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    Who's Teaching Who? Stories of hope and lessons learned in my first 10 years of teaching
    Who's Teaching Who? Stories of hope and lessons learned in my first 10 years of teaching
    Who's Teaching Who? Stories of hope and lessons learned in my first 10 years of teaching
    Ebook102 pages59 minutes

    Who's Teaching Who? Stories of hope and lessons learned in my first 10 years of teaching

    By Brian Sites

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    About this ebook

    Every teacher has the desire to unlock the potential of each student, yet many often feel frustrated that students are not working hard enough, or achieving the level of results expected. Combined with the many other stressors related to being an educator, nearly half of all new teachers leave the profession within the first five years!

    By following several principles that shape the daily decisions an educator must make, one can bring out the best in their students, and re-ignite their passion for teaching!

    Written by a national award-winning and National Board Certified teacher, this book is filled with inspiring stories of students overcoming adversity as well as helpful tips on how to survive the stress of teaching, and get results from even the most challenging students!

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBrian Sites
    Release dateFeb 12, 2013
    ISBN9781301394692
    Who's Teaching Who? Stories of hope and lessons learned in my first 10 years of teaching

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      Book preview

      Who's Teaching Who? Stories of hope and lessons learned in my first 10 years of teaching - Brian Sites

      Who’s teaching who?

      Stories of hope and lessons learned in my first 10 years of teaching

      BRIAN SITES

      Smashwords Edition

      Copyright © 2012 Brian Sites

      All rights reserved.

      ISBN: 9781301394692

      DEDICATION

      While I have many people to thank, my biggest supporter throughout my journey as an educator has always been my amazing wife, Michelle. Thank you for always supporting me, listening patiently, teaching me how to find balance, and keeping me grounded.

      ¡Te amo con todo mi corazón!

      CONTENTS

      Acknowledgements Foreword

      1 The First Year: A roller-coaster ride

      2 It’s OK to Say NO

      3 Finding Balance & Avoiding Burnout

      4 Self-care: An Ethical Obligation

      5 Teaching Alternative Kids: Am I Crazy?

      6 Stories of Hope: Rise of the Firebird

      7 The Power of Positive Expectations

      8 Don’t Tell Me You Can’t

      9 Stories of Hope: Alex, the Fake Reader

      10 The Christmas Light Analogy

      11 Stories of Hope:

      Breaking the Cycle…Education is the Key

      12 Investing in Hopes and Dreams

      13 Stories of Hope:

      How Irrational Commitment

      Changed a Life

      14 Faith in the Human Spirit

      15 Stories of Hope:

      Shelby, the Girl with a Toxic Attitude

      16 Communication Rooted in Respect

      17 The New 3 Rs:

      Relationships + Resiliency = Results

      18 Building Relationships:

      Authenticity and Congruence

      19 Fostering Resiliency

      20 Growth Mindset

      21 Modeling Excellence and Integrity

      22 Be a Role Model Worthy of Emulation

      23 Agent of Change

      24 The Best Job in the World!

      Appendix A: Resources on

      Relationships and Resiliency

      ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

      To my students, colleagues, family and friends: you have all taught me something along the way, and I appreciate the care and support of all of you that has helped make me the teacher I am today.

      Muchas gracias to Bob Smart, Mike Carlson, Eric Sobotta, and Craig Fischer for the continued and persistent encouragement to get me to see this project through in order to get my message out to a wider audience.

      FOREWORD

      What began as a book for new teachers, with advice on all the things I wish I would’ve known to expect before stepping foot into a classroom of my own, evolved into something else somewhere along the five year journey of writing it. Over 2,000 of hours of professional development, Masters coursework, and National Board Certification, combined with additional years of experience, led to the development of a philosophy I began to develop a message around: Relationships and Resiliency are the cornerstone of good teaching!

      While the chapters that focus on this message are towards the end of the book, the principles are embedded throughout. I have worked in a unique setting, with students that possess a wide range of talents, but the lessons they have taught me about the importance of Relationships and Resiliency, and the tremendous results that can occur when I focus on these aspects has kept my passion for teaching alive and thriving.

      Many of my students have consistently demonstrated amazing resilience in the face of adversity, which is what led to the title. I feel I have learned so much about perseverance, and often wonder if I could walk in their shoes. I can only hope that by serving as a voice for them, I do justice to the inspiration they have given me. The lessons they have taught me over the years are truly inspiring, and what I know is that these students are in every classroom. I hope their stories resonate, and might allow you to see your students through a new lens: one which focuses on the individual strengths and potential that lies within each student.

      1

      The First Year:

      A Roller Coaster Ride

      The call came on a Sunday evening. I had all but given up on thinking that any of my dozens of applications were going to pan out. I was resigned to the fact that I may have to either work as a sub for a mere $80 a day, or find something other than teaching that paid more and came with some benefits. Out of the blue, however, I received an invitation to interview the following morning. Things went my way, and twenty four hours later, I got another call from the Vice Principal, asking if I wanted the job. I was ecstatic, to say the least, and accepted the offer with enthusiasm.

      As always, there was a catch (not from the district, but on my end). My wife was finishing her last year of college, and transferring was not a viable option. The new job was 150 miles away. So, what did we do? We compromised, and found a little town about half-way between my new job and campus. My daily commute would be an hour and fifteen minutes each way. People thought I was crazy, but I wanted the job so much that I knew it could be done with the right mentality.

      So, looking back, what do I remember from my first

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