Organize. Hammer. Utilize.

     Biology I has been rocking all summer long.  Allll summmmer longggg we've been a pretty sweet class.  Different people from different places with different teaching styles.  But somehow it has worked.  For the month of July our team teacher has been awesome.  She doesn't pants pop, but she does know her stuff... some key points I have taken from her expertise:

1.  BE ORGANIZED or figure out how to GET ORGANIZED.  There is a binder that sits on her desk in the Biology I classroom.  It is approximately eight (8) inches thick.  Eight inches.  It is full of every lesson she taught throughout the year.  Every worksheet she handed out.  Every activity her students did.  Every test she gave.  It is eight inches of GREATNESS and I dream of the day I can have a binder put together so well and full of so much information.  Eight inches thick!  Picture that!

2.  HAMMER IT HOME.  Go over a small tidbit of knowledge/a specific concept/a fact/a diagram  over and over and over and over and over.  Go over the information you really want them to know over and over and over and over.  Hammer it home.  Make sure they get it.  Over and over and over.  It might feel like you are being a broken record.  The students may be irritated by the end of the day.  But you can rest assured after a lesson like that, the students will know exactly what you taught them.

3.  UTILIZE YOUR RESOURCES.  The internet is full of great activities, great lessons and great information (although, not ALL of it is great).  Don't be afraid to use some of those already-planned and perfected activities that are posted on the web.  Don't be afraid to show a clip of a video to help you teach your lesson.

Organize. Hammer.  Utilize.