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A quick, fun and engaging activity to have students learn and practice using vocabulary is a game called Flash Vocabulary. In this game students are paired up. Using a document camera or overhead projector, teacher places a vocabulary words down, showing the words on a screen or wall. Teacher can also just write the words and cover them up as well. One student has their back to the vocabulary and one student is facing the vocabulary (the direction of the screen). As the teacher flashes the vocabulary, the students facing the screen have to describe the vocabulary word or define it WITHOUT using the vocabulary word. As you can guess, students with their backs to the screen have to guess the vocabulary word.
To step it up, teachers may throw down a list of words. The goal then is to be the first pair to identify all the vocabulary words.
This game can be spur-of-the-moment, part of an anticipatory set, or break-up a long day of instruction.
RESOURCES
Improving Student Learning through Effective Vocabulary Instruction page
Why schools should stop blocking social network sites.
I love the assignment ideas in this article from Slate and might steal them for myself. Of course students will have to work on them at home and find a school-friendly (read: antiquated) way to present their findings to peers, since my high school blocks these sites for teachers and students as well.
Sigh.
It’s worth a try.
A few of my favorites: “In math class, students could develop statistical models and graphs of the patterns of information flow in their social networks. To understand how advertising works, students from different backgrounds and with different online habits could compare what’s being hawked to them. And for a school journalism project, teams of students could aggregate other students’ narratives from blogs, Facebook, and Twitter and compile a real-time collective analysis of the state of their educational union.”
I spent yesterday guiding my students through the process of developing their belief/philosophy statement on teaching. I participated alongside my students. To spend a significant block of time to reflect on my values and beliefs regarding education, teaching, and learning, was quite refreshing. I haven’t seriously reviewed my belief statement since I was student teaching. I was amazed and inspired by how much of my teaching practice was reflected in my belief statement. It makes sense though. As I write in my book:
An education philosophy statement is the bedrock of any master teacher; it encapsulates the principles and beliefs you bring to your teaching, creating the foundation to guide your teaching practices.
If you haven’t review your belief statement, then I encourage you to reflect and answer the following questions:
- What motivated you to go into teaching?
- What values and beliefs would an ideal teacher have?
- What are your beliefs about students, learning, behavior, respect, school systems, etc.?
- What changes would you like to see happen in our education system?
- What values do you want to model for the students inside and outside the classroom?
- Of your beliefs, which ones are non-negotiable?
Interestingly, one of my students proposed a longer school year for a change she would like to see happen. Then I asked the class if they would like a longer school year. Eyes began to shift. I reassured the students their responses would not leave this room. Nearly 75% of the students raised their hands in favor or a longer school year. Hmmmm…
If you are in the process of writing a belief / philosophy statement then read my post on Topics for Philosophy Statements, especially if you are have trouble writing one.
I realized I was back in school when I turned on my computer and checked my email. There it was – 20 some emails for the day. 50% I deleted with a quick click. 25% were informational and I had to read them. 25% required action, and were subsequently flagged for follow-up. One email asked me to do a head count of every child in my room for every period and email this report back at the end of the day. Another email requested I develop a course proposal within 3 days. A third email was a colleague requesting a meeting. A fourth was a teacher from another district asking for certain information. A fifth email was from a student inquiring if I had read the club minutes.
It wasn’t the sound of students, the ringing of bells, or the smell of markers that reminded me school. Rather, it was the sight of emails that made me feel like school was underway. What’s wrong with this?
So Simple Sooo Helpful WOW, September 29, 2008
| By | Eileen (Albuquerque) |
This book is a must have!! I always read reviews and consider what the reader says, well please believe me, When I say get the book. It is so simple to ready I couldn’t believe the insight it gives and tips for Students, Pre-service teachers and Student teaching. I highlighted and tagged pages. I am very pleased!! Eric did an awesome job on creating a book for the “unknowns” A lot of websites and examples, book references. Again a very great book for Teachers to be, get it early.
Good book to get you started, July 10, 2009
| By | Laura (Tacoma, WA) |
I bought this book right before my student teaching, and while I didn’t use it so much before my student teaching (despite there being a whole section dedicated to the pre-service teacher), it came in handy for what to expect during student teaching and what to do after. There is a website for the book that gives you extremely helpful information, such as the most asked interview questions, to help you prepare and land a job.
If you need some help with the unspoken “rules” of student teaching, or some tips to get a job, this book will help you. Establishing networks in bigger districts is a little harder to do, but those sections may work for smaller districts where there is only one high school, etc.
Great resource, July 5, 2008
| By | Rob (Seattle, WA USA) |
This book came in handy as a student teacher and when applying for teaching jobs. I appreciated the strategies on how to jump-start my student teaching on a positive note by creating relationships with my students and CT. Even though I have now completed my student teaching, I will continue to use many of the book’s classroom management and discipline tips in my own classroom, such as the question & answer box and bellnote activity. I recommend this to any student teacher.”
Pick up your copy today!
As a teacher, I have done many different things during the summer months, some great and some not so much. Here is a list of things you might consider doing this summer….
- look for free or inexpensive classes in your area – some classes are free to teachers even if they cost money for others. Try looking through the local colleges and universities for seminars.
- take a class that is geared towards a hobby, not your area of teaching. Look for cooking or sewing classes, kite-making classes, or anything you like! Check out The School of Everything.
- if you live in a largish city, chances are that the art museum has free days - days when the public can get in for no charge. Take the bus for a really cheap day.
- find a park or local attraction that you haven’t had a chance to visit yet and go there for the day. Take a book or your bike and take the opportunity to refresh your brain. Don’t forget your sunscreen!
- take a day trip – find a place to go that’s a little farther away and take a drive.
- watch a movie you didn’t get to see during the school year. It’s probably out on DVD now…so you can watch it in your bunny slippers
- take a nap. Take lots of naps. Your brain is like a sleep bank, and trust me, you’ve probably been low for a while.
- if you must work on lesson plans, set aside one or two days a week, or one or two hours a day. I go to school on Mondays and work most of the day, but the rest of the week I try not to even think about school.
Above all, allow yourself to relax. It is important for both you and your future students!
I currently do not tweat. After reading these two articles I am wondering how I could embrace this tool for my classroom.
http://www.usnews.com/articles/education/2009/06/15/tweeting-your-way-to-better-grades.html
http://www.usnews.com/articles/education/2009/06/02/twitter-goes-to-college.html
Do you use twitter for teaching? How so? Share your story. Also, if have another story link please pass that along.
Was that 140 characters?
I have good news! My book, Road to Teaching: A Guide to Teacher Training, Student Teaching, and Finding a Job climbed to the number 1 spot under the category of student teaching. When it was first published in 2008 it was positioned on page 88 of Amazon.com’s search results. Yikes. However, word has been spreading. Thanks to everyone that has purchased a copy of my book and have recommended it to aspiring and beginning teachers.
I know that research says effective feedback is critical to increasing student achievement. However, I have this nagging question in the back of my mind as I spend this Monday evening grading tests (2 hours and counting), “Are the the students really going to read all my written feedback?” Then occasionally I have flashbacks when I was in high school when I anxiously waited for the paper to come back to just check out the grade. Am I alone in this? Is this how most of my students act?
[Thought] Maybe tomorrow my bellnote (bell work) will ask the students to summarize my feedback. Okay, now that I feel better (or more evil) I can continue grading…
