Wednesday, October 15, 2008
How will you use the book "Why Didn't I Learn This In College?"
After reading your ESPN game day assignment, how will you use the book "Why Didn't I Learn This In College?" to help your college graduate? Which activities do you think will be most beneficial to him/her in instruction/management, etc? Why? Add any other thoughts from class or journal readings that you would like to share!
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The teacher I am working with is having difficulty designing the layout of her room. I have suggested that she start by reading pages 238-240, Classroom Interior Design, and then making a list of what she wants to include her room. Then we can discuss layout. The book suggests requesting flat topped desks with separate chairs. This is a good idea because she can be more flexible with desk placement, whether she wants to put them in groups of 4, rows or a horseshoe, they can be easily moved and rearranged.
Next I will arrange for us, with our list in hand, to visit other teachers' rooms to see a variety of layouts. I will also ask the school "classroom layout queen" to visit the new teacher's room and offer suggestions.
Finally, I'll remind her that the first layout is not set in stone. As the year progresses she may want to change group settings because of personality conflicts or just too many friends at one table. She may decide that learning centers set up around the room aren't working and that it would be more efficient to set them up in baskets and move them instead of children. Sometimes designing a layout that works depends on the personality of the class. These things she will find out as she gets to know her students. Then, if she needs to, the layout can be changed to what works best for her.
Nancy,
That was a good idea about having the classroom layout queen come visit the teachers classroom. This is showing your resourcefulness as a future TSS. Many times we may not have the answer but knowing the person who does is very powerful.
The new teacher's letter to me stated that she is having difficulty with classroom management, especially keeping the students' attention. I don't know what grade level she is teaching so my suggestions here will be in general terms. Establishing a short list of classroom expectations will be necessary (no more than six). The six used in my classroom are: Listen Carefully, Work Quietly, Work and Play Safely, Be Kind with Your Words and Actions, and Respect Others. Clear expectations and consequences need to be clarified. Classroom and school "proceedures" are also key in managing the flow of your school day. Make sure parents understand classroom expectations also. They may be able to re-enforce them at home. I suggest that this teacher think about fun ways to manage things like moving in the hallways quietly, distributing lunch cards, and that sort of thing. Younger children (especially), seem to respond positively to structure and predictability in their school day. Once most students are "on board" with your rules and rituals, you may notice that they develop a sense of community in their classroom and school. In the book "Why Didn't I Learn This In College?", this new teacher might find "Establishing Rules Together", pp. 29-33, helpful. The additional pages in Chapter II, give more suggestions for specific problems that effect classroom management. Three other sources I can recommend for additional ideas and strategies are: "School-Wide Strategies for Managing Off-Task/Inattention", found on www.interventioncentral.org, "Ready for Anything", by L. Howard (Lead & Learn Press), and Harry Wong's "The First Day of School". I also suggest that the new teacher observe in a classroom that she feels she'd like to emulate. Most teachers are willing to help out and share ideas with their collegues as to what works for them, and what hasn't been successful in the past. I also recommend that she spend as much time preplanning and getting organized as she can, so she will feel confident in the presentation of her lessons. Being able to transition from one activity to the next quickly, usually keeps students engaged.
My mentee is having problems with using technology as an organizational tool. Technology can be a blessing and a curse. Pages 217-219 in "Why Didn't I Learn This in College?" give some great advice on how to use technology. In terms of grades, most school systems have a grade program such as Integrade. You can set this program up in the beginning of the school year. This program allows you to plug in your students' grades and it will automatically calculate the averages. I always like to keep a hard copy gradebook in case my grades get lost in the network.
Simple word processing programs such as Microsoft Word can also be useful. You can create templates for letters and other documents. You can also create handouts and graphic organizers. You can also create your lesson plans. I would save all of these documents for later use.
A database progam is also helpful. In my school district, teachers have access to Class XP. This database contains student records. You can access parent contact information, student attendance, and other information.
The internet is also a valuable tool. Many parents have email addresses. Each semester, I set up an E-Team for each of my classes. I send weekly emails to my parents about upcoming assignments in my class as well as upcoming events at the school. I also send personal emails to parents about their child in particular. Many parents have thanked me for keeping them informed. The internet is another tool to aid with parent contact. Technology can be very useful to teachers. Teachers should take advantage of every opportunity to make their jobs just a little bit easier.
