Well, another semester in the MT program is coming to a close. It's been a worthwhile year of self improvement; most of which involved me being humbled by students and partner teachers alike. That being said, it is time to start developing a personal growth plan that will aid me in my first year of teaching.
1.) Become more organized
-Get a hold of a filing cabinet to house all of my teaching resources.
-Divide grades and subjects up.
-Separate units appropriately.
-Create exams for known units and save them online/in filing cabinet.
-Stay true to the system listed above. Do not put things in improper order thinking "I'll fix it later". Regular people can't find the time; successful people make the time.
This is the first lesson I learned during semester 3. I know that I have managed to fumble through post secondary education being as disorganized as I am, and still doing reasonably well, because I was only looking after me. I now know that I cannot act the same way when looking after 120 different student's works. Staying true to the system is a matter of maintaining discipline in demanding a higher standard of myself. I believe that this is key.
2.) Have differentiated plans for units before you teach a class.
-Look at available units I might have to teach.
-Select the preliminary assignments that would be appropriate.
-Start adjusting these assignments for differentiation.
-Make sure this is done before a unit is started.
Preparing for differentiated classes is the only way to effectively teach them. I feel as though it's a shame when a teacher teaches a class and doesn't plan for differentiation until they realize, by the first exam, that some students aren't "getting it". If you have the plans there and use them a few times, chances are you will reach more individuals.
3.) Balance work and leisure appropriately.
-Manage class time in such a way to get work done while the students are getting work done. There's no sense in sitting around looking pretty when there are things to do.
*Never do this at the expense of the students!
-Manage to leave class 45 mins after class is let out every single day.
-Reserve 2 hours for family time and 2 hours for hobby time.
-Enter marks into the computer within one week of obtaining them.
-Emphasize peer review as an assessment practice to ensure you are working for your students, and they are working for each other too.
This balance is the difference between a teacher who enjoys their work, and an individual suffering patterned baldness on account of extreme stress levels. I believe that staying consistent and budgeting your time properly allows teachers to have more social time than many professors and other teachers have admitted to. Again, maintaining discipline is the key. I also believe that students should be used as an additional assessment on one another. In doing so, students receive more feedback on their work and prevent the entire marking workload from being on your shoulders. It's not so much as tricking students into doing your work so much as it is making your work the work that they should appreciate doing/getting.
4.) Stop leaving things to the last minute.
-Begin preparing interim/regular report card comments and findings, at least, two weeks before they are due.
-Have general unit plans ready for the entire year before the semester even starts.
-Enter unit marks for students into the computer within 1 week of obtaining them.
-Ensure all parents have been communicated with, at least, once before any major unit test/pt interview takes place.
Again, discipline is the key to this one. There are many more aspects that I would like to focus on in order to "track" my progress, but these are the main ones that stick out (I can't remember the others at the moment). At any rate, adequately preparing for the year and not leaving things to the last minute will, likely, ensure that I stay fresh throughout each term. If I can manage to stay fresh in mind and body, I am sure that will translate into better teaching practices. As such, my students will, hopefully, remain fresh in my classroom.
I will update this blog later today...
Monday, April 19, 2010
Friday, April 16, 2010
Tekno Noob Not So Noobish Anymore...
It's been a long 13 weeks since I joined Inquiry and Technology SIPS. It's hard to imagine a time when I didn't have any clue about Xtranormal, GIMP software, Comic life, presi.com, etc. Truth be told, I can barely believe that I was hardly aware of these programs being available, let alone familiar with them...
During my 3rd semester practicum, I was (in part) against using technology in the classroom to any great degree. Since I was not exposed to technology very much during high school, I thought that emphasizing on technology would pull my students away from the traditional learning that would serve them well in University. However, what I discovered (during my practicum and during semester 4) was that I had grown to learn, and love, using technology as a student. Being an older individual, I was failing to give my students the same opportunities that I have already had in using and adapting to technology.
