What are some strategies or products that you have implemented from our summer NTI that made your semester begin more smoothly and more managable than last year? If this is your first year, what is working well? Remember to post and then to comment on another classmate's post. Grading criteria is located in your course syllabus
The start of this school year has been much smoother than last year thanks to the strategies a
that I learned in NTI this summer. I have been much more relaxed and confident because I am more prepared. The leson plans that I prepared have allowed me to have more time to focus on the nuts and bolts of the lesson.
I have utilized many of the strategies from the summer. I use the set induction everyday and it helps to engage the students before the lesson begins. I have used the transition techniques that Dr. Burns demonstrated to move the class into small groups and to move from station to station in lab. After giving instructions, I will ask someone to repeat them to the class. All of these strategies have helped to make the start of the schoolyear much less stressful.
The set induction is so helpful in the classroom to get students in the right mindset. That has also worked well for me. On the rare days when I come in relatively unprepared, I notice a complete difference in attitudes and behaviors of the students if I don't have a set induction. Also, I have to add that doing transitions in the classroom does help limit the students' wasted time in the classroom. Having the students repeat back to you has been imperative in my classroom. It has minimized the questions significantly, and it also helps me understand if I've misspoken to my students or haven't spoken well. This blogging will help us all improve as teachers, and I'm sure that's why we're all here - to give our students the best we can give them.
ReplyDeleteHi Jan,
ReplyDeleteI am glad your year is off to a smoother start and that you are able to use things you learned this past summer. Next year will be even better!
I think anything that helps reduce the stress level can make you a better teacher. It's amazing that the students are more calm when you are more organized and less stressed. I bet you have a very positive learning environment! Dr. J.