Let me begin by saying that you are not alone in your quest to create good, solid assessments for your students. Assessment in today's classroom can be confusing.
1. Begin by designing lessons that align with GPS.
2. I believe in pre-assessments for certain concepts! There are many ways to do these pre-assessments and the kids will never know that you are "assessing" anything! A couple of good ones are anticipation guides (pre- reading questions, prior experience, etc...) and signal boards (small,dry erase boards or even the desktop and bingo markers for answering K-W-L type questions).
3. Do short, frequent assessments so that you can monitor student progress. These can be very informal like the "ticket out" strategy used at our meeting last week.
4. Check for understanding by utilizing pair grouping and teacher-student conferencing. It doesn't have to be long winded and it doesn't have to be formal-- just take a minute and ask individually.
5. Allow students to self assess along the way. This can be done several different ways so be creative!
6. Use rubrics!! Students appreciate them and it makes grading easier for you. I absolutely believe in rubrics; they set the tone!
7. "What I Know" checklists are a great way to informally assess.
8. Design your formal assessment around standardized test question formats. Have fun and be creative with short, frequent assessments but go with a standardized format for those "bigger" tests.
9. Use the state education website; look at released test questions for your content area.
There is a wealth of information out there related to assessment. Some of it will suit you and some of it won't. Remember to be flexible. What works-- keep. What doesn't-- throw out. This sounds a lot like trial and error, but the good news is you don't have to re-invent the wheel. Take advantage of the data out there on what really helps students be good test takers!
My new teacher shared a concern in his letter about having difficulty creating and designing effect units.
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Dear Tommy,
Thank you for contacting me about your concern with creating effective units. Let me tell you one thing, creating effective units is not the easiest thing to do and experienced teachers struggle in this area as well.
I am currently reading a book titled, " Why Didn't I Learn This is College" by Paula Rutherford. There is a wonderful section that I have read about questions to guide you through creating an effective unit. The questions are located on pages 181-183.
Here are the questions that the books suggest that you use when planning a unit.
1. What should the students know and be able to do?
2. How will I, and they, know when they are successful?
3. What learning experiences will facilitate their success?
4. Based on data, how do I refine the learning experiences and/or assessment?
Each of these questions are broken down in the book and given more details about how to accomplish them in your unit planning. On pages 286-288 there are some templates you can use when designing your units.
I would love to sit down with you and guide you through planning a unit. I will also be sending you a copy of the book that I am reading as a resource for you to use.
I look forward to working with you soon and thank you for your letter asking for help. Remember...I am here for you and to help you.
Sincerely,
Andrea
Dear Roger,
It is a pleasure to be your mentor this year, and I am more than happy to help you design a standards based classroom. The Georgia performance standards are listed at the below website. Please use these standards as a guide in planning your lessons. You may want to print a copy of them for your records. Go to http://www.georgiastandards.org/. Once you are on this website, click on the subject area and your grade level. It may be a good idea to have the standards that your class is working on posted in the classroom. When the students are completing activities, talk to them about the standards they are being taught in that particular activity so they will become familiar with the terminology. You can find what you need to know about creating a standards based classroom in pages 172-191 in the book, Why didn’t I learn this in college? Some of the points made in this section of this book are :
1. Use the standards to plan instruction and assessments.
2. Evaluate student work to determine if the instruction was effective. Some questions you may want to ask yourself are: Was the lesson developmentally appropriate, did they understand the material and do I need to teach this lesson in a different way? In essence, instruction should be tailored to meet each student’s needs and ensure that each student is moving forward in the classroom.
3. All children should have access to the same curriculum. The standards can be used to differentiate instruction for those who need it. The standards can also be used to determine student achievement.
4. The standards can be used to come up with essential understandings, concepts, and big ideas. Essential understandings can be presented as a question or a statement. If the essential understanding raises a question, it may invoke the students’ curiosity and encourage them to find the answer.
Please let me know if I can be of more help.
Keia
Dear Bruce,
I am so glad you came to me with your questions and concerns! I hope that I can be of some assistance. Framing the learning in your classroom is a critical step in helping your students identify the purpose and application of what they are learning. In a standards based classroom, it is important that you state the standards being addressed and go over any essential questions that pertain to your lesson. You can go over these in an introduction to the lesson while determining students' prior knowledge. Students want to know what they are learning, why they are learning it, how they will learn it, and how they will know if they know it. You can address these questions through rubrics and checklists that go with your assignments.
