In this insightfully honest and moving memoir about the realities of teaching in an inner-city school, Ed Boland "smashes the dangerous myth of the hero-teacher [and] shows us how high the stakes are for our most vulnerable students" (Piper Kerman, author of Orange is the New Black). In a fit of idealism, Ed Boland left a twenty-year career as a non-profit executive to teach in a tough New York City public high school. But his hopes quickly collided headlong with the appalling reality of his students' lives and a hobbled education system unable to help them. Freddy runs a drug ring for his incarcerated brother; Nee-cole is homeschooled on the subway by her brilliant homeless mother; Byron's Ivy League dream is dashed because he is undocumented. In the end, Boland isn't hoisted on his students' shoulders and no one passes AP anything. This is no urban fairy tale of at-risk kids saved by a Hollywood hero, but a searing indictment of schools that claim to be progressive but still fail their students. Told with compassion, humor, and a keen eye, Boland's story is sure to ignite debate about the future of American education and attempts to reform it.

A journalist sits in on a high school class from freshman year to senior graduation and documents the class in daily columns in the Kansas City Star.

When a fire leaves twelve-year-old Scarlet in a different foster home than her autistic little brother, she tracks a bird to find her way back to him in this deeply moving illustrated novel from the author of Wild Wings. Scarlet doesn’t have an easy life. She’s never known her dad, her mom suffers from depression, and her younger brother Red has Asperger’s and relies heavily on her to make the world a safe place for him. Scarlet does this by indulging Red’s passion for birds, telling him stories about the day they’ll go to Trinidad and see all the wonderful birds there (especially his beloved Scarlet Ibis), saving her money to take him to the zoo, helping him collect bird feathers, and even caring for a baby pigeon who is nesting outside his window. But things with her mom are getting harder, and after a dangerous accident, Scarlet and Red are taken into foster care and separated. As Scarlet struggles to cope with the sudden changes in her life and her complex feelings towards her mom, the one thing she won’t give up on is finding Red. Nothing is going to get in her way—even if it might destroy the new possibilities offered to her by her foster family.

In praise of the greatest job in the world... The right book at the right time: an impassioned defense of teachers and why we need them now more than ever. Teacher turned teacher’s advocate Taylor Mali inspired millions with his original poem “What Teachers Make,” a passionate and unforgettable response to a rich man at a dinner party who sneeringly asked him what teachers make. Mali’s sharp, funny, perceptive look at life in the classroom pays tribute to the joys of teaching…and explains why teachers are so vital to our society. What Teachers Make is a book that will be treasured and shared by every teacher in America—and everybody who’s ever loved or learned from one.

From the best-selling author of How Are You Feeling Today? comes a picture book that sensitively deals with developing emotional intelligence in young children. Young children can find it really frustrating when they are unable to explain what they are feeling and express their emotions. Cue: this book! Written with boys in mind because they are often encouraged to suppress their feelings, Molly Potter covers a whole range of emotions from those that are uncomfortable to happy feelings where you care about yourself and other people. Perfect for starting those all-important conversations, It's OK to Cry includes colourful illustrations, child-friendly strategies and vocabulary for managing feelings, and helpful notes for parents, carers and practitioners. Let's Talk books help you start meaningful conversations with your child. Written by an expert and covering topics like feelings, relationships, diversity and mental health, these comforting picture books support healthy discussion right from the start.

This thoughtful, poetic book uses metaphors and beautiful imagery to explore the reasons for our tears. In a soft voice, Mario asks, “Mother, why do we cry?” And his mother begins to tell him about the many reasons for our tears. We cry because our sadness is so huge it must escape from our bodies. We cry because we don’t understand the world, and our tears go in search of an answer. Most important, she tells him, we cry because we feel like crying. And, as she shows him then, sometimes we feel like crying for joy. This warm, reassuring hug of a book makes clear that everyone is allowed to cry, and that everyone does.

The Smart Classroom Management Way is a collection of the very best writing from ten years of Smart Classroom Management (SCM). It isn't, however, simply a random mix of popular articles. It's a comprehensive work that encompasses every principle, theme, and methodology of the SCM approach. The book is laid out across six major areas of classroom management and includes the most pressing issues, problems, and concerns shared by all teachers. The underlying SCM themes of accountability, maturity, independence, personal responsibility, and intrinsic motivation are all there and weave their way throughout the entirety of the book. Together, they form a simple, unique, and sometimes contrarian approach to classroom management that anyone can do. Whether you're an elementary, middle, or high school teacher, The Smart Classroom Management Way will give you the strategies, skills, and know-how to turn any group of students into the motivated, well-behaved class you love teaching.

Hopeful, hilarious musings and serious advice for new teachers from the formerly anonymous blogger behind Love, Teach. Every teacher will tell you the first years are the hardest, and even the most confident of the pack sometimes ask themselves, Am I cut out for this? Kelly Treleaven, the teacher and once-anonymous blogger behind Love, Teach, wants you to know that you're not alone, and that yes, she has cried under her desk, too. Treleaven's blog has become a sensation in the education world, known for its heartfelt, high-spirited dispatches straight from the trenches and its practical advice. In Treleaven's debut book, she gives rookie teachers the advice she wishes she'd had when she started out in a large district in Houston. From logistical questions like how to prep and organize a classroom, to deeper issues like how to build relationships with students, navigate administration, and avoid burnout, Love, Teach is an essential book for anyone working in education today or considering the profession. With raw feeling, humor, and a razor-sharp perspective, Love, Teach supports teachers in their fight for a better future, and helps them celebrate the victories, large and small.

"I feel this book appeals to all teachers, especially teachers who must deal with difficult students. The book is well organized and user friendly, with lots of practical examples using real students." Brenda Waugh, PAR Consulting Teacher Resource Specialist Newhall School District, California "Relationship-Driven Classroom Management is a top recommendation. Vitto offers practical, supportive, research-based strategies that will benefit teachers and students." Roger Weissberg, Executive Director Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) "As I work with new teachers, this book shares numerous tips and strategies that have been overlooked in teaching methodology courses, or curricular workshops. This book will make a great contribution to education for those who read it and enjoy it." Karen Harvey, Program Coordinator Santa Clarita BTSA "Brimming with insights and practical ideas, this book should be in the hands of every teacher. I enthusiastically recommend this book for teachers in training, experienced and veteran teachers, and administrators searching for effective strategies and techniques for the classroom." Robert Wubbolding, Director Center for Reality Therapy Cincinnati, OH Build positive relationships with your students and set an example for success! Positive teacher-student relationships are an important factor in increasing student achievement and motivation as well as decreasing a student′s risk of dropping out, substance abuse, bullying, and violence. In fact, it has been shown that these positive relationships are more influential than more highly publicized factors such as classroom size, teacher training, or school policy in protecting adolescents from destructive behaviors. Learn how to proactively and positively manage your classroom and students and build on their inherent strengths and talents, rather than focusing on negative behaviors and outcomes. Relationship-Driven Classroom Management is the only book to combine resiliency, classroom management, and discipline into one user-friendly format suitable for all teachers. Featuring case examples, questions, classroom strategies and tips, as well as chapter objectives and summaries, the chapter material covers both Preventive Strategies and Reactive Strategies including: Attributes of Relationship-Driven Teachers Strengthening Relationships With Students Teaching and Modeling Social-Emotional Skills Cultivating Student Responsibility Creating and Implementing Effective Consequences Building Relationships With Difficult and Resistant Students By fostering social-emotional learning, teachers can raise student achievement, create a more positive classroom environment, and help in the long-term prevention of future risk for even their most difficult students.