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How to Get Your Teacher Ready
From the creators of the New York Times bestsellers How to Babysit a Grandpa, How to Babysit a Grandma, and How to Catch Santa comes a charming new how-to book about . . . your favorite teacher!
This humorous new book in the beloved HOW TO . . . series takes readers through a fun and busy school year. Written in tongue-in-cheek instructional style, a class of adorable students gives tips and tricks for getting a teacher ready for the first day of school, and all the events and milestones that will follow (picture day, holiday concert, the 100th day of school, field day!). And along the way, children will see that getting their teacher ready is really getting themselves ready. Filled with charming role-reversal humor, this is a playful and heartwarming celebration of teachers and students, and the perfect gift for back-to-school readiness or graduation.
Praise for the HOW TO . . . books:
A new hit this year is How to Catch Santa. . . . The picture book offers lighthearted tips on how kids can steal a glimpse of Mr. Elusive, aka Santa. USA Today (How to Catch Santa)
Belongs on the shelf of every kid who loves a grandparent. The Salt Lake Tribune (How to Babysit a Grandpa)
The charm of its premise and the clear bond between the generations will have kids and grandparents giggling together. School Library Journal (How to Babysit a Grandma)"
This humorous new book in the beloved HOW TO . . . series takes readers through a fun and busy school year. Written in tongue-in-cheek instructional style, a class of adorable students gives tips and tricks for getting a teacher ready for the first day of school, and all the events and milestones that will follow (picture day, holiday concert, the 100th day of school, field day!). And along the way, children will see that getting their teacher ready is really getting themselves ready. Filled with charming role-reversal humor, this is a playful and heartwarming celebration of teachers and students, and the perfect gift for back-to-school readiness or graduation.
Praise for the HOW TO . . . books:
A new hit this year is How to Catch Santa. . . . The picture book offers lighthearted tips on how kids can steal a glimpse of Mr. Elusive, aka Santa. USA Today (How to Catch Santa)
Belongs on the shelf of every kid who loves a grandparent. The Salt Lake Tribune (How to Babysit a Grandpa)
The charm of its premise and the clear bond between the generations will have kids and grandparents giggling together. School Library Journal (How to Babysit a Grandma)"
32 pages, Hardcover
Published July 4, 2017
About the author
Jean Reagan
22 books37 followersJean Reagan lives in Salt Lake City, Utah with her husband, Peter, and daughter, Jane. Their beloved son and brother, John, died in 2005. Born in Alabama, Jean spent most of her childhood in Japan. Since graduting from Earlham College, she has worked as a community organizer, a union activist, and a writer. She cherishes her years as a full-time mother when she also worked at her children's public school, The Open Classroom. In the summers, her family lives in a tiny, remote cabin in Grand Teton National Park where she and Peter serve as volunteer backcountry rangers. Bears visit them frequently. "
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews
July 1, 2017
Novice and experienced teachers will get a kick out of this picture book, part of the How to...series. Clearly, this title would be a great end-of-the-year gift for a teacher or graduation gift for a teacher to be. Succinct text and colorful illustrations offer several tips for helping a teacher deal with various scenarios. The pages describe how to welcome a teacher and prepare her for the many special events in store for her over the school year, including the 100th Day of School and Field Day, and of course, that hardest day of all, saying goodbye. It always stuns me to see how connected students and teacher can become over the course of the year as this book shows quite well. For anyone who remains clueless about some of the things that happen in a classroom that make school so worthwhile, this picture book provides ready evidence while offering reassurance that teachers can survive the academic year with a little help from their young charges. It does bring to mind the question of who's doing the teaching and who's doing the learning? Experienced teachers are sure to smile since they know both occur simultaneously.
August 22, 2017
Maybe a 3.5. A slightly new take on getting ready for school by telling children how to help there teacher to get ready for school and certain events during the school year. Will have to see if I have a chance to read it to a group, though I think this tongue in cheek approach is too much for my young story time crowd.
September 13, 2017
Kids know all about how they get ready for school and all the special events of the school year, but what about their teacher? Written in the same vein as her earlier books, a classroom full of students offer advice to a teacher to help her cope with any jitters she might be experiencing about starting school. From a big first day “Good Morning,” students answer anxious questions such as why she doesn’t have a cubby and where the bathroom is. Advice for Picture Day (no messy snacks), the Holiday Concert (how to spot her family in the audience) and Field Day (make sure her whistle works), and a variety of other mishaps and events are covered. Reagan also turns the tables in this whimsical look at the school year, but this is a clever way to deal with a child’s fears about school and what to expect, by putting the teacher in the child’s place. Wildest colorful illustrations are humorous and really catch the feeling of a year in Kindergarten.
