Now the questions and self-doubt begin to surface . . .
- You have prepared yourself - but have you really?
- Are you second guessing what you need to do?
- Are you worried you made a mistake?
- Feeling paralyzed or sick to your stomach?
RELAX! We all have asked those same questions - some of us year after year. We succeeded and we want to help you succeed too. These are some of the most exciting times in your career - ENJOY them!
Butte BTSA is here to provide you with the resources and support you need to get through your first two years. We want to start by providing you with some simple suggestions for what to do during the first few days and weeks.
Below are a series of video clips that provide insight, suggestions, and support for the first year teacher.
A great place to start is with a checklist. The first item on the list is to set a meeting with a mentor. Take a look at the clip and then respond to the prompt with your ideas and questions.
All clips provided with permission from:
2007 Conscious Teaching LLC
Conscious Classroom Teaching
Unlocking the Secrets of Great Teaching
Now that you have viewed the clip:
Write down all the questions and concerns that arise for you - particularly the ones that might be keeping you up at night. Contact your BTSA Support Provider and go over your questions.
List one or two of your questions on this blog in the comments box. Provide answers to your questions based on the conversation between you and your Support Provider so others can utilize the information. You might ask a question another teacher forgot to ask! (Special note: You may use the anonymous post, but please include an identifier (first name/last initial or an appropriate nickname) which we will be able to identify you.
If you don't yet have a Support Provider, visit with your principal to determine who might be the best fit for you and your content area.
7 comments:
What is the procedure for taking roll? This will be different from school to school, but common practice is to develop a seating chart on the first day of school. I found it helpful to make name tents at each desk that were written large enough for me to see from around the room. This helped me call students by name on the very first day. It's also a quick way to see if anyone is absent. Rick Smith suggests creating a seating chart on an overhead transparency and having it displayed as students come in the classroom. They look up at the chart and sit accordingly. Either way, I have a "cheat sheet" of students' names. :) N Baker
On the first day in a primary classroom, it is helpful to have assigned seats with nametags already there for the students to see when they arrive. Little ones like to know that you have a place for them already planned out. It is easy to see who is absent for roll by just looking for unoccupied spots at the desks. Lunch count is another easy one with some prep - I use tongue depressers with the students' names on them and a magnet on the back. They place them as they com in the morning on the white board under "yes" (for yes, I am having hot lunch) or under "no" (for no, I have lunch from home) and you can have a helper add the yes names up! It is fast and fun. ;o) Mrs.M@CCDS
Being as organized as possible before school starts will allow you to focus on your students and keep your sanity when you face the multitude of responsibilities that go along with teaching. One thing I always get organized before school starts is my system for recording grades and standards scores. I have found the computer program EZ Grade Pro to be a very useful tool. It not only allows me to organize a gradebook that includes letter grades and rubric scores, but also has a section that allows you to make seating charts, as well as a lot of other useful beginning of the year tools. You can also easily print out progress reports for students and parents. Having a grading system set-up before school starts will allow you to be prepared when all of those assignments start rolling in and will hopefully keep you from getting buried in a pile of paperwork!
DCrandall
There are different philosophies regarding looking at your new students' cum files before school starts or not...do you want to base your ideas of your students before they arrive? I've learned to "skim" the cum and write down specific information -especially health issues such as allergies and meds taken at school and conditions such as ADHD . I also notate those students that have been previously retained or at-risk of retention to give me a heads-up on which children to tuck under my wing right away. Be careful of the behavior issues in the cumes because some kids really need that fresh start!
I like to get a layout of the school year by making a master calendar. I use a teacher’s planning book and plot out the year week by week.
First I enter all the important dates from the school calendar and then I enter areas of interest such as “Be Kind to Pets Week”.
Next I plot out a “curriculum map” by chunking text book chapters into the weeks of the calendar. This helps me get a general idea of how to pace the content.
Then I cross check with the standards and see if I need to bring in additional material to assure the best coverage. For example my math text only gives seven pages to telling time, that’s not enough coverage for second grade. I’ll next to bring additional material to extend coverage of that concept.
By having everything laid out where it is visually easy to see in one “map” I am able to see common threads and themes that I might miss otherwise. For example the first grade social studies text includes a chapter on symbols of our country. The math text includes a chapter on money. The month of February has two presidential holidays. These common themes can be tied together and mapped into the month of February. This makes it easier to bring in literature and tie in writing prompts of the same theme. A Pop-up poem of how we feel about our country is one popular assignment that is built into the month.
It’s a great confidence booster to really know where you’re taking the students in the curriculum along with a general idea of when you’ll get there! It’s also a great communication tool for parents to know generally what will be covered and when.
(This also correlates with my organization system. How do you keep track of all the great material and ideas you come across?! Perhaps in a future blog I can share my ideas.)
My worries stem from a fear that my lesson plans are not going to be engaging enough. I know how passionate I am about literature, but that certainly does not mean that my students are going to feel the same way. At this point, I am trying my hardest to find short stories that will connect with my demographic, but I have not met them.... so what if I am wrong? I worry about a lack of parent and student support. Some of my kids are bussed in from as far as Concow, so having the support of their parents in the classroom may be a stretch.
Your kids are going to be fortunate to have you! How do I know when I haven't met you yet? Because of the passion you have for literature. Sharing your passion is what will hook them. The best gift you can give the kids is the gift of you...your passion. That will be enough until you get to meet them and have them share their interests and passions with you. Choose some selections that YOU love and share why they are important to you, as well as some you think they might enjoy! Build that relationship and trust through your selections and connections they have for yourself. That may help to build up some of the student support you're hoping for as students see your willingness to share a little about yourself.
What grade levels will you have?
Post a Comment