28 June 2008
26 June 2008
24 June 2008
I hope that in one year I can provide as many helpful hints and wisdom as the second-years have provided for me... they have been a huge part of why this month has run so smoothly and with as many laughs and successes as it has. So, while I am a little sad the 'old and wise' will be leaving for the month of July, I am extremely appreciative of all they have done for us, and all they will continue to do for the first-years/me (like... if I have to call my mentor up during the month of July to do some brainstorming... I know he'll be more than thrilled to talk cell biology with me...).
Some of the best/most memorable advice I have received:
- Get organized EARLY. Know your procedures, rules, filing system and first week of lesson plans before the first week of school. (I have received this advice, and put it on my To-Do list... but have not gotten further than that yet... am I doing a good job following those words of wisdom? It's still June, gimme a break...)
- Be an "alpha male" in front of the classroom... turn that smile into a snarl and make the kids shake in their Air Jordan sneakers when they see you walk down the hall... or at least remind them of who is boss occasionally...(= classroom management.)
- Make sure your lessons fit your personality and teaching style. As much as I would LOVE to be able to do the infamous PANTS POP (possibly moving down into a football squat immediately after), it does not work with my character (nor my pants...). Watching other teachers has been beneficial in that it can start the gears turning on new ideas for how material can be presented, or ways of dealing with specific classroom management issues, but those new ideas and management strategies have to be modified to fit MY personality. The students can tell if you are fake. The students would be able to tell that the PANTS POP is not my signature move...
- Utilize the different forms of technology available. If an overhead projector is available, don't spend half the class period writing notes up on the whiteboard...I am terrible with technology, but have been working on it...
HUGE THANK YOU to all the second-years, third-years and other mentors for their patience and their wisdom this past month. Thank you to the Biology I mentors who a) are full of great advice and judging eyes b) have used those judging eyes to help me improve myself/my teaching and c) make the classroom fun for the students and the teachers.
20 June 2008: Reflections on classroom questioning techniques
Summer school is not a completely realistic practice arena for how the classroom will look and operate come fall. However, it is a great first step on a journey of, no doubt, one thousand miles. The small class size and, literally, zero classroom management issues (thus far) create an ideal classroom. This has its plus and minuses. On the positive side, new teachers get a chance to ease themselves into the whole process- learning to create lesson plans, keep “teacher hours” and effectively deliver those lessons without any other distractions (such as breaking up fist fights, dealing with class-clowns and peeling spit balls out of your hair...). Having an ideal classroom also allows for some trial-and-error in teaching styles, questioning techniques and utilizing the overhead the most effectively (it's a skill that is harder than it looks). However, being eased into the whole process allows a person to feel comfortable, and relaxed; feeling relaxed is the LAST thing a new teacher should feel.
We have learned about various questioning techniques to use while teaching. Without worrying about spit balls globing in your hair, a person feels free to test out some of those techniques we have read about. I have not tested out all of them. And I am not sure I will test out all of them during the summer school months. Yet, just being able to think about the questioning techniques and how they could be applicable to a lesson plan, or how they could positively affect the dynamic of the classroom is helpful in itself.
There are the “Four S's” that serve as alternatives to questioning: Statements, Student Questions, Signals, and Silence. Essentially, they are self-explanatory. Make statements about what you think or reflect on what the student thinks with a statement. Encourage student questioning. Use signals such as gestures or head-nodding while student it talking. Say nothing after a student answers to allow for other students to form an opinion or a comment on the topic.
I like the Four S's of questioning techniques because it puts a lot of the discussion on the students and then I get to see what they really know, as opposed to what they think I want to hear. By letting the silence hang in the air after a question is posed or an answer is suggested, it gives other students more time to just think. So far, it seems that the students are taking those silences or simple gestures (without comment) as a hint that I am looking for more from them. When I do not immediately respond with a “Great! Next question...” I have found that the students think a little bit longer about the question I originally asked.
Now, I've just got to work on forming better questions that result in the sort of thinking that is beneficial for the students' learning. This is something that I am working on, and watching other teachers “perform” has been hugely helpful.
14 June 2008
Delta Autumn is a book that attempts “to educate first-year teachers about the potential pitfalls of teaching in the Mississippi Delta”. While I found this book to be very interesting, and with plenty of sound advice, I am unsure just how helpful it will prove to be. Reading about classroom management is much different than enforcing classroom management. Reading about successful teaching strategies is much different than actually being able to put those successful strategies into action. My belief is that time in front of the classroom will prove to be the most effective method of learning those “potential pitfalls of teaching”. I will, though, be sure to keep a few of my favorite words of wisdom in mind from this book:
When dealing with classroom management issues, Delta Autumn reminds first-year teachers to “make a decision and stand by it”. I think this is a very important aspect, especially when teaching at the high school level. Showing uncertainty in the classroom, as the teacher, is equivalent to exposing your jugular to a famished lion. In my head, I can picture the students first surrounding me as a group, and then attacking me as a group. Hair would be ripped from the head, body parts would go flying, and screams would be muffled under the pile. Not a pleasant picture. So, while my confidence may not always be strong on the inside, especially in the beginning, I must fool my students into thinking I've been doing this for years. They simply can not see my jugular.
On a more subject-related note, Delta Autumn reiterates that “science is a process, not a collection of facts”. Science is about doing those hands-on experiments and activities that make biology come to life before your eyes. Thinking back to my high school days, I can remember the experiments I did, not the lectures I suffered through. Having the students roll up their sleeves and create science may take more prep-work than giving a lecture, but will prove to be much more effective for my students. And that is what teaching is all about, after all. Keeping this in mind will prove to be invaluable.
Along with first-year teacher advice, Delta Autumn also addresses the historical aspect of the education system in Mississippi. I can't say history has ever been my favorite subject (sorry, history buffs), but even a person like myself becomes interested when the history is so rich, like it is in Mississippi, or like it is on the Ole Miss campus. I am impressed by how far the education system has come, and I am hopeful for the future.
As a whole, Delta Autumn is not a terrible book. I has tons of wonderful advice and it does meet the objective of “educating first-year teachers on the potential pitfalls of teaching in the Delta”. However, until I have gotten the chance to fall flat on my face and then get back up, I will not know what really works for ME in the classroom.