Your other question was about asking good discussion questions. If you look at page 52 in the book "Why didn't I learn this in college?," you will see a list of suggestions and strategies that help students make meaning of what they have learned. Some of these strategies include great discussion techniques like think-pair-share, discussion partners, and processing time. I hope that this was helpful! If you have any other questions, let me know!
Melanie Hart
Dana Duke is my charge and is in need of help with using technology to help organize her classroom.
Dear Dana,
For my first year teaching, I received a room from a retiring teacher who had occupied that space for at least 10 years. What I found there were two stuffed filing cabinets surrounded by a halo of dust. Luckily we have better tools now. Once you become comfortable organizing administrative paperwork, class curriculum and all of the rubrics, tests and checklists that go with them on your computer, the more freedom you will feel to be creative in your instructional design. Also, you will establish a professional framework of information that can be used to help students and parents with accurate and authentic feedback.
If you will read pages 217-219, you will see quick tips for establishing class charts that can be used as checklists for books, administrative paperwork, class dues, etc.., administering online activities through school servers, and as organization for student and school data. Some of the ways that I use these things are to create a chart with each student’s name and space for the date, while allowing a few extra columns for descriptors as new needs present themselves throughout the semester. In addition, I set up a folder for the school year and set a folder for each class that I teach. For example, in my 2008-09 Folder I have folders for English III, Scholastics, and other committees in which I am involved. Throughout the year, as I add a lesson plan or other documents that have to do with the workings of a class I save them to that folder. The great thing is that they are stored and may be reworked for the next semester, or next year’s use.
As for grading, Muscogee County has a great program called Intergrade. You set your grading weights in there and as you enter new tasks the computer does all of the math for you. In addition, you may access contact information for parents and even send copies of progress reports via email to parents who have provided that information. Parental contact is so important and this program really facilitates this.
The most important thing I can urge you to do is back-up your files. Technology is a tool and sometimes tools need repair or break all together. So Back-up Your Files! Invest in a jump-drive save your files to it. Save your files to the school server. AND make one paper copy of charts and rubrics, just in case the printer runs out of ink or breaks on the day that a student needs makeup work.
The key to using technology for classroom management is the setup. So take some time to think about your day and how you will create and access your information. If the setup is good, it will take you through some harry days.
Good Luck. Call me if you need me.
Amy
Dana Duke is my charge and is in need of help with using technology to help organize her classroom.
Dear Dana,
For my first year teaching, I received a room from a retiring teacher who had occupied that space for at least 10 years. What I found there were two stuffed filing cabinets surrounded by a halo of dust. Luckily we have better tools now. Once you become comfortable organizing administrative paperwork, class curriculum and all of the rubrics, tests and checklists that go with them on your computer, the more freedom you will feel to be creative in your instructional design. Also, you will establish a professional framework of information that can be used to help students and parents with accurate and authentic feedback.
If you will read pages 217-219, you will see quick tips for establishing class charts that can be used as checklists for books, administrative paperwork, class dues, etc.., administering online activities through school servers, and as organization for student and school data. Some of the ways that I use these things are to create a chart with each student’s name and space for the date, while allowing a few extra columns for descriptors as new needs present themselves throughout the semester. In addition, I set up a folder for the school year and set a folder for each class that I teach. For example, in my 2008-09 Folder I have folders for English III, Scholastics, and other committees in which I am involved. Throughout the year, as I add a lesson plan or other documents that have to do with the workings of a class I save them to that folder. The great thing is that they are stored and may be reworked for the next semester, or next year’s use.
As for grading, Muscogee County has a great program called Intergrade. You set your grading weights in there and as you enter new tasks the computer does all of the math for you. In addition, you may access contact information for parents and even send copies of progress reports via email to parents who have provided that information. Parental contact is so important and this program really facilitates this.
The most important thing I can urge you to do is back-up your files. Technology is a tool and sometimes tools need repair or break all together. So Back-up Your Files! Invest in a jump-drive save your files to it. Save your files to the school server. AND make one paper copy of charts and rubrics, just in case the printer runs out of ink or breaks on the day that a student needs makeup work.
