Teaching is a lifelong challenge, but the first few years in the classroom are typically a teacher's hardest. Since "The New Teacher Book" first came out in 2004, it has sold over 50,000 copies and become an invaluable resource for new teachers entering the classroom. This expanded collection of writings and reflections--some by new teachers, others by veterans with decades of experience to share--offers practical guidance on how to effectively navigate the school system, how to form rewarding professional relationships with colleagues, and how to connect in meaningful ways with students and families from all cultures and backgrounds. It will help new teachers, from kindergarten through high school, sustain the passion and ideals that led them to teaching, and channel that energy into the day-to-day reality of working in a school. Many teacher education programs give "The New Teacher Book" to students as they begin student teaching, or upon graduation. School districts have included it as part of their new teacher orientations. This book contains six chapters: (1) Getting Off to a Good Start; (2) Creating Classroom Community; (3) Curriculum, Standards, and Testing; (4) Discipline: Rescuing the Remains of the Day When Class Doesn't Go as Planned; (5) Making Change in the World Beyond the Classroom; and (6) Resources. This book also contains: Introduction: Why We Wrote This Book; and an index.