In
preparation for teaching this week I want to think about where I've been, and
where I’m going. Having taught at Burrillville High School I had some really
great feedback from my cooperating teacher- work
on my teacher presence, get comfortable with silence and wait-time… so this
time around I have some personal goals for myself- having concrete and clearly
written lesson plans- because lesson plans are something I truly struggle with,
I’m looking to prove that I can create a SOLID lesson plan. Really considering
the in’s and out’s of it, and understanding each part of the whole. This means
changing my writing from “for me” into “for others.” This “grocery list”
concept really hit a nerve for me and I need to change this bad habit. A.s.a.p.
I also want
to have a better understanding of the students’ grade level and what they are
capable of- I feel like I constantly underestimate what students are capable
of, and I need to up the ante.
Then there
comes the goals of teaching with a partner; I think it’s easier said than done.
I don’t want it to be super scripted, as in, you say this, I say this… so I suppose I’m looking for equal give
and take- the good ‘ol ebb and flow.
I think this
sum’s up the bulk of my insecurities, but will put a nice pressure on myself to
live up to… Wish me luck.
Faith, I like how you mentioned underestimating what the students are capable of. Though we do a fair share of observations before teaching, the teacher gives us an idea about what we should be teaching, and we have standards to guide us, I think it is difficult to know what a 7th grader can/should be doing versus what an 8th grader can/should be doing. And sometimes the idea of grade distinctions is so irrelevant. Whether they are at the same school or not, in the same grade or not, what Johnny can/should be doing is different from what Molly can/should be doing. So many factors go into a students' performance...thus the problem of standardization, anything "one size fits all." Humm...I guess that's what formative assessment is for. Teach, gather info about what the students learn, and then use it to ratchet the complexity up another level!
ReplyDeleteGood luck, Faith! (That's me following your clear directions...)
ReplyDeleteI like that you've had some breakthroughs where your challenges are concerned. And, though I know you've been struggling a lot with the lesson plan/template, I am proud of you for pinpointing precisely WHY the template/formate was paralyzing you. I also want you to know that the template is artificial in that it is a "crutch" for you to develop the habit of thinking of all those components when you write your teaching plans. When Dr. Johnson and I plan the class together, we think through the class by "chunking" sections and devoting those "chunks" to certain topics, tasks or activities. Then, for each chunk, we think through: what is our purpose? what directions/prompts do we need to provide? How will we assess this? How will we share our results out with the group? What comes next? So, in effect, we are using an inner template to develop our lesson plan.. That is all we want you to do: develop an internalized system for thinking through these many questions and considerations before you teach. Some teachers do this in a notebook. Some do it on a whiteboard. Some do it in the car on their way to school. Some type them up and deliver them to their principal. Some don't do it at all because they have handy dandy scripted lessons provided to them from the Dana Center. ;-)
And, I think that the more time you spend with young people, the better sense you will get of what they are capable of. You've been hanging around with adults and college folk for a while, now, and it's fair to give yourself a little time to 'research' these folks you'll be teaching: who are they? what do they care about? what excites them? what turns them off? what are they talking about?
Thank you for your thoughts, Faith, and I'm really looking forward to seeing you teach today!