Step-by-step advice to help teachers master classroom management, lesson design, student engagement, and beyondAlways a Lesson: Teacher Essentials for Classroom and Career Success is the book that can turn every good teacher into a great teacher. The art and science of teaching can be difficult to navigate. There are moving pieces that change how teachers should approach instruction, like unique student needs year after year, curriculum changes, updated research on best practices and more. It's essential that teachers of all levels continue to learn and develop their craft so that they can best manage these moving pieces. Using personal stories and tangible next steps gained from her experience as a teacher and teacher leader, author Gretchen Bridgers can level-up your teaching, filling the gap left between traditional teacher-training programs and the real world.With high teacher turnover rates in the wake of the great resignation that occurred post-COVID, teachers need support more than ever. Always a Lesson offers a systematic process for strengthening the skillset of any teacher. The sequence of what teachers work on is the key to move through obstacles and increase effectiveness. No matter their level of expertise, Bridgers takes the stance that all teachers are learners. By applying the principles and strategies in this book, novice to veteran teachers will see a positive impact on student learning and their proficiency as an elite educator.K-12 teachers, teacher mentors, instructional coaches, school administrators, and anyone else with an interest in improving teacher retention will thank their lucky stars for this book.

Foreword ixPart One The Beginning, the Pathway, and the Formula 1Prologue Where It All Began 3Lessons from the Trenches 3Introduction The Teacher Success Pathway 17How to Use This Book 18How This Book Will Help You 20Chapter 1 The Formula 25More Than a Toolbox 25The Teacher Success Pathway 29Part Two Brick 1: Lesson Design 33Chapter 2 Obstacles to Lesson Design 35Less Time to Plan 36Too Much to Plan 36The Lesson Plan Vortex 37Less Time to Collaborate 38Chapter 3 Lesson Design Phase Overview 41Backwards Design 44Gradual Release 48Chapter 4 Effective Design 51Pacing/Time Management 52Checks for Understanding (CFUs) 53Transition Routes 55Teacher/Student Actions 56Material Organization and Distribution 56Differentiation 57Chapter 5 Getting Started with Lesson Design 59Lesson Plan Components 59Sample Practice Script 66Chapter 6 Mastering Lesson Design, Part 1 69Standard, Objective, and Assessment Example 72Direct Instruction Example 73Guided Practice Example 74Independent Practice Example 76Chapter 7 Mastering Lesson Design, Part 2 79Creating In- Class Data Collection Procedures 81Developing Your Own Systems and Habits 83Lesson Design Scenario Practice 89Part Three Brick 2: Classroom Management 93Chapter 8 Understanding Classroom Management 95The Three Rs of Classroom Management 95The Impact of Classroom Management 101Chapter 9 Getting Started with Classroom Management 105R1: Relationships 105R2: Routines 108Chapter 10 Addressing Misbehaviors 117Chapter 11 Mastering Classroom Management 131R3: Rope Students into Your Lesson 133Part Four Brick 3: Student Engagement 145Chapter 12 Understanding Student Engagement 147What Student Engagement Does 147Why Student Engagement Matters 151Chapter 13 Getting Started with Student Engagement 157Approaching Engagement from Three Directions 157Building Engagement into Your Lesson 162Chapter 14 Mastering Student Engagement 169Strengthening Student Engagement 170Part Five Brick 4: Student Choice and Ownership 179Chapter 15 Understanding Student Choice and Ownership 181Why Student Choice and Ownership Matters 183Building In Student Choice and Ownership 187Chapter 16 Getting Started with Student Choice and Ownership 191Characteristics of Student Choice 192Chapter 17 Mastering Student Choice and Ownership 199Communication 199Decision-Making 200Environment 202Equity and Equality 203Co-create Norms 206Data Collection and Reflection 207Flexible Seating 208Peer Evaluations 209Project-Based Learning (PBL) 209Part Six Implementing Your New Learning 215Chapter 18 Teacher Success Next Steps 217Chapter 19 Ongoing Learning 221Ongoing Learning Opportunities 224Continuous Collaboration 227Chapter 20 Conclusion 235Appendix 1: Reproducibles 239Appendix 2: Using This Book to Mentor Others 295References 305Acknowledgments 311About the Author 315Index 317