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How to Survive and Thrive in the First Three Weeks of School
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Bestseller!

How to Survive and Thrive in the First Three Weeks of School



March 2006 | 256 pages | Corwin

Master the 3 + 3 = 33 equation for successful first days at school-at any grade level!

Research shows that time invested during the first three weeks of school to teach Routines, Rubrics, and Rules-the three R's-leads to higher student achievement throughout the remaining 33 weeks of school, or 3 + 3 = 33.

This wonderfully practical and effective new book from bestselling author Elaine McEwan will help any teacher through those critical weeks and show how truly "with-it" teachers (WITs) can manage more easily the three critical facets of every teacher's day: classroom management and organization, student engagement, and time management.

WITs from K-12 classrooms share their specific personal routines, rubrics and rules to help you survive and thrive in those first three weeks of school, including

  • Designing and organizing your classroom to support learning
  • Teaching routines, rubrics, and rules to maximize learning time
  • Creating organizational, academic, and social routines
  • Choosing rules and rewards to build character and motivation
  • Using the "With-It" teacher list, including attention-getters, noise-breakers, timesavers, routines, and homework helpers

With the power of 3 + 3 = 33, and the secrets of WITs, you can chart a sure-footed course for those all-important first weeks of school, and help guide your students successfully through the school year! 


 
Preface
The Goal of This Book: With-It-Ness for All Teachers

 
Who This Book Is For

 
What With-It-Ness Is Not

 
Overview of the Contents

 
Special Features of This Book

 
 
Acknowledgments
 
About the Author
 
Introduction
The “Big Idea” of 3 + 3 = 33

 
How to “Coach” Motivated and Attentive Students

 
The Research Support for 3 +3 = 33

 
Definitions You Need to Know

 
How the With-It Teachers Were Identified

 
How With-It Teachers Teach

 
Acronyms You Need to Know

 
What’s Ahead?

 
 
1. Creating Spaces for Teaching and Learning
The Challenges of Creating a Supportive Learning Environment

 
How to Allocate, Arrange, and Use Classroom Space

 
How, Where, and With Whom Your Students Sit

 
With-It Teachers’ Roundtable: Classroom Seating

 
What’s Ahead?

 
 
2. Creating Walls That Work
With-It Teachers Roundtable: Using Your Walls Wisely

 
How With-It Teachers Use Their Walls to Support Learning

 
What’s Ahead?

 
 
3. How to Teach the 3Rs: Routines, Rubrics, and Rules
How to Maximize Academic Learning Time

 
How to Become a With-It Teacher

 
How With-It Teachers Teach the 3Rs

 
With-It Teachers' Roundtable: Teaching the 3Rs

 
How With-It Teacher Choose Their Teaching Models

 
How With-It Teachers Use the Teaching Moves

 
What’s Ahead?

 
 
4. Routines That Develop Self-Discipline
Organizational Routines

 
With-It Teachers' Roundtable: Organizational Routines

 
Academic Routines

 
Social Routines

 
What’s Ahead?

 
 
5. Rubrics That Raise Expectations and Achievement
What Is a Rubric?

 
What Is a Checklist?

 
What Is a Rating Scale?

 
How With-It Teachers Use Rubrics

 
How With-It Teachers Use Checklists

 
How With-It Teachers Use Rating Scales

 
Using a Rubric, Checklist, or Rating Scale to Motivate Student Performance

 
What’s Ahead?

 
 
6. Rules and Rewards That Build Character and Motivation
The Challenge of Choosing the Third R: Rules (and Rewards)

 
The Basics Approaches to Discipline

 
What Works and What Doesn’t?

 
With-It Teachers Roundtable: Rules and Rewards

 
What’s Ahead?

 
 
7. How to Develop a 3 + 3 = 33 Plan
Step 1: Get Organized

 
Step 2: Answer Questions and Write a Reflective Essay

 
Step 3: Arrange Your Space and Choose a Seating Plan

 
Step 4: Design Your Walls

 
Step 5: Choose and Analyze Your Routines, Rubrics, and Rules

 
Step 6: Develop Lesson Plans

 
Step 7: Write a Detailed Lesson Plan for the First Day of School

 
What’s Ahead?

 
 
Resource A: With-It Teacher’s List
Attention Getters for Off-Task Students

 
Attention Getters for Whole Group Instruction

 
Bulletin Board List

 
Ways to Check for Understanding

 
Homework Helpers for Upper Grade and Secondary Teachers

 
Noise Breakers

 
Signals That Silence Students

 
Time-Savers for Every Teacher

 
Time-Savers for Elementary Teachers

 
Time-Savers for Secondary Teachers

 
Organizational Routines for Elementary Teachers

 
Organizational Routines for Secondary Teachers

 
Rewards (Tangible But Not Edible)

 
Rewards (Intangible)

 
Rewards (Low-Sugar or No-Sugar Treats)

 
Social Routines

 
 
Resource B: With-It Teacher Questionnaire
Introduction

 
Directions for Completing the Questionnaire

 
 
Resource C: Respondents
 
References
 
Index

“This book could be the primary resource for teacher induction programs or the book study of choice for mentoring programs! It makes a distinct contribution to the field of education and to the art of teaching.”

Roxie Ahlbrecht, Second-Grade Teacher
Robert Frost Elementary School, Sioux Falls, SD
Key features
  • Market to new teachers and pre-service programs for teachers
  • Should be an exceptional seller for the Sales Group to promote
  • Great choice or alternate choice for the Beginning Teacher Kit
  • Journal ads a possibility for JTE

 

Sample Materials & Chapters

Preface

Introduction

Chapter 1


Purchasing options

For large school/district orders, volume discounts, availability and shipping times contact customer service at 800-233-9936
or order@corwin.com.

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Please select a format:

ISBN: 9781412904544
CAD$ 59.95
ISBN: 9781412904537
CAD$ 130.95

For large school/district orders, volume discounts, availability and shipping times contact customer service at 800-233-9936
or order@corwin.com.

For instructors