I read this book for free thanks to Net Galley. I was interested in reading this new teachers perspectives on his first few years teaching in a variety of classrooms. It was a nice shirt read. I wasn't expecting the questions at the end of each chapter which would make for a good discussion tool if I were reading this along with fellow educators.

I am a recently retired teacher of 38 years. I saw education changing and it continues to be a hotbed of discussion. What curriculum to teach, what books to allow, what to say to our students that need to be included. When I saw this book title I was curious. I began thinking back to when I was a new teacher and what occurred during my first five years. Patrick Harris II gives a realistic picture into the the world of teaching. and writes a love letter to the profession. The profession I loved and gave my all to. We all have stories. We all have experiences to share. As an older educator I feel it is important to share with new teachers. I have worked with many student teachers and would have loved to have this book to give as a gift or resource. I will be sharing with my "new" under 5 year teacher friends. I hope Mr. Harris writes another book after being in education for say 10 years and compared the changes, etc ..Thank you NetGalley for the early copy!

I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

The First Five: A lLove Letter To All Teachers is a non-fiction book directed at new teachers within the teaching profession of today. What I loved was this book took an honest approach to teaching and education and highlights some of the things the author himself found difficult as a career. The book highlights obstacles within the teaching profession and the book itself is broken down into digestible chunks. After each chapter there are some questions for reflection for the reader which help them reflect and think about their methods and approach towards teaching. This was a great book that will be great for new teachers to read and reflect on.

The First Five provides a great, honest look at the teaching profession today. Harris clearly loves teaching, but he isn't afraid to examine the things that make it a difficult career. I especially enjoyed the reflection questions in each chapter, which help teachers think about their own approach to their work.

The book is definitely a more well-rounded piece for teacher prep programs and first year teachers. I would have preferred to read this over some of my teacher prep textbooks. This book shows the real picture of teaching today and the obstacles we face as educators.