They Never Taught Us That: Educator Andrea’s Guide to Teaching, Managing the Chaos, and Keeping Your Sanity

Everything inexperienced first-year teachers need to manage the chaos of the modern classroom

They Never Taught Us Thatis your friendly (and slightly frazzled) guide to the hilarious realities of the classroom that teacher training left out. Veteran educator Andrea Forcum, PhD, combines laugh-out-loud anecdotes from the trenches with practical tools and strategies for everything from surviving the first day to building trust with parents and other stakeholders. The best practices in this book from experienced educators who taught before, during, and after the pandemic help readers supplement their training without having to rely solely on the break room―which sometimes ends up being an echo chamber of discontent―or unvetted online resources.

In this book, readers will learn how to:

Establish classroom rules that won’t get trampledCreate a captivating lesson plan and collaborate on Individual Education Programs (IEPs)Document parent contact, student behavior, grades (including failing assignments), and moreNavigate the paperwork avalanche without turning into a sleep-deprived zombieFacilitate collaborative parent-teacher conferences

They Never Taught Us That is an essential resource (literally, essential) for early career-year teachers who are all too often scrambling for purchase on the slippery, moving, mucous-covered treadmill that is public education (said with love, of course).

From the brand

Teaching & Education

Jossey-Bass is dedicated to empowering and inspiring teachers and educators to become more effective in the workplace and achieve career success through insights from some of the world’s leading innovators in education. We bring together traditional wisdom and cutting-edge research to address the most pressing education challenges. We believe fostering a culture of lifelong learning and personal development will create a better world for us all.

Teacher Wellness & PD

Teacher Wellness & PD

Teacher Wellness & PD

Teacher Wellness & PD

Teacher Wellness & PD

Teacher Wellness & PD

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Jossey-Bass
Publication date ‏ : ‎ May 5, 2026
Edition ‏ : ‎ 1st
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Print length ‏ : ‎ 240 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1394316828
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1394316823
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.01 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.3 x 0.6 x 9 inches
Best Sellers Rank: #83,844 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #217 in Educational Certification & Development #732 in Instruction Methods #2,519 in Humor (Books)
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