The key to using technology for classroom management is the setup. So take some time to think about your day and how you will create and access your information. If the setup is good, it will take you through some harry days.
Good Luck. Call me if you need me.
Amy
Tricia Tiger is an LSU graduate and first year teacher already experiencing difficulty keeping up with paperwork.
Dear Tricia,
Welcome to the teaching field! I was once a first year teacher and I was also overwhelmed with the amount of paperwork teachers are required to complete, keep up with, and turn in on a timely manner.
Here are a few suggestions to help make your job easier:
1. Develop an organized filing system that works for you. Use colored file folders and colored labels to organize personal, instructional and professional paperwork. Invest in a label maker or print labels on your computer. Organize paperwork in a filing cabinet or stackable bins and place them in easily accessable places around the room for easy filing. Designate specific places (labeled baskets) for completed student work.
Note: I even use colored plastic rings to organize my keys: school, home, etc.)
2.Use 3-Ring binders to create notebooks for specific topics- label and color-code. Re-use the binders each year for new and up-dated info. but DO NOT throw away previous year info. Use plastic sealable storage bins, labeled by year to keep paperwork for a few years - you never know when you need to refer to it.
3.Designate an area on or around your desk for important notes and paperwork (cork board or tape). Keep it close and visible. If you place paperwork in a file or in a drawer it is harder to remember sometimes. Use high-lighter pens to lighlight dates and colorful post-it notes as reminders. Date documents as you receive them and date when they are turned into the office, faxed or ponied. Make a copy for your records.
4. Ask your principal for a yearly/ academic calendar. You can also create your own from your computer. At the beginning of the year I lay out weekly, bi-weekly and monthly units and activities. This helps to keep me focused and organized. You can write little notes to yourself and write in important dates and appointments as they arise. I also create a monthly calendar that I send home with each student indicating important dates, birthdays and holidays, student project/ assignment due dates and test dates if applicable. I also post one in the classroom. You can post this on your school/ classroom website as a good reference for parents.
5.Finally, each day make a TO-DO list for: Things to do TODAY, TOMMOROW, NEXT WEEK. Prioritize, that way you don't get so overwhelmed. Scratch off the things you have completed and add to the list daily. Once a week or more often, clean off your desk, re-arrange and re-organize paperwork if nessecary and throw away papers that are no longer needed.
I hope these suggestions help ease the never-ending paper flow. Remeber the more organized you are the easier your job will be.
Dear Victor,
Standards based classrooms are very different from traditional classrooms. In a standards based classroom teachers follow a cycle of instruction - planning, teaching, assessing, and re-teaching. The first step in instruction is planning. You will begin by determining the learning outcomes for the standard or standards you are teaching (what should the students know and be able to do). Next, you will determine what activities and strategies you will use to teach the outcomes. It is important to connect your activities to your students' background and past/ future learning experiences. Finally, you must decide how you will assess your students. During the teaching phase make sure you provide quality instruction (modeling, explaining, providing options) and meaningful assignments. Assignments should be authentic, chanllenging, pertain to the real world and integrate other subject areas when possible. Next, determine how you will assess students. There will be times when you use traditional methods (paper and pencil tests or quizzes) and non-traditional methods (performance based tasks). During the learning phase you can use checklists to assess students understanding. Also, allow students to assess their work with self check answer keys. This is a great mehtod for immediate feedback. A more formal assessment tool you may use is a rubric. This will help to determine which students have mastered the standards. The final stage of the cycle is re-teaching. Based on your assessments you will determine which students need to be re-taught. With this information you will need to form small groups. You will have some students who need individual instruction; others may need peer tutoring; and others may need enrichment. In order for this stage to work you must have well establised classroom routines and expectations. I hope this information helps you to have a succeful first year.
Dear Katie Wareagle,
I am so excited to have a fellow Auburn graduate as a part of our faculty. I know the first year can be stressful, but it is also such a wonderful learning experience for you and your students.
Your letter stated you were having trouble engaging all your students in the learning process. I believe the best rule is if you are not having fun, they are not having fun. I think children will only be engaged in learning if it appeals to their interests. While we are still in the beginning of the school year, you have plenty of time to get to know your students and develop relationships with them. Also your students will be more engaged if they feel like they are an active part of the learning process. They will also feel a sense of accomplishment if you give them positive feedback and display their work throughout the room. There are also some great ideas for engaging your students on pages 10 and 11 in "Why Didn't I Learn This in College". It talks about creating a learning-centered envirnoment which will help your students become more engaged.
