Lynne Marie Rominger - Your First Year as an Elementary School Teacher: Making the Transition from Total Novice to Successful Professional

For my godmother, Katherine Constantinides.

L YNNE

This book is dedicated to my niece, Michelle Miller, anextraordinarybeginning teacher who also happens to be my best friend and to the memory of my mother, Betty Irene Molyneaux McLaughlin, amasterteacher who instilled in me a love and passion for teaching.

K AREN

For my family.

N ATALIE

Part One:

5.

Part Two:

7.

Part Three:

12.

Part Four:

14.

Part Five:

16.

Part Six:

19.

Part Seven:

22.

T HANKS GO out to so many people. First, Id like to thank my coauthors Karen Heisinger, who took this book ball and ran with it, and Natalie Elkin, my mentor, my friend, and just a cool chick who is a whole lot of fun to hang out with! Next, Id like to thank everyone at Prima, especially Shawn Vreeland. Many teachers and administrators deserve thanks as well for nurturing me and helping me succeed in teaching; they include Patrick Godwin, Ron Severson, John Montgomery, Scott OConnor, Jess Borjon, Kathleen Sirovy, Mike McGuire, Ramona Slack, Suzanne Laughrea, and so many others. Indeed, thanks go out to every teacher at Granite Bay and many at Roseville, too. Of course, I must thank my students. I love you all; everyday you bring joy to my life. I cant imagine another career. I know I tell you guys and girls this all the time, but I really do mean it when I say, I never have a hard time waking up and going to work. I am blessed with the best job on the planet because of you all. Finally, a special thank you goes out to my parents, who watched my children whenever I spent long hours at the computer writing. Andas alwaysthanks to my God for giving me the strength, the talent, and the perseverance to accomplish everything that I do.

I WOULD like to acknowledge all of the teachers I have worked with throughout my years of teachingfrom my master teacher at Capri Elementary in Campbell to the teachers in San Jose Unified School District, Center Unified School District, and my beginning teachers, support providers, and administrators in Placer and Nevada County. Thank you for your insights as well as the validation you have given me.

I would also like to acknowledge my first teachersthe McLaughlin family (a.k.a. the Irish Mafia of education!). From my mother and father to my six brothers, two sisters, and twenty nephews and nieces, I have learned so much. I thank you personally and professionally!

My father-in-law, Dr. Brent Heisinger, also deserves a special acknowledgment. Thank you for listening to me, encouraging me, and checking up on my progress. You and mom have helped me in so many waysthank you, thank you, and thank you!

Finally, I would like to acknowledge my number one fansmy husband, Doug, and my children, Melanie and Kevin. Thank you for putting up with my obsession with the teaching profession and for encouraging me to pursue this endeavor. I could not do this without your love and support, and I thank you with all of my heart.

I WANT to first thank Lynne Rominger for giving me the opportunity to write. We have learned so much together, have helped each other, and had loads of fun together. Thank you Karen for putting so much of your time and energy into this book; it really shows. I would also like to thank our editor at Prima, Jamie Miller, and editorial assistant, DeAnne, and finally the publisher, Ben Dominitz. Shawn Vreeland and Laura Maery Gold, thank you for your patience and effort.

Thank you Mom and Dad for providing me the foundation from which I developed my writing and teaching skills. Your guidance, love, and encouragement have helped me achieve my successes and will continue to help me realize all my possibilities. David, thank you for your love.

T HE EXTRA large Teacher valentines; the cupcake made just for you on their birthday; the homemade necklaces for Christmas; the grabbing of the hand while walking in line; the hugs after a long vacation; the look on their face that says I couldnt wait to get to school to tell you ; the expectant look after youve posed an interesting question; the eyes that say You matter to me; youre my teacher; the I love you notes drawn when they should have been doing math; the look of success you see when theyve mastered a difficult conceptthese and a thousand other images filter through our thoughts as we recall our experiences as elementary classroom teachers.

You too will receive many blessings from your students over the years as a result of your dedication to your new profession. Your services as a teacher are desperately needed; every child needs and deserves a teacher who truly cares about them and is willing to help them grow. The compassion and caring you provide can make such a profound difference in the life of a child. And although you may not feel the direct effects on a day-to-day basis, you will feel the effects over time. It seems paradoxical that such an important person in the life of a child enters this profession with little exposure to the realities and demands of the classroom. Even though induction efforts are improving, we still have not completely figured out a way to assist teachers in entering the profession in a gradual, successful way.

This is why we wrote this book! We care very deeply about the teaching profession and about teachers themselves. Its hard to know which fight to pick in ensuring the success of the profession, and between all three authors, weve spent several careers up to this point trying to figure out how to make a difference in the working lives of teachers.

As coauthor Karen Heisinger recalls, I was approached by one of the new teachers in the BTSA (Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment) project last year to write this book. This new teachers name, of course, was Lynne Rominger. I knew I had this book inside of me, but I didnt know how to go about writing it. Lynne guided me through the process, and once I got started, the words just flowed.

This book, then, represents Karens years of teaching (too many schools and grade levels to count!), her administrative experience, as well as her work and research relative to new teachers. It is her voice and personal experience that permeate this book, and it is meant to help you and assist you in your early years of teaching.

The book also encompasses the in the trenches experience of being a brand new teacher (Lynnes experience) and a relatively new teacher making it over the hurdles (Natalies contribution). Throughout the book, we strove to not write like a thesis. Instead, we wanted a book that simulated more of a conversation with you, the new teacher, offering you suggestions and perhaps giving you some food for thought. Lynne, in particular, remembers calling Karen several times her first year with problems and concerns and appreciating the warmth and compassion with which Karen approached the situations. She talked to me like a friendshe didnt lecture, recalls the coauthor. We hope that this book provides you with the same tone. Essentially, it is a compilation of what worked for Karen in the elementary classroom and her sound advice and nurturing that she gives to her BTSA teachers (K12) all year.