Truth about Teaching

After 31 years in Ohio's public school system, author and educator Armstrong (Please Don't Call My Mother) is clearly the kind of teacher novice educators aspire to become: successful, beloved and wise. In this valuable resource, she paints an upbeat assessment of the teaching life that doesn't gloss over harsh realities like no air conditioning, low pay, tons of germs and plenty of problem students (tellingly, the chapter on discipline is twice as long as any other). Though it's slim, this thoughtfully organized book packs a trove of information in chapters covering ""The Profession and The Politics,"" ""The Money,"" ""The Nuts and Bolts,"" ""Creative Lesson Plans"" and ""Discipline."" In a friendly but no-nonsense style, Armstrong provides straightforward advice and anecdotes to support lessons like, ""the three-month vacation is a myth"" and ""your students can read you like a book."" In addition, Armstrong includes plenty of suggestions for dealing with colleagues, as well as some fairly radical big-picture theories such as ""Compulsory education may have outlived its usefulness,"" and ""large classes aren't the bogeymen you've been led to believe."" Novice and experienced K-12 teachers will benefit from Armstrong's work, but anyone with a stake in educational policy or looking for an on-the-ground perspective should take an interest in this volume.