Episode 12: A Heartfelt Ask and a Happy Update

# A Heartfelt Request and Exciting News for Educators

## An Invitation to Support and Celebrate

This week, I’m excited to share a small favor that would mean a great deal to me as I continue serving educators. I also have a joyful update about the brand new second edition of The Beginning Teacher’s Field Guide. Join me in a moment of honesty, appreciation, and celebration!

A Small Favor

I have two invitations for you this week. I feel a tiny bit awkward calling them invitations because they’re kind of requests. But I hope they feel like an invitation!

First, Global Guru voting is open! For the past two years, I’ve been recognized as one of the top 30 education gurus. This designation means a lot to me. The work I do is incredibly important to me in how I serve educators. Being recognized for it feels amazing!

To secure my ranking as a Global Guru, I need your help. The ranking is based on several factors, including public opinion, originality of ideas, impact, and presentation style. Public opinion counts for 30% of the ranking criteria. Voting is open now through December 20th, 2025, and the new rankings will be shared in January.

So, as a favor to me, it takes just a couple of seconds. You won’t get inundated with junk, I promise! If you go to globalgurus.org/vote/education, you can see all the 2025 gurus. If you could cast a vote for me, I would be so grateful! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Exciting News About the Second Edition

Now, let’s talk about something that makes me much more comfortable—pre-ordering the second edition of The Beginning Teacher’s Field Guide! This book is coming out in February, and I can’t tell you how excited I am to get it into the hands of our beginning educators.

This book is one of the first I wrote, and I’m so proud of it. It’s the book I wish I had as a beginning educator. Every time I pick it up, I feel warm and fuzzy inside. It was written before COVID, and while everything in there is still true, it feels a little off given all that has happened since then.

Adrienne Turner and I worked together to create this second edition, and we’re incredibly proud of it. This has been about two years in the making! Let me share what makes this edition so special.

What’s New in the Second Edition?

First, it follows the same format as the first edition. If you have that book, you know I dedicated one chapter to each of the six developmental phases that Ellen Moir identifies for new teachers. These phases include Anticipation, Survival, Disillusionment, Rejuvenation, Reflection, and the Second Anticipation phase. We’ve kept that structure intact.

We’ve also retained the essays at the beginning, but we’ve added new essays featuring Adrienne’s voice. These essays share our experiences and feelings during those particular phases.

One of the most exciting updates is the expansion of instructional strategies. I wanted to ensure that new teachers wouldn’t feel overwhelmed. My mission was to take a robust instructional framework and simplify it into essential strategies. Each strategy is matched with the corresponding phase to help reduce decision fatigue. For instance, during the anticipation phase, we outline specific strategies to focus on. The same goes for the survival phase.

We’ve divided these strategies into classroom strategies, instructional strategies, and updated self-care strategies into wellness strategies. This overhaul feels fantastic!

Special Features for Neurodivergent Educators

Adrienne took the lead on including tips for neurodivergent educators in each chapter. This is something we haven’t seen much in the literature, and we believe it’s a significant need. While many tips are beneficial for everyone, this is a special nod to our neurodivergent educators.

Additionally, we’ve included wisdom and advice from veteran expert teachers, speaking directly to beginning teachers. This personal touch is something we’re really excited about.

A Reflective Guide for All Educators

This book is meant to be written in. It’s a reflective guide that can be used alongside Supporting Beginning Teachers or Coaching for Educator Wellness, or it can stand alone. A new teacher can work through it independently, or a mentor, coach, or administrator can guide them through it. The versatility is fantastic!

I’ve heard from many that this book isn’t just for beginning teachers. It offers a focused view of instruction that all educators can benefit from. I hope that’s true!

The Cover and Preorder Information

We’re so proud of the new cover! It’s a nod to the first edition, but it’s blue to catch your eye, with a big stamp that says “Second Edition.” My favorite part? Adrienne Turner’s name right next to mine!

Here’s a behind-the-scenes look: in the publishing world, preorders matter. If you think this is a book you’ll want for yourself, a new educator in your life, or for those of you who are mentors and administrators, please consider placing a preorder now. It would mean the world to us!

You can preorder via Solution Tree, Marzano Resources, and by the time this episode airs, it should be available on Amazon too. I always recommend comparing prices between Amazon and Solution Tree/Marzano Resources.

Publication Date

The publication date is currently set for February 27th, 2026. Sometimes that changes due to production timelines, but it should be around that date. You’ll likely have it in your hands by late February or early March!

Final Thoughts

So, those are my invitations for this week. I would be incredibly grateful if you could take a moment to vote for me at globalgurus.org/vote/education. It would mean so much to me and help me continue this important work.

And don’t forget to preorder The Beginning Teacher’s Field Guide, Second Edition, available now and set to release at the end of February!

I’m so thankful for all of you. Thank you, thank you, thank you! A special shoutout to Adrienne—we did it! I’m proud of us. Thank you to Solution Tree and Marzano Resources for your deep support in this work. And thank you to our listeners. We hope this book serves as a helpful companion for our newest educators. We are cheering for them! We can do this. Make it a great week!