July 25, 2017
A child's guide to welcoming a teacher. Tips for special days too: No messy snacks like powdered donuts before school pictures! Sweet, gently humorous. Good for lower elementary.
September 24, 2018
Great for new Reception Children, talks about what to expect from school and how to make sure your teacher can cope!!
April 3, 2019
Another cute story in the How To Babysit A Grandpa series.
August 8, 2024
I gave it to my daughter in her first year. She loved it, and so did the 5th graders.
September 3, 2024
very cute very fun, i read to my class i’m student teaching in!
August 4, 2017
I am ambivalent about this new addition to Reagan's "How to" series. It's a clever means of addressing common children's fears about a new school year, but I want more story than this premise can give.
July 19, 2017
This would make a great read aloud at all those beginning of the year teacher meetings!! Add some laughter to them!
September 5, 2018
How to Get Your Teacher Ready is a children's picture book written by Jean Reagan and illustrated by Lee Wildish, which tells a story about points and tips on how to get a teacher ready for various milestones throughout the school year as told by her students. Today is the first day of school – at least it is in my part of the world, so I thought it would be apropos to read this book.
Reagan's text is rather simple and straightforward. It is a story about how to get a teacher ready for school with advice given by kids, which is quite the role reversal. It is a humors tale that lingers throughout the year from the first day of school to the very last. Wildish's illustrations are wonderful and whimsical and depict the text rather well.
The premise of the book is rather straightforward. It tells how students could help their teacher get ready for various milestones in school like the first day of school, picture day, holiday concert, the hundredth day of school, field day, the unexpected day in-between, Teachers' Appreciation Day, and the last day of school. Each section of the book has several tongue-in-cheek advice that students could help their teacher get ready.
All in all, How to Get Your Teacher Ready is a wonderful quaint children's book on how to get one's teacher ready for various events during the school year and in turn help the students themselves.
Reagan's text is rather simple and straightforward. It is a story about how to get a teacher ready for school with advice given by kids, which is quite the role reversal. It is a humors tale that lingers throughout the year from the first day of school to the very last. Wildish's illustrations are wonderful and whimsical and depict the text rather well.
The premise of the book is rather straightforward. It tells how students could help their teacher get ready for various milestones in school like the first day of school, picture day, holiday concert, the hundredth day of school, field day, the unexpected day in-between, Teachers' Appreciation Day, and the last day of school. Each section of the book has several tongue-in-cheek advice that students could help their teacher get ready.
All in all, How to Get Your Teacher Ready is a wonderful quaint children's book on how to get one's teacher ready for various events during the school year and in turn help the students themselves.
July 11, 2017
This is a fun way to prepare children to start school by casting them as the experts doing things to make the teacher feel comfortable, starting with, “Make her feel welcome with an extra-big smile.” Among other things, the children in this multicultural classroom are shown singing songs, at lunch, giving a holiday concert, celebrating the 100th day of school, and at Field Day. Humorous events appear throughout. In one of the funniest drawings, the frazzled-looking teacher’s messy hair needs to be combed before class pictures. At the end, the text states, “Your teacher will remember you forever. And you’ll remember her.” The last set of end pages display notes and drawings by students who clearly have come to love their teacher. Recommend to parents getting children ready to start school and for reading aloud by teachers or librarians during the early days of a new school year. The reassuring message is similar to that of School’s First Day of School and 12 Days of Kindergarten. Readers might also enjoy Reagan’s previous five How To… books (Babysit a Grandpa, Babysit a Grandma, Catch Santa, Raise a Mom, Surprise a Dad).
December 6, 2019
Summary: The students are all ready to go for school but now they are making sure their teacher is also ready for school. The book is written in a “how to” format such as: how to welcome your teacher, how to get your teacher ready for field day, and how to celebrate your teacher. This book is a new takes on how to get the teacher ready for things that will occur in the classroom and how the students help out.
Review: I enjoyed this spin on getting the teacher ready for school instead of getting the students ready. I think this is a book that students could really enjoy since it’s the students helping out the teacher who may be feeling nervous. This book includes some humor and can be used to teacher student how to write “how to” books.
A book that can be connected to this book is "Froggy Goes to School" by Jonathan London which is a book on how Froggy has anxiety with going to school.
