I stopped making resolutions years ago; they often fill me with a panic and a shame spiral that is not necessary. All resolutions should be permanent. Year Round.
BUT...I do have some goals that are neatly tied to the upcoming term. In addition to trying to get the weekly high score in Zuma Blitz on Facebook and creating the best-city-ever on Cityville, I have some really focused goals for the classroom.
The advantage to teaching for years at the college level is that I have a good sense of what professors want from students. This knowledge is valuable as I approach the high school classroom. I know where I want the students to BE at the end of the road.
The disadvantage, of course, is that I have never dealt with discipline issues. Classroom management only ever meant "leave the room tidy for the next professor." So, my first goal is to work on classroom management, and, to get there, I have adopted these strategies:
1. I will continue to publish all of my weekly work on a Monday Assignment Sheet (MAS). I started doing this at the start of the year, and it really helps students to stay focused on what is expected during the week.
2. I will publish all directions. Students often forget what is expected, so I will give them exactly what I expect for every assignment.
3. I will continue to provide rubrics for major assignments.
4. I will check every little bit of work assigned. I do this, mostly, but sometimes I forget, and I want to be better about it.
5. I will provide a showcase of good and improved work. Praising students blindly isn't helpful, but giving praise to accomplishments can be a great motivational tool.
So, this year I am focused on creating lifelong learners through appropriate classroom management. Do you have any tips to share?
No comments:
Post a Comment