What I Believe About
Potential sources of teaching materials and supplies (school, district, institutions, colleagues, parents)...
Ordering materials...
Technology in the classroom...
Sources of free or inexpensive materials...
Because I don't yet know what school I will be placed at, there are a lot of questions up in the air about what types of resources will be available. I understand that Teach for America works in schools in under-served communities, so I feel like it's reasonable for me to ask whether or not the school itself will be under-served in the form of facilities, school supplies, technological resources, and even faculty and staff. I would be hesitant to order materials online or from a catalog unless I knew another colleague who used the same thing and could see it ahead of time. I'm wary about making purchases, especially if I am purchasing it out of pocket, without knowing exactly what I will be receiving. Finally, I would be excited to learn about sources of free or inexpensive materials, so I'm hoping this chapter lists some resources of that sort!
------
In what ways, if any, has the chapter changed my beliefs?
I think the chapter helped me understand my own ability when it comes to getting what I need for my classroom. I'm not as "at the mercy" of the school or district as I had previously thought. There are a lot of ways to be creative about getting what I and my students will need throughout the year. Some methods might be more glorious than others, but if it helps me have a successful lesson or unit, it's well worth it.
Questions I Still Have...
This book was published in 2004, and some of the comments about technology prove how dated it is. As much as I hate to admit it, 2004 was eight years ago, and so much has changed since then. With that in mind, I have to wonder how many of the other resources listed in this book (especially those offering free materials to teachers) are also out-dated. I'll have to do some exploring during the year to make sure I have some more current resources, even though much of the advice in this text is exactly what I need.
Friday, August 31, 2012
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Chapter 2: Curriculum Planning
Each of these posts will consist of a pre-reading reflection and a post-reading reflection.
What I Believe About
The importance of planning...
Long-range planning...
Standards-based planning...
Thematic instructional units...
Weekly and daily planning...
Planning for diversity...
I am a "type A" person. I know this about myself. Planning and revisiting plans to make them better, more clear, more effective, etc. is something that offers me great comfort. Because of this, curriculum planning is one of the aspects of teaching that worries me the most. The idea of not knowing what to plan or how to plan to most efficiently and effectively reach my students terrifies me. In my program so far, I have written one unit plan and a handful of lesson plans, but my classmates and I understood that they were entirely hypothetical. I have never had to implement any of the lessons I have created, with the exception of the five-minute lesson I presented during my Teach for America interview. I also practiced giving that lesson in its entirety countless times, a luxury I won't have with the six or seven 45-minute lessons I will be teaching daily as a full-time teacher.
Right now, I can't imagine planning lessons for the five weeks I will be teaching during this semester. Trying to imagine planning for an entire year is overwhelming, to say the very least. I know that my excitement to get into the classroom and work with students will help dispel my fears, but I certainly wouldn't mind more instruction about how to plan out my year.
---
In what ways, if any, has the chapter changed my beliefs?
I wouldn't say that this chapter changed my beliefs about planning at all. It emphasized the importance of planning ranging from long-term to short-term. My program does stress individual daily lesson plans more than the author stresses them, and she even noted that would likely be the case. It will be interesting to see what my school actually requires in terms of lesson plans when I get there.
I found it somewhat frustrating that the chapter seemed to focus more on curriculum planning for the elementary grades. I understand that integrating curricula for different subjects is important at that level, but I would have liked to hear more about how to plan for various grades and skill levels surround the same general subject. Related to that...
Questions I Still Have...
How much should I be worried about keeping, for example, two ninth grade college prep classes on the same track?
Should I be on the same schedule with all of my classes, regardless of grade or skill level? For example, should all of my classes be starting a new unit at the same time?
What I Believe About
The importance of planning...
Long-range planning...
Standards-based planning...
Thematic instructional units...
Weekly and daily planning...
Planning for diversity...
I am a "type A" person. I know this about myself. Planning and revisiting plans to make them better, more clear, more effective, etc. is something that offers me great comfort. Because of this, curriculum planning is one of the aspects of teaching that worries me the most. The idea of not knowing what to plan or how to plan to most efficiently and effectively reach my students terrifies me. In my program so far, I have written one unit plan and a handful of lesson plans, but my classmates and I understood that they were entirely hypothetical. I have never had to implement any of the lessons I have created, with the exception of the five-minute lesson I presented during my Teach for America interview. I also practiced giving that lesson in its entirety countless times, a luxury I won't have with the six or seven 45-minute lessons I will be teaching daily as a full-time teacher.
Right now, I can't imagine planning lessons for the five weeks I will be teaching during this semester. Trying to imagine planning for an entire year is overwhelming, to say the very least. I know that my excitement to get into the classroom and work with students will help dispel my fears, but I certainly wouldn't mind more instruction about how to plan out my year.
---
In what ways, if any, has the chapter changed my beliefs?
I wouldn't say that this chapter changed my beliefs about planning at all. It emphasized the importance of planning ranging from long-term to short-term. My program does stress individual daily lesson plans more than the author stresses them, and she even noted that would likely be the case. It will be interesting to see what my school actually requires in terms of lesson plans when I get there.
I found it somewhat frustrating that the chapter seemed to focus more on curriculum planning for the elementary grades. I understand that integrating curricula for different subjects is important at that level, but I would have liked to hear more about how to plan for various grades and skill levels surround the same general subject. Related to that...
Questions I Still Have...
How much should I be worried about keeping, for example, two ninth grade college prep classes on the same track?
Should I be on the same schedule with all of my classes, regardless of grade or skill level? For example, should all of my classes be starting a new unit at the same time?
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Pre-Professional Internship
One of the courses I am taking this semester is a pre-professional internship--a course designed to prepare me for my student teaching experience next semester. Through this course, I will be teaching in a public school for five weeks. I haven't been assigned my school placement yet, but should be in the coming week or two.
One of the textbooks we have been assigned for this course is Your First Year of Teaching and Beyond by Ellen L. Kronowitz. The book focuses specifically on the needs and concerns of intern teachers and first-year teachers, which is a huge relief. I feel like my program has been very thorough in teaching me much of the theory and many of the best practices, but I am lacking in practical experience and application.
The text is set up in a format similar to a workbook, with removable handouts in the back and various prompts throughout. I intend to answer some of the prompts here as I read, so I will be able to reflect back on this as I continue through my teacher education program. This class stresses self-reflection and self-evaluation--hopefully recording my responses to the prompts will encourage those.
One of the textbooks we have been assigned for this course is Your First Year of Teaching and Beyond by Ellen L. Kronowitz. The book focuses specifically on the needs and concerns of intern teachers and first-year teachers, which is a huge relief. I feel like my program has been very thorough in teaching me much of the theory and many of the best practices, but I am lacking in practical experience and application.
The text is set up in a format similar to a workbook, with removable handouts in the back and various prompts throughout. I intend to answer some of the prompts here as I read, so I will be able to reflect back on this as I continue through my teacher education program. This class stresses self-reflection and self-evaluation--hopefully recording my responses to the prompts will encourage those.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)