What Successful Teachers Do

Teachers who read A Dozen Things will be engaged with the personal stories of teaching, while also gaining strategies for success in their classrooms. A quick glance at the table of contents provides insight into the issues teachers face and how to thrive and succeed. Successful teachers prepare personally and professionally for their jobs. Strong teachers organize and manage a classroom, while planning to use a variety of effective teaching methods and strategies.Both new and veteran teachers use technology to their advantage, and know when to just use paper and pencil to teach. Successful teachers master how to assess student work with straightforward, usable evaluations, and not just the standardized tests. While striving to meet the needs of all students, effective teachers communicate with all stakeholders — especially the students! How do teachers keep their jobs from taking over their lives? They recognize that teaching is too difficult a job to do alone, and too important a job to do alone. They find strong colleagues for mentors and for local support networks. They join professional associations to stay current in their fields and to have a larger support network. This book leads teachers to reflect in a practical way about teaching and their success. Teachers need to remember why they entered this profession and to develop a simple philosophy for why they get up each morning to do the important work of teaching.

A comprehensive overview of how to be successful in teaching from managing a classroom to understanding how to effectively engage students in meaningful instruction, to assessment and the use of technology, this work is a welcome addition to the literature for newer teachers. This book is unique in that the content moves from the theories of teaching and learning to stories, questions and examples that relate to the practical application of those theories. With its approachable and supportive tone, the book helps the novice teacher to understand how to plan instruction yet maintain flexibility and embrace the diversity of personalities and learning styles among their students. It is a great resource for anyone embarking on a teaching career., Mary Clement draws on her 40 years of classroom experience to offer sound and heartfelt advice for anyone wanting to succeed as a teacher today. She masterfully weaves together useful pedagogical information, personal anecdotes, and thought-provoking questions that affirm and inspire. Mary’s engaging writing style makes readers feel as if they are sitting around a dining room table and chatting with good friends about the education profession. The book, chocked full of invaluable ideas, is a must-read for new and experienced teachers, administrators, parents, policymakers, and anyone who loves children and teaching.

Mary C. Clement has published 14 books and 140 articles in the fields of teacher hiring and new teacher support. She is a professor of teacher education at Berry College, in Georgia, and earned her doctorate from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.