Letters to a New Teacher

The best and most practical advice for new teachers often comes not from those working outside the classroom, but from trusted and experienced colleagues who are teaching just down the hall from their new teacher colleagues. Jennifer Orr, a classroom teacher of nearly thirty years and experienced mentor teacher, brings this teacher-next-door kind of advice to life in Letters to a New Teacher: Real Advice and Practical Strategies for Getting Started in Elementary Teaching.

While new elementary school teachers often receive professional learning around teaching literacy, math, and other content areas, they are often left to “figure it out” in other areas of classroom practice. Orr writes a series of letters full of read-it-and-use-it-tomorrow strategies and advice around new teachers’ frequently asked questions from “How do I manage bathroom breaks?” to “How do I navigate students’ challenging behaviors?” to “How can I get kids to pitch in and keep our classroom organized?”

The highly browsable nature of this book means that teachers can flip to exactly the question they’re wondering about at that moment. The chapters include relevant and accessible strategies for:

· Navigating student behavior challenges

· Setting up and maintaining classroom structures and routines

· Designing a classroom space that works for students and teachers

· Engaging students with meaningful instruction and assessment practices

· Collaborating with colleagues, administrators and students’ families

Jennifer Orr’s writing feels like a conversation with an experienced teacher friend, full of tried-and-true practical strategies, tips, and photo examples to help new teachers not just survive but thrive in their first years in the amazing and challenging career of teaching in an elementary school.