Book for niece wanting to be a teacher

[grade3]

I just found out my niece would like to be a teacher. She started college this fall and went undeclared because she wasn't sure what she wanted to do. Well, I just found out she wants to be an elementary school teacher! I want to give her a book for Christmas and I would like some I ideas. What book do you suggest for the college age person wanting to get into teaching?

 

[Bethany]

Excellent book...

32 Third Graders and One Class Bunny: Life Lessons from Teaching

http://www.amazon.com/Third-Graders...d_bbs_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1195411147&sr=8-1

 

[CatBells]

Books

The First Days of School by Harry Wong

The Essential 55 and/or The Excellent 11 by Ron Clark

Tuesday with Morrie by Mitch Albom

 

[anon2]

I really like The Freedom Writer's Diary by Erin Gruwell. Although she is a high school English teacher, it definitely shows how a teacher can make a difference. There are also books by LouAnne Johnson which the movie Dangerous Minds was after. I teach in the inner city so those types of books about reaching kids from bad environments appeals to me.

 

[desire2inspir]

Here is an idea

Here is an idea I gave to one of my friends who started as a teacher last year. I put each of the items in a basket with attached with a tag symbolizing what the book was for:
For Inspiration-Chicken Soup for the Teachers Soul
For Perspiration-Don't Sweat the Small Stuff for Teachers
For Laughing-This is the Teacher (picture book)
For Learning-Classrooms That Work
I also included teacher stuff like pencils, post its, etc...

 

[linny22]

Harry Wong's books are excellent and very informative, especially for beginning teachers!

 

[Toni]

Among Schoolchildren

It's by Tracy Kidder. It goes through a year with a teacher from Holyoke, Mass. It's inspiring, but down to earth at the same time.

 

[NCteacher]

I have a slightly different suggestion. "One Child" by Torey Hayden is the true account of a little girl she taught in the 70's. It is an absolutely heartrending book, but makes you see how incredibly important you are in the lives of your students. (Sheila, a 6 year old, is placed in Torey's class....Sheila took a 3 year old boy out in the woods, tied him to a tree and proceeded to burn him. Sheila was sentenced to a mental institution's children's wing, but due to overcrowding, ended up in Torey's class. There is much, much more) I read the book when I was 11 or 12, and I think that it shaped who I am as a teacher forever. There is a sequel, called "The Tiger's Child" where Sheila and Torey are reunited after a 7 year separation. Torey Hayden has written several books, all based on her personal experiences as a teacher, and they are all excellent. She has only written one fiction novel.

Another suggestion is a little book called, "If the Horse You are Riding Dies, Get Off"- a very short book about standardized testing. Very funny.

 

[Sam5]

Book

I totally agree with the 32 Third Graders and One Class Bunny book. It is just a great and fun read. I also like Among School Children by Kidder. If you want an inspirational but at the same time a book she can use in her classroom how about Thank You, Mr. Faulker by Polacco. It is a picture book about a teacher who finally unlocks a girl's reading problems. It is based on Polacco's life and a real teacher.

 

[Lilacs]

When I student taught my co-operating teacher gave me the Thank You, Mr Faulker book from previous poster. I loved it and still have it so many years later.

 

[NDteacher]

Book Idea

I would purchase Thank You, Mr. Falker by Patricia Paloco. It is a WONDERFUL inspiration to anyone entering teaching.

 

[Evergreen]

32 Third Graders and One class Bunny is HYSTERICAL!!! A bunch of us passed that around last year and we would call each other laughing about it.

The First Days of school by Wong....excellent!!!!!

Guiding Readers.....Fountas and Pinnell

Practice with Purpose.....Debbie Diller (awesome)

Essential 55 (I got my copy for $3 at Five Below)