Welcome to a new school year and to "Ready, Set, Go!"
"Ready, Set, Go!" is Education Minnesota's online newsletter for new teachers, and you're reading the first issue of the 2007-08 school year. The newsletter is designed for Education Minnesota members with three years of teaching experience or less. Our aim is to provide you with helpful information about teaching, your union, online resources and events of special interest to new teachers.

We publish "Ready, Set, Go!" four times a year. Three other issues will be e-mailed to you in December, February and April. Please don't hesitate to let us know what you think of "Ready, Set, Go!" We want to make this newsletter as useful to you as possible. We welcome suggestions, requests and story ideas. And if you have a question you think may be of interest to other new teachers, we'll try to answer it here.

You can contact editor Linda Owen at 800-652-9073, 651-292-4818 or linda.owen@educationminnesota.org.

How to be an excellent teacher
Do you sometimes feel you're lucky to get through the school day, much less strive for excellence? Don't worry there are some common-sense things that you, as a new teacher, can do now to pave the way for success in your profession. For example:

• If you weren't assigned a specific colleague mentor, recruit an unofficial one.
• Don''t be afraid to say "I don''t know." It seems to give senior colleagues a certain satisfaction to hear newbies say those three words. They are the experts and are often glad to share wisdom and resources.
• Take classes even tiny, one-unit, mini-courses. Keep educating yourself. If your school hasn''t offered you the in-service program you feel you need, find a comparable course on your own and go for it.

Want to know more? Read the rest of an article by teacher Lisa Renard on how new teachers can help themselves. Other tools for new teachers can be found on the National Education Association Web site.

Coming to the Professional Conference? Don't miss these sessions
On Thursday, Oct. 18, the Education Minnesota Professional Conference will offer four career development workshops for new teachers and students. Instructors include members of Education Minnesota's legal staff, practicing teachers and administrators. All sessions are in Ballroom E on the upper level of Saint Paul RiverCentre and are free, no registration required.

• 8:30 a.m., A Few More Rs: Roles, Responsibilities and Rights. Learn how to avoid situations that could jeopardize your career, license and reputation.
• 9:45 a.m., Enhanced Teaching Practice. A panel of newer teachers will discuss the importance of time management and relationships with pupils, peers, parents and professors, and how to learn and grow as a professional.
• 12:30 p.m., Making the Most of It: Successful First-Year Teaching. Ask experienced teachers about issues new teachers encounter, including effective and ethical relationships, curriculum choices, work/life balance, career goals, contracts, and the Code of Ethics.
• 1:45 p.m., Launching an Education Career. School administrators will provide suggestions for those seeking employment.

Jonathan Kozol to speak Oct. 19 at Professional Conference
Author, educator and activist Jonathan Kozol will share insights from his new book, "Letters to a Young Teacher," on Friday, Oct. 19, at the Education Minnesota Professional Conference. Kozol will speak at 8:45 a.m. in Ballroom A at Saint Paul RiverCentre, and will follow up with a discussion session at 10 a.m. He'll also sign copies of his book before and after his appearance.

AFT resources: Teacher Tips and "t-source"
Download brochures on creating a classroom team, assigning effective homework, building partnerships with parents and more from the American Federation of Teachers' new Teacher Tips series. For other resources, check out the AFT's t-source page, which includes such features as an interactive 3-D modeling tool to help you arrange your classroom.

Minnesota's Teacher of the Year shares teaching insights
Did you know that Michael Smart, Minnesota's 2007 Teacher of the Year, still gets nervous about the start of a new school year after 15 years of teaching? But the fear subsides as he gets caught up in the energy of the classroom, he writes in his blog.

"So many of my concerns about the nuances of classroom management can be addressed most effectively if I simply focus my energy on making my classroom fun, challenging, and engaging," he writes. "This isn't to say that classroom management isn't importantit's incredibly importantbut it's always a powerful realization for me the degree to which effective classroom management centers on engaging classes, and I always seem to have to relearn this each fall in order for the knot in my stomach to vanish." 

Sign up for Access to Savings
One of the ongoing benefits of Education Minnesota membership is the Access to Savings program, which saves you money on consumer purchases, restaurant meals, car care, travel and other services nationwide. It's like a free online coupon book just for our members.

To sign up, you must first register a username and password on this Web site in the box above on the right. If you've already registered, log in and click on "Savings and Discounts" above in the left column of this page, then click on the link to Access to Savings and follow the directions.