High School Discussions

New Teacher Starting Mid Year (Worried, Stressed, Depressed...All of the Above)

whittywhit0678 — Sat, 12 Jan 2013 20:31:57 GMT

Hi guys! I was just browsing the net and came across this forum. Im having a difficult time really grasping my situation right now...so I thought I'd look for advice from people who are in/have been in my situation...So, here goes.

I just turned 25 years old (2 days ago). I finished my Bachelors Degree in Biology in 2010, Masters in Feb 2012, and I am now in my first year of my doctorate program. Although I still have 3 years left to finish my doctorate program I came up with the bright idