Good ideas
* If someone is coming to the building and you are told they will not come to your room, be prepared anyway. They might decide to choose who to see.
* If you will be observed, script your lesson. Write down strategies, possible problems, questions to ask students, minute-by-minute activities (by 5 min increments) etc. You will not necessarily read it, after scripting it, you will probably know what is happening and you will just have to glance at it. Do not read it or it will be stiff. Use technology and play a game during the lesson.
* Step 1 in planning any lesson: establish relevance at the beginning of the lesson. (Relate to prior learning or relate to prior experiences). It is done so it hooks the learner.
* Write down the agenda for the day on the board, a list of activities for the day. It helps you stay on track, students know what to expect, and if someone comes to observe, they know where you are and what is coming up. Students appreciate knowing what they will do that day.
* Create / build high expectations for all learners. Repeat it to them saying you are not accepting failure. What can be said: "I understand you think what you did is enough. Maybe for you 70 is enough but not for me. You are much smarter than that, you are much better than that. I know you can do better. I know you can push and become my star student. I do not care what is enough for you, but I will continue to push you to be better." If you repeat something along these lines to your students many times, they will begin to believe you and perform better than expected.
* Do not worry about the cutsie activities. Teach what matters, teach the basics if students lack them. Get down to their level and build them up. That is what really matters. If you work to bring up the low learners, you will not have time to waste on the cute stuff.
* If you have students way below level, do a group lesson on what the TEK requires using the materials on level and then pull students into the small group and use the materials on their level. It is possible to work on summary or main idea using picture books (if that is what the student can read). After a few weeks you will begin moving these students up. Every student must receive instruction on level, but then differentiate and meet your students on their level.
* Small groups are done, so you can meet individual needs of the students. Use your whole group lessons to teach on-level, grade level texts and what is required. Do a short small group lesson and then differentiate based on the needs. Pull the students into small groups and begin working on their instructional level and use what you need to use to pull these students up. From day one, assess your students and find out their reading levels (instructional and independent) and their struggles in math. Create small groups and begin working as soon as possible.
* Science and Social Studies are reading in elementary (expository reading). You can still work on reading skills and learn science at the same way.
* Learn how your boss wants the lesson to be conducted. Do they want to see direct teaching or do they want to see students working in centers at all times. You tell them yes ma'am/sir, do what they want when they come in but the rest of the time do what your students need. Once you deliver the results, everyone else could care less how you go there, as long as your students performed.
* Include higher order thinking skills. Stop the class and ask your students: Suppose ... (suppose the plant does not get light for a week. How will it affect the plant growth?). You must start at the bottom, teach the students the basics but then, begin asking analyze questions.
* With any kind of student response activity, never go in any predictable order. This way students will have to pay attention, not knowing when they will be asked. It keeps the level if tension and attention.
* When introducing the lesson, look at the standard and go over it with the students. Do they understand what they need to learn? Have a mini "reading lesson" to look at the vocabulary in the standard, rewrite it in a way students can understand it and explain it so they can be involved and be accountable for their learning.
* Establish positive communication with student parents as soon as possible. Call and send positive messages before day one of school and make sure to send good messages to students who you might know will misbehave. It will be easier to speak to a parent about bad behavior if they see that you are on their child's side.
* The best way to teach is to start early. It is a good idea to begin introducing material from second semester in the beginning of school year. It does not have to be a full lesson, but it can be a mini-lesson, a journal entry, an intro to it. Then remember these new things you talked about every once in a while. The more students are exposed to it, the better they will understand and remember it. Pre teach - Teach-Review. Never let them forget.
* If you will be observed, script your lesson. Write down strategies, possible problems, questions to ask students, minute-by-minute activities (by 5 min increments) etc. You will not necessarily read it, after scripting it, you will probably know what is happening and you will just have to glance at it. Do not read it or it will be stiff. Use technology and play a game during the lesson.
* Step 1 in planning any lesson: establish relevance at the beginning of the lesson. (Relate to prior learning or relate to prior experiences). It is done so it hooks the learner.
* Write down the agenda for the day on the board, a list of activities for the day. It helps you stay on track, students know what to expect, and if someone comes to observe, they know where you are and what is coming up. Students appreciate knowing what they will do that day.
* Create / build high expectations for all learners. Repeat it to them saying you are not accepting failure. What can be said: "I understand you think what you did is enough. Maybe for you 70 is enough but not for me. You are much smarter than that, you are much better than that. I know you can do better. I know you can push and become my star student. I do not care what is enough for you, but I will continue to push you to be better." If you repeat something along these lines to your students many times, they will begin to believe you and perform better than expected.
* Do not worry about the cutsie activities. Teach what matters, teach the basics if students lack them. Get down to their level and build them up. That is what really matters. If you work to bring up the low learners, you will not have time to waste on the cute stuff.
* If you have students way below level, do a group lesson on what the TEK requires using the materials on level and then pull students into the small group and use the materials on their level. It is possible to work on summary or main idea using picture books (if that is what the student can read). After a few weeks you will begin moving these students up. Every student must receive instruction on level, but then differentiate and meet your students on their level.
* Small groups are done, so you can meet individual needs of the students. Use your whole group lessons to teach on-level, grade level texts and what is required. Do a short small group lesson and then differentiate based on the needs. Pull the students into small groups and begin working on their instructional level and use what you need to use to pull these students up. From day one, assess your students and find out their reading levels (instructional and independent) and their struggles in math. Create small groups and begin working as soon as possible.
* Science and Social Studies are reading in elementary (expository reading). You can still work on reading skills and learn science at the same way.
* Learn how your boss wants the lesson to be conducted. Do they want to see direct teaching or do they want to see students working in centers at all times. You tell them yes ma'am/sir, do what they want when they come in but the rest of the time do what your students need. Once you deliver the results, everyone else could care less how you go there, as long as your students performed.
* Include higher order thinking skills. Stop the class and ask your students: Suppose ... (suppose the plant does not get light for a week. How will it affect the plant growth?). You must start at the bottom, teach the students the basics but then, begin asking analyze questions.
* With any kind of student response activity, never go in any predictable order. This way students will have to pay attention, not knowing when they will be asked. It keeps the level if tension and attention.
* When introducing the lesson, look at the standard and go over it with the students. Do they understand what they need to learn? Have a mini "reading lesson" to look at the vocabulary in the standard, rewrite it in a way students can understand it and explain it so they can be involved and be accountable for their learning.
* Establish positive communication with student parents as soon as possible. Call and send positive messages before day one of school and make sure to send good messages to students who you might know will misbehave. It will be easier to speak to a parent about bad behavior if they see that you are on their child's side.
* The best way to teach is to start early. It is a good idea to begin introducing material from second semester in the beginning of school year. It does not have to be a full lesson, but it can be a mini-lesson, a journal entry, an intro to it. Then remember these new things you talked about every once in a while. The more students are exposed to it, the better they will understand and remember it. Pre teach - Teach-Review. Never let them forget.