Drawing upon close to thirty years of teaching experience, Leon Spreyer provides teachers with practical information that is not always taught in teacher education courses. New and veteran teachers alike will find useful advice for managing their work both in and out of the classroom. The book covers eighty-two essential topics, including cooperative learning, managing parents, staff meetings, implementing tests, portfolios, setting rules, and much more. Highlights include: Practical advice on more than eighty subjects Book suggestions and games for the classroom Suggestions for staying motivated and avoiding burnout Teaching ability, wisdom, and fervor are not inborn; teachers learn the elements of their art. With that in mind, Spreyer provides information, games, book recommendations, specific lesson plans, and straightforward advice on all aspects of teaching, ranging from Back-to-School Night to power in the classroom, and from homework to substitute teachers. And he does it in a reader-friendly style, with easy-to-follow lists, examples, and suggested resources. Leon Spreyer taught for twenty-seven years in several Bay Area schools, retiring in 1993. In the 1980s, he worked in Silicon Valley for two years as a production educator for a computer software company. Leon is also the author of Math Hooks and Number Bugs . He lives in Portland, Oregon.