Teacher Training Books

Thirty-three years of teaching experience has given Carol Keeney a bit of insight into classroom management. In BRAND NEW TEACHER: HOW TO GUIDE AND TEACH THE EARLY GRADES USING SCRIPTS, Keeney outlines an approach using scripts, as an actor would. Directed toward new teachers just entering the school system, Keeney provides a plan for capturing the class's attention from day one and maintaining it throughout the year. It is essentially a handbook for first-year teachers who tend to be left to their own devices and with no guidance are expected to instantly take control of a class of young children. The advice Keeney provides has been accumulated through her own trial and error process, in hopes that new teachers can manage to avoid some of the pitfalls that inevitably come before discovering a niche in the education world.

Part One is composed of two chapters that introduce the teacher to the value of scripts and emphasize how children seek approval in the expressions and mannerisms of the adults around them. Part Two is an organizational tool, four chapters providing lists of materials that may be needed, strategies for classroom layout and tips for creating effective bulletin boards. In this section, the teacher is building an engaging "set" for their "audience." Part Three contains some basic projects and games that can be adapted for different themes and subjects. What I found most helpful was that Keeney lists the instructions for the projects, then relates the benefits of each activity and the specific skills the children will learn. Each section begins with a list of comprehension questions to reinforce the information taught in the activity. The teacher can use these to get an idea of how well the lesson was received by the children and what is actually being retained.

Part Four brings us to the scripts. After creating an objective, setting the stage, and choosing some activities, the teacher must decide how they will execute the assignments in the most effective way. Keeney provides scripts for some essential lessons for early grades. The teacher can use the scripts exactly as they are provided to become familiar with the method, then use them as an outline for creating their own need-specific scripts. Keeney provides a full week's worth of scripts as a primer for teachers to begin building their own. Just as a script for a play or movie provides the actors with specific lines and motions, Keeney's classroom scripts provide the teacher with the same careful instruction. Keeney follows up with a chapter on challenges that might disrupt the script and ways to handle them.

Because the majority of Keeney's experience has been in early elementary grades, specifically first grade, all of the lessons and activities are created specifically for that age group and skill level. This makes it more difficult for teachers of higher grades to adapt the exercises to the abilities of their own students, but grasping the concept of scripts is a tool that can be used by instructors of all ages. It is no secret that children learn best when they are interested in the subject matter. Scripts allow the teacher to grab the students attention and build interest in the curriculum for optimum retention.

As a home schooling mother, I can personally attest to the value of scripts. When my own enthusiasm begins to falter, so does my children's. Even with a class of two students whose full attention should not be difficult to gain, boredom and distraction can set in. Scripts can rejuvenate the appetite for learning and serve as a blueprint for both teacher and student.

This is a delightful book for first year teachers. It is extremely helpful for that new teacher ( or even seasoned teacher). "Brand New Teacher" is filled with confidence building ideas presented in a unique way that keeps you smiling. This is a great gift idea for the new graduate or something for a new teacher to think of purchasing to help with the first year teaching jitters!

This book is filled with great ideas and words of wisdom to help you in your classroom. I would recommend it to both seasoned and new teachers. It is a great addition to any teacher's library.

"Brand New Teacher" has really helped me in preparing to be a great teacher. If your elementary education read this book! It helped me to discover the art or teaching. I think it will help new and experienced teachers in the classroom. I'm new to the profession and have found it very helpful. I have read lots of elementary education books. This text seems to be the most practical I've found. It is also an easy read. I highly recommend this book.

This book is visually appealing and filled with ideas to help the new teacher feel comfortable and confident in the classroom. The way the text and graphics are placed on each page, makes the reader want to continue reading the book. Any page you turn to in the book has another idea that could be very helpful, especially when the teacher is first starting out. I, a seasoned teacher, have found ideas in this guide that I would use in my class!

My students thought this book a bit 'dry.' Perhaps it is because the author and context are British. However, while I have read many books on teaching with or without technology, I have never read a book quite like this one. Logically and eloquently it built from assumptions about the nature of academic knowledge/learning to a model of teaching to support those assumptions to a framework for the use of technology to support the model of teaching. An all round gem of a book!

Eric Jensen's 1000 suggestions are all practical and common sense. As a presenter, new ideas are always welcome and one certainly gets their money's worth from this book. The games, activities and energizers were very useful. This book is a must for all trainers and presenters!

Very easy reading material. This book is for the beginner; someone who has absoulutely never taught anyone before and who had not chosen teaching as a profession. Anyone who has instructed for 6 months or more will already know most of what is in this book. I was disappointed. I was anticipating new concepts and ideas.

This book literally listed more than 1000 tips and tools, covering every detail of presentation. You get "10 Hot Tips for Flip Charts and White Boards", "46 Ideas: Starting Off on the Right Foot"... The author is meticulously thoughtful. First read "5 ways to get the most out of this book" and then study the detailed Table of Contents. From there you can select what would be of interest to you. A lot seems to be common sense. Yet it is still good to be reminded, e.g. avoid: starting late, or starting with an apology, or an equipment failure. This is not a book for reading from cover to cover. But it is valuable for presentors or trainers to come back to it again and again.

This book is a powerhouse of ideas and tips for making your next training workshop/seminar outstanding. Nitty-gritty basics as well as great tips and recommendations. Its easy-read format makes it accessible and you can focus on areas where you need to strengthen your presentation/training skills. I haven't seen another book that puts so much USEABLE information and help into one small, inexpensive book. I'm ordering multiple copies for those I train.