Tag Archives: alternative school

Survival Guide to Teaching Alternative School, Part 2 — Your First Year

3 oclock high - Jerry Mitchell


After you have worked your way through the prep and first few days of your new job teaching alternative school, what next?

During that first year, your teaching abilities will change and grow as never before because the students won’t allow it to be any other way!

In any setting, teaching causes you to grow  personally and professionally.

But, in alternative school, that is a hyper process. The demands of these students are bigger and more pressing than students who you might have taught in student teaching or in earlier teaching positions.

In those two big areas of teacher growth here are my ideas about surviving your first year teaching alternative school.

Continue reading Survival Guide to Teaching Alternative School, Part 2 — Your First Year

Survival Guide to Teaching Alternative School, Part I — The First Days

The-Breakfast-Club-1985-001


Out of the 16 years that I spent teaching in public schools, 6 were spent teaching in alternative schools. I know some stuff that might help.

This is my good news for you about teaching in alternative school:

The pressure will make you a far better teacher than you ever would have been if you had spent the same amount of time in a traditional school with seemingly compliant students.

Continue reading Survival Guide to Teaching Alternative School, Part I — The First Days