Hi - I need some ideas for a low prep 30 minute lesson that I can teach for my 2nd interview. There will be real students, but mixed age groups (summer school class). Any ideas are welcome - need a jumpstart of my creative juices. I really want to impress them! Thanks in advance
On 7/23/12, Need Ideas wrote: > Hi - I need some ideas for a low prep 30 minute lesson that > I can teach for my 2nd interview. There will be real > students, but mixed age groups (summer school class). Any > ideas are welcome - need a jumpstart of my creative > juices. I really want to impress them! Thanks in advance
I haven't been given a grade level yet, but was told it would be with the students in summer school, so I'm expecting a mixed group maybe 1-3 graders. What kind of co-op strategy do you suggest?
I was thinking of doing a "verb" search in a story we read together, then having students create new sentences with the verbs we find - but I would first start with a reminder of what a verb is.
This is a tech saavy school, so I could potentially use their smartboards or projector to display the lesson/story...I'm thinking of even using Microsoft Mouse Mischief and my own laptop to create an interactive lesson...
It seems like I might have missed something during student teaching; I have a lot of trouble getting the students to pay attention to my lessons, but I don't really blame them, because I don't organize lessons well or teach in a coherent fashion sometimes. I just don't know how to break it down for them, and inventing effective lessons to cover the material is almost impossible. I feel completely overwhelmed. The worksheets I type up just don't look authentic, and I don't know how to help students ease into anything; I just expect them to know it.
The school hasn't given me any guidelines for teaching what they want taught, and I wonder if this is how it is supposed to be. If so, teaching is incredibly difficult, even if you are very familiar with your subject. This is something I really want to do, though, and I did go to school for it. I'm just missing something. Some things aren't organized enough, and I don't have the right kinds of teaching materials, and I don't know how to invent them. Is it like this for everyone new?
On 8/10/12, Subteacher86 wrote: > Wow, > > It seems like I might have missed something during student > teaching; I have a lot of trouble getting the students to > pay attention to my lessons, but I don't really blame them, > because I don't organize lessons well or teach in a > coherent fashion sometimes. I just don't know how to break > it down for them, and inventing effective lessons to cover > the material is almost impossible. I feel completely > overwhelmed. The worksheets I type up just don't look > authentic, and I don't know how to help students ease into > anything; I just expect them to know it. > > The school hasn't given me any guidelines for teaching what > they want taught, and I wonder if this is how it is > supposed to be. If so, teaching is incredibly difficult, > even if you are very familiar with your subject. This is > something I really want to do, though, and I did go to > school for it. I'm just missing something. Some things > aren't organized enough, and I don't have the right kinds > of teaching materials, and I don't know how to invent them. > Is it like this for everyone new?
I can't teach elementary school because it requires too much 'thinking of lessons' on my part. I teach Middle School and I find it Much easier to come up with lessons in Middle School and in the two subjects I teach.
These days you can find lessons the Internet but putting them across can be a challenge. I depend a lot on discussion in my classes and last year I took a new job at a special needs school and my students will not discuss so I'm learning how to fill a period too.
We are all thrown to the wolves in our first year or two - there's no other way. Go on youtube - you can look up lessons in every field. Observe experienced teachers if you can - subbing is a way to gain some experience, you'll be reading over someone else's lesson plan. Look up 'curriculum' and curriculum ideas and lesson planning on google and a lot will come up.
> Who should I approach about this? I haven't been offered a > permanent position, and I have little confidence during > teaching job interviews, and it probably shows. In my mind, > it is all my fault when things don't go right, but > approaching my principal about this would probably result in > not getting the job. I really do want to teach, but I think > I've been thrown to the wolves, and I don't know what to do > about it. > > > On 8/10/12, Subteacher86 wrote: >> Wow, >> >> It seems like I might have missed something during student >> teaching; I have a lot of trouble getting the students to >> pay attention to my lessons, but I don't really blame them, >> because I don't organize lessons well or teach in a >> coherent fashion sometimes. I just don't know how to break >> it down for them, and inventing effective lessons to cover >> the material is almost impossible. I feel completely >> overwhelmed. The worksheets I type up just don't look >> authentic, and I don't know how to help students ease into >> anything; I just expect them to know it. >> >> The school hasn't given me any guidelines for teaching what >> they want taught, and I wonder if this is how it is >> supposed to be. If so, teaching is incredibly difficult, >> even if you are very familiar with your subject. This is >> something I really want to do, though, and I did go to >> school for it. I'm just missing something. Some things >> aren't organized enough, and I don't have the right kinds >> of teaching materials, and I don't know how to invent them. >> Is it like this for everyone new?
How has the legal system evolved, as it applies to special education, over the past 20 years, and how has that affected the legal framework for special education today?
In your opinion are there any elements of special education law that need refinement?
My principal requested that some of us apply to become qualified teacher mentors and I happily agreed. I am in my 5th year of teaching and feel I am not experienced enough to help new teachers in their new positions. The question I have concerns my state's 4 year mentoring program.
Where I live, the newly graduated, first year teachers no longer take the Praxis 3. Instead, they are put into a 4-yr internship program, which requires mentoring for 4 years. I have always wondered how a school can ensure 4 years of this, along with all that has to be done in those 4 yrs.