A quote that I really enjoyed was “When spring comes, it’s time for Field Day! HOW TO GET YOUR TEACHER READY FOR FIELD DAY: -Make sure her whistle works. – Help pick out her fastest shoes. Double-knot the laces.”
Review: I enjoyed this spin on getting the teacher ready for school instead of getting the students ready. I think this is a book that students could really enjoy since it’s the students helping out the teacher who may be feeling nervous. This book includes some humor and can be used to teacher student how to write “how to” books.
A book that can be connected to this book is "Froggy Goes to School" by Jonathan London which is a book on how Froggy has anxiety with going to school.
A quote that I really enjoyed was “When spring comes, it’s time for Field Day! HOW TO GET YOUR TEACHER READY FOR FIELD DAY: -Make sure her whistle works. – Help pick out her fastest shoes. Double-knot the laces.”
October 31, 2017
Review originally published on my blog
Nine Pages
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This comes from the same team that brought us How to Babysit a Grandma and a Grandpa, How to Raise a Mom, How to Surprise a Dad, and How to Catch a Santa. The strange thing about this book to me is that the students seem to know more about the school and the classroom and the classes than the students do. Is this for classes that get a new teacher mid-school year? Is this for a whole class of student redoing the year? Are there schools where the class a) stays together and b) doesn’t change rooms but rather has a new teacher come to that classroom every year? It seems strange. That being said, in this book there’s a lot of great advice for classes and classroom management and school events. For that, it would be good for nervous kids on the first day of school. I like the diversity of this class.
This comes from the same team that brought us How to Babysit a Grandma and a Grandpa, How to Raise a Mom, How to Surprise a Dad, and How to Catch a Santa. The strange thing about this book to me is that the students seem to know more about the school and the classroom and the classes than the students do. Is this for classes that get a new teacher mid-school year? Is this for a whole class of student redoing the year? Are there schools where the class a) stays together and b) doesn’t change rooms but rather has a new teacher come to that classroom every year? It seems strange. That being said, in this book there’s a lot of great advice for classes and classroom management and school events. For that, it would be good for nervous kids on the first day of school. I like the diversity of this class.
January 23, 2019
Summary: This book puts the roles in reverse by showing children getting their teacher ready for their school year instead of the teacher getting their students ready for the school year. It is sweet, funny, and cute.
Connections: This book goes to show that both teachers and students alike may be nervous for the first day of school, sad to say goodbye on the last day of school, and must prepare all the work they have ahead of them during the school year.
How you would use it: I would use this to help me connect with my students by letting them know in a silly way that while they may be nervous as a student, I as the teacher may be too and it is okay to have that feeling.
Subject heading:
Elementary schools--Juvenile fiction.
Teachers--Juvenile fiction.
Human behavior--Juvenile fiction.
Helping behavior--Juvenile fiction.
Schools--Fiction.
Teachers--Fiction.
Helpfulness--Fiction.
Other notes: I read it to my mom's kinder class (my mom is a HSK para in a kindergarten class)
Connections: This book goes to show that both teachers and students alike may be nervous for the first day of school, sad to say goodbye on the last day of school, and must prepare all the work they have ahead of them during the school year.
How you would use it: I would use this to help me connect with my students by letting them know in a silly way that while they may be nervous as a student, I as the teacher may be too and it is okay to have that feeling.
Subject heading:
Elementary schools--Juvenile fiction.
Teachers--Juvenile fiction.
Human behavior--Juvenile fiction.
Helping behavior--Juvenile fiction.
Schools--Fiction.
Teachers--Fiction.
Helpfulness--Fiction.
Other notes: I read it to my mom's kinder class (my mom is a HSK para in a kindergarten class)
September 23, 2017
Reagan, Jean. How to Get Your Teacher Ready, PICTURE BOOK. Alfred A. Knopf, 2017. $17.99.
It’s the first day of school and it’s time for you to help prepare your teacher for today and the rest of the school year. Be sure to make her feel welcome and tell her where the bathroom is. Also give her advice on what to do during other big events this year. Events like picture day, the 100th day of school, and field day are all very important and she’ll need your help. At the end of the school year you’ll all know the best way to say goodbye.
Like the other “How To” books, this one is full of wonderful advice for elementary students. It gives great tips on how to be a teacher’s helper and reminds us how teachers will help their students too.
EL (K-3), EL- ESSENTIAL. Reviewed by Shay, School Librarian
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2017...
It’s the first day of school and it’s time for you to help prepare your teacher for today and the rest of the school year. Be sure to make her feel welcome and tell her where the bathroom is. Also give her advice on what to do during other big events this year. Events like picture day, the 100th day of school, and field day are all very important and she’ll need your help. At the end of the school year you’ll all know the best way to say goodbye.
