You Can Do This: Hope and Help for New Teachers

“I firmly believe that what will make you a master teacher is not the advice I give you; what will make you a master teacher is that you figure out how to solve those challenges on your own, in your own way.” —From the Preface

As a new teacher you face numerous challenges. Right from the start you must learn how to manage a class full of restless students; develop productive relationships with fellow teachers, administrators, and parents; and design engaging lesson plans that will meet ever-increasing levels of accountability all while building a life for yourself in the process. It can be overwhelming and sometimes you can feel like you’re all alone.

And yet, you came to this profession because you want to make a difference. How do you juggle the demands of the profession and find your own voice, your own teaching style, your own teaching self?

The good news is that you can do this.

In this down-to-earth, inspirational book, bestselling author Robyn Jackson offers encouragement and real-world advice for navigating those difficult years as a beginning teacher. Sharing stories from her own humbling first years as a new teacher, Robyn helps you tackle challenges such as motivating students, planning effective lessons, building relationships with parents, bouncing back from embarrassing mistakes, and finding your own authority as a teacher. She also helps you find success outside the classroom with practical pointers for living on a teacher’s salary and carving out time to have a life of your own. With candor and a good deal of wit, she gently guides you to develop your own teaching style and, ultimately, to find your own path toward mastery.

Robyn speaks to new educators as a trusted mentor, one who knows how to navigate the tricky terrain of “new teacherdom”—and knows how rich and rewarding the payoff will be. If you’re new to the profession or know someone about to embark on a teaching career,You Can Do Thisis the essential roadmap to succeeding as a new educator both inside and outside the classroom.