During semester 3, I made a gradual transition to begin using computer and internet technologies for my classes. This started out with a brief internet scavenger hunt in an effort to teach my students how to research information on the net. From there, students were instructed how to site specific information from the web using an MLA style guide. Finally, I had students conduct an online research assignment that was meant to serve their assignment in a debate regarding the Youth Criminal Justice Act. While this progression may have been rudimentary at best (and a weird form of corporeal punishment at worst) I believe my students began to appreciate the internet as a resource for information rather than something they can use to communicate with friends.
Still, during my practicum, I was very unfamiliar with technology and how I could use it efficiently and effectively in my classroom. Through the past few weeks and months, I have viewed several programs, websites, and applications that could be vital to my teaching career. I've gone further adapt several of thse programs for use in my classroom based on the curriculums I am familiar with. In turn, these programs have gone on to facilitate creating a few great tasks for my students to undertake in general (and specific) inquiry. My body of work, while small, shows that my understanding of technology in the classroom is growing. Since I have information planned out for tasks, assignments, and an entire unit, I can work towards developing every other unit to have similar tasks that will ensure great learning opportunities and a level of consistency in my classroom.
I must admit that there is still much work to be done. I have not fully explored the possibilities for creative lessons and units found in Intelligence Online, or the Galileo website. Each of these websites holds a tremendous amount of possibility which excites me in ways I never thought lesson planning could. I will no longer have to sit and think of simple exercises to push through a lesson. I will not have to go through the motions in a novel or a textbook because it's "what everyone else does". Instead, I can tap into a collective/collaborative wealth of knowledge that serves to aid me as I serve to contribute back. To me, this newfound collective approach to teaching leaves me filled with hope and inspiration to teach.
That's not to mention the importance of exploring my programs of choice to their fullest extent. I must work diligently in order to find the potential for each program. I must also intend on putting these programs into practice for my future students. The time for theory has ended. Now it is time to put what I have learned into practice...
During my 3rd semester practicum, I was (in part) against using technology in the classroom to any great degree. Since I was not exposed to technology very much during high school, I thought that emphasizing on technology would pull my students away from the traditional learning that would serve them well in University. However, what I discovered (during my practicum and during semester 4) was that I had grown to learn, and love, using technology as a student. Being an older individual, I was failing to give my students the same opportunities that I have already had in using and adapting to technology.
During semester 3, I made a gradual transition to begin using computer and internet technologies for my classes. This started out with a brief internet scavenger hunt in an effort to teach my students how to research information on the net. From there, students were instructed how to site specific information from the web using an MLA style guide. Finally, I had students conduct an online research assignment that was meant to serve their assignment in a debate regarding the Youth Criminal Justice Act. While this progression may have been rudimentary at best (and a weird form of corporeal punishment at worst) I believe my students began to appreciate the internet as a resource for information rather than something they can use to communicate with friends.
Still, during my practicum, I was very unfamiliar with technology and how I could use it efficiently and effectively in my classroom. Through the past few weeks and months, I have viewed several programs, websites, and applications that could be vital to my teaching career. I've gone further adapt several of thse programs for use in my classroom based on the curriculums I am familiar with. In turn, these programs have gone on to facilitate creating a few great tasks for my students to undertake in general (and specific) inquiry. My body of work, while small, shows that my understanding of technology in the classroom is growing. Since I have information planned out for tasks, assignments, and an entire unit, I can work towards developing every other unit to have similar tasks that will ensure great learning opportunities and a level of consistency in my classroom.
I must admit that there is still much work to be done. I have not fully explored the possibilities for creative lessons and units found in Intelligence Online, or the Galileo website. Each of these websites holds a tremendous amount of possibility which excites me in ways I never thought lesson planning could. I will no longer have to sit and think of simple exercises to push through a lesson. I will not have to go through the motions in a novel or a textbook because it's "what everyone else does". Instead, I can tap into a collective/collaborative wealth of knowledge that serves to aid me as I serve to contribute back. To me, this newfound collective approach to teaching leaves me filled with hope and inspiration to teach.
That's not to mention the importance of exploring my programs of choice to their fullest extent. I must work diligently in order to find the potential for each program. I must also intend on putting these programs into practice for my future students. The time for theory has ended. Now it is time to put what I have learned into practice...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)