Why Didn't I Learn This in College?

Over 400,000 copies of this book are in the hands of new teachers and their mentors worldwide. This new edition includes updated tools and procedures for teaching and learning in the 21st century. Even veteran teachers say that they find the ideas and strategies here invaluable. It is based on the construct that the best management program is a good instructional program. If student learning is our goal, we want to shift our focus from control and compliance to creating positive learning-centered environments.
A CD-ROM of templates is included.

Over 400,000 copies of this book are in the hands of new teachers and their mentors worldwide. This new edition includes updated tools and procedures for teaching and learning in the 21st century. Even veteran teachers say that they find the ideas and strategies here invaluable. It is based on the construct that the best management program is a good instructional program. If student learning is our goal, we want to shift our focus from control and compliance to creating positive learning-centered environments.
A CD-ROM of templates is included.

Paula Rutherford is the author of five books, Instruction for All Students, Leading the Learning: A Field Guide for Supervision and Evaluation, Meeting the Needs of Diverse Learners, Why Didn't I Learn This in College? and The 21st Century Mentor's Handbook. She co-authors an e-newsletter titled: Mentoring in the 21st Century®.

She is president of Just ASK Publications & Professional Development, established in 1989 and based in Alexandria, Virginia. She works extensively with districts as they engage in long-term systemic work to align processes such as hiring, induction, professional development, school improvement plans, and supervision and evaluation. She also leads Mentoring in the 21st Century® Institutes across the country and has developed a comprehensive Mentoring in the 21st Century® Resource Kit so that districts can replicate the Just ASK institutes and provide extensive follow-up support for mentors. Paula, committed to building in-house capacity, has also developed a New Teacher Professional Development Kit that provides over 30 hours of support for new teachers and Certified Local Trainer (CLT) programs based on Instruction for All Students, Leading the Learning, and Why Didn't I Learn This in College?

In addition to her extensive work as a consultant and trainer, Paula's professional experience includes work in regular education K-12 as a teacher of high school history and social sciences, physical education, Spanish, and kindergarten, as well as a special education teacher, coordinator of special education programs, administrator at the middle school and high school levels, and as a central office staff development specialist.