Julia G. Thompson

After 40 years as a classroom teacher and seminar leader for the Bureau of Education and Research, Julia Thompson recently retired. Filled with insights gained from years of classroom experience, Thompson's seminars are like her books in that they help educators identify their strengths, develop as professionals, and use a wide variety of best practices to become the educators they dreamed of being when they first decided on a career in education.

As soon as she retired from being an active classroom teacher, Thompson immediately set to work on the fourth edition of The First Year Teacher's Survival Guide. She started on this project as soon as possible after her retirement so that her work would retain its classroom-based authenticity and emphasis on positive and practical advice for new teachers. Knowing first hand that teachers do not have a minute to spare, she packed the book with as much practical and easy-to-access information as possible.

Author of several other works for teachers: First-Year Teacher's Checklist, The First-Year Teachers' Survival Guide Professional Development Kit, and Discipline Survival Guide for the Secondary Teacher, she also publishes a website (juliagthompson.com) offering tips for teachers on a wide variety of topics as well as a blog at juliagthompson@blogspot.com. You can also follow her on Twitter at https://twitter.com/TeacherAdvice.

One of the most frequent questions Thompson is asked now that she is retired is if she misses the classroom. Without hesitation, she replies that while she does not miss grading papers and getting up very early, she really misses the kids. A LOT.