Don't Smile Until December, and Other Myths About Classroom Teaching

Peggy Deal Redman is director of teacher education and professor of education at the University of La Verne in La Verne, CA.

"...gets the message across without resorting to an excess of technical language...the stories and examples invite the reader into the author′s world..."

• ForewordPrefaceAcknowledgementsAbout the Author1. Myth #1: Don’t Smile Until DecemberReality: Smile as Early On and as Often as You Can to Build a Healthy Classroom Climate2. Myth #2: Teaching Is a Cushy JobReality: Teaching Is Hard Work and Requires Year-Round Planning in Addition to Daily Preparation and Professional Development3. Myth #3: Good Teachers Are Born, Not MadeReality: Teachers Are Lifelong Learners Continually Growing in Their Profession From Their “Aha” Moments Through Their Veteran Mentoring Years4. Myth #4: Good Teachers Don’t Make MistakesReality: Good Teachers Learn From Their Most Dramatic Mistakes5. Myth #5: Good Teachers Teach FactsReality: Good Teachers Teach the Whole Child How to Think and Learn6. Myth #6: They Can’t Learn; They Belong in Special EducationReality: Every Child Can Learn and Is Legally Entitled to the Best Education7. Myth #7: Teaching Is a Lonely JobReality: Teaching Is a Collaborative Profession and Today’s Schools Are Professional Learning Communities8. Myth #8 Teaching Is a Dead End JobReality: The Rewards of Teaching Are UnendingAfterwordReferencesIndex