FOR Teachers :)

[miss tenderness]

Hi educationalists. how is it going? Crowded class, hot weather and little participating students! Oh, I've always wanted a job where I just empty mindedly stay at my office, drinking my morning coffee without getting my mind busy by (whose notebook is not corrected? Or did they understand the lesson).no, this is not a thread for teachers to cry their luck :D although I've read that teachers are one of the two highest pressured people in their daily job. Anyway, I'm wondering what are the procedures that YOU (as a teacher) take to present your lesson. Personally after greetings them I do some warming up, playing a game they love (if they are in primary stages) or checking the H.W if we have one, to refresh their minds. Then it comes the introduction for the new lesson. I mostly connect what we had to what we are going to take or give them hints about our new lesson and then get into the heart of the lesson. Last stage is the evaluation ,maybe answering exercises in their book or give them work sheets...atc ,to judge their understanding.
I'm thinking to start a new idea with my students for the coming term. I'll teach intermediate, so I'm thinking of giving them a chance to show their talents or to share with the rest of the class the things they like. For instance, in the beginning of the lesson (the warming up) I'll give like five minutes for them to read a poem they love or to show us a handmade talent..Atc.
What are your procedures for presenting the lesson, teacher? And do u think this idea worthy? going to work? Or not, honestly.

[jon1jt]

Hi educationalists. how is it going? Crowded class, hot weather and little participating students! Oh, I've always wanted a job where I just empty mindedly stay at my office, drinking my morning coffee without getting my mind busy by (whose notebook is not corrected? Or did they understand the lesson).no, this is not a thread for teachers to cry their luck :D although I've read that teachers are one of the two highest pressured people in their daily job. Anyway, I'm wondering what are the procedures that YOU (as a teacher) take to present your lesson. Personally after greetings them I do some warming up, playing a game they love (if they are in primary stages) or checking the H.W if we have one, to refresh their minds. Then it comes the introduction for the new lesson. I mostly connect what we had to what we are going to take or give them hints about our new lesson and then get into the heart of the lesson. Last stage is the evaluation ,maybe answering exercises in their book or give them work sheets...atc ,to judge their understanding.
I'm thinking to start a new idea with my students for the coming term. I'll teach intermediate, so I'm thinking of giving them a chance to show their talents or to share with the rest of the class the things they like. For instance, in the beginning of the lesson (the warming up) I'll give like five minutes for them to read a poem they love or to show us a handmade talent..Atc.
What are your procedures for presenting the lesson, teacher? And do u think this idea worthy? going to work? Or not, honestly.

I'd just like to respond to one point regarding the warm up. You mentioned that you might like for your students to showcase their talents in the first minutes of class. The opening minutes are absolutely critical for setting the tone of the class and as teacher you have to provide the structure. If you want them to showcase their talents, that's wonderful, but I doubt any teacher can accomplish that in the first five minutes, or at least that's been my experience. The threat of giving students the liberty to read a poem of their chosing or allowing them to show a handmade talent is that some will not participate at all and one may even test you and say something goofy or outright try to hijack the class, therein destroying whatever healthy dynamic you were attempting to develop. I guess it ultimately depends on the students and classroom you develop. I believe structure is key to successful learning. An alternative to reciting a poem is giving students a choice of poems from your repertoire with a focused question, so that way at the opening of class everyone is on the same page and knows what's expected of them, rather than open endedly inviting them to read their favorite poems. Do all students (or adults?) even have a favorite poem? Reading aloud will also make it enormously difficult for the rest of the class to follow along and appreciate the poem to the extent the reader does. Poetry is difficult enough. When reading aloud, some students tend not to listen with a critical ear, if at all, and over time I learned to limit it.

As to proper steps for presenting a lesson, as teachers know, there is no right or wrong 'way' although teaching programs swear there are "methodologies." When I was teaching the lower grades, what worked for me was basing my lesson on a basic question or concept, which I set forth in the first ten minutes of the class, before or after a warm up, which was relevant to the warm up. When planning a lesson, ask yourself, What do I want to accomplish? Developing one question centered around the lesson objective is actually tougher than it seems, but it will make your teaching experience more enjoyable. This is all I have time for right now. Hope this helps! :)

[Charles Darnay]

I think that's some great advice.

I like this thread.... next month I begin my long studies on how to become a teacher... what a fun road that'll be!

[jon1jt]

I think that's some great advice.

I like this thread.... next month I begin my long studies on how to become a teacher... what a fun road that'll be!

Thanks Charles. Best of luck with your studies, you'll do just fine. As you know, the classroom training you'll get is a healthy way to mentally prepare you by offering helpful hints on being a first year teacher. Take what you can and leave the rest behind. Remember: you all ready are a teacher. :)

[miss tenderness]

There been sad days that took me away from the forum, thanks for those who asked and thanks for the support So sorry for being late to respond


The threat of giving students the liberty to read a poem of their choosing or allowing them to show a handmade talent is that some will not participate at all and one may even test you and say something goofy or outright try to hijack the class, therein destroying whatever healthy dynamic you were attempting to develop. I guess it ultimately depends on the students and
Exactly, yes. You know when you get over excited about something and then someone opens your mind to it. You are right, even if there'll be some interested students, there will be some who are not at all interested in such matters.

