returning to teach after leave of absence

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Social Studies Teachers Chatboard

returning to teach after leave of absence

by Linda

Jun 12, 2011

Any suggestions on how I can successfully transition from teaching middle school geography for 6 years to teaching three social studies subjects (economics, government, and state history) at the high school level? I'm returning to teach after a 2 year personal leave of absence and my certification is social studies grades 6 through 12. Any thoughts and/or suggestions are welcome and appreciated.

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Sara On 6/12/11, Linda wrote: > Any suggestions on how I can successfully transition from > teaching middle school geography for 6 years to teaching > three social studies subjects (economics, government, and > state history) at the high school level? I'm returning to > teach after a 2 year personal leave of absence and my > certificat...See MoreOn 6/12/11, Linda wrote: > Any suggestions on how I can successfully transition from > teaching middle school geography for 6 years to teaching > three social studies subjects (economics, government, and > state history) at the high school level? I'm returning to > teach after a 2 year personal leave of absence and my > certification is social studies grades 6 through 12. Any > thoughts and/or suggestions are welcome and appreciated.

You're going to have a busy first year - I transitioned several times in my career and that first year is always a doozy and we need to burn the midnight oil.

But it can be done and successfully! It's tiring and it's good to set aside other things in that transition year - sleeping was one of them for me... but I motivated myself by saying I was building a new future and I was and it worked.

Start this summer or start now. Read the textbooks for the classes you'll be teaching. But every night you'll be spending a chunk of time preparing lesson plans for the next day.

If you'll have a room with a computer and video projector, use youtube. You'll be amazed at the interesting stuff on youtube and kids respond very well to it. Teachers videotape their class having a lesson - kids love watching the antics of another classroom. Every day punch in your next lesson on google with the word 'video' or 'lesson' and see what comes up - there's a WEALTH of material online these days.

State History sounds like the easiest of the three - and risks being the most boring. For any high school class especially when you're new and uncertain, don't make it worse by piling on the homework and creating whole classrooms of angry, resentful teenagers. NEVER give homework on weekends or holidays. Never give an assignment when you don't have the previous assignment handed back to them already and tell them that. Parents like to hear it actually. "I have to give these a professional evaluation - I don't like to rush through papers you've worked hard on so I'm not giving more homework until I've done my homework and gotten these back to you."

That single statement will save you a lot of work and hassle.

For government, do simulations. Simulate various structures of government - I do monarchy, oligarchy, pure democracy and for representative democracy we have a mock election. I 'select' a monarch to give them the feel of how it feels to just have a monarch dumped on you.

Then I pretty much teach history - the results of government. I do do parliamentary government because major countries have such a government. But then I look at the results of our government from the beginning with a lot of focus on the Constitution which is NOT boring.

Economics - I'd start with the current debacle. How did we get into this mess? That will get their attention and it's a relevant and timely way to start an economics class.

I hope that helps. And since your background is really geography, I'd end the year in all three classes with a unit on global warming - whether you or I believe in it or not doesn't matter. It's a Hot Topic - if it's true what are the economic impacts of that? What impact is the belief in global warming having on government? (what was the very first initative President Obama took?? Global warming.)

For State history, start with state geography to give yourself a break and help you to feel on familiar ground.

Good luck - you're building a new future! Mine paid off and yours will too. Post back - let us know how it goes.

Jun 14, 2011

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Linda Sara, Thanks so much for your response. You've provided a lot of helpful information. I've already pulled the textbooks and am slowly working my way through them. I've also looked at several short YouTube videos and found a few interesting ones. I'll search for more. This position is quite different from what I am used to, but not impossible to tac...See MoreSara, Thanks so much for your response. You've provided a lot of helpful information. I've already pulled the textbooks and am slowly working my way through them. I've also looked at several short YouTube videos and found a few interesting ones. I'll search for more. This position is quite different from what I am used to, but not impossible to tackle. Discipline and faith in my abilities. Yes, I'll keep you posted. Thank you again!

On 6/14/11, Sara wrote: > On 6/12/11, Linda wrote: >> Any suggestions on how I can successfully transition from >> teaching middle school geography for 6 years to teaching >> three social studies subjects (economics, government, and >> state history) at the high school level? I'm returning to >> teach after a 2 year personal leave of absence and my >> certification is social studies grades 6 through 12. Any >> thoughts and/or suggestions are welcome and appreciated. > > > You're going to have a busy first year - I transitioned > several times in my career and that first year is always a > doozy and we need to burn the midnight oil. > > But it can be done and successfully! It's tiring and it's > good to set aside other things in that transition year - > sleeping was one of them for me... but I motivated myself by > saying I was building a new future and I was and it worked. > > Start this summer or start now. Read the textbooks for the > classes you'll be teaching. But every night you'll be > spending a chunk of time preparing lesson plans for the next > day. > > If you'll have a room with a computer and video projector, > use youtube. You'll be amazed at the interesting stuff on > youtube and kids respond very well to it. Teachers videotape > their class having a lesson - kids love watching the antics > of another classroom. Every day punch in your next lesson on > google with the word 'video' or 'lesson' and see what comes > up - there's a WEALTH of material online these days. > > State History sounds like the easiest of the three - and > risks being the most boring. For any high school class > especially when you're new and uncertain, don't make it worse > by piling on the homework and creating whole classrooms of > angry, resentful teenagers. NEVER give homework on weekends > or holidays. Never give an assignment when you don't have the > previous assignment handed back to them already and tell them > that. Parents like to hear it actually. "I have to give these > a professional evaluation - I don't like to rush through > papers you've worked hard on so I'm not giving more homework > until I've done my homework and gotten these back to you." > > That single statement will save you a lot of work and hassle. > > For government, do simulations. Simulate various structures > of government - I do monarchy, oligarchy, pure democracy and > for representative democracy we have a mock election. > I 'select' a monarch to give them the feel of how it feels to > just have a monarch dumped on you. > > Then I pretty much teach history - the results of government. > I do do parliamentary government because major countries have > such a government. But then I look at the results of our > government from the beginning with a lot of focus on the > Constitution which is NOT boring. > > Economics - I'd start with the current debacle. How did we > get into this mess? That will get their attention and it's a > relevant and timely way to start an economics class. > > I hope that helps. And since your background is really > geography, I'd end the year in all three classes with a unit > on global warming - whether you or I believe in it or not > doesn't matter. It's a Hot Topic - if it's true what are the > economic impacts of that? What impact is the belief in global > warming having on government? (what was the very first > initative President Obama took?? Global warming.) > > For State history, start with state geography to give > yourself a break and help you to feel on familiar ground. > > Good luck - you're building a new future! Mine paid off and > yours will too. Post back - let us know how it goes.

Jun 14, 2011

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