This site is AMAZING.
Also, we are learning all sorts of things in my technology summer institute, including taking photos of ourselves with different effects. GO CANUCKS GO!
Friday, June 10, 2011
Resource Site
http://thenhier.ca/en/content/general-instructional-resources-teaching-canadian-history
This site is AMAZING.
Also, we are learning all sorts of things in my technology summer institute, including taking photos of ourselves with different effects. GO CANUCKS GO!
This site is AMAZING.
Also, we are learning all sorts of things in my technology summer institute, including taking photos of ourselves with different effects. GO CANUCKS GO!
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Day 4 of Teaching!
So I have been a bit busy this week for blogging. Teaching is going quite well and I have learned a lot. Here are some things I have learned:
1) Students are always good on your first day. Treasure it.
2) Students are always bad with a supply teacher. They will be completely insane and the student teacher will lose her voice trying to keep control of the class. It will take unbelievable amounts of energy, but they will get their work done in the end.
3) Students will choose the Hollywood version over the documentary EVERY TIME. They still prefer documentaries to lectures, group work, and most other things, though.
4) Group work does not really work in a grade ten immersion class. The work only gets done by one or two people in each group, and the others get out of control. They don't really even enjoy it.
5) Students hate doing questions out of the textbook just on principle. They will gladly write a paragraph for you based on a question you write on the board, but if it's written in the textbook they get upset. Tough cookies for them.
6) No matter what certain seminar teachers would have you believe, students respect you WAY more when you are honest and real with them. Sharing a little bit about yourself, especially when asked directly, can go a long way with some of the more difficult students.
7) Nicknames can be fun as long as they are appropriate. My students even ASKED me if they could call me "Lack-attack". I said sure. They really enjoy it and it isn't offensive, so who cares?
8) Students LOVE celebrating birthdays and other non-class-related events. We talked about Terry Fox the other day since it was the anniversary of the beginning of the Marathon of Hope. I also bought a birthday card for S and got them all to sign it for his birthday that is coming up next week. He will be so surprised, and they had a great time.
9) There is no such thing as a lost cause. You just haven't gotten through to them yet. I have one student that has completely turned around since I took over, only because he likes WW2 and he relates to me. S still can't believe it.
10) Other teachers will do just about anything for you, from sharing their lunch to touring you around to offering to come to your aid at any time. I feel so fortunate to have such great colleagues :)
That is all I can think of or have the time for at the moment. Sadly, most of these websites are blocked on the school computers (youtube, facebook, twitter, most blog sites, etc.) so I cannot update often.
Today we have the supply teacher again. I am giving in a little and letting them watch a movie (Saving Private Ryan, which they requested) and they can work on their homework questions and study for the quiz tomorrow. Let's hope it goes well!
1) Students are always good on your first day. Treasure it.
2) Students are always bad with a supply teacher. They will be completely insane and the student teacher will lose her voice trying to keep control of the class. It will take unbelievable amounts of energy, but they will get their work done in the end.
3) Students will choose the Hollywood version over the documentary EVERY TIME. They still prefer documentaries to lectures, group work, and most other things, though.
4) Group work does not really work in a grade ten immersion class. The work only gets done by one or two people in each group, and the others get out of control. They don't really even enjoy it.
5) Students hate doing questions out of the textbook just on principle. They will gladly write a paragraph for you based on a question you write on the board, but if it's written in the textbook they get upset. Tough cookies for them.
6) No matter what certain seminar teachers would have you believe, students respect you WAY more when you are honest and real with them. Sharing a little bit about yourself, especially when asked directly, can go a long way with some of the more difficult students.
7) Nicknames can be fun as long as they are appropriate. My students even ASKED me if they could call me "Lack-attack". I said sure. They really enjoy it and it isn't offensive, so who cares?
8) Students LOVE celebrating birthdays and other non-class-related events. We talked about Terry Fox the other day since it was the anniversary of the beginning of the Marathon of Hope. I also bought a birthday card for S and got them all to sign it for his birthday that is coming up next week. He will be so surprised, and they had a great time.
9) There is no such thing as a lost cause. You just haven't gotten through to them yet. I have one student that has completely turned around since I took over, only because he likes WW2 and he relates to me. S still can't believe it.
