Thanks for the great class. You are such good participants that you make class interesting, educational, and fun. Thank you for that!
Here are the responses from today's questions.
1) Many schools do require teachers to hand in lesson plans. The format of those plans depends on the individual schools.
2) NCLB is a law. We will not spend much time on school law. You'll get an entire course in that at a later date.
3) You will learn more about different teaching and learning styles in your content methods courses. Be patient - you'll get to all of it eventually.
4) Yes, you may have teachers in your school who do not want to cooperate with the other teachers. There are numerous ways to deal with that. You might try to include them and make them an 'important' part of the process so they feel needed and like they're leading. Sometimes principals step and lead the team meetings so everyone does participate. Sometimes the people who want to cooperate just go ahead. The outsider usually buys into events especially if they see thing working.
5) KWL - What do you KNOW? What do you WANT to know? What have you LEARNED?
6) We often worked together in my junior high / middle school. We did school wide projects that integrated everything - music, art, all content courses, everything. We also did a science fair project that integrated the science aspect in science, the research part in reading, and paper writing aspect in language arts. When you teach social studies, it's always easy to integrate language arts, incorporate the music and/or art of the time period. I did a US Project with my 7th graders where they planned a cross country trip. They had to figure mileage, determine roads to follow, pay attention to the weather, note the flora and fauna of the areas they were traveling through, etc. etc. all kind of things.
7) I'm pleased that you'd like to have more time in class. (People wouldn't believe that's true even if I told them you said it.) However, there's nothing I can do about it.
8) No, we can't change class to later in the day. :)
9) Teaching religion in the classroom is just fine. As long as you TEACH and don't PREACH, and teach about ALL of them in a historical perspective, you're fine. Actually, you need to do that.
Ok - so there ya' go. I hope you add comments or questions.
Enjoy your time in the field.
See you next Friday.
Diann
14 comments:
You always seem to have a confidence level that is really high. As a teacher, do you ever get nervous? What are some ways to boost confidence before entering the classroom?
I have a question concerning religion. In the classroom what is appropriate to talk about and discuss with my children (especially in the public schools) when religion is brought up?
Thanks!
Ellen Prout
Hi, I'm just checking in to say I've read the blog! I appreciate you taking the time for all of the questions. Questions I wouldn't even think about until they are posted are answered on here. About the bathroom situation described in an earlier post I believe - I never thought about it! I sure hope I never have to do that! Kristen Rose
I just want to know-from those of you who started in their field hour today-how it went? I dont do mine untill thursday so i was curious!
My field experience was on Monday and It was different. I'm at Leverette and the school is very nice. I just felt that we were very un-needed, and thats one of the reasons I wanted to go there because I thought I'd feel appreciated. Hopefully it gets better!! But my teacher and student teacher are very nice!
Hi all,
Confidence? Let's see - I think 38 years of teaching at every possible level probably has something to do with the confidence level. Honestly, I get nervous every year before every class. There's always the little nudge that it might not click this time. I always have a hard time sleeping that night before classes start.,
Religion is a perfectly fine topic. You MUST teach about religion in MCE. The key is you teach it 'historically' or 'culturally' you teach 'about' religion - you don't preach it. And you teach about all religions. Comparative religions is one of the most fascinating and fun topics to teach.
Erica - please identify yourself and the problem to Rachel and tell her I suggested a different placement without a student teacher. I'm not happy with you having a teacher and a student teacher in the room, That will definitely make you feel less needed and we have enough placement not to have that happening.
See you Friday.
So, today was my first day at Levverette and I really enjoyed myself. I have heard so many stereotypes about the school that I didn't know exactly what to think. The school was very welcoming and felt very safe. The students were mostly minority students, but they were just your normal seventh grade bunch. I am really looking forward to getting to know the students and working with the school for the remainder of the semester.
While I was at my placement today my teacher asked if we needed to make any type of portfolio for this class and I wasn't sure.. so is there any type of portfolio we will be putting together this semester?
-Stephanie Seim
No portfolio now. As stated several times, you'll do your portfolio in your general methods class. EDTL 340.
I had my first field day today at McCord Junior High. I had a really good experience today and the teacher i am working with is really nice. She definately knows her stuff and she knows a lot of my teachers at BG and both of my jr high math teachers. She in fact put into place the math program i went through in jr high a few years before that at my school--the connected math program. I am lucky to have been able to watch her first three classes of the day which range from her furthest behind her furthest ahead and one right in the middle. I am excited to be there the rest of the semester!
I also enjoyed my field experience. My teacher was in a bad mood cause everything bad was happening to her that day. The whole school had to shut down the computers which she was using to give a powerpoint so the class could take notes. When she had to shut down, she improvised with saying the definition and having the class write down the word they thought matched her definition and someone put it on a index card and stuck it on the board. Quick thinking and good improvising, I thought
is anyone else really confused by the teaching philosophy I am having a really hard time writing it are there examples in the book because I could not find any
AMY - You're not supposed to be writing a teaching philosophy. Read the assignment. You are to research MCE philosophies or mission statements on line. Find an article or example and take notes on what it said - then create 2 discussion questions for class.
I was kind of wondering about religion myself. I went to public schools from K-8, but went to a Catholic high school, so I have seen it from both ends. It has been such a long time since I was in a public school, that I wasn't sure if I was supposed to say "Under God" during the Pledge of Allegiance. I don't think that a teacher should come out and give their religious opinions, but if a student wants to talk about it before or after class, I think the teacher should be allowed to do so.
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