The Rookie's Playbook.
A New Teacher's Practical Playbook to Thriving in the First Years of Teaching
To provide new teachers with practical tools and strategies to improve student learning, move student achievement and instruction which supports academic gains for students and teachers. The Rookie’s Playbook is designed to support new teachers and leaders in building their instructional muscles and knowledge to get rookie fit to build a strong culture to support moving student achievement data.
- How to create a mindset that will support you in navigating the first year(s) of teaching.
- How to set a strong presence and culture on your first day of school and throughout the year.
- Identify the most essential soft-skills (relationship building, culture, equity) and how to integrate them in your classroom.
- How to create practical structures and routines to build a strong culture in your classroom.
- How to build an instructional framework that supports strong teaching and learning for students each day.
- How to reset your classroom when you have challenges with classroom management.
Testimonials from Readers
“Connection comes before curriculum.” Wow, does this one hit home! I respect how sharing your story is tip #1 because connection has truly been the foundation of learning for me throughout my entire life. It still is. To this day, the teachers I remember most in life are those who authentically shared their messages while relating to the class. The end of this chapter offers a phenomenal questionnaire to help you find your story and communicate it in a way that deepens connection. In fact, I am going to use these questions to share more of myself with my own community as a coach.” -Brittany Barcellos, Relationship Coach (Denver, Colorado)
Culture is definitely an imperative part of the classroom experience. So much of what Fitz talked about in this chapter has been part of my story! I too felt like I was not operating as my authentic self because I took the wrong advice from other teachers when I started. This segment alone lets me know the value of the entire manuscript and the importance of rookie teachers getting the right information in their hands!” – Dana Harris, Young Math Gurus CEO, California
Classroom Management 101! Every new teacher has learned the hard way that students’ respect is not guaranteed! We have to earn their commitment. One of the best ways to earn their ear is by managing purposefully. The Rookies Playbook gives tips on how to manage a classroom well in your first year! -Joy Delizo-Osborne, Manager, Student Achievement Partners
Everyone needs a little Pizazz when teaching students. You must know what motivates your students and use it to leverage excitement and buy-in for your content. Tip 28 Teacher Pizazz gives you step by step process for getting buy-in from your students. The Rookie’s Playbook is filled with practical steps for new and veteran teachers. Pre-order your copy today! -Kenya Reid, Instructional Math Coach
This is one of my favorite tips from the book! I strongly believe that one cannot be a transformative educator if she does not have a deep understanding of who she is , where she comes from, her beliefs and her values. Part of unpacking who we are and what we believe is examining our own biases. This is important because who we are and what we believe influence how we interact with children and the instructional decisions we make on their behalf. Thank you for sharing this significant tip! – Dr. Tamera Malone, Urban Edquity, Equity Advocate and Strategist
Set Positive, High, Expectations was an easy to read tip about how to set high expectations for your students in the classroom. Fitzgerald sets the stage with personal stories from her classroom and ends with a letter that she writes to her students. High expectations are about believing in your students from the heart and the ideas and insight presented in this tip do just that. A must read for any new teacher!! – Dr. Heather Michel, Educational Consultant