10) Other teachers will do just about anything for you, from sharing their lunch to touring you around to offering to come to your aid at any time. I feel so fortunate to have such great colleagues :)
That is all I can think of or have the time for at the moment. Sadly, most of these websites are blocked on the school computers (youtube, facebook, twitter, most blog sites, etc.) so I cannot update often.
Today we have the supply teacher again. I am giving in a little and letting them watch a movie (Saving Private Ryan, which they requested) and they can work on their homework questions and study for the quiz tomorrow. Let's hope it goes well!
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Day 4 - Some Fun and a Valuable Lesson
My little profile activity went well! The students enjoyed it and I laughed really hard reading all of their answers. I think I will be able to connect really well with them over the next few weeks since we have so much in common! I'm going to try to bring as many elements I have found out about them into my lessons as possible.
I did learn a valuable lesson through this activity, though, and that is to always give students a time frame to work with. With the first class, I forgot to say how much time they were going to have to complete the activity. While they were on task and I was circulating, it took them quite a while. My mentor teacher pointed this mistake out to me so I was able to correct it for the afternoon class. They finished the activity in the 15 minutes I gave them and produced about the same quality of work (if not better). It was definitely a good learning experience for me.
Today I also learned that I have a weakness: I don't have enough confidence in my French speaking abilities! S took me aside after class and told me that I have to stop worrying, because I speak very well. I did make one grammatical error on the activity sheet, but it was minor and the students certainly didn't notice. S said that he was impressed overall and he was really happy that I was able to start working with them. Now I'm really itching to start teaching them full-time next week!
S and I sat down over prep period today and went over my few completed lesson plans and my rather detailed schedule for the next 5 weeks. I wanted his input about when to have the unit test and when to introduce the group project. He was so helpful in warning me that this group of students is easily overwhelmed by due dates, so I have to really pace things out for them. They are getting half a class of explanation of the project with time to get into groups and sign up for topics. Then, they are getting one full class in the computer lab and one full class in the library. They will also get two classes for presentations/submissions, which will happen a full week before the unit test. This all meant that I had to do some major rearranging of my schedule and lesson plans, which did set me back most of a day's work, but I am so thankful for S's help. This is shaping up to be a really great practicum!
I did learn a valuable lesson through this activity, though, and that is to always give students a time frame to work with. With the first class, I forgot to say how much time they were going to have to complete the activity. While they were on task and I was circulating, it took them quite a while. My mentor teacher pointed this mistake out to me so I was able to correct it for the afternoon class. They finished the activity in the 15 minutes I gave them and produced about the same quality of work (if not better). It was definitely a good learning experience for me.
Today I also learned that I have a weakness: I don't have enough confidence in my French speaking abilities! S took me aside after class and told me that I have to stop worrying, because I speak very well. I did make one grammatical error on the activity sheet, but it was minor and the students certainly didn't notice. S said that he was impressed overall and he was really happy that I was able to start working with them. Now I'm really itching to start teaching them full-time next week!
S and I sat down over prep period today and went over my few completed lesson plans and my rather detailed schedule for the next 5 weeks. I wanted his input about when to have the unit test and when to introduce the group project. He was so helpful in warning me that this group of students is easily overwhelmed by due dates, so I have to really pace things out for them. They are getting half a class of explanation of the project with time to get into groups and sign up for topics. Then, they are getting one full class in the computer lab and one full class in the library. They will also get two classes for presentations/submissions, which will happen a full week before the unit test. This all meant that I had to do some major rearranging of my schedule and lesson plans, which did set me back most of a day's work, but I am so thankful for S's help. This is shaping up to be a really great practicum!
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Day 3
Today I was back with my lovely mentor teacher. We had a great day and I got lots more planning done. I am giving the students a little profile page to fill out for me tomorrow including their name, a drawing of themselves (should be funny), their likes/hobbies, favourite sports teams, what they would like to learn in the WW2 unit that I will be teaching, where they see themselves when they are 30, and one wish. Hopefully they will enjoy it and it will help me to get to know them a bit better. I will post about how it goes.
My laptop got its virus back today, which is incredibly frustrating since I was without it for two days last week while it was being "fixed" for the exact same problem. Tonight they told me that they hadn't fixed it properly in Victoria so that's why it came back. We payed a lot to have it fixed, so I am pretty mad. Plus, I really need it for lesson planning (as well as everything I have on there!). I really hope I have it back for Monday since I had planned to use it to present a power point and a video clip!
Today I found out that they have teacher yoga at my school! I am very excited to start doing that!
My laptop got its virus back today, which is incredibly frustrating since I was without it for two days last week while it was being "fixed" for the exact same problem. Tonight they told me that they hadn't fixed it properly in Victoria so that's why it came back. We payed a lot to have it fixed, so I am pretty mad. Plus, I really need it for lesson planning (as well as everything I have on there!). I really hope I have it back for Monday since I had planned to use it to present a power point and a video clip!
Today I found out that they have teacher yoga at my school! I am very excited to start doing that!
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Day 2 - TOC time
Today my mentor teacher was away with the badminton team, so we had an OT (occasional teacher) as they are called in Ontario. I'm starting to catch on to all the terms they use here, but it is difficult because everyone just assumes I know them. LTO is something like a long-term opportunity? Basically it's someone filling in for a teacher on maternity leave or something. Anyway, I got a lot of lesson planning done today, as my classes are first and last period so I have the entire middle of the day free with an empty office.
I supervised two students writing tests since they were absent last week. I caught one of them cheating, and I welcome any comments on my response: I saw her constantly looking at something in her pencil case, but I could not tell what it was, so I moved and sat behind the students instead. This put a stop to her looking at what I could then see were some cue cards sticking out. So she only ended up cheating on the first page of the four-page test. I did not say anything as I did not want to bring up the issue in front of the other student, nor did I want to cause issues with the cheating student on my second day here. Instead, I informed my mentor teacher when I saw him at the end of the day and he said he would take it into account when marking the test and would call her parents (especially since they did not show up to parent-teacher night last week and she often causes trouble in class). I was not sure about whether I should assert my authority... either way, I did put an end to it at least for this test. What would you have done?
I got a nice preview of the life of a TOC. She recognized some of the students from previous visits, but for the most part they were new to her. She did a good job of relaying the information my mentor teacher asked her to give to the students and assigned seat work while showing the movie. The last period class did everything she asked, while the first period class did no work and payed no attention whatsoever to the movie. In fact, they talked very loudly about some article in a magazine that discussed different types of bikini waxing. She gave up trying to regain control of the class, which is understandable considering she is only there for one day, but now the students in that class are behind the others. It will be interesting to see how my mentor teacher (we will call him S from now on to avoid typing that out every time) deals with things tomorrow! What would your approach be as a TOC?
I managed to divide all the material I have been asked to teach across the five weeks. I now have a rough daily plan for what material I will be covering, and even some activity ideas for some of the days. I showed S and he was impressed with how much I had done! I also got to meet with my supervisor today. He said I was doing well so far and that I can learn a lot from S: he doesn't let anything get him down, he believes in his students, and he doesn't let them walk all over him. I am looking forward to tomorrow already!
I supervised two students writing tests since they were absent last week. I caught one of them cheating, and I welcome any comments on my response: I saw her constantly looking at something in her pencil case, but I could not tell what it was, so I moved and sat behind the students instead. This put a stop to her looking at what I could then see were some cue cards sticking out. So she only ended up cheating on the first page of the four-page test. I did not say anything as I did not want to bring up the issue in front of the other student, nor did I want to cause issues with the cheating student on my second day here. Instead, I informed my mentor teacher when I saw him at the end of the day and he said he would take it into account when marking the test and would call her parents (especially since they did not show up to parent-teacher night last week and she often causes trouble in class). I was not sure about whether I should assert my authority... either way, I did put an end to it at least for this test. What would you have done?
I got a nice preview of the life of a TOC. She recognized some of the students from previous visits, but for the most part they were new to her. She did a good job of relaying the information my mentor teacher asked her to give to the students and assigned seat work while showing the movie. The last period class did everything she asked, while the first period class did no work and payed no attention whatsoever to the movie. In fact, they talked very loudly about some article in a magazine that discussed different types of bikini waxing. She gave up trying to regain control of the class, which is understandable considering she is only there for one day, but now the students in that class are behind the others. It will be interesting to see how my mentor teacher (we will call him S from now on to avoid typing that out every time) deals with things tomorrow! What would your approach be as a TOC?
