this is the book for you!
301 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2005
19 people want to read
About the author
Jane Bluestein
40 books8 followersA dynamic and entertaining speaker, Dr. Bluestein has worked with thousands of educators, counselors, healthcare professionals, parents, childcare workers and other community members world-wide. She has appeared internationally as a speaker and talk-show guest, including several appearances as a guest expert on CNN, National Public Radio and The Oprah Winfrey Show.
Dr. Bluestein specializes in programs and resources geared to provide practical and meaningful information, training and hope in areas related to relationship building, effective instruction and guidance, and personal development. Much of her work focuses on interactions between adults and children, especially children at risk. Her down-to-earth speaking style, practicality, sense of humor, and numerous stories and examples make her ideas clear and accessible to her audiences.
Jane is an award-winning author whose books include Creating Emotionally Safe Schools; High School’s Not Forever; 21st Century Discipline; Being a Successful Teacher; Parents in a Pressure Cooker; Parents, Teens, & Boundaries; The Parent’s Little Book of Lists: Do’s and Don’ts of Effective Parenting; Mentors, Masters, and Mrs. McGregor: Stories of Teachers Making a Difference; and Magic, Miracles & Synchronicity : A Journal of Gratitude and Awareness. Dr. Bluestein’s latest books include The Win-Win Classroom and a companion facilitator’s guide.
Formerly a classroom teacher (in inner-city Pittsburgh, PA), crisis-intervention counselor, teacher training program coordinator, and volunteer with high-risk teens at a local Day Treatment Program, Dr. Bluestein currently heads Instructional Support Services, Inc., a consulting and resource firm in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Dr. Bluestein specializes in programs and resources geared to provide practical and meaningful information, training and hope in areas related to relationship building, effective instruction and guidance, and personal development. Much of her work focuses on interactions between adults and children, especially children at risk. Her down-to-earth speaking style, practicality, sense of humor, and numerous stories and examples make her ideas clear and accessible to her audiences.
Jane is an award-winning author whose books include Creating Emotionally Safe Schools; High School’s Not Forever; 21st Century Discipline; Being a Successful Teacher; Parents in a Pressure Cooker; Parents, Teens, & Boundaries; The Parent’s Little Book of Lists: Do’s and Don’ts of Effective Parenting; Mentors, Masters, and Mrs. McGregor: Stories of Teachers Making a Difference; and Magic, Miracles & Synchronicity : A Journal of Gratitude and Awareness. Dr. Bluestein’s latest books include The Win-Win Classroom and a companion facilitator’s guide.
Formerly a classroom teacher (in inner-city Pittsburgh, PA), crisis-intervention counselor, teacher training program coordinator, and volunteer with high-risk teens at a local Day Treatment Program, Dr. Bluestein currently heads Instructional Support Services, Inc., a consulting and resource firm in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
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January 26, 2021From Follett: Your survival guide to the maze that is the maze that is the high school experience
With real-life stories from teens across the country - as well as high school "survivors" - this book paints a real picture of how teens like you feel about the struggles and triumphs of the daily grind and how they get through it.
If you ever feel like you're on the sidelines or that the pressure to perform, conform or maintain appearances gets to be too much, this is the book for you!
With real-life stories from teens across the country - as well as high school "survivors" - this book paints a real picture of how teens like you feel about the struggles and triumphs of the daily grind and how they get through it.
If you ever feel like you're on the sidelines or that the pressure to perform, conform or maintain appearances gets to be too much, this is the book for you!
October 30, 2011
Similar to a lot of self-help books, this is formatted in a way that allows the reader to skip around. This is helpful because the reader may be struggling with some of the topics but not others. More than 2,000 high school students contributed towards this book telling their “survival” stories of making it out alive despite peer pressure, academics, embarrassments, and everything in between.
“The summer before I started high school, a lot of people told me, “Oh, you’re just going to love it. It will be some of the best years of your life!” I didn’t really believe this, because, honestly, if you peak when you’re about sixteen, that’s pretty pathetic.” (6)
The book is not written in a standard novel format. It just wouldn’t work if it was constructed in that way. It has random facts or quotes from students along the sides. It includes various checklists for students including “The unwritten rules of high school”, and it covers both annoyance problems and incredible serious issues including race, sexuality, abuse, and body image disorders.
The book is full of student’s thoughts, some absurd, others right on, and many just plain sad. One that stood out to me as a Catholic teacher with a uniform enforced was, “They think there won’t be any outcasts if we all dress the same.” (19) Kids are smart, and we aren’t fooling anyone, but at least we’re trying to keep some uniformity among a diverse crowd.
“If you’re not a jock or a size 3 with nice hair, you are not accepted. You are teased relentlessly, and we wonder why kids shoot up schools. (55)
“High school was like a big party I wasn’t invited to.” (55)
“Have the teachers take two minutes to get to know us and ask about how our day was or what we did over the weekend, instead of only asking about our homework.” (212)
“Just remember, you don’t have to be what they want you to be.” –Muhammad Ali
The book does not sugar coat any adolescent issues. They are told in the voices of the people who experienced them. This makes the book real. It’s a good resource, and I liked that it shows readers they aren’t alone, no matter their feelings because this book has it all. The back of the book (281-290) also includes resources for help hotlines and websites for every serious issue a teen can imagine.
“The summer before I started high school, a lot of people told me, “Oh, you’re just going to love it. It will be some of the best years of your life!” I didn’t really believe this, because, honestly, if you peak when you’re about sixteen, that’s pretty pathetic.” (6)
The book is not written in a standard novel format. It just wouldn’t work if it was constructed in that way. It has random facts or quotes from students along the sides. It includes various checklists for students including “The unwritten rules of high school”, and it covers both annoyance problems and incredible serious issues including race, sexuality, abuse, and body image disorders.
The book is full of student’s thoughts, some absurd, others right on, and many just plain sad. One that stood out to me as a Catholic teacher with a uniform enforced was, “They think there won’t be any outcasts if we all dress the same.” (19) Kids are smart, and we aren’t fooling anyone, but at least we’re trying to keep some uniformity among a diverse crowd.
“If you’re not a jock or a size 3 with nice hair, you are not accepted. You are teased relentlessly, and we wonder why kids shoot up schools. (55)
“High school was like a big party I wasn’t invited to.” (55)
“Have the teachers take two minutes to get to know us and ask about how our day was or what we did over the weekend, instead of only asking about our homework.” (212)
“Just remember, you don’t have to be what they want you to be.” –Muhammad Ali
The book does not sugar coat any adolescent issues. They are told in the voices of the people who experienced them. This makes the book real. It’s a good resource, and I liked that it shows readers they aren’t alone, no matter their feelings because this book has it all. The back of the book (281-290) also includes resources for help hotlines and websites for every serious issue a teen can imagine.
October 4, 2009
Bluestein and Katz compile the perspectives of real teens and advice for surviving the issues of high-school-aged teens. These issues include not only school, but also identity, relationships, violence and safety, body image, change and loss, stress, dealing with and seeking out safe adults, and generally helping to put the trials and tribulations of these years in perspective. This is a useful book for students who might feel that they're in it alone.
January 8, 2008
Wasn't really what I was expecting. Thought it would be more of a 'Chicken Soup'-esque read, when in actuality it was quotes, few stories, and nothing really that interesting to me.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews