Brooke McIvor “Everything a New Elementary Teacher REALLY Needs to Know (But Didn’t Learn in College)” by Otis Kriegel

         The book “Everything a New Elementary Teacher REALLY Needs to Know (But Didn’t Learn in College)” by Otis Kriegel, talks about many aspects of teaching that not only a new teacher may need to know but also it can also be useful for a teacher who has had a few years experience. His book is set up in a way that the reader can just turn to the section that they need more information on or help with. As he states, before parent teacher conferences it would be ideal to go to that section of the book and read about them before hand to have more knowledge about what they are all about and how to prepare for them. He has also set up his book into four main parts: Before the school Year, During the School Year, Your Students’ Families, and Your Life as a Teacher. He wrote his book in a very straightforward manner. He covers everything teachers should know, from paperwork, to after hour meetings, the phone calls/emails and parent interaction, and most importantly classroom management.

His book begins with how to set up and organize your classroom. He covers all things from, where to put jackets, backpacks, shoes, and lunch bags. He discusses how decorate the class along with how to prepare a classroom library. After the whole classroom appearance/set up is done he talks about preparing assignments and grading. He discusses ways to gather the class and students attention, what to do when a new student arrives half way through the year, how to get ready for a field trip, whether technology in a classroom is practical, just to list a few. All these types of questions are answered and discussed very clearly.

He also talks about parent-teacher relationship and what is best. He mentions and encourages to welcome parents/adults into the classroom and why. He converses about what to expect during a teacher evaluation and different school meets and conferences and what exactly to say at these meeting and conferences. He strongly encourages keeping proper records on file and to have extra copies at all times. But last of all and most important is he discusses the importance of looking out for number one by maintaining a balanced life and how to avoid getting burnt out.

Considering there is SO much covered in this book I am going to pick out a few areas that I personally found interesting and useful.  One part I got so excited to read was he section about “Pencils”. I know this probably sounds funny but coming from first term grade 1 practicum and now in a grade 3/4 practicum, I can not believe the pencil situation and how often a student “doesn’t have a pencil”. Even though the students are given brand new pencils on a regular basis, there always seems to be a shortage. Kriegel gives a great technique of how to avoid this problem. He says to make them all classroom pencils and for all the pencil to be returned into a community classroom jar at the end of the day. So for example, my first semesters class had 17 students, at the end of the day we would count them and if all the pencils were there they would get some type of rewards or incentive. If one pencil is missing then there is a consequence. Like he mentions, it is almost a guarantee that, that one pencil that is missing will be found because the students want a reward not a consequence. This is something that can be done for the first bit and once the students are use to it, it will just become habit to take care of their things and be responsible for where they are.

I really enjoyed the last part of his book where he talks about balancing your responsibilities. I think this is SO important for all new teachers. Everyone knows that the first few years of teaching can be so time consuming and having a life outside of work does not exist. As he mentions it is great to do little extra things for your students but there is also a time where the line has to be drawn. Yes it is a great feeling to see students succeed and know that the things we as teachers do on top of the regular classroom hours have such a great role and difference in their life. But he states, “Overextending ourselves, are we doing them a service or disservice?” Sometimes when anything is over done it can become a chore and regret, therefore he says to, “think carefully about where you draw the line.” He also reinforces, “You’ll already be doing a lot for your students, so it’s important to do your best to stick to what you feel is comfortable taking on. You’d be surprised how overwhelmed you can get. Stay focused upon the job at hand: teaching.”  Sometimes we take on the role of social worker, therapist, friend, parent, but it is important to always remember that the students have access to this. This is not our job description. The key is not burn ourselves out and to remember our role.

This book was a great read and I am extremely happy I bought it. I really have nothing bad to say about this book. I feel like every new teacher should read this book and keep a copy of it in his or her classroom. I love the way the book is set up; it is like a travel guide. Go to the table of contents find what you are looking for and flip to the page. This book is very applicable and adaptable to all grade levels. I love how he provides some visuals for how he would set certain things up. Although he is not a Canadian author it means nothing, as teaching styles here and Canada and in the unit states are quite similar. This can be useful for any teacher near or far. He talks about learning environment as we did in class. It is important to offer a safe and friendly learning environment for students and he is all for that. He also talks about when receiving a new student half way through the year make sure the student feel welcome and included. We also talked about the importance on inclusion in a classroom.

      Kriegel, Otis. Everything a New Elementary School Teacher Really Needs to Know: (but Didn't Learn in College). Minneapolis: Free Spirit, 2013. Print.