Stephanie Baines - The Naked Teacher: How To Survive Your First Five Years in Teaching

Summary

The book that I have chosen to review is “The Naked Teacher: How to Survive Your First Five Years in Teaching” by Louisa Leaman. Although the front cover of this book might make you think otherwise, this book gives great advice on what to do, what not to do and how to do things and why it is necessary to do these things as a new teacher. This book provides an overview of a large amount of topics including ones we discuss in our education classes, as well as topics which we do not discuss, but are directly relevant to teaching. I found a large amount of the topics discussed in this book were topics which I could easily relate to through my different experiences working with children and youth, specifically in my practicum, which I had not been told or taught about.

Part 1: What do Teachers do?
This section of the book discusses what the author believes to be the four main roles of a teacher.
The first of these roles is managing learning. Here she discusses the necessity of knowing and understanding the material you will be teaching, including spending time researching and gaining support prior to beginning a lesson. She also discusses the necessity of planning and preparation, specifically doing so in a way that works best for you; this includes lesson plan formats, setting goals, reusing lessons and streamlining for different classes. Next he mentions differentiation, which she describes as “making learning objectives accessible to all” (pg 10) by providing lessons that allow for the understanding of the material by a variety of skill levels and abilities. She then goes onto explaining the benefits of the progression of learning and gives suggestions to do so, which are outlined below. Lastly she mentions a variety of appropriate assessments which can be used for a variety of lessons and subjects.
 (pg. 14)

The next main role Leaman presents is managing behaviour. Here she outlines three levels of behaviour management: preventative, reactive and follow-up. She outlines steps for each of the these levels including knowing your students and taking time to observe for preventative, repetition and proper language for reactive, and finally praise and reflection for follow-up. This discussion is furthered when the author describes ways to manage behaviour around school in general. Next general disruptions and the steps to avoid these are described, including setting expectations from the start of the year, using humour and redirecting behaviour. Lastly the topic of managing challenging behaviours is discussed, including why these children may be acting overtly challenging.
The third role of the teacher as outlined by Leaman is managing the classroom. In this segment Leaman discusses the necessity of organization, safety and inspiration in creating a successful classroom environment. She outlines ways to do so including getting students involved, setting clear rules, and having theme boards which are changed regularly; within the classroom.
The final role outlined by Leaman is the teacher being a part of school life. In this segment the schools culture is discussed, as well as being aware of a schools aims and objectives prior to starting a job at that school. This segment also outlines inclusivity, sharing duties with other staff, staff meetings and extra-curricular activities, including why it is important to become involved in all of these.

Part 2: What Does Training Involve?

In this section, Leaman discusses the importance of making the most of your practicum placement, as well as your educational experience. In terms of practicum placement, the author provides a variety of ways to gain the absolute most out of your time as a student teacher, including learning from others, asking for help from peers and staff members, reflecting on each lesson you are able to teach, as well as the lessons you are able to observe, and engaging in team teaching. The author also outlines some very good tips for when you are teaching a lesson as a student teacher which are outlined below.

 (pg. 54)

In regards to making the most of your education experience, Leaman describes the importance of attending and participating in lectures and coursework, including being prepared, participating in class discussions and asking for support from professors and your classmates.

Part 3: Coping With Your First Job
This section begins with a very honest and true statement which hits home to new teachers: “ the first few years of a teaching career can be challenging and intense. The learning curve is steep and the pressure to get it right may feel immense.” From here, Leaman describes the three key steps to managing your first job as a full-time professional teacher. First, Leaman discusses actually finding a job, including the application and interviewing procedures. Here she offers interview tips and ways to impress your interviewers. The next step Leaman describes is getting prepared once you have the job. Here she outlines the importance of spending your summer planning the year ahead including short term, medium term and long term planning. She also discusses how to cope with new-job anxiety and how to build excitement about the year ahead. The third and final step Leaman describes is making a positive first impression. The first day as well as the first lesson is outlined, including the tendency to feel a bit awkward in this new position, as well as the necessity of becoming familiar with your surroundings in order to lessen the awkwardness you may be feeling. Leaman also says that this is the time in which you will begin to develop your classroom environment and begin to establish a community with your students.

Part 4: Valuable Personality Traits
In this section, the author outlines three personality traits which are essential to working in the education system as an educator. She outlines why these traits are important, as well as how to develop these traits through experience and new knowledge and skills. The traits which Leaman outlines to be most important include commitment to your career, your students and to your school as a whole; patience in a energetic environment, as well as in difficult or high pressure situations; lastly self-confidence including learning from your mistakes and using constructive criticism effectively.

Part 5: Skills that Will Help You
Leaman uses this section to summarize four essential skills for teaching, especially in the first couple years in a position. The first skill outlined is organization; this includes planning and proper preparation for each day, lesson and unit, as well as organizing the classroom for when the students are present, as well as for when the students are not present, including making daily lists, organizing tables, etc. The second skill outlined is flexibility. Here Leaman describes three times in which flexibility is the key to success; these situations are when the mood of the class changes, when there are last-minute changes in a lesson or within the daily schedule and when unexpected disturbances may arise. The third skill outlined by Leaman is communication. She includes verbal communication, non-verbal communication as well as the importance of using positive language within the classroom. The final skill discussed is stress management. Here she describes the importance of recognizing stress and asking for support when needed, as well as the necessity of having a life outside of work in order to be fully available and engaged when at school teaching.

