They Never Taught Us That

Everything inexperienced first-year teachers need to manage the chaos of the modern classroom They Never Taught Us That is your friendly (and slightly frazzled) guide to the hilarious realities of the classroom that teacher training left out. Veteran educator Andrea Forcum, PhD, combines laugh-out-loud anecdotes from the trenches with practical tools and strategies for everything from surviving the first day to building trust with parents and other stakeholders. The best practices in this book from experienced educators who taught before, during, and after the pandemic help readers supplement their training without having to rely solely on the break room—which sometimes ends up being an echo chamber of discontent—or unvetted online resources. In this book, readers will learn how to: Establish classroom rules that won't get trampled Create a captivating lesson plan and collaborate on Individual Education Programs (IEPs) Document parent contact, student behavior, grades (including failing assignments), and more Navigate the paperwork avalanche without turning into a sleep-deprived zombie Facilitate collaborative parent-teacher conferences They Never Taught Us That is an essential resource (literally, essential) for early career-year teachers who are all too often scrambling for purchase on the slippery, moving, mucous-covered treadmill that is public education (said with love, of course).

Introduction Chapter 1 Three Words: Hardworking, Alpha Male, Jackhammer. Merciless, Insatiable: Land a Teaching Job (and Get Paid for Student Teaching) 1 Chapter 2 OMG You Got an Interview!: How to Nail the Job Interview 9 Chapter 3 Doomsday Prepping: How to Prepare for Your First Day 15 Chapter 4 Icebreakers on the Titanic: Building Culture on the First Day 21 Chapter 5 Be the Fun Aunt Who Snitches: Establishing a Classroom Culture 27 Chapter 6 Trauma: The Musical: What Is Trauma- Informed, and How Do You Do It? 37 Chapter 7 Becoming the Ringleader of Your Own Circus: Classroom Management 43 Chapter 8 A Plan Is a Wish Your Heart Makes: Curriculum and Pacing Guides 51 Chapter 9 I Guess We Should Know What We’re Doing Today: Lesson Planning 57 Chapter 10 Testy, Aren’t We?: Creating Assessments 67 Chapter 11 Chaos and Snacks: Engagement Strategies and Culture Building 73 Chapter 12 Unprepared?: Teaching When You Don’t Know the Content Well 83 Chapter 13 The Magical Circle Filing Cabinet: Grading Strategies with Fidelity and Feedback 89 Chapter 14 It’s the LAW: IEPs and 504s 97 Chapter 15 CYA: Write It Down or It Didn’t Happen 103 Chapter 16 Learning in a New Language: English Language Learners 109 Chapter 17 Ya Done Messed Up: What to Do When You Make a Mistake 115 Chapter 18 The Good, the Bad, the Phone Numbers Don’t Work: Parents 121 Chapter 19 Yes, Chef: Administrators 135 Chapter 20 Squad Up: Your Teaching Community 145 Chapter 21 Are You Really Sick?: Substitutes 153 Chapter 22 Do What You Can: Supporting Student Life Balance 159 Chapter 23 You’re Not a Teacher in a Movie: Your Life Balance 165 Chapter 24 Emergency!: How to Handle Worst- Case Scenarios 173 Chapter 25 I Have Great News for You!: Trauma 181 Chapter 26 Because Crime Is Frowned Upon: Self- Care 185 Chapter 27 When to Hold Em, Fold Em, and When to Walk Away: Leaving the Profession 189 Chapter 28 Defiantly Hopeful 193 Glossary of Teacherisms 197 Appendix of Resources 209 About the Author 211 Acknowledgments 213 Index 215