You also stated you were having a hard time dealing with your special needs students. First, you need to identify the area where the learning becomes an issue, such as reading, writing, attention, organization, self-confidence, or social skills. Then you can come up with a list of strategies that may be effective for each student with special needs. There are a great list of strategies in "Why Didn't I Learn This In College" on pages 39 - 42. I would also be happy to help you come up with some strategies for each student.
I hope I have answered your questions. Please let me know if you have any more questions. I will try to answer them the best I can or I will help you find the answer. I am here to help you so let me know if you need anything.
Thanks,
Carmen Estes
Hi Royce: first of all this is an area of such a great importance to all students. They will probably use the skills of working togetherwith others for the rest of their lives. In the book why didn't I learn this in colledge? Chapter 4 page 63 this chapter will be a great asset to help you with these issues.I have personally used the Biopoems. they work well in getting to know your students and having them get to know each other. Read this chapter and see if this will help you in this area. I will check with you later in the week to see if i can help you with the implemetation of a plan either from the book or from some the stategies that i use. please feel free to stop by my room anytime to observe some of my collaborative work practices.
Welcome Gayle Gator!
I know you are excited about your game last night and I am excited that the SEC won the National Championship although I am a Georgia Bulldog. I know what you are feeling because I felt that same way when I was in New Orleans and we won in 1980 with the great Hershel Walker. It is a feeling you will never forget. We are excited that you are coming to Rutherford and thank you for letter regarding your concerns on how to check for student understanding. I am sending you a list of some ways that I feel you should try to use in your classroom:
1. Questions
Be careful with the type of questions you ask children. Questions should be selected in order for the child to comprehend, transfer, and retain.
2. Signal Cards
These are cards given to each child so they can hold their responses up at the same time. You can get a very good idea immediately whether the child is processing concepts taught.
3. Think-Pair-Share
This allows time for the chilren to think about question, discuss it with a partner or small group, and share responses. You can walk around to different groups.
4. Clipboard crusing
Checklists, computer labels, index cards, are all ways to check for understanding while moving through the room.
5. Listening to small group conversations and writing antedotal notes enables you to see individual needs and helps with flexible grouping.
6. Dry erase boards or slates can be used along with response logs where the student records during the mini lesson.
7. Homework should be short and relevant to concepts taught.
8. Journals enable students to respond reflect on work done as well as student surveys.
9. Conferencing is very powerful to guide your students to strive for different goals and gather new insights.
These are some ways that I hope you will be able to try and use with your students. You will have to try different strategies and find what works best for you in a reasonable set time. I hope this helps. I look forward to seeing you soon and GO DAWGS!
Yentil Yellowjacket,
I am glad to hear that you feel well prepared to begin your teaching career. I understand that homework is a topic that teachers and students fell weary. In order to ensure that homework assignments are a success, try to follow these guidelines.
o Give homework only on work that has been mastered (design for a success rate between 80% – 90%)
o Review assignment before giving, give instructions orally and written and allow time for Q & A session
o Post assignments in one place all year
o Have the students keep a homework log containing each assignment’s directions, connection to the learning objective, and completion time, or why it wasn’t completed
o Avoid “Read chapter 3 and section questions”
o Ask students to react to what they have learned or give them options
o Try to make the homework have a real world application and avoid busy work
o Homework is neither a punishment or lack of homework is a reward
o Allow students the opportunity to grade each other; instead of 10 problems that allow the child to practice a new math concept; have each student create a math problem that uses the new concept, then in class, the students swap with each other and solve the problem.
I hope you find these suggestions helpful.
What you are going through is very normal, so relax! Organization is a giant that you will constantly battle; however there is hope. A weapon that I use to fight this giant is immediate turnaround. When I receive that has to be turned in right away I make sure complete it on the spot. For example, if I have to turn in a document to the secretary within a certain timeframe I go ahead and sign it right away. I know me and I will forget or lose it. Hey, no one is perfect. As Teachers we are asked to turn in information often, so to stay on top sign it immediately and move on to something else. This is just one suggestion. I would like to sit down with you to develop a plan that suits you. How about after school on Wednesday?
Terri
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