How to Survive and Thrive in the First Three Weeks of School

Elaine K. McEwan is an educational consultant with The McEwan-Adkins Group, offering professional development for educators to assist them in meeting the challenges of literacy learning in Grades Pre K-6. A former teacher, librarian, principal, and assistant superintendent for instruction in several suburban Chicago school districts, Elaine is the award-winning and best-selling author of more than three dozen books for educators. Her Corwin Press titles include Raising Reading Achievement in Middle and High Schools: Five Simple-to-Follow Strategies for Principals, Second Edition (2006), Seven Strategies of Highly Effective Readers: Using Cognitive Research to Boost K-8 Achievement (2004), Ten Traits of Highly Effective Principals: From Good to Great Performance (2003), Making Sense of Research: What's Good, What's Not, and How to Tell the Difference (2003), Seven Steps to Effective Instructional Leadership, Second Edition (2003), Teach Them ALL to Read: Catching the Kids Who Fall through the Cracks (2002), and Ten Traits of Highly Effective Teachers: How to Hire, Mentor, and Coach Successful Teachers (2001). McEwan was honored by the Illinois Principals Association as an outstanding instructional leader, by the Illinois State Board of Education with an Award of Excellence in the Those Who Excel Program, and by the National Association of Elementary School Principals as the National Distinguished Principal from Illinois for 1991. She received her undergraduate degree in education from Wheaton College and advanced degrees in library science (MA) and educational administration (EdD) from Northern Illinois University.

Preface The Goal of This Book: With-It-Ness for All Teachers Who This Book Is For What With-It-Ness Is Not Overview of the Contents Special Features of This Book Acknowledgments About the Author Introduction The "Big Idea" of 3 + 3 = 33 How to "Coach" Motivated and Attentive Students The Research Support for 3 +3 = 33 Definitions You Need to Know How the With-It Teachers Were Identified How With-It Teachers Teach Acronyms You Need to Know What's Ahead? 1. Creating Spaces for Teaching and Learning The Challenges of Creating a Supportive Learning Environment How to Allocate, Arrange, and Use Classroom Space How, Where, and With Whom Your Students Sit With-It Teachers' Roundtable: Classroom Seating What's Ahead? 2. Creating Walls That Work With-It Teachers Roundtable: Using Your Walls Wisely How With-It Teachers Use Their Walls to Support Learning What's Ahead? 3. How to Teach the 3Rs: Routines, Rubrics, and Rules How to Maximize Academic Learning Time How to Become a With-It Teacher How With-It Teachers Teach the 3Rs With-It Teachers' Roundtable: Teaching the 3Rs How With-It Teacher Choose Their Teaching Models How With-It Teachers Use the Teaching Moves What's Ahead? 4. Routines That Develop Self-Discipline Organizational Routines With-It Teachers' Roundtable: Organizational Routines Academic Routines Social Routines What's Ahead? 5. Rubrics That Raise Expectations and Achievement What Is a Rubric? What Is a Checklist? What Is a Rating Scale? How With-It Teachers Use Rubrics How With-It Teachers Use Checklists How With-It Teachers Use Rating Scales Using a Rubric, Checklist, or Rating Scale to Motivate Student Performance What's Ahead? 6. Rules and Rewards That Build Character and Motivation The Challenge of Choosing the Third R: Rules (and Rewards) The Basics Approaches to Discipline What Works and What Doesn't? With-It Teachers Roundtable: Rules and Rewards What's Ahead? 7. How to Develop a 3 + 3 = 33 Plan Step 1: Get Organized Step 2: Answer Questions and Write a Reflective Essay Step 3: Arrange Your Space and Choose a Seating Plan Step 4: Design Your Walls Step 5: Choose and Analyze Your Routines, Rubrics, and Rules Step 6: Develop Lesson Plans Step 7: Write a Detailed Lesson Plan for the First Day of School What's Ahead? Resource A: With-It Teacher's List Attention Getters for Off-Task Students Attention Getters for Whole Group Instruction Bulletin Board List Ways to Check for Understanding Homework Helpers for Upper Grade and Secondary Teachers Noise Breakers Signals That Silence Students Time-Savers for Every Teacher Time-Savers for Elementary Teachers Time-Savers for Secondary Teachers Organizational Routines for Elementary Teachers Organizational Routines for Secondary Teachers Rewards (Tangible But Not Edible) Rewards (Intangible) Rewards (Low-Sugar or No-Sugar Treats) Social Routines Resource B: With-It Teacher Questionnaire Introduction Directions for Completing the Questionnaire Resource C: Respondents References Index

"This book could be the primary resource for teacher induction programs or the book study of choice for mentoring programs! It makes a distinct contribution to the field of education and to the art of teaching." -- Roxie Ahlbrecht, Second-Grade Teacher