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7. Keep your postings education-oriented. Avoid discussing plans for the weekend, etc.

FINAL BLOG POST - OUR "DAILY TRIPLE" (DUE 12/1).
This week I would like you to use your imagination. You have just won the lottery and will leave your teaching post immediately to travel around the world. As you leave your keys you meet your replacement. You are asked to give this new teacher just ONE piece of advice. What would that be, and why? Enjoy your world expedition!

Blog Post - Week 7
This past week in my own teaching I felt a little disconnected which prompts my question to you, "What was the moment (or moments) when I felt most disconnected or disengaged as a teacher - the moment(s) I said to myself, I'm just going through the motions here?"

Fall Semester 2016 Blog Post - Week 6
For the past couple of weeks you have experienced asynchronous online learning (doing modules by yourself). Previously this semester you have experienced synchronous online learning (all together in the Collaborate room). Which do you think is more effective and why do you think that? Which do you like better, and why?

Fall Semester 2016 Blog Post - Week 5
This week we have what we call "open mic." You can write a post about anything related to your teaching that you would like responses from your classmates.

Fall Semester 2016 Blog Post - Week 4
Here is this week's question: "What was the event that most took me surprise this week - and event that shook me up, caught me off guard, gave me a jolt, or made me unexpectedly happy?"

Fall Semester 2016 Blog Post - Week 3
Please write a post about the following question, "In thinking about my past week teaching what is one thing I would do differently, and why?"

Fall Semester 2016 Blog Post - Week 2
Please write a post about the following question, " In thinking about my teaching activities this past week, of what do I feel most proud? Why?"

Fall Semester 2016 Blog Post - Week 1
Describe something you used in your program in the first weeks of school that you learned in the summer NTI program. How did it work? Did it get you off to a stronger start than last year?

Monday, October 21, 2013

Lesson Plan Plan

Two years ago, as a brand new teacher, I was presented with the challenge of teaching a class with little to no information or lesson plans available to assist me. This was very surprising to me. I was shocked at how little guidance was available to a new teacher in respect to actual “stuff” that allowed the teacher to convey the required standards to the students. That is the one thing I would change about CTE, multiple lesson plan options for every part of each unit within a concentration area.

My background in professional training tells me an organization is only as good as its newest employee. These new associates will most certainly be your weakest link and there should be a program in place for the newest people on your team to follow; a blueprint for success if you will. This plan would allow a “newbie” to have a trainer with them at all times in the early portion of their new career.

This plan should have a vast amount of information to pull from as far as available lessons and techniques. For instance, if every Marketing teacher from around the state were to provide the lessons plans and activities they use for each class you would have literally dozens of options to present to a brand new teacher in need of direction. These lesson plans and activities could then be performed by the new teacher in order to get them acquainted and comfortable with the material. Eventually, as all teachers do, the plans could be tweaked or replaced based on the specific need of the teacher. In addition to getting the new teachers off to a good start, this type of plan would free up a tremendous amount of much needed time new teachers currently use to ……… wait for it …… lesson plan! Imagine how much easier your first year would have been if you had to spend minimal time on the actual building of lesson plans and more time in learning the material and perfecting your delivery.

4 comments:

Nurse TJ said...

AMEN! AMEN! AMEN! AND AMEN AGAIN!!!! I could not agree with you more, Terry!!!!! I have spent an EXORBITANT amount of time on lesson planning. It most definitely would have been nice to have had some other source to pull from. I know that CTAERN exists, but sometimes, I am "underwhelmed" by those. I always feel like I can come up with a more fun and creative way to present the material, and I can. The disadvantage to doing that is the amount of time that it takes for me to plan the fun and creative lessons. Having a resource that allows me to have multiple options, would be awesome. In terms of a team only being as strong as its newest employee,isnt a creed that the education lives by. I have come to believe that their motto is more like "overwhelm, under support, over work and under pay". I don't believe this is done intentionally, it's just the way it is.Hang in there...I am told that it gets better.

Dr. J said...

Hi Terry,
Yes, I agree with you. In traditional teacher education programs we place our students in a year long school experience. The second half is when they do student teaching. They are with a mentor teacher the entire time. For whatever reason, CTE teacher certification is different with different program rules put forth by PSC. You really are out there on your own . . .

ChiroCourt said...

I agree, Terry. I teach a class that is considered to be a new pathway so I don't have anything on CTAERN to even guide me in the right direction. I've reached out to at least 10 teachers in the state and I’ve only received one email response. She was helpful, although their curriculum is very different from mine, so it was not as helpful as I hoped. I feel like I really need a lot of help because I create ALL my material. I repeat, I create ALL my materials from class notes, worksheets, some creative activities, EVERYTHING. It can be very overwhelming at times and I feel as though I'm sinking a lot. Lesson Plans are supposed to ease theses burdens, but I feel like lesson plans themselves are a burden. I dedicate a lot of time outside of the classroom creating my materials and I'm mentally drained to actually create an effective lesson plan...

Unknown said...

agree, agree, agree. I came into a big ole mess and the only plans I had were my former teachers from 25 years ago! You can only imagine the changes in format in that time span!