On Being a Teacher

Jeffrey A. Kottler is one of the most prolific authors in the fields of counseling, psychotherapy, and education, having written more than 90 books about a wide range of subjects. He has authored a dozen texts for counselors and therapists that are used in universities around the world and a dozen books each for practicing therapists and educators. Some of his most highly regarded works include Creative Breakthroughs in Therapy, The Mummy at the Dining Room Table: Eminent Therapists Reveal Their Most Unusual Cases and What They Teach Us About Human Behavior, Bad Therapy, The Client Who Changed Me, Divine Madness, Change: What Leads to Personal Transformation, Stories We’ve Heard, Stories We’ve Told: Life-Changing Narratives in Therapy and Everyday Life, and Therapy Over 50. He has been an educator for 40 years, having worked as a teacher, counselor, and therapist in preschool, middle school, mental health center, crisis center, nongovernmental organization, university, community college, private practice, and disaster relief settings. He has served as a Fulbright scholar and senior lecturer in Peru and Iceland, as well as worked as a visiting professor in New Zealand, Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Nepal. He is professor of counseling at California State University, Fullerton.Stanley J. Zehm was Professor and former Chair of Instructional and Curricular Studies at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, prior to his death in 1999. He also worked as Adjunct Professor at Heritage College, where he had previously served as Dean of Education. He worked as both an elementary and secondary teacher for 15 years and as a counselor, and he held several administrative positions, including superintendent. He earned his doctorate in English education from Stanford University. He also possessed degrees and specialized training in philosophy, counseling, English, and theology. In addition to his experience in schools, he practiced as a family and child counselor. He was the author of numerous articles in professional journals, as well as several books for teachers and school administrators. Ellen Kottler, Ed.S., has been a teacher for over 30 years in public and private schools, alternative schools, adult education programs, and universities. She has worked in inner-city schools as well as in suburban and rural set­tings. She was a curriculum specialist in charge of secondary social studies and law-related education for one of the country’s largest school districts. Ellen is the author or coauthor of several books for educators, including Secrets for Secondary School Teachers: How to Succeed in Your First Year, On Being a Teacher, Secrets for Beginning Elementary School Teachers, Counseling Skills for Teachers, English Language Learners in Your Classroom: Strategies That Work, Secrets to Success for Science Teachers, and Students Who Drive You Crazy: Succeeding with Resistant, Unmotivated, and Otherwise Difficult Young People.She teaches secondary education and supervises intern teachers at California State University, Fullerton.

• PrefaceAbout the Authors1. On Being a Teacher2. On Being a Learner3. On Being a Relationship Specialist4. On Being an Effective Communicator5. On Being a Helper6. On Struggling With the Challenges of the Profession7. On Avoiding Burnout and Rustout8. On Being Reflective9. On Being Passionately CommittedBibliographyIndex

"This book is a fabulous resource that helps both beginning and experienced teachers examine themselves and reflect on their own teaching practices."