MM gave you some excellent advice.
I wanted to stress the importance of learning the state
standards and working backwards from there. And, finding out
where the English II teacher expects kids to be. Great
insight from MM.
Also, find out what the outcomes of the English department
include. If you are teaching truly ENGLISH, they will be
different than teaching LANGUAGE ARTS. For example, my 4
outcomes are improvement in reading, writing, speaking and
listening (we fall into a language arts curriculum).
Our English I class has an emphasis on young adult
literature. I am not sure if this is the medium our teacher
chooses or if this is typical of a freshman English class.
(we only have 1 at each level ... well, except for me, I am
English III and IV).
One other thing to consider, I assuming since you are teaching
English I, then this is your student's first year in high
school. Depending on what emphasis has been placed on
transitioning from middle to high school, you may spend more
time than expected on what is expected of being a HIGH school
student. For instance, the middle school that feeds our high
school is VERY hand-holdy. Students show up as freshmen and
get quite a shock of what it's like to be a high school
student. This is one area our district could improve.
Nothing to be afraid of, just something to consider.
Best of luck! You are entering a great field!
Oh, p.s. passion and excitement about your content goes a
LONG way in getting students to come along on the ride. Don't
be afraid to show enthusiasm to students.
On 5/14/08, MM in Tampa wrote:
> This was my first year teaching ELA after 3 years of Math -
I
> was terrified! What helped me was becoming familiar with
the
> state standards, testing dates and deadlines, and curriculum
> available to me (including test prep). Talk with other
> teachers in the department and the department head and ask
> what they do, their pacing, units, etc. Many will be happy
> to share with you. It might also really help to talk to the
> teachers that teach II, III, and IV to find out what they
> wish their students came in knowing - that might give you a
> basis to start on. Biggest advice - use the materials
you've
> got - don't reinvent the wheel! There are tons of websites
> out there (including this one) that have unit ideas and
whole
> lesson plans for teachers to use until they develop their
> own. My year was a bit of "on the job training" but overall
> went really well. My kids ended up loving a lot of what I
> did (of course not all) and things that I tried for the
first
> time usually went smoothly. It's all about taking advantage
> of what you've got in terms of resources and other teachers,
> and then being organized and planning well. I loved it, and
> will stay in ELA for a while! Good luck to you!
>
> On 5/14/08, newteacher wrote:
>> I will be teaching English I for the first time next
>> year. I have never taught English before although it was
>> my minor and I am certified to teach it. Do any of you
>> have any advice or ideas for me?
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