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Navigating the First Years

A Toolkit for Classroom Success
By: Vince Bustamante, Sarah Adomako-Ansah, Tim Cusack, Wayne Davies

Foreword by Marcia L. Tate

Start your teaching journey with your best foot forward

Within your classroom walls, seeds of curiosity, creativity, and resilience are sown, and your impact will ripple far beyond and into the future with each lesson you teach and every heart you touch. As you embark on your teaching journey, let this book be your guide.

Written by experienced teachers and mentors, Navigating the First Years provides new teachers with tried-and-true strategies, resources, and personal stories to support you in your first years. Presented in an accessible and approachable format, Navigating the First Years explores:

  1. Equity and Culturally Responsive Practices
  2. Well-Being and Balance
  3. The First Days of Teaching
  4. Planning and Lesson Design
  5. Instructional Practices
  6. The Learning Environment
  7. Assessment Practices

By supporting new teachers in these critical areas, Navigating the First Years empowers you to create dynamic learning environments that inspire curiosity, promote critical thinking, and prepare students for success in an increasingly complex and interconnected world.

Full description


Product Details
  • Grade Level: PreK-12
  • ISBN: 9781071973622
  • Published By: Corwin
  • Year: 2025
  • Page Count: 160
  • Publication date: May 20, 2025
Price: $31.95
Volume Discounts applied in Shopping Cart

Review Copies

Review copies may be requested by individuals planning to purchase 10 or more copies for a team or considering a book for adoption in a higher ed course. To request a review copy, contact sales@corwin.com.

Description

Description

Start your teaching journey with your best foot forward

Within your classroom walls, seeds of curiosity, creativity, and resilience are sown, and your impact will ripple far beyond and into the future with each lesson you teach and every heart you touch. As you embark on your teaching journey, let this book be your guide.

Written by experienced teachers and mentors, Navigating the First Years provides new teachers with tried-and-true strategies, resources, and personal stories to support you in your first years. Presented in an accessible and approachable format, Navigating the First Years explores:

  1. Equity and Culturally Responsive Practices
  2. Well-Being and Balance
  3. The First Days of Teaching
  4. Planning and Lesson Design
  5. Instructional Practices
  6. The Learning Environment
  7. Assessment Practices

By supporting new teachers in these critical areas, Navigating the First Years empowers you to create dynamic learning environments that inspire curiosity, promote critical thinking, and prepare students for success in an increasingly complex and interconnected world.

Author(s)

Author(s)

Vince Bustamante photo

Vince Bustamante

Vince Bustamante, Ed.D., is a Calgary-based instructional coach, curriculum content developer, and author. Vince specializes in working with teachers, leadership teams, schools, and school districts in implementing high impact strategies and systems. With a strong background in implementation, assessment and deep learning, he is passionate about understanding and evaluating teachers' impact. Having worked with schools and school districts across North America and internationally he brings a wide variety of experience and perspectives when looking at school improvement, pedagogical and leadership development, and implementation of high impact strategies across school environments. Vince’s doctoral research focused on the sustainable implementation of professional learning across school districts, and the impact of long-term school partnerships.

Vince has co-authored two bestselling books with Corwin Press: Great Teaching by Design and The Assessment Playbook for Distance and Blended Learning. His other title: Leader Ready: Four Pathways to Prepare Aspiring School Leaders is also available from Corwin Press. You can find more information about Vince at: www.vincebustamante.com.

Tim Cusack photo

Tim Cusack

Timothy P. Cusack , Ed.D. is an educator with thirty years of experience as a classroom teacher, department head, assistant principal, principal, assistant superintendent of learning services (curriculum, assessment, professional development) and currently serves as deputy superintendent of Edmonton Catholic Schools (Leadership Support Services). In his current role, he directly supports the daily work of school leadership teams and aspiring leaders across almost 100 schools.

Tim is passionate about leadership development, mentorship, systems change and improvement. His doctoral work through the University of Portland centered upon the self-efficacy of assistant principals and how to better prepare them for principalship.

Additionally, Tim has over 30 years of experience as a Naval Warfare Officer with the Royal Canadian Navy (Reserve) including four years as executive officer and three years as commanding officer of HMCS NONSUCH in Edmonton. Tim has delivered many presentations and keynote addresses across Canada and in the United States. This book is his first with Corwin.

Wayne Davies photo

Wayne Davies

Wayne Davies is the Director of Student Teaching at the University of Winnipeg where he also teaches. Prior to this role, he spent 32 years as a teacher and school leader. He has taught and led in many settings including on the Lax Kw’alaams reserve in British Columbia, Canada as well as in rural and urban school divisions in Manitoba. As a principal in Selkirk, Wayne was part of the nationally acclaimed BOSS Guitar Works project which he eventually wrote about in his novel “The Guitar Principal”. In 2014, Wayne was recognized as one of Canada’s top 40 school leaders and is a Distinguished Alumnus at the University of Manitoba for his community work. Currently, Wayne is currently completing an Ed.d in educational leadership from the University of Western Ontario where he is studying graduation rates and the role of culture in helping Indigenous students achieve academic success.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Introduction


Chapter 1: Equity and Culturally Responsive Practices

Chapter 2: The First Days: Figuring Out Your New School

Chapter 3: The Art and Science of Planning and Lesson Design

Chapter 4: Setting the Stage: The Significance of the Learning Environment for Student Success

Chapter 5: Instructional Practices: Building a Strong Foundation in the Classroom

Chapter 6: Assessment: The Heartbeat of Effective Teaching

Chapter 7: Wellbeing and Balance

Conclusion

Appendix


Price: $31.95
Volume Discounts applied in Shopping Cart

Review Copies

Review copies may be requested by individuals planning to purchase 10 or more copies for a team or considering a book for adoption in a higher ed course. To request a review copy, contact sales@corwin.com.