Never Too Old to Teach

How Middle-Aged Wisdom Can Transform Young Minds in the Classroom

Neil M. Goldman

• Publisher: R&L Education
• Year: 2009
• Edition: 1
• eBook ISBN:
  9781578869763
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Learning Disabilities

Never Too Old to Teach is a heart-warming story of a middle-aged man's first year of teaching high school after spending twenty years in a corporate cubicle. Written in a humorous, straightforward style with minimal technical jargon, this book provides richly detailed accounts of events, lessons, and conversations that actually took place in the author's special education English classroom. Goldman's accounts are accompanied by narratives and reflections that give the reader insight into the true nature of teaching high school English to a diverse student body with learning disabilities, covering issues such as maintaining classroom control, effective curriculum development, collaboration with families for positive student outcomes, successfully working with administration, the benefits of teaching in middle age, and establishing student rapport.

Table of contents

• CONTENTS
• ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
• Chapter 01. INTRODUCTION
• Chapter 02. FROM A CORPORATE CUBICLE TO THE SPECIAL ED CLASSROOM
• Chapter 03. THE UNFAIR SPECIAL EDUCATION STIGMA
• Chapter 04. THE THOUGHT
• Chapter 05. THE INTERVIEW
• Chapter 06. KNOT IN MY STOMACH
• Chapter 07. CHOCOLATE BROWNIES
• Chapter 08. MASTERS OF BREVITY
• Chapter 09. THE SHAMPOO BOTTLE
• Chapter 10. SLEEPYHEAD
• Chapter 11. DREW, THE HUMAN SPRING
• Chapter 12. STOP HARASSING MY SON
• Chapter 13. THE DOMINO EFFECT
• Chapter 14. REACHING CARL
• Chapter 15. MY MOTHER TORE THAT SHIT UP
• Chapter 16. THE WISE ENFORCER
• Chapter 17. LEAVE ME BE, I’M DOING FINE
• Chapter 18. SPECIAL EDUCATION—A PARADOX
• Chapter 19. YOU DON’T HAVE THE PATIENCE TO BE A TEACHER
• Chapter 20. WHY ARE WE LEARNING THIS IN ENGLISH CLASS?
• Chapter 21. KYLE’S OBSERVATION
• Chapter 22. YOU’RE DOING THIS FOR FREE?
• Chapter 23. RACISM, THERESA, AND THE BIG-BOX STORE
• Chapter 24. FAIRNESS AND EQUALITY
• Chapter 25. THE CRASHING AND BURNING OF A GROUP CONTINGENCY
• Chapter 26. WORTHLESS PIECE OF SHIT
• Chapter 27. NO DRINKS IN THE CLASSROOM
• Chapter 28. THE LBS-I IS A GOOD THING
• Chapter 29. DON’T FEAR THE HIGH SCHOOL
• Chapter 30. THE MYSTERIOUS KANGAROO AND HIS INDICTMENT
• Chapter 31. STUDENT TEACHING: INTRODUCTION
• Chapter 32. A GLOBE
• Chapter 33. METAL DETECTORS
• Chapter 34. THE PERPETUAL ASSEMBLY
• Chapter 35. MY MENTORS
• Chapter 36. MENTOR #1:CANDY MAN
• Chapter 37. MENTOR #2: A STUDENT’S OLDEST FRIEND
• Chapter 38. APOLOGIA
• Chapter 39. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN
• Chapter 40. “WHY ARE YOU TEACHING US THIS SHIT?”
• Chapter 41. DON’T WISH FOR QUIET
• ABOUT THE AUTHOR