An alternative to reciting a poem is giving students a choice of poems from your repertoire with a focused question, so that way at the opening of class everyone is on the same page and knows what's expected of them, rather than open endedly inviting them to read their favorite poems.
In teaching methods courses, teachers are always told to set forth an inquiry or a goal that students should put in their mind while doing an exercise or a drill; otherwise they may lose their way. In thinking about that idea for the warming up, I just wanted to try something that they will love and enjoy without limiting them in one corner but that may not work all the time. Well, I think it will absolutely not work if it is applied for each lesson, things will be very loose! Maybe it should be once a week ..I've always disliked the old ways of teaching, I know they work quite well, but they more lesson-based and I'm thinking of something that is student-based.

I think that's some great advice.

Yes, it is, it'll be always great to benefit from the opinions of experienced people. Good luck with your studies Darny.

[genoveva]

Reading aloud will also make it enormously difficult for the rest of the class to follow along and appreciate the poem to the extent the reader does. Poetry is difficult enough. When reading aloud, some students tend not to listen with a critical ear, if at all, and over time I learned to limit it.



Yet, poetry is meant to be read aloud. Perhaps try providing a take home copy of each poem read aloud. Not only will students be able to follow along while the poem is read aloud, but they can re-read it as desired if they have their own copy.

[jon1jt]

Yet, poetry is meant to be read aloud. Perhaps try providing a take home copy of each poem read aloud. Not only will students be able to follow along while the poem is read aloud, but they can re-read it as desired if they have their own copy.


That's a good point Gen. I'm assuming when you say "take home copy" you mean poems not included in the class textbook. Protocol in most US schools is that you first have to get any materials not part of the designated curriculum approved by an administrator/chair before it can be used in class. I guess it's worth sharing an experience I had regarding ad hoc public school censorship. I once put together a lesson plan that entailed taking my classes to the theatre to see, "Hurricane" (The Ray Carter Story) with Denzel Washington. I had done some research for the lesson and found there had been some historical inaccuracies made in the film. To account for that, my lesson plan consisted in requiring students to compare and contrast the real life "Hurricane" story, its crime scene, evidence, trial, with the movie's. Research would be required. The principal rejected the lesson on the grounds that the movie was too "controversial" because the lead cop in the movie was portrayed as a racist when it was not the case, according to at least one negative write-up---The NY Times, which had published a scathing review of the film. I asked him and the chair to name one film that is truly historically accurate? No answer. He suggested showing another film in class and that was the end of the meeting.

[genoveva]

I'm assuming when you say "take home copy" you mean poems not included in the class textbook. Protocol in most US schools is that you first have to get any materials not part of the designated curriculum approved by an administrator/chair before it can be used in class.

Wow, that is interesting. It must depend on what school you teach at because I have not heard that you need approval for everything brought into the classroom. Many classrooms don't even have a "textbook"; especially at the high school level. That is bogus all the way around too. Eww! I can't stand that type of censorship. Plus, who is to say what is to be taught in the classroom? Really, the students should be asked what they want to learn about. Or, at least, that should be taken into consideration. :nod:

[miss tenderness]

The principal rejected the lesson on the grounds that the movie was too "controversial" because the lead cop in the movie was portrayed as a racist when it was not the case, according to at least one negative write-up---The NY Times, which had published a scathing review of the film. I asked him and the chair to name one film that is truly historically accurate? No answer. He suggested showing another film in class and that was the end of the meeting.

Teachers and principals arguments :D :D

Really, the students should be asked what they want to learn about. Or, at least, that should be taken into consideration.

This goes in colleges and universities as you know, but poor other compulsory school stages do not have a large space of choices. You know ,gen, this is what I was talking about ,giving my students some space to practice what they like. I'd love them to do it but with the least harms for the basic lessons. I mean not to take from the time scheduled for the lesson.

[jon1jt]

Plus, who is to say what is to be taught in the classroom? Really, the students should be asked what they want to learn about. Or, at least, that should be taken into consideration. :nod:

The American public education system is prescriptive in that it's in the business of deciding for parents and students the "kind' of education one receives. It's assumed they don't have the capacity to make such a determination at that age. Thus, the No Child Left Behind Act and the scores of other federal initiatives are set forth to address problem areas, mostly low test scores, which has the effect of further 'limiting' teaching authority and decisionmaking. That's why more and more parents are sending their children to progressive schools or home schooling them, removing them from the grip of public educators entirely, and I think it's a good thing. The thinking you propose, Gen, would require a sea change in educational policy that just isn't going to happen. In fact, it's becoming more prescriptive and restrictive.

I would love to see what happens to a teacher being observed by the school principal to open their class with the question, "Now class, what would you like to learn today?" How many teachers are willing to rail against the grain and make such a strong statement and risk being fired? I haven't heard of one. Teachers conform to the system while knowing well it's a mess. Yet teachers almost constantly whine - which exhausted me - because at no time were they prepared to take on the larger challenges. The veteran teachers count their days for retirement and the new teachers come in with their Teacher Speak to impress administrators. Computers-in-the-classroom, Rubricks, Scaffolding; the education jargon is breeding conformity. Hence, it is a breeding ground for dysfunctional learning. Of course there are a few brave teachers who fight the system from the inside or manipulate their own lessons to allow that kind of approach to occur, but there are far and few between.

I STRONGLY recommend a book I read by Neil Postman called The End of Education, a must read for new and experienced teachers, as it touches on the very spirit of Gen's suggestion.

[genoveva]

I would love to see what happens to a teacher being observed by the school principal to open their class with the question, "Now class, what would you like to learn today?"

:lol: Great post! Must remember to do this on my first day on the job!:lol:

P.S. I second the Neil Postman recommendation. I've only read excerpts, but he has some great stuff to share.