Part 6: In The Staffroom
Here the author describes the staffroom as “the nucleus of school life, a place where you can hide from the students and find adult company, a place to concentrate quietly or take the weight off your feet and relax for a while” (pg. 115). Leaman describes the positive aspects of the staffroom including sharing responsibilities, supporting one another as professionals as well as sharing information and professional development. She also discusses making new friends in the staffroom, and even building a romantic relationship with a coworker, and how to deal with such a situation. She also discusses the negative aspects that can arise within the staffroom, including bullying, conflict, gossip and cliques, and how to deal with these situations in a professional and effective manner.

Part 7: How to Win Friends and Influence...
In this section, Leaman discusses the two other groups of people you will deal with on a regular basis as a teacher, besides coworkers and the students. The first group of individuals is the parents of your students. Here Leaman describes the different personalities that may exist within the parents of your students, including the defensive ones, the pushy ones, the unavoidable ones, the helpless ones, and many more. She offers a description of each type of parent as well as tips to dealing with each type of parent effectively and in a positive manner. The second group of individuals Leaman discusses is senior management. She uses this segment to describe what marks good senior management, as well as poor senior management and how to deal with either. She also offers some suggestions on how to get noticed by senior management and recognized for your work and commitment to the school and the profession in general.

Part 8: Getting the Most from your Classroom
Leaman describes this section to be more relevant to your third or fourth year of teaching in which you are quite confident with your skills and with your teaching abilities. Here she discusses refining your skills through self-evaluation, observing of your peers and trying new approaches within the classroom to see how they may work. Next she talks about raising the achievement levels of the students within your classroom. In order to do so, she discusses the need for challenging your students, setting targets and achievable goals for the students, as well as using assessment to help students see where they can improve on.

Part 9: Remaining Positive
This section focuses on what to do if you find yourself in a “teaching rut” after a few years on the job. In order to combat this situation, Leaman offers suggestions to keep the teaching environment new and exciting for both you, as the teacher, and for your students. She also describes the necessity of avoiding burning yourself out early in your life as a teacher. In order to avoid early exhaustion within the profession, Leaman offers tips including pacing yourself, taking breaks including lunch breaks, and summer breaks, as well as learning to say no when asking to take on a new task or responsibility within the school.

Part 10: Career Progression
In this last section of the book, Leaman describes the importance of exploring your options within the realm of education in order to prevent burnout and to ensure that you are happy and satisfied with what you are doing each day. This can include specializing, taking on more or new responsibilities as well as taking on a new role within the school. She also talks about how change can be a good thing within your career. Such changes could include beginning at a new school, or taking a break from teaching to explore other activities such as traveling or taking a much needed rest.

Resources

I have already outlined a few resources above regarding different sections of the book, but here I will provide two additional resources that I found particularly interesting.
First is a list of activity suggestions which Leaman offers, specifically to use when you are beginning to feel bored or like you are in a teaching rut. These activities seem interesting enough and quite usable, especially for a new teacher to incorporate into lesson plans.

(pg. 148)   (pg. 149)
Second is a list of possible opportunities or specializations in which a teacher can embark on later in their career. This list shows the endless possibilities and opportunities that are available for development in the education profession.

(pg. 165) (pg. 166)

Critique

I honestly found this book to be very useful for myself as a new teacher. The author enhances the text and information being presented with the use of humour and wit, which makes the book even more enjoyable and interesting to read. I especially enjoyed how the author took the time to discuss certain issues that do not seem to be addressed too often within our educational experience including behavior management and dealing with certain issues with students and other staff members. These types of experiences are often learned through being faced with this situation in real life rather than being read in a book, which I thought was particularly interesting. Another topic which I really enjoyed reading about was when Leaman discusses what to do when you find yourself in a teaching rut, as I can see this being very useful information, especially if I find myself in the same position for a number of years, which may very well be the case.
I also really enjoyed how the book discusses each year including our time as student teachers, and what we can learn from each year and each experience we may have during these years. I believe that the fact that this book discusses the first five years of teaching, rather than just the first one or two years, is a huge asset. A lot can happen in the first five years, and this book takes the time to explain each possible scenario based on the authors own experience and her peers experiences.
One main positive to this book was how relatable the author made the book and her experiences. I often found myself thinking about a situation described in the book and when I was faced with a similar situation and how I dealt with it, compared to how the author described dealing with it. It was interesting to see when these two situations conflicted, as well as when they were very similarly dealt with.I believe this book directly relates to a large amount of topics we discussed within the course through various group discussions about behaviour management, our beliefs as future educators as well as with various articles we have read throughout the semester related to the politics and emerging ideas in the field of education.

Overall I would suggest this book to my peers as a great resource for beginning to teach. Although it does not specifically outline how to teach, it outlines situations which may arise as a result of your teaching, as well as situations which are common in our job field, which we may not have been readily aware of. This book is easy to read and a great book for provoking thought in regards to what you believe is effective teaching and effective ways to deal with certain situations. 

This is definitely a book in which the phrase “don’t judge a book by its cover” is completely appropriate.
 

References

Leaman, L. (2006). The Naked Teacher: How To Survive Your First Five Years in Teaching. New York: Continuum International Publishing Group.