So today is our first day back from vacation. I
have had a wonderful break and am so excited to be back at school.
The nature of the class I will be teaching during
3rd quarter is such that I received an entirely new group of students. The 4 elective
classes, I will be teaching are Business Technology 7 & 8. I only have to
do a 30 contiguous day residency, so I will actually not start teaching until
January 17th. My mentor teacher is starting the new semester, to ensure when I
leave they will know who she is and recognize that she is the teacher not a
substitute.
The first day of class is structured as
follows:
- · Welcome/Roll
- · Classroom Expectations, Syllabus, and Rules
- · Class Website – Student Projects
- · Pre-test/ Info Sheet
For the Welcome/Roll section, introductions were
made and then roll was taken to ensure all students were in the proper class.
A keynote presentation was given on the Smart Board
For classroom expectations, syllabus, and rules. The presentation was
structured with a Go Animate video stating the rules and procedures in a
creative and intriguing way. The presentation did a quick review of what was in
the video, and then showed students examples of the type of projects they would
produce this year. The syllabus is simply information about the rules and
expectations, and a tentative schedule of software/projects. However on the
backside is a sample rubric. This rubric is gone over with the students
explaining each section of the rubric.
The Class Website is located on the schools website
and is called, “student projects”. It then goes to a separate link, which has
each of the first names of each of the student’s projects. A selected student’s
website was showcased to enable students to see the types of projects they will
be doing. This is a good way for students to be able to showcase their work.
When creating the website, students were cautioned to not include any last
names otherwise the site would not become active, this is to comply with FERPA
requirements.
After the website was discussed, students were
given a pre-test. Basically it asked what they knew about the computer. It also
gave us key information about each student’s personal data and informed us
their level of understanding of computers. While students were completing this
pre-test, a seating chart was created by walking around checking schedules and
writing down the seat location on a chart. After students were done with the
pre-test, the class corrected it as a group, using a “No-Opt Out” technique.
The four classes I will be teaching are as follows:
Period 1: Business
Technology 7
Period 2: Business
Technology 7
Period 6: Business
Technology 8
Period 7: Business
Technology 7/8 (Mixed Class)
The period 1 class was very quiet. I think that
students are excited about the type of projects they will get to do, and
understand the rules and regulations well.
The second period class was a little more animated,
and very eager to answer questions. They did well in raising their hands.
The sixth period class was more entertaining. These
students are 8th graders, and typically have more energy than the
other classes. We have one special education student, and that will require
additional differentiation. It will be a lively class.
The seventh period class was very boisterous. It is
the biggest class at 32 students. It will need lots of engagement from the
teacher, and will require the teacher to be more attentive.
Changes for next time/future:
- · Might incorporate a team building activity or getting to know you activity, which would hopefully not be as daunting as a pre-test, possibly a Smart Response activity.
- · Need to incorporate a way to do a “No Opt Out” project into first day of residency. This will help me to learn student’s names faster.
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