My First Year in the Classroom: 50 Stories That Celebrate the Good, the Bad, and the Most Unforgettable Moments

I LOVE this book. Its just like chicken soup for the soul, but shorter. I could read this over and over again. Its a must read for future teachers, or new teachers, or even seasoned teachers too.

There has to be a first time for everything, and most new classroom teachers gladly share their terror and delight with people who are willing to listen to their "first day of school" tales. In this cute little collection, teachers from all walks (preschool, elementary, middle and high school, college) share their memorable recollections of crossing the threshold into the extraordinary world of teaching. Notably absent in all these tales is the notion inculcated in many new teachers that teaching is a profession accountable to its clients; the insights and reflective essays are stories of how teachers start to learn the craft of classroom survival, by telling each other how things went. Not by lecture about classroom management or lesson plans or organizational strategies gleaned from motivational seminars and daytimers. It's a refreshing little book that probably ought to be issued by every state department of education when they send out new teacher certificates. While there aren't any cinematic episodes in these stories of quiet dedication, there are moments of hilarity and despair that we all can identify with. This would make a nice "teacher present" to welcome a new hopeful member to the staff.