An ideal survival guide for novice teachers, Starting Strong helps new teachers gain confidence and competence to flourish and reduce stress during the first teaching year. The authors provide time-tested strategies and guidelines for designing curriculum and instruction, classroom layout suggestions for an optimal learning environment, and frameworks for establishing procedures that promote positive individual and group behavior. This invaluable handbook also offers: methods for effective assessment, samples of oral and written communication for parents and colleagues, ways to create classroom newsletters, techniques for using web sites for interactive learning and reflection questions for teachers at the end of each chapter