Summer reading list for the first year teacher

Luckily, I got hired in early June. I had dreaded the thought of not getting hired until August so when I did learn I was hired, I first felt relief and then I felt a gentle wave of panic wash over me. After telling my boyfriend the good news and doing a celebratory dance in my bedroom (just me, not both of us, that would be weird) I thought, THERE IS SO MUCH TO DO! So I went to Starbucks and got on Pinterest. After I got my iced chai, I updated the name of my teacher pin board from "Future Teacher" to "Third Grade Ideas" and got to pinning (follow that board by clicking the white button above). I know this isn't the best way to begin planning, but I was excited and Pinterest is fun.

Next, I knew I had to take advantage of the free time I had this summer to catch on reading some books that I had heard mention by my professors, other teachers, bloggers, etc. The first one I read was The First Year Teacher's Survival Guide: Ready-to-Use Strategies, Tools and Activities for Meeting the Challenges of Each School Day by Julia G. Thompson. This is a HUGE book. It is kind of like a textbook for all things teachery. I loved that it has sample letters to send home to parents about the homework policy, worksheets to use with students for goal setting, student inventory worksheets to learn about the kiddos at the beginning of the year, and documentation logs for parent contact. These things were super helpful as a first year teacher because I don't have already made versions of these. I copied them out of the book and I'll be ready to go. This is a great resource for a wide range of topics.

Next, I purchased Teaching with Love and Logic by Jim Fay and David Funk. WOW, this book was talked about really highly by a teacher I know, but I didn't expect it to be this good. It basically spells out how to make classroom management manageable. Fay and Funk talk about how its important to allow students choices in the classroom but to set limits on those choices. Also, I love LoVe LOVED the overall idea that if we show empathy toward our students when they make poor decisions/misbehave and encourage them to think about their actions, they will focus on what they learned from mistakes rather than on seeking vengeance for being told how to run their lives. An example might be, "I'll call you by table as soon as you're quiet" or "feel free to work quietly or feel free to move to the table in the back so your table mates can continue working." Students need to learn to be in control of their actions and the best way to teach them this is to stop bossing them around ("Sit down! Stop talking!") and allow them to make the choice with our guidance.

I just finished The First Days of School by Harry Wong. This is perfect for first year teachers, or honestly any teacher who wants to know how to set the foundation during the critical first day through the first few weeks of school to ensure success during the rest of the year. Wong stresses the importance of having procedures for everything you will do in class written out before the first day of school, and then practicing those procedures with students until they work seamlessly. This is definitely on my to-do list for this upcoming month! He also talks about building relationships with students- uber important. I would definitely recommend purchasing this one and sticky-noting all of your favorite ideas like I did!

This one I have just started but already got really into it. It's called Positive Discipline in the Classroom by Jane Nelsen, and Lynn Lott. What I love so far is the emphasis on the importance and effectiveness of Classroom Meetings. I can't wait to sit down and really think about how I want to structure my meetings. If you have any ideas or experience of your own, please share! I recently finished a DIY teacher chair for class meetings that I will post soon!