Nicole Lavallee- Teachers' Toolbox

                                            Teachers' Toolbox

Summary

Otis Kriegel wrote Everything a New Elementary School Teacher REALLY Need to Know (But Didn’t Learn in College) after talking to colleagues who saw their first year as difficult time for them and almost a waste of time for their students (Kriegel, 2013, 1). Thus, Kriegel compiled different experiences and different tips that she thinks would have been helpful to know during her first year of teaching.

This book was created so that teachers could read it in a variety of different ways; all at once, a specific chapter a few weeks before an event, or even a whole section before the start of school (Kriegel, 2013, 3)! Furthermore there is a very handy index and  a detailed table of contents which makes it easy to look up a specific topic.

The first section of this book “before the school year” provides readers with insight of what to expect from the moment they walk into their new classroom to the moment their first student walks through the door.  It begins by walking you through different areas of a classroom while explaining how  they could be set up Additionally, the she gives advice on how to solve the following problems; what do you do if you walk into a completely empty classroom? Where in the room should you set up  a library? Where do you get all the books without breaking the band? Furthermore, what kind of desks and cubbies would work best in your classroom?  Do you even need a teachers’ desk?

Furthermore Kriegel suggest different methods for getting to know the schools culture.  School culture includes the rules and regulations that the school follows such as the recess policy and meet the teacher times and expectations.  It is also highly influenced by “teachers, students, staff, parents, neighborhood, and community which all help to create a distinct environment” (Kriegel, 2013, 29).

The first  section concludes with a chapter on how to organize the smaller items in your classroom.  I particularly found the area on homework interesting.  Although I am unsure how often homework is actually given to student in early years, Kriegel does present fantastic ideas for how to collect, file, keep track and pass work without having a paper scattered around the classroom. One of the suggestions Kriegel has is to go through students work with them and recycle pieces that may not be useful for the student in the future (Kriegel, 2013, 70).  Additionally, she files some of the students work to ensure she has proof for parents and the principle if they question grades or have a concern (Kriegel, 2013, 78).

The second section of this book is called “During the School Year”.  The focus is mostly on classroom management.  This section covers the different way you can manage school supplies and the different benefits and deficits to the different methods. Furthermore it suggests different methods to transition between topics.  The different suggestions range from very structured step-by-step instructions that Kriegel herself uses, to queuing transitions with music (Kriegel, 2013, 106-108).  Other  suggestions are given for getting students attention, however,  these are likely methods we were exposed to as children; clapping patterns or voice commands (call and response) to get students attention (Kriegel, 2013, 104-105). 

One particularly neat tip Kriegel introduces in this section is something called a “complaint corner” (Kriegel, 2013, 116-117). This is an area in the classroom where students can go to resolve (small) conflicts that arise.  A poster presents students with a script to follow to help them express and resolve issues with their colleagues (Kriegel, 2013, 116-117).

The other focus of this section is how to work with your principal. Although short, this chapter is very beneficial.  Many people are reluctant to approach their principals with issues.  However, the fact is, they are a great resource! This chapter explains how to know when to approach your principle and ask them for help, as well which situations and cases you should make your principle aware of, both good and bad. 

The third section outlines the importance of parents in the education of a student, both inside and outside of the classroom.  The first thing Kriegel discusses is the parent teacher relationship. She clearly outlines what a teacher (usually) wants from a parent as well as what a parent (likely) wants from you as a teacher (Kriegel, 2013, 146-147).   Furthermore she discusses different methods you can use to communicate with parents.

The second chapter in this section discusses many of the different reasons for communicating with families in addition  to samples and  suggestions for how to keep parents up-to-date on classroom activities. Kriegel (2013) suggests that teachers send a weekly note home (165).  The note should be separated into different subject areas and outline what the students will be learning the following week (Kriegel, 2013, 165, 173).  Any special activities, such as field trips, will also be outlined on the weekly note home with any supplementary information and directions parents need to follow (Kriegel, 2013, 165, 173). 

Additionally, depending on your school and your budget, Kriegel suggests asking parents for donations of supplies.  One neat way to do this is to put up a paper tree (Kriegel, 2013, 164).  Write supplies that the class needs in an apple in the tree.  If a parent is willing to buy something for the class, they can go and pick up an apple so that other parents do not buy the same thing.  

Finally this section discusses the different face-to-face interactions you may have with families.  It begins by explaining how to create a visitation policy for your parents. This is followed by how to approach both planning and executing parent teacher conferences, including tips to get all the parents to attend a meeting with minimal hassle. Finally, it concludes by talking about the benefits and deficits of having parent volunteers as well as how to go about gathering volunteers for different roles.

The final section of this book is called “Your Life as a Teacher”.  The main focus of this section is to ensure new teachers do not allow their lives to be completely consumed by teaching.  Krieger acknowledges that it is easy to be absorbed in your life as a teacher, however,  is not beneficial for you or your students if you do not have time to relax and recharge your battery (Krieger, 2013, 206). Thus, she presents different methods and techniques to ensure you have time for yourself.

Critique

Although Everything  a New Elementary School Teacher REALLY Needs to Know (But Didn’t Learn in College) presents a lot of helpful tips and tricks for organizing and setting up a classroom, her pedological approach is very different than the one we learn in class.  She likes a very structured class, a more traditional style of teaching.  This is particularly evident in the second section while discussing classroom management.

The way that Kriegel direct her class shows a lack of trust in her students.  I personally believe students should have freedom and be comfortable in their classroom; they spend almost as much time there as the teacher does!  Kriegels classroom management ideas imply that she does not feel the same.  For example when she discusses transitions, she outlines six steps she would regularly take, giving the students directions for basically each movement they take (Kriegel, 2013,106-107).  This is really restricting.  I don’t think it is too much to ask students to “put their books away and join you on the carpet”.  There really is no need to go through six structured steps every time you change subjects if you trust your students!

Kriegel believes in giving out homework each and every night (Kriegel, 2013, 73).  Thus, the section on organizing and collecting paper may not be as important and helpful to a teacher who has been taught that homework may not be beneficial for our students.  Additionally, there is a focus on having extra work sheets, a book to keep track of homework, and how to save time correcting homework by asking students to correct their friends worksheets (Kriegel, 2013, 69,74-75,77).  These are likely tips we would not use in our future classrooms if we believe in much of the research we have been exposed to throughout this first year of education.

Thus, although many of her ideas and tips are great, particularly when it comes to setting up a classroom and connecting with other staff members, caution should be taken when applying techniques that involve actually teaching the students. 

Kriegel, O. (2013). Everything a New Elementary School Teacher REALLY Needs to Know (But Didn’t Learn in College). Minneapolis, MN: Free Spirit Publishing Inc.