Tag Archives: new teachers

Cover and Pub Date for Real Talk for New Teachers: Tools for Building. Sustainable Career

Black background, a table with busy teachers sitting with their computers, coffee, phones, student work and notebooks. Two speech bubbles, one that says the title of the book, Real Talk for New Teachers, and the others, the authors names, Katy Farber and Penny Bishop

Here is the cover for our upcoming book, Real Talk for New Teachers: Tools for Building a Sustainable Career! We hope it conveys the busy lives of teachers working together to help students, plan powerful learning, and collaborating to support each other and families. What do you think?

We also learned that the book is going to be published on June 2nd and that pre-orders from Routledge start on May 12th. This is happening fast now!

Here is a sneak peak at one of our early reviews:

“Real Talk for New Teachers is a MUST for anyone entering the teaching field or in their first years of teaching! This book makes teaching feel “doable” in a holistic manner that starts with the self (living healthily) and moves toward collaborating with others and becoming a leader in the profession.”

—Dr. Stacy Simonyi, Assistant Professor of Education at Saint Michael’s College

Stay tuned for more information about upcoming events, giveaways, and information about this and please be in touch with any questions or if you want a review copy for your consideration in use with your district, mentoring program, or school.

Teacher Summer Reading: Learn Like Pirate

(First published at the Tarrant Center for Innovative Education blog)

Something about this book title and summer reading fits perfectly. The open ocean, pirates, and fierce independence. I’m hoping you have a bit of time to settle into some reading for fun and some that inspires you in the classroom to have students take on more leadership and develop their own independence.

You know when you pick up a book and it just clicks? Learn Like a Pirate, by Paul Solarz is just that kind of book. As a teacher I have been trying to develop ways for students to take more leadership and ownership in the classroom (and beyond). Paul Solarz takes this to a new level– and I wish I had this book years ago. It is, in short, a guidebook for how to give your students voice, choice, leadership and independence in the classroom. The book gives very doable ways for students to take the lead in their own educations– to create classroom environments can foster community, life-long, engaged learning.

Cliff Notes Version:

(aka transformative practices outlined in the book)

Continue reading →

Letter for Newtown (and all) Teachers

Last month I wrote a letter to the fallen teachers of Sandy Hook in Connecticut. I was deeply moved after learning about their last acts of selflessness. I viewed my teaching colleagues with new eyes, and my perception of bravery is forever changed.

You can find the letter here at the Fox News opinion page.

Later that morning, I was contacted by a producer at the Megyn Kelly show to do an interview. I ran to the special education office, plugged in my computer, and was interviewed live via Skype. Both Megyn and I were close to tears as we recounted the heroism of the brave teachers who lost their lives protecting their students.

You can see that interview here.

I’ve been touched by the many teachers who found this letter inspiring and comforting. In small and big ways, we need to lift each other up, to change the perceptions of teaching as a career, and work together to protect children from harm.