The Exceptional Teacher's Handbook: The First-Year Special Education Teacher's Guide to Success, Third Edition

Updated Edition of Bestseller!

"What an excellent resource for the beginning teacher! Practical, down-to-earth resources that can be implemented the first day of school!"
—Kristle F. Evans, Director of Human Resources/Community Relations
Lampeter-Strasburg School District, PA

"The book is organized logically and flows well from the first chapter to the last. It helps teachers manage an effective special education classroom the entire school year. This book should be a required resource for every new special education teacher."
—Phyllis N. Levert, School Administrator
Georgia School Districts, Atlanta, GA

Specific guidelines and strategies to help special educators navigate their first year!

The first year in the career of a special education teacher is filled with expectation and promise. Revised to address the most common needs of beginning special education teachers, the third edition of The Exceptional Teacher's Handbook helps new educators move confidently from preplanning to post-planning for the entire school year.

The authors present a step-by-step management approach complete with planning checklists and other ready-to-use forms within the context of IDEA 2004 and NCLB. Written from the perspective of a classroom teacher, this popular reference offers updates on:

1. Recognized disabilities
2. Best instructional practices for getting the most out of your students
3. Successful parent conferences
4. Effective plans for professional learning
5. Alternate assessments, emergencies in the school setting, education terminology, and more

Actively address challenges and concerns with this one-stop handbook that will help smooth the transition from student teacher to professional educator.

About The Authors:
Carla F. Shelton has 11 years of teaching experience in the special education profession. She has taught students with disabilities in Grades 2–12 in resource, self-contained, and inclusion settings. Shelton is certified in the areas of specific learning disabilities, emotional/behavior disorders, mildly intellectual disabilities, elementary grades (P-8), school counseling (P-12), and educational leadership and supervision. She has served as a high school counselor for the past five years, working with students in Grades 9–12. Shelton is the author of Best Practices for Secondary School Counselors.

Shelton is knowledgeable in instructional techniques and best classroom practices that promote and foster student learning. She is skilled in designing and implementing strategies to assist students with disabilities in meeting academic and behavior goals and objectives, to bridge the gap between school and parents, and to assist students with the transition process from school-to-school and to postsecondary endeavors. Shelton has mastered the art of collaboration with regular education teachers and staff and works effectively with families of students with disabilities. She has presented at the High Schools That Work Summer Conference, the National Tech Prep Conference, the Georgia School Counselor Conference, and the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development Annual Conference. Shelton’s professional affiliations include the American School Counselor Association, Georgia School Counselor Association, National Tech Prep Network, and Professional Association of Georgia Educators. Finally, Shelton’s solid education background and broad-based educational experience is the foundation on which The Exceptional Teacher’s Handbook is built.

Alice B. Pollingue is a tenured assistant professor of education at Augusta State University. She has been teaching at the university for more than fourteen years. Currently, Pollingue teaches special education courses to undergraduate and graduate students and is the supervising professor for the entire special education teacher-training program. She develops curriculum for new special education courses offered at the university. In addition, Pollingue is a consultant for school systems in surrounding areas. She has published articles in the Journal of Early Education and the Journal of Special Education. She is active in both local and national professional organizations. Her motivation, professionalism, knowledge, and expertise make her the perfect coauthor for The Exceptional Teacher’s Handbook. Pollingue received her doctorate degree from the University of Alabama.