A Life Saver for New Teachers: Mentoring Case Studies to Navigate the Initial Years

(Paperback)

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Description

Navigating the initial years of teaching can be daunting yet exhilarating. While all new teachers want to do their best to help their students succeed, they also need to learn how to navigate the often bumpy road of education. This book contains interesting scenarios and case studies that ask the reader to solve everyday school situations. Teachers will have varied reactions to each case study as the scenarios are designed to challenge readers to decide:
What is the key issue
Who would you go to for help
What is your action plan to solve the situation
This book guides new teachers through difficult situations towards viable solutions. Great care has been taken to relate real life stories from classroom and school situations. New teachers and mentors alike will have ample opportunity to read compelling stories and decide on the best ways to resolve these every day challenges of school life.

Reviews

This book is a collection of 65 scenarios, vignettes, and case studies meant to be an interactive guide for novices in the profession and to stimulate discussion between new teachers and mentors. This format is particularly useful for teacher educators and teacher induction programs, as the "set-ups" are a great way to introduce different concerns that student and beginner teachers might encounter in their first years of teaching. With each scenario, the reader is encouraged to envision the key issues and to develop specific strategies for an action plan that might be used to resolve the issues. Following the scenario, some evidence-based solutions are provided for each dilemma. While these potential resolutions are not universal, they are crafted from surveys of new and experienced teachers and from the education literature and, therefore, seem well grounded and plausible. In addition, the case studies are followed by questions for discussion that challenge the reader to imagine all perspectives. While solving some issues would simply require referencing a particular school's handbook (e.g., how to reserve the gym for a large-space classroom activity), other issues are crafted to fuel a meaningful discussion (e.g., roles of a mentor). Summing Up: Recommended. * Choice Reviews *
The scenarios serve as an excellent starting point for discussions. They go beyond just how to respond; they explore how our decision making process reflects what we value. While the design of the book is very accessible and practical, the emphasis on analyzing the scenarios will build lasting bridges between new and experienced teachers. -- Elliott Hurtig, English department chair, Deerfield High School: Deerfield, IL
I wish A Life Saver for New Teachers had existed when I was starting out, searching for answers to questions I never knew to ask. Now as a teacher of teachers, I know I will turn to this book again and again to give my new teachers what I wish I'd had. -- Mark Larson, assistant professor of secondary education, National College of Education, National-Louis University: Wheeling, Illinois
This book is a very practical and useful resource for conducting meaningful and effective induction programs for beginning teachers. This book will help the beginning teacher as well as the mentor navigate a successful journey. -- Ed Pultorak PhD, former president, Association of Teacher Educators; professor, Doctoral Council Chair, department of curriculum and instruction, school of education, Southern Illinois University
A quality guide for the new teacher. Practical and resourceful! -- Andy Tieman, principal, Winston Campus Elementary School, Palatine, Illinois

Author Bio

Brandon Geuder is an English teacher at Deerfield High School in Deerfield, Illinois.

Richard E. Lange is an adjunct faculty member at National-Louis University, Chicago, Illinois and a mentorship program consultant for the Center for Talent Development, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois.

Scott Scafidi is the assistant principal at Winston Campus Elementary School in Palatine, Illinois.