Rookie Teacher Survival Guide

Rookie Teacher Survival Guide Module 1 Chapters 1 & 6
Reflective Teaching

Module one focuses on personal reflection practices by identifying strengths and weaknesses in your teaching style. Setting goals for student learning and recognizing the best way to interact with parents, co-workers and children is vital for a successful career in education. Module one will cover lesson plans, what works and what doesn’t and the best professional development opportunities for your student age group.

• Setting Goals for Learning
• Professional Development
• Lesson Plan Reflection
• Interaction With Parents, Co-Workers and Children
• Personal Reflection: Know Your Strengths and Weaknesses

Rookie Teacher Survival Guide Module 2 Chapters 2 & 7
Child Development and Developmentally Appropriate Practices

Module two provides an in-depth look at Erikson's model of childhood development from birth through five years old, as well as ways to recognize correct techniques for dealing with defiance and sharing refusal. Strategies for creating engaging individualized learning opportunities to increase student achievement and appropriate developmental practices will also be covered.

• Birth to Age One: Trust vs. Mistrust
• Age One to Age Three: Autonomy vs. Shame
• Age Three to Age Five: Initiative vs. Guilt
• Defiance, Sharing and Cooperative Play
• Strategies for Individualizing Learning

Rookie Teacher Survival Guide Module 3 Chapters 3 & 5
Creating the Classroom Environment

Module three discusses building a community environment that provides students with rich and age appropriate experiences and materials by identifying the proper ways for structuring and organizing your classroom. Engaging children in age appropriate curriculum by providing them with a rich learning environment is key to development. We will also discuss navigating conflicts and techniques for negotiating play.

• Developing Learning Spaces
• Scheduling and Transitions
• Curriculum Units
• Building a Community
• Strategies for Resolving Conflict: Language Development

Rookie Teacher Survival Guide Module 4 Chapters 4 & 8
Family Engagement and Involvement

Module four defines the importance of building trust and a network with both the child and family. We will cover the difficulties of separation anxiety and techniques for dealing with potentially challenging family members. We will also discuss ideas for family engagement in the classroom to foster positive relationships. 

• Building Trust With Families
• Separation Anxiety
• Sharing Difficult/Negative Information
• Communication is Key
• Family Engagement Activities