My First Year as a Teacher

by Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation

Book Overview

This inspiring book features 25 touching, hilarious, eye-opening, and true tales about the most frustrating, intimidating, underpaid, and wonderful job in the world. In schools across America, in classes for handicapped, gifted, privileged, and disadvantaged students, these teachers recall that exciting first year, when they were often given the toughest kids and the biggest responsibilities of their careers. From coping with inner-city diversity...

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0451188918
• ISBN13: 9780451188915
• Release Date: July 1996
• Publisher: Berkley Books
• Length: 192 Pages
• Weight: 0.26 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 4.2" x 6.9"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

A Second Year Teacher Reflects...

I knew teaching was rewarding when I told one of my favorite students in a rowdy class that I enjoyed having him in there because he was a "hard worker". He eagerly sat down and I noticed he wrote in his journal, "I was told by teacher that Im a good student." Quaint? Yes. Earth-shaking? No. But he might remember it. He might remember discussing Frederick William's strange habits. He might remember Mansa Musa or Shaka Zulu. I was the first person to tell him the definition of the word "genocide." But these are my stories about a single student in a single class. Twenty five other talented teachers reflect on their first year in this compilation. Their stories are moving and anything but routine- if you've ever been a student you'll appreciate seeing it from the other side. This book makes for a great evening of reading.

Wonderful!

My First Year as a Teacher was an inspiring book of essays from beginning to end. Each of the 25 stories discussed different situations and the meaning behind these teachers' first years. I highly recommend it for anyone interested in becoming a teacher, anyone who is in their first year, or anyone already teaching wanting to reminisce. It was wonderful!

25 outstanding 1st year stories!

After finishing my first year teaching, I can relate to many of the stories submitted in this book. Each story is unique and reminds us why we have chosen to teach. It helps us first year teachers to understand that we go through during our first year is unique and the stuggle will help us be stonger and better teachers!

Fantastic Stories

I am currently enrolled in the business college at the school I attend but have recently grown tired of worrying about "maximizing the bottom line". Recently, I have seriously contemplated teaching in order to "maximize peoples' lives," which I find much more rewarding and important. With that in mind, I have bought a few books about teaching experiences so I can know what it is actually like.This book has a collection of 25 stories related from first-year teaching experiences. The stories cover a spectrum of wealth, class and racial circumstances which was nice because it gives you a feel for the slightly different struggles each circumstance gives. This book gave me more hope that perhaps teaching is the road I want to go down. Through all of the trials, there is joy in the end for these teachers. I would be naive to think that the case for all teachers but if one is to teach, it should be to get a certain level of joy from it (I think).I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who wants a taste of first year teacher jitters and how it IS possible to deal with them. I only I hope that the teachers-to-be, in school today, deal as well in their circumstances as the teachers in this book did...it's a great book.

Inspiring

It's easy to forget what it is that makes you want to be a teacher. This is a book that reminds you. It is a collection of 25 stories, chosen from over 400 entries, told by real teachers about their first year. No two are alike - some are about particular memorable students, others about some of the hardships that are encountered as a novice teacher. I particularly liked one story about a first-year elementary school teacher whose problem was not his students, but his fellow teachers who were resentful of his success. The sampling of stories in this book give a good idea of what kind of problems one might encounter as a teacher, yet they also describe how rewarding the profession can be. I am a student of education, and reading this book only reinforced my decision to become a teacher. For anyone who is thinking about teaching, or for veteran teachers who need a reminder of the importance of their profession, for anyone with an interest in education, I would recommend this book.