Introduction Being in Charge of Your Classroom Confronting Student Behaviors outside the Classroom Working with Administrators and Colleagues Dealing with Parents and the Community Complying with School Policy and Legal Requirements Responding to Perennial 'Sticky' Issues The Teacher as Professional
What many teachers complain about most is the lack of `reality training' they encountered in the `formal' education curriculum. Typical classroom lectures and exercises do not prepare individuals for the myriad of problems and situations that will present themselves in schools. Teachers need to think and act beyond the theory presented in educational textbooks. These problem scenarios - or `snapshots' - are from the author's own experiences as a teacher, assistant principal, principal, superintendent of schools, and as a parent. The snapshots are grouped into chapters that parallel the major problematic areas teachers face every day - from student behavior in and out of the classroom to interactions with administrators and parents, complying with school policy, and other issues not so easily classified. Each snapshot contains an underlying legal, philosophical, or just plain common-sense lesson. Following each snapshot is a space for the reader to write in his or her own proposed action or solution. The author then explains what actually happened, and what should have happened, and why. This book will provide a wealth of important discussion topics for teachers, administrators, and parents.
Harry J. Alexandrowicz is currently Superintendent of Schools in Woodland Township, New Jersey. Over the past 28 years he has served as a teacher, assistant principal, high school and middle school principal, and superintendent. In addition, he has served as an adjunct professor of educational foundations at Rowan University and has made numerous staff development presentations.