In In Our Classrooms: A Veteran Teacher’s Guide to Taking Care of Your Students and Yourself, Anne Richter draws on more than thirty years of teaching experience to offer practical strategies and heartfelt guidance for educators striving to thrive in today’s challenging classrooms. Author Anne Richter talks to Book Glow about the book.

How would you describe In Our Classrooms in one sentence?

In Our Classrooms empowers teachers to manage all forms of crises and find the confidence to successfully navigate any challenge in their classroom.

What inspired you to write this book?

Teaching through the COVID-19 pandemic was an experience that needed examination. As educators what did we learn, what worked, what didn’t work, what strategies can be applied to any crises moving forward, what does it take to be a classroom teacher now, and what are our changing roles in school communities are valid questions which need discussion. I wanted the experiences of America’s teachers heard. I wanted each teacher to feel validated, valued, and respected for the work we do every day.

What do you see as the greatest challenges teachers face today?

Sobering list for sure. The pervasive and real threat of school gun violence affects every teacher in every classroom across America. The public’s divisive attitude about our nation’s public educational system and its teachers. Stressors including student mental health issues, lack of parental support, student absenteeism and apathy. Teachers ever expanding responsibilities not including lesson development, instruction, grading, and evaluating.

How does your book address the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic in education?

COVID-19 upended the world. Teachers, then considered essential workers, faced professional and personal fears, challenges, and successes. Coming out of COVID, teachers report increasingly stressful work environments, unprecedented rise of old and new school crises – school-targeted violence, student mental health issues, lack of student resilience, soaring absenteeism, and student academic benchmarks falling. Five years ago, teachers were seen as heroes for showing up and now it seems we are targets for everything that is wrong with our nation’s educational system.  My book specifically addresses the need for teachers facing crises to do so with knowledge, that during crises to always lead with empathy, the need for students to build resilience so when crises arise they can handle them, bounce back, and thrive.  I also address the “cell phones in schools’ issue” acknowledging the research that shows this tech device is distracting but perhaps necessary for children’s and parents’ piece of mind. Most importantly I advocate for teacher voices to be included in the development of emergency protocols for all future crises we may face in our classrooms.

Your book focuses on helping teachers be their best so their students can also thrive, while also emphasizing teacher well-being—why is balancing these priorities so important?

No matter the profession, your job performance will only be as good as your social, emotional, mental and physical health allows. Teachers are evaluated on how well their students soar to excellence. How can teachers expect their students be their best if we are not our best. Teachers must begin to internalize this “idea” of self-care and put into place specific strategies that will nurture our own well-being. My book provides easy strategies to promote daily self-care. Teachers are “caregivers” and yet we traditionally put ourselves last on the list to take care of. Teachers we need to purposefully rest our mindset.

What unique perspective do you bring from your 30+ years in education?

Over my 30 plus teaching career I have instructed over 5,000 students in both inner city and suburban schools, taught through a 100-year pandemic, combined academic and practical experience in both public health, hospital administration and 7-12 science and English education, wrote district curricula, mentored new teachers, served as club advisors, union representative and contract negotiator. My many experiences and expertise provide me with a unique voice to speak about the teacher experience both in and outside of the classroom. 

How did your experience as a mentor and curriculum developer influence the guidance you share in the book?

I have had incredible opportunities throughout my teaching career including writing district curriculums and mentoring teachers first entering the profession – while still in my own classroom instructing students. As a curriculum writer, I infuse the importance of student engagement, student ownership, student choice, student rigor, and student evaluation into all lessons. If students are not interested in what you are presenting, they are not grasping the content and will not be academically successful. Our primary role as educators is to ensure all of our students are successful in reaching their personalized academic goals which in turn leads to greater social-emotional capabilities. In my book I mention that many educators bristle at the idea that teachers are “entertainers”, but we are. “Curriculums” are simply maps of state content and skill proficiencies students must master and it is up to the teacher to make these “dry” directives come alive. If not, neither the student nor the teacher will be vested. Mentoring is such a vital part of becoming a teacher. Every school must have a mentoring program for new teachers – whether “new” to the profession or “new” to a school community. Mentors provide valuable guidance on school culture, school protocols, classroom management, safety protocols, parentcommunication, curriculum development – the list is endless. As a mentor I see first-hand the stress and stressors teachers experience – especially in the first five years in the profession or in a new building. In my book I focus on teacher needs of self-care, work family, gratitude, and owning your value as necessary for keeping a work-life balance. Teachers must be their best if their students are their best. 

What advice would you give to a new teacher entering the profession today?

Being a classroom teacher is a 10-hour workday, minimum, all consuming, thousands of decisions a day kind of profession. We are generally on our feet all day with lunches uneaten, ice coffees turning lukewarm, and hot coffees turning cold. Every day, within the school year, is spent prepping for the next day’s lessons and grading the work done that day. You often are the only adult in the room with children who need your full attention. These are not complaints but realities. The one most important piece of advice is to make sure you are passionate about being an educator. Next, understand it will take you five years to find your teaching groove. Third each day will present both successes and challenges – so prepare yourself for high highs and low lows. Lastly, never lose sight that you are making an impact on every child who is in your classroom – and we want these to be positive ones.

How can experienced teachers benefit from this book as much as new educators?

I wrote this book to be as valuable a tool for new and veteran teachers. Whether you have been in your classroom for one week, one year, one decade, or over three decades, each day presents new rewards and new challenges. For veteran educators, school gun violence, lockdown drills, student anxieties and fears were not part of our daily classroom life. For veteran educators, cell phones and the intrusion of social media were not a part of our daily classroom life. For veteran educators, technology has had both positive and negative impacts on our instruction, student-parent communication, grading, and evaluations. I designed my book, so veteran educators have concrete takeaways – truly actionable advice – they can incorporate into their day-to-day teaching and self-care routines to steer them through these new challenges.

What do you hope readers take away from In Our Classrooms?

I want teacher-readers to recognize their own experiences. I want teacher-readers to have a resource of actionable advice. I want teacher-readers to hear the work we do is valued and hard and rewarding.

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