Customer Reviews

English Teachers Survival Guide: Ready-to-Use Techniques and Materials for Grades 7 - 12 (J-B Ed: Survival Guides)

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I wish I had had this book when I changed careers midlife and stepped into a 9th grade English classroom with little more than a textbook, my emergency credential, and a pair of knocking knees three years ago. Mary Lou Brandvik's book is aimed at new junior high and high school teachers and offers help in classroom management, lesson plans, and teaching writing and literature. Many books I've looked at or purchased tend to offer general ideas for instruction designed to work in a wide range of classes, but this book is truly aimed at the English teacher. Her book gave me what no one else did: a guide and a framework that would have helped me get through that first difficult year. It's filled with good ideas for writing assignments and novel (but functional) suggestions for student reading responses, group and individual projects, and speeches. A friend of mine complains about "quilt-making" activities taught at teachers' classes we've attended -- those vague, touchy-feely activities that don't move students ahead in skills. This book's activities are really linked to improving writing and reading. No paper quilts, thank heaven. Brandvik includes a section on working with others (parents, administrators, etc.) and a brief chapter on becoming a more effective teacher. Save the life of a new, desperate English teacher: Give him or her this book.

This is an excellent book for new or struggling English teachers as well as the experienced teacher who is look for fresh ideas or just to be recharged. I am a middle school English teacher with five years of experience, and I wish I had this book when I first started as I learned many of Brandvik's techniques the hard way. I have tried out a few of her ideas with great success, and I look forward to trying more ideas when school starts in September. I like the sample forms she has included in the book. They may be reproduced or reworked to fit your individual needs. The book covers the whole gamut of an English class from classroom management, to dealing with administrators, to avoiding burnout, to teaching reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Her ideas are presented clearly and consisely. This is one of the most worthwhile teaching books I have ever bought.

As a first year teacher, this book saved my life on more than one occasion. Like most new teachers, I had been taught a great deal of educational theory, but was given very little practical advice about arranging my classroom, managing my class space, and making lesson plans. Brandvik's book provides a ton of useful suggestions and ideas that can be put to use in any classroom. I highly recommend this book to any teacher, from those in their first year who are hungry for new ideas to those who have been in the profession a while and want to rejuvinate their methods.

This book outlines teacher-tested ideas for teaching reading and writing. I have used many of them in my classroom, and they really work. Used in conjunction with Brandvik's other book--Writing Process Activity Book--this book is a gold mine.

Not only does this book offer creative ideas for all aspects of teaching English, it also includes many convenient forms which would take hours and hours to generate for any busy teacher. I especially like the tips for class and teacher organization. There is a section discussing teacher burn-out and steps to prevent it. This book is a gold mine of ideas, suggestions, forms, and support for the English teacher

I'm just finishing my first year of teaching, and came into the profession by a 'non-standard' route, spending over twenty-five years in a professional career first. When I walked into the classroom, it was almost a sink or swim experience. I knew my discipline but very little of the practical side of teaching; I had no idea how to keep a gradebook, arrange the classroom, grade essays, etc. While my colleagues were ready to help if asked, I didn't know enough to ask questions. 'Survival Guide' presents solution to all those problems and more. And equally important, it presents ideas and techniques for teaching English composition, essential for any teacher, even if that teacher is instructing something other than English.

This is a fabulous, easy to use book. As a new teacher thrown into a long-term sub position in 8th grade, I am finding this book invaluable for ideas in the classroom.

I had imagined that there would be more reproducibles in this book. That was my only disappointment. It's more of a how-to guide to the many aspects of teaching English.

I recommend this book for all first-year English teachers. It is full of important information that I plan to review annually.

This is an incredible resource for any new English teacher, but it is also an excellent refresher for veteran teachers. It isn't often that teachers can simply open a single book and find a lesson, a unit plan, or a guide to dealing with parents. In addition, this book offers support to avoid burnout- a much avoided topic among teachers. The English Teacher's Survival Guide is literally a survival guide and should be handed out to all teachers- new and returning.