New Teacher Confidential: What They Didn’t Tell You About Being a Teacher

In New Teacher Confidential: What They Didn’t Tell You About Being a Teacher, author Shannon Hazel, a career teacher of over twenty-five-years, special education specialist, and instructional coach, shares personal lessons and experiences from the classroom in order to help new teachers prepare for their careers in education. Hazel claims that in reading the book, a new teacher will learn how to minimize undesirable behaviours, increase student success, establish a productive learning environment, have strategies for stress-free parent communication, foster effective working relationships with administrators, avoid burnout, and create balance between home and school (this made me laugh and roll my eyes as one of the most sought after and rarely achieved goals for anyone working in education).

Theoretically, Hazel’s book has merit. However, much of what the author suggests in the book is idealistic in nature and centred around best case scenario classrooms, colleagues, parents, administrators, support staff, and education. It’s not that her lessons should be dismissed, but rather they should be taken lightly so as to not garner disappointment when they do not come to fruition in the perfect manner described. Also, many of her strategies are aimed towards an elementary classroom.

By far, the most important lesson the author provides is “Lesson #3: Kids Don’t Learn from Teachers They Don’t Like: Connecting with Students Is the Best Classroom Management Strategy.” This chapter is applicable for both elementary and secondary educators. Her stark reminder about firm boundaries in this chapter shockingly excludes reference to elementary settings.

It was also disappointing that no chapter is dedicated to the necessary importance of connection and involvement with one’s local and provincial union, especially since the author’s own bio notes that she was an “active member of the Ontario Elementary Teachers’ Federation.” After all, it is the union who helps with teachers’ rights and responsibilities should anything go awry with any of her aforementioned strategies and lessons, and it is the union who protects working and learning conditions that foster environments that would allow many of Hazel’s strategies to work.

New Teacher Confidential, while successful in detailing some ways to improve teaching, and a generally good read, could use a greater dose of reality in order to be more beneficial to educators.

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Book Review by Marcia Lewis (she/her)
Teacher, District 23, Grand Erie

Teacheredu, 2024