Book Reviews
Classroom Confidential / Meritorious Work
I just finished reading Classroom Confidential. Very impressive down to earth facts related to dealing with the teaching profession. This book should be required reading for all beginning teachers and administrators. I read the chapter How to Train Your Administrator first. As a retired administrator, I was a recipient of the process depicted – accurate. Six of my family members are in the family business/Education. I’m going to recommend Classroom Confidential for all members of our family business.
This book is an easy read. If I had access to this book when I was the principal at Independence I would have given the book to every new teacher I hired. When I was working at SJSU I would have required every intern and student teacher I supervised to read this book. Over my 45 years in education I have a massive collection of books related to education — this ranks as NUMBER 1.
John P. Sellarole, ED.D.
Retired Educator
An honest and informative tribute to real life in the classroom, this book celebrates the career of a lifelong educator with a true heart.
Alyssa Grainger
Colton Middle School
copy line editor for Classroom Confidential
Classroom Confidential contains valuable knowledge for teachers of all experience levels. I will certainly use Ms. Lucido’s expertise and advice as I further my teaching career.
Dan Ellis, Tustin High School
Tustin, CA
Gaining wisdom from Vickie’s experiences!
Sherry de Leuw
Colton Middle School
Enjoyed the honest author voice. I can just hear her sharing these experiences with the laughter and affirmative nods from teachers. Well done!
Ellen Collord
Retired Music Teacher
What she said about the subs – soooo true!
Sarah Foy
ALD Teacher and Instructional Coach
Washington Middle School
Classroom Confidential will tell you things no one else will! It has the ability to point out things you may not even have considered when getting into teaching. Beyond many helpful tips and ideas for working with students, there’s also tons of advice for dealing with the systems we all must navigate as teachers. Definitely a handy book to have around!
River Navaille
Seaside High School Drama Teacher
A treasure trove of logical, sensible information culled from 33 years of experience. Truly a gift to new teachers. Well done.
Steve Evans, Retired VP of JPMorgan Chase
I wish I had this book during my early years of teaching. There are so many helpful tips about what to do and what to avoid. I recommend this book to all teachers, regardless of their past experiences….everyone can learn from it!
Taylor Hiyama
Colton Middle School PE Teacher
Love this book! I sure wish I would have read this when I first started teaching. Classroom Confidential is a must read and a great gift.
Karen Lehman
Retired Special Education Teacher
I absolutely loved this book! Even after nearly ten years in the classroom, reading Classroom Confidential allowed me to grow as an educator by reexamining my own teaching practices and looking at the profession from a whole new perspective. Definitely a must read for both future and current teachers!
Kelly Starnes
English Teacher DLAMP
We loved your book!
Jamie Franzen and family
Teacher at Monterey Bay Charter School
Classroom Confidential should be required reading for any student wanting to become a public school educator. As a college student, I dropped out during my last semester of student teaching due to many misunderstandings about what was really happening and how it all worked. With ‘real world’ experience in a quick read format, Victoria Lucido gives readers an understanding of how to be successful negotiating the public school system, classroom management, and people dynamics. You won’t find this in education textbooks. Her story is also an inspirational one for any professional wanting to give work life their best.
Linda Ames
Business Owner
Such wisdom in this book!
Anne Pickens
Executive Assistant
Honest, helpful, no-nonsense look at the many aspects of teaching NOT taught in teacher preparation coursework. A fast and fun read.
Mary-Frances Dunn
Retired Elementary School Teacher
A very instructive book, even for a non-educator. A lot of psychology in those pages.
William Smith
Retired CPA
Classroom Confidential is an excellent guide particularly for teachers of secondary students. The chapter on boundaries is ESSENTIAL reading for teachers of middle school students. A funny and intelligent read!
Fran Siegel Jones
Special Education Teacher
Classroom Confidential is a must read for anyone who desires to be a teacher, a new teacher, or even a seasoned teacher. Written part memoir, part tips, it is an easy read and is informative and funny.
Laurie Lindley Muender
Educator, Crisis Counselor
I’ve really enjoyed the chapters “Staff Lounge; Fitting in” and “The Scariest Haunted House of All; Angry Mothers.” Highly recommend!
Brice Albert
Musician
Classroom Confidential brought back so many memories of many of the successes as well as the challenges I faced. It is truly not a “Pollyanna” tale, but one of practical strategies on how to survive the real-life struggles that teachers may face. While Vickie’s experiences were not always positive ones, she always ended the chapter with good advice and specific ideas. The book is easy to read and one a new teacher can pick up at any time and reread when they are confronted with a situation one of the chapters addresses.
Marilynn Whitcomb
Retired Educator and University Supervisor of Student Teachers
I just finished Classroom Confidential. The author covered all the things they never tell you in teacher training. It would be helpful for new or insecure teachers. I liked the clarity of Vickie’s expression. It was just like having a conversation with her: no high flown educationalese.
Carol Young
Retired Science Consultant
Congratulations on a terrific achievement! I finished reading Classroom Confidential, and it is a masterpiece!! What a great job! So interesting, and so authentic! It really is perfect. Vickie focused on information that only a seasoned teacher could pass on.
Barbara Vella
Musician
I finished reading wonderful Classroom Confidential today. I feel this book should be on any new teachers’ must read list. Also, I feel this book would be an essential read for managers of small businesses, hospital administrators, non-profit executive directors, to name only a few that may benefit greatly from reading this book.
Robert Owen Minearo
Author: A True Heart; A Journey to the Center of Light
Classroom Confidential is wonderful. I wish I had read it before my first years’ teaching. I think I made all the mistakes before learning all the lessons summarized in the book. It is excellent, wise and I totally agree with all of the author’s points absolutely. This work is a gift to new teachers.
Patrick Dowd
Retired High School Counselor
Advance Praise
I wish I had the advice from Classroom Confidential when I was a first year teacher. Mrs. Lucido wonderfully describes the realities of the teaching profession ranging from staff lounge conversations to eating in the classroom. These aspects weren’t taught in teacher preparation school, yet must be discussed and understood before you step foot into your own classroom in order to be an effective, happy, and sane teacher! The transparency of the many facets of a teacher’s school life and identity, combined with advice on how to handle various situations, will help any teacher add to their “bag of tricks.“ While I am still amazed Mrs. Lucido survived 33 years teaching in public schools, I now understand the personality, outlook, and drive that kept her, and many others, happily in the teaching profession for so long. Regardless if you’re a first or tenth year teacher, Classroom Confidential offers insight and tips to navigate your next school year. Thank you, Mrs. Lucido, for impacting so many students’ lives and helping myself and so many others navigate this profession!
Kimberly Kellam
Academic Coach
Walter Colton Middle School
Vickie Lucido has seen it all over her 33 year teaching career and shares her experiences with humor and wit to help prepare you for teaching in ways other teaching books do not. In Classroom Confidential, you’ll find answers to questions that you never knew you had, but are essential to your success and longevity as a teacher. Have you ever considered how to handle an angry mom? Or how to prepare for a room full of tired parents on Back to School night? Or how to ride the storm when budget cuts and pink slips are on the horizon? Classroom Confidential is a quick and essential read for new and experienced teachers alike with straightforward tips for succeeding in what is a very challenging profession.
Marianne Hartfelt
Art Teacher
Monterey High School