I started teaching full time in Jan. of 2012, so while I have technically been teaching for a year 1/2, I was still considered a first year teacher. I might as well just get used to that and start saying 2013-2014 is my second year of teaching, even though it's my third school year.
I kept a self-reflection word document throughout the year, so these are the lessons learned from my first full year 1/2:
Spring 2012
·
All classes
o POP
book (includes not pushing in chairs (blue table, red table, etc.) Record names
on board and in excel.
o CHAMP
o Rubric
first
o Anticipatory
Activity (Attention grabber)
o Student
centered (no more than 5 minutes of teacher-led discussion)
·
LA
o KPREP
example
§
Give numbers instead of having students put
names.
§
Switch with 2nd period, and give
printed rubric
§
Have students write “why” they evaluated the
paper the way they did
§
Have students rewrite until they reach a 4
·
Students who already have a 4 will either refine
their response or try another example
§
On Multiple choice, print out one class set and
ask students not to write on it.
o Kony
2012
§
ALWAYS email parents before showing or sharing
ANYTHING controversial.
§
Make sure to go over directions and project idea
first. Make sure to fully research issue before addressing it with students.
o Tornado
Letters
§
Student choices (put top 3 choices, then name
instead of just 1 choice)
§
Printed copy of letter example, figurative
language, and rubric for every student. Walk the students through the format.
Go over figurative language in class. It was a nightmare trying to get the
students to follow SEE, have the heading, etc.
§
Have students turn rubric back in with letter
for full points
§
Have students highlight sentence beginnings and
figurative language
o Speeches/Presentation
§
Have audience turn in their comments and
self-reflection, then hand back to person
§
Make a presentation rather than a speech.
§
Stress the outline format
o Narrative
§
Do life timeline and insist that it’s a personal
narrative. The topics were too wide ranged including fiction.
·
CW
o Memoirs
§
Day One
·
Rubric
·
“We will be presenting in front of the class”
·
Give a timeline
§
Peer editing
·
Give worksheet to evaluate (have this be a
grade)
o Freewriting
§
Weekly check-ins on personal projects
o Plays
§
Offer the option to do in pairs or alone, but
not as groups.
o Fanfiction
§
Character page that tells about personality and
character background
§
Do example peer edit on elmo as a class.
o Fractured
Fairytales
§
Ask to have illustrators from beginning.
§
Make more structured deadlines.
§
Teach Blurb in the beginning.
·
Generals
o Lessons
§
Always make sure it is grade appropriate (4th
and 5th)
§
Make sure to use “CHAMPS”
o 1
personal narrative in the fall that we edit, revise, etc. The rest should be
short stories (under 500-600 words), poems, etc.
·
Drama
o Like
the folktales, but talk about the different cultures first, then do folktales
in partners, but with individual worksheets. Have students act out the scene.
Then give rubric and read examples for students to write their own folktale.
o Monologues
§
Give example and rubric first
§
Have students make a monologue booklet like
Amber’s example.
Jottings for next year:
- Write Source vocab root each week
- Lexicon words- choice/reading/original compound sentence/none straight from dictionary.
- SAT words/pictures
- Story/poem using 10 words
- Dictionary.com how many words do
you know? Personal lexicon
Fall 2012
- ·
Be more organized with grading so that there are no if’s/and’s/but’s about when and if I graded something. Get a unique stamp?
- ·
Require students to keep EVERYTHING I hand back
for each 4 ½ weeks, and if they can’t show it to me with a stamp on it, then
they don’t get credit.
- ·
Take Attendance EVERY day with EVERY period.
- ·
3
Strikes you’re out rule.
o 1st
offense, sign the board (after the third time in a 9wk period, sign the pop
book)
o 2nd
offense in the same period, sign the pop book and fill out a discipline sheet.
o 3rd
offense in the same period (or already signed the pop book) call a parent
o 4th
offense in the same period (or already called a parent) N in conduct
o 5th
offense in the same period (or already has an N in conduct) U in conduct
o 6th
offense in the same period (or already has a U in conduct) Saturday school
- ·
I have… who has… game suggested by principal for
review (formative assessment)
- ·
Ask students, what do you ”see” and “hear” when
reading.
- ·
What do you perceive when listening and
watching?
- ·
Biweekly paragraphs
o 1st
9 weeks- Get to know you Prompts (Narrative)
o 2nd
9 weeks- Digital Anthology- all 5 types (Informational)
o 3rd
9 weeks- Video Debates- Pro/con (Argumentative)
o 4th
9 weeks- Poetry (Narrative)
·
Lit Circle jobs
o Start
with short article or fictional text.
o Connector
o Questioner
o Literary
luminary
o Illustrator
o Summarizer
o Researcher
o Scene
setter
o Word
wizard
o If
not prepared, check at door, students sit outside group and finish
o Absent?
Phone or post on edmodo to participate
Checker sheet- did the discussion work? Yes or no. If no, why did the
connecting not happen? Ex. Lack of prep, boring article/book, dif.
Personalities, learning styles, etc.
If yes, describe 1-2 high points of discussion, topics focused on,
questions latched on to. Evaluation your participation + = -
Review immediately and write responses
·
Grammar-
o Starting
with and…
o Consistent
verb tense
o Comma
usage
o Fragments
o Pronouns,
dif. Types
·
Collect hw as they enter! Pass out missing
assign. If they don’t have it.
·
As you watch the clip/video, compile a “viewer
response” list of your reactions to things you see.
o Direct
quotes you’d like to comment on later in small group discussion
o Things
you learned or hadn’t though about before
o Things
you agree/disagree w/
o Questions
you have
o Issues
you’re still grappling w/
o Personal
connections
·
Reading strategies 1/week
·
10-12 p. / day of book
·
1 paragraph biweekly
·
5 words/week in lexicon
·
20 min/ night of reading
·
Grammar in class and occasional hw
·
ALWAYS PRINT A COPY FOR STUDENTS or fill in the
blank for notes
·
Clear the desks
·
Slow down
·
Watch for students who are not engaged.
·
Bathroom signout closer to me.
·
Model in groups
·
1 group thick
·
2 group thin
·
SCAN picture books
·
Read biographies and compare
·
Handout assign. Instructions
·
Differenciate assignments
·
Check agendas and give more time to fill out
during the first half of the year
Spring 2013
- Put together portfolio each year for each
student.
- Coordinate Quarterly and Summer Goals with grade
level colors and add to portfolio:
o 4th
grade: Yellow
o 5th
grade: Orange
o 6th
grade: Blue
o 7th
grade: Red
o 8th
grade: Green
- Hold students accountable for Freewrite Friday
reflections.
- Find a more authentic way for students to share
their writing.
- Laminate and mat student published writing.
- Have Art minor do caricatures for each guest speaker.
- Always consider food allergies and have extra skittles in my drawer.
- Find a better book checkout system (one "librarian" in each class. Can only check out through them.)
- Find a better pencil checkout system (strong mechanical. Keep extra erasers and lead.)
- Put a pencil basket on each table for generals.
