How to Be Happy (and Great) at Teaching Elementary School: Survival Skills You Didn’t Learn in College

Most new teachers are happy to have earned their teaching credentials and happy that they’ve landed a job. They’re certain they’ll change the lives of children and make profound contributions to their school communities. So why do nearly 50 percent of them leave the profession within the first five years? And how can you avoid being one of them?Reality is a killer. Novice teachers discover they are not perfect teachers after all. Parent encounters are unnerving. Co-workers can be jaded. Students are not angelic. Administrators are difficult. And the workload is overwhelming.Every new teacher needs a crash course in mastering the daunting realities of teaching children no one mentioned in college. In this step-by-step survival guide you’ll find ideas for building relationships with children, parents, and co-workers, saving time and energy, dealing with conflict, organizing your space and materials, keeping up with grading, making sense of standards, and other lessons to streamline and put you in charge of your work life. You deserve to be happy in your profession and your students deserve a competent and joyful teacher. You can do it!