I managed to divide all the material I have been asked to teach across the five weeks. I now have a rough daily plan for what material I will be covering, and even some activity ideas for some of the days. I showed S and he was impressed with how much I had done! I also got to meet with my supervisor today. He said I was doing well so far and that I can learn a lot from S: he doesn't let anything get him down, he believes in his students, and he doesn't let them walk all over him. I am looking forward to tomorrow already!
Monday, April 4, 2011
Day 1 of Observation
Yesterday I arrived in Ottawa for my 5-week practicum (plus one week of observation). I got placed in two CHC2DF classes, which are grade 10 French Immersion History classes. I was terrified, since I have not used my French at all since my undergrad. I got up very early in spite of the jet lag to iron my teaching outfit and get all nicely dressed-up. I packed my lunch, and my fiance's grandparents (with whom I am staying) drove me in since it was snow-raining. After a few moments of feeling lost, I found the main office, signed in, and was introduced to my wonderful mentor teacher. I appologized for the rusty state of my French and he laughed and said I would catch on in no time. He then showed me around the school, finishing in the Social Studies office where I have my OWN HUGE DESK! I moved right in there. We then went into the classroom, where he showed me his stash of tea. He was thrilled to hear that I am also a tea lover and invited me to help myself at any time! We talked hockey (he is a fan of his native Montreal Canadiens, which is acceptable) and he proceeded to give me every possible resource that I could use in my lesson planning. I received: dvds, textbooks, scrapbooks, activity workbooks, his notes, past assignments that he has used, memoirs of Holocaust survivors, and several other items - most having full class sets AND in French! The school also gave me an agenda containing a calendar of events and all the school rules, as well as my own set of keys for the various staff rooms, my office, the classroom, and the washrooms. I feel so spoiled! The students seem wonderful as well, although they might be a bit of a challenge. I also got to meet another student teacher whose first day of teaching was today! She has a desk right next to mine, and we are planning to host a little event with the grade 12s this Friday where we give them a taste of what first-year university will be like. I have not yet met with my Supervisor, as he is the principal and was busy today dealing with a stink-bomb incident at Friday night's school concert.
As it turns out, one of my former teachers now works at my practicum school! I ran into her and we had a nice long catch-up session during our prep periods which fall at the same time. The school seems to be a very supportive environment! Everyone keeps telling me how lucky I am to be mentored by my teacher. I really enjoyed observing him today. He has excellent classroom management despite a few difficult students and is an enthusiastic speaker. He starts his history lessons off with a short lecture to introduce the topics (students follow along with notes he has posted on his wiki - they have to print them at the begging of each unit). Then, the students break off to work on activities. Today, they were working in pairs out of a small book on the Depression with worksheets handed out by the teacher. He even played a cd with music from the 20s for them while they worked (at their request). Ten minutes before the end, the teacher brought the class back together and took up the work before assigning some reading and questions from the textbook to be completed for tomorrow.
I only hope that I can live up to his teaching! The students all love him and so does the staff. I feel very fortunate to be in such a good position here. I will try to keep up to date on blog postings!
As it turns out, one of my former teachers now works at my practicum school! I ran into her and we had a nice long catch-up session during our prep periods which fall at the same time. The school seems to be a very supportive environment! Everyone keeps telling me how lucky I am to be mentored by my teacher. I really enjoyed observing him today. He has excellent classroom management despite a few difficult students and is an enthusiastic speaker. He starts his history lessons off with a short lecture to introduce the topics (students follow along with notes he has posted on his wiki - they have to print them at the begging of each unit). Then, the students break off to work on activities. Today, they were working in pairs out of a small book on the Depression with worksheets handed out by the teacher. He even played a cd with music from the 20s for them while they worked (at their request). Ten minutes before the end, the teacher brought the class back together and took up the work before assigning some reading and questions from the textbook to be completed for tomorrow.
I only hope that I can live up to his teaching! The students all love him and so does the staff. I feel very fortunate to be in such a good position here. I will try to keep up to date on blog postings!
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
History Teachers on Youtube
Check out this amazing Youtube channel for funny and educational videos that you can use in your classroom. Thanks to Kristi (http://krherbert.edublogs.org/) for sharing this with me!
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