I know my school will offer a stipend to any mentor teacher, but the rest is somewhat vague. Does anybody have any experience in mentoring for 4 years? I'd like some advice or at least an idea of what is expected of me.
On 9/29/12, Future mentor wrote: > Hello, everybody! > > My principal requested that some of us apply to become > qualified teacher mentors and I happily agreed. I am in my > 5th year of teaching and feel I am not experienced enough to > help new teachers in their new positions. The question I > have concerns my state's 4 year mentoring program. > > Where I live, the newly graduated, first year teachers no > longer take the Praxis 3. Instead, they are put into a 4-yr > internship program, which requires mentoring for 4 years. I > have always wondered how a school can ensure 4 years of > this, along with all that has to be done in those 4 yrs. > > I know my school will offer a stipend to any mentor teacher, > but the rest is somewhat vague. Does anybody have any > experience in mentoring for 4 years? I'd like some advice or > at least an idea of what is expected of me. > > Thanks!
My name is Matthew Callison. I am a former elementary teacher working on my PhD in the School of Education at Indiana University Bloomington.
I am writing to ask for your voluntary participation in an online survey I created as part of a research study I am conducting. The purpose of this study is to learn more about elementary teachers knowledge of, and experience with, student-centered teaching approaches. My hope is that the information gathered in this study can be used to understand how we can better support elementary teachers.
If you are an elementary teacher, please consider participating in this online survey. Your experiences as an elementary teacher are invaluable in helping researchers and teacher educators learn more about how to support teachers like you in your important work.
The survey should take about 15 minutes to complete and does not collect any personal information unless you decide to leave your contact information at the end of the survey. You can learn more about the study and begin the survey (if you choose to participate) by visiting the link below:
[link removed]
If you know of other elementary teachers who may wish to participate in this study, please feel free to forward this email to them.
Thank you for your time.
Matthew Callison Doctoral Student Instructional Systems Technology, School of Education, Indiana University Bloomington [email removed]
Come to class, well prepared, have a least 3 different activities planned for each class...
Use everything from internet to videoes to supplement your curriculums, but the meat of your class should be their reading, homework, and participation in class discussion...
Discipline is the most important quality of every teacher, if you have poor classroom control you will fail...
Be their teacher, not their friend.....13 year olds do not need 24 year old friends....they need a teacher who is understanding, yet firm... Be upfront about your expectations in the classroom and enforce them...
I know the problem is lack of preparation....See MoreI am a mentor to a first year teacher. Although I think she wants to do a good job, when it comes time to do the work, it doesn't happen. We are over 9 weeks into the year and there is very little effective small group instruction going on. Management s a huge issue, so whole group is a disaster.
I know the problem is lack of preparation. Her focus has been on centers, and changing them up each week. She wants her classroom to be "fun".
Whenever we are scheduled to meet, something comes up or she only has a few minutes. I am very concerned, and feel responsible as her mentor.
I need a plan if action. I know that we should focus on one thing at a time. I also know it will take follow up on my part to make sure she is following through. I am a full time teacher so this will be difficult. Also, as a mentor, I am not an evaluator. But, without pointing out areas of improvement and follow up, nothing is going to change.
How do I handle this as a peer and as a mentor? Suggestions for my plan of action?
I will add that she totally blames the kids and their behavior. There is no reflection on her part that she might be at fault.
You can - if you're brave and your administration doesn't mind - read her the riot act. You can say things like "I want to help you but things are not going to get better until you..."
By the way, does she recognize it's a disaster and does that bother her? There's nothing wrong with wanting a class to be fun - though it's unrealistic to think that a class can be made to be 'fun' every day. My goal for my classes is that they be an experience the kids find positive - I don't use the word fun but I do want a positive class every day. I want a class the kids look forward to coming back to each day. Does that mean it has to be fun? I don't think so and my class isn't always fun - I wish I could achieve that but I do my best - but it's always a positive class. I think the kids can see I'm trying hard to make it work in everybody's best interest. I really care about the kids and about their school experience.
Why did this person go into teaching? What are her goals? But why not strongly suggest to her that she let the 'centers' go and get things under control.
Not every two teachers were meant to work together - does your school require her to meet with you? If not, then there's not much if anything you can do. Here our mentor teachers do get to evaluate us.
To me it sounds like a 'heart to heart' wouldn't be out of order - ask her - do you want any help? Or do you want to go it all alone? Does she have a relationship with any other building teachers? You could quietly ask them to pitch in and help.
Can she have a sub and spend a day observing in other classrooms? That can be an eye-opener if that can be made to happen. > >
> > > > I need a plan if action. I know that we should focus on one > thing at a time. I also know it will take follow up on my > part to make sure she is following through. I am a full > time teacher so this will be difficult. Also, as a mentor, > I am not an evaluator. But, without pointing out areas of > improvement and follow up, nothing is going to change. > > How do I handle this as a peer and as a mentor? Suggestions > for my plan of action? > > I will add that she totally blames the kids and their > behavior. There is no reflection on her part that she might > be at fault.
Neat idea! Going For Gold - A Way Teachers Can Gain Perspective - by Sarah Powley
I tell this story now to beginning teachers and others who are temporarily off their stride. You’ll get to yellow. One square at a time. And then it will be time to go for gold...
On 7/23/12, Need Ideas wrote: > Hi - I need some ideas for a low prep 30 minute lesson that > I can teach for my 2nd interview. There will be real &g...See More