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.

Preface
Introduction
Successful Teachers
Prepare Personally and ProfessionallyWhat Preparation Do Successful Teachers Have?
Preparation To Get, And Keep, A Teaching Job
Know Educational PsychologyWhy Educational Psychology?
Development
Learning
Motivation
Engage Students In Meaningful, Relevant, and Rigorous Instruction
The Four Steps of Classroom Management
Organize and Manage a ClassroomOrganize the Room
Procedures and Routines
Rules and Consequences
Plan for TeachingCurriculum is What We Teach
Planning What to Teach
A 10-step Lesson Plan – Any Subject or Grade Level
A Four-Step Lesson Plan
Use Effective Methods and StrategiesAssess Prior Interest and Knowledge (APIK)
Method #1: Lecture and Presentation
Method #2 – Concept Attainment
Method # 3: Demonstrations and Modeling
Method #4: Teaching with Questions
Method #5: Discussions
Method #6 – Group Work
Method # 7: Teaching with Projects
Method #8 – Lab Work
Method #9 – Teaching with Games
Use Technology for an AdvantageSimple Uses of Technology
Computers for Practice, Reinforcement, and Assessment
Guidelines and Ideas
What Might the Future Hold?
Assess Student WorkA Review of the Vocabulary of Assessment
Informal, Formative Assessments
Assess to Objectives
Creating Tests
Turning Assessments into Grades
When and How to Share Assessment Data
Program and Schoolwide Assessments
Meet the Needs of All StudentsStudent Diversity
Teaching Students with Special Needs
Gifted Students and Their Special Needs
Teaching English Language Learners (ELLs)
Communicate with All StakeholdersCommunication with Parents and Families
Script for Parent Phone Call Home
Communicating with Colleagues
Communication with Administrators
Communication Outside of the Classroom
Manage Time and StressTime Management
Stress Management
Grow as ProfessionalsWhat Does It Mean to be a Professional?
Mentoring and Being Mentored
The Support of a Professional Association
Professional Learning Communities
Becoming a Teacher Leader
The Stages of a Teacher’s Career
Moving into Administration
Moving into Higher Education
Know Why They TeachReading About Inspirational Educators
About Reflection
The Rest of My Story
References

About the Author