Like the other “How To” books, this one is full of wonderful advice for elementary students. It gives great tips on how to be a teacher’s helper and reminds us how teachers will help their students too.
EL (K-3), EL- ESSENTIAL. Reviewed by Shay, School Librarian
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2017...
August 29, 2017
Picture books about the first day of school have been done a zillion times. Instead, this is sort of an instruction manual for the whole year, and how to deal with your teacher in various common situations.
With that in mind, it's very cute and funny, and both kids and teachers will find things to enjoy in this book. For a read-aloud, it won't work with kids too young to have been in a school setting, but kids five or six years old should like it.
I especially liked the suggestions for how to show your appreciation for your teacher. Those were clever and interesting, and not dependent on spending money.
With that in mind, it's very cute and funny, and both kids and teachers will find things to enjoy in this book. For a read-aloud, it won't work with kids too young to have been in a school setting, but kids five or six years old should like it.
I especially liked the suggestions for how to show your appreciation for your teacher. Those were clever and interesting, and not dependent on spending money.
August 16, 2017
Perfect to share with kids on the first day of school, this cute "how to" books gives step-by-step directions on how to make your teacher feel welcome and appreciated the whole year long. Many times children are so nervous about the start of a new school year, they don't realize that teachers get anxious, too. There are clever suggestions for welcoming the teacher on day one, getting the teacher ready for important days, and general advice for places like the lunch line. This could be a terrific mentor text to help kids create their own "how to" guides for having a wonderful school year.
June 26, 2017
Reagan adds to her series of How to books moving from family members to the classroom. Teachers may enjoy the book more than children but it would be a great back to school read aloud for an anxious child at home or to a new group of students in the classroom. From the first day of school to the last, children take the lead in getting their teacher ready for the school year. The book will raise excitement about a new school year and with hopes lessen some anxiety.
February 14, 2019
A how to book for helping the teacher get ready for school after you have yourself ready for the first day of school. This story puts the teacher in the place of a child and how they would help her be ready for school lunch, picture day, a holiday concert, and the 100th day of school is covered in this book. A good structure for how to books and what ifs that could happen. Children will love being the adult on the scene.
January 26, 2023
Fantastic book to be read at the beginning of the year! This story is written in the form of students giving advice to their teacher instead of the typical other way around, but still gets important points across to students as well. It can also help students to understand that teachers are nervous for school to and its not just the students that get nervous, and when everyone works together, school can be great.
December 5, 2016
Thank you to Edelweiss and Knopf Books for Young Readers for advanced access to this title. From the author who brought us How To Babysit a Grandpa, is a new fun story about a new teacher. Great illustrations, great text, this will make a great addition to any collection and a fun right-before-school-starts storytime book!
August 18, 2017
Bookaday #80. Not just for the first day of school, for all the days of school! Fun stuff from the kids' POV - love when the day turns into a disaster they pull out their favorite book! Always the go-to solution to every problem!
March 6, 2018
If you are looking for a different read aloud at the beginning of the school year that kids aren't familiar with, this book would do. It was just ok. If kids like her other books such as How to Babysit a Grandpa, then they will enjoy this book too.
March 5, 2019
Your teacher might need help adjusting to her new class. It's always wise to help her get ready for things, and to understand when she might need some advice.
This is a fun book with delightful illustrations.
This is a fun book with delightful illustrations.
July 31, 2019
Was looking for something to read to my Kindergarten classes on the first week of school. Illustrations are lively and fun. Sadly, this one is better for a parent to read to a child before school starts.
January 9, 2020
What a wonderful book for wrapping up the year maker space challenge inspiration! Or just a great book to inspire children to be kind to their teachers! Will be in my wish list for our grade school library catalog!
February 3, 2020
I felt like I could see where this book was aiming to go but I think it missed the mark. I, personally, wouldn't pick this book to read to my students. I think it would be hard to maintain attention and have good conversations about this book with children.
September 2, 2023
I purchased this as a read aloud for my classroom. Unfortunately it wasn't as funny as I hoped it would be, and it was definitely much too young for my fourth graders. Sometimes I can get away with "young" picture books, but definitely not with this one. Probably better for kinder or first.
September 26, 2023
Listening to this book in class it made me laugh. I immediately bought it for myself and plan to read it every year on the first and last day of class. In the future as a first year teachers I feel like this is something we can all relate to.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews