Robert L. Wyatt - Making Your First Year a Success: A Classroom Survival Guide for Middle and High School Teachers

We dedicate this book to Louise and Louis.
They are patient, kind, and understanding.

Copyright 2007 by Corwin Press

First Skyhorse Publishing edition 2016

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Print ISBN: 978-1-63450-334-1

Ebook ISBN: 978-1-5107-0101-4

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Contents

Acknowledgments

T he contributions of the following reviewers are gratefully acknowledged.

Jane D. Adair

Resource Specialist

Long Beach Polytechnic High School

Long Beach Unified School District

Long Beach, California

Wendy Caszatt-Allen

Teacher

Mid-Prairie Middle School

Kalona, Iowa

Catherine Kilfoyle Duffy

English Department Chairperson

Three Village Central District

Stony Brook, New York

Catherine H. Payne

Principal

W. R. Farrington High School

Honolulu, Hawaii

About the Authors

Robert L. Wyatt, III, is Professor Emeritus of Education at East Central University in Ada, Oklahoma, where he has taught secondary pedagogy and methods classes for the past 16 years. He also teaches graduate courses such as philosophy of education, young adult literature, contemporary issues, techniques of research, curriculum development, supervision of instruction, and public relations for school administrators. He taught education courses as a graduate instructor at the University of Oklahoma while completing his doctorate. He has also taught courses in education and English at New Mexico State University and at three junior colleges in Texas. He has more than 25 years experience teaching secondary and middle school in Texas, New Mexico, and Oklahoma. He has led more than 150 seminars and workshops for staff development in the past 16 years, and has twice received East Central Universitys Teacher Excellence award, which can only be awarded to the same person every 4 years and is nominated by students and elected by peer review.

Wyatt is a language arts specialist for elementary and secondary education. He teaches undergraduate courses in language arts methods, secondary social studies methods, portfolio construction, strategies of teaching (secondary), student teaching seminar and childrens literature. He has authored Tent Repertoire Theater: The History of the Haverstock Tent ShowThe Show With a Million Friends, published by Southern Illinois University Press in 1997, and, with Sandra Looper, So You Have to Have a Portfolio: A Teachers Guide to Preparation and Presentation, published by Corwin Press, in second edition in 2004.

Wyatt is also a selling artist of watercolor and oil paintings, having done more than 150 paintings in the past few years. He is former President-Director of ACT II, Adas Community Theater, which produces as many as 11 plays each year. He has directed more than thirty productions in each of the past 10 years. He has three novels out for publisher review, is a former owner-editor of a weekly newspaper (with Louise, his wife of 45 years), and has self published three books of local Oklahoma history. He has a daughter, a son, a daughter-in-law, and a grand-dog.

J. Elaine White is Associate Professor of English at the University of Southern Mississippi and teaches at the Gulf Coast teaching site. In addition to maintaining teaching responsibilities, White serves as program coordinator for the Gulf Coast English faculty and directs the Live Oak Writing Project, an affiliate of the National Writing Project. Previous to teaching at the college level, she taught for 25 years in public schools. Her classroom experiences include teaching music for grades 112, directing choirs that received superior ratings at state vocal contests, coaching students in vocal solo and ensemble work, teaching English for grades 912, developing honors and advanced placement English programs, working with student writers who achieved state and national recognition, teaching GED courses, and serving as districtwide curriculum director. She is listed in Whos Who Among Americas Teachers, an honor awarded through student nominations and peer review.

White is a secondary English education specialist. At The University of Oklahoma and The University of Southern Mississippi, she has taught undergraduate courses in reading-writing theory and application, language study for teachers, literature for adolescents, and secondary English methods. She has also taught graduate courses in young adult literature, teacher action research, and advanced methods in the teaching of English. She has made presentations at meetings of the National Council of Teachers of English, the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning, and the National Writing Project. Publications include articles for ALAN Review, Voice (a publication of National Writing Project), and writing lessons for software created by the American Educational Corporation.

When not involved in educational activities, White writes poetry, works with childrens choirs, plays organ, paints, and spoils her grandchildren.

Introduction

B ecause both of us have had so many years of teaching experience, we thought we had some ideas that would help new teachers become effective, and even help those who had been around a while and needed to be rejuvenated. We had been there, done that, and it just seemed to us that it would be great if some of the forgotten pedagogy that we had taught in our education classes could be revisited in a compact little guide book. We coupled practical experience with these emphases from pedagogical skills. Anyone reading the book would know that we cared. After all, we were teachers long before we were professors.

So much criticism has been leveled at public education and how it is not meeting the needs of students. Those who criticize surely must understand that education is an evolving profession. As we learn more about teaching and learning, our practice grows and changes. Sometimes the changes are good and will show immediate improvement. Sometimes they take time, and improvement comes slowly. Sometimes the things we try are not effective, and they have to be abandoned. We have sifted through many such items and have filled this book with what we feel are the most effective, useful pedagogical skills.

The purpose of this book is to share the most exciting things we could about teaching. We wanted to help anticipate some questions you would face as a new teacher and to give you practical advice for making the first years of teaching successful.