Knowing Knowledge

The first year of teaching is considered to be the most challenging no matter what age group you are certified to teach. However, most veteran teachers will tell you that they still look back fondly on that first year. This is because the first year of teaching is when you really begin to build a rapport with your students. By working toward having a good rapport, you will be able to hold your students’ attention while teaching them the lessons they need to know Read the rest of this entry »

As a first grade teaching resource, it might be a little too early to dive into the specifics of home improvement with your kids, but you can certainly brush the surface by talking to them about their aspirations and finding out how many of them want to become homeowners and have families.

Most kids in your classroom have probably seen dad take a hammer to a bit of wood and a couple of them might even know how to use the tools in the shed. Home improvement isn’t an entirely alien concept to your students and it can be beneficial for them to know just what it can entail.

Home improvement covers a lot of different things from physically modifying the space to something like painting a room a certain color. We, as adults, do home improvement projects for a number of different reasons. Sometimes it’s cosmetic like a skylight and sometimes it’s absolutely necessary like putting in a handicap ramp or a railing.

As an educator, it falls on you to introduce children to life lessons like owning and maintaining a home as soon as possible and there are plenty of children’s shows centered on construction and even some real life sites and services like www.homeproimprovement.com/siding that can at least give you an idea of what home improvement can entail so you can develop a lesson plan.

Sometimes in the classroom lesson end early and the teacher has some extra time that needs to be filled. The teacher knows if the student sit around with unstructured time that is when problem occur. There are some activities that are quick and easy to put together to fill that free time.
Crossword puzzles and mad lips are good for just about any age group. Copy some ahead of time and offer student a point or two of extra credit if they complete the activity. Another suggestion Read the rest of this entry »

Many first-year teachers experience the feeling that they are in the wrong profession. As a member of the education world, I can honestly say that I went through the same thing after my horrendous first year experience. But don’t end your career without trying some other options. It truly is such a rewarding profession and there is a desperate need for good teachers. If you are a first year teacher, look into programs that might Read the rest of this entry »

While working with a mentor teacher there are many ways to learn from them. The most important thing to do with a mentor teacher is to ask question. If the teacher does not understand something or needs clarification ask. No question is silly when learning. That is what the mentor is there for. If the teacher does not ask a question they will not find out the answer.
Another way to get the most out of working with a mentor teacher is to ask for feedback. Whether is it delivering a lesson, planning a lesson, or Read the rest of this entry »

There are several ways to redirect an off task student. During instruction time walk over the where the student is sitting. The teacher should stand near the student’s desk but not right on top of the student. Just being in close proximity will redirect the student to pay attention. In this instance of verbal redirection or stopping of the lesson is needed.
Another way is redirect an off task student is to ask them a question relating to the lesson. If the student does not know the answer the will realize Read the rest of this entry »