The beginning of the TPGP to be completed ASAFP before I become MIA in AUS to teach 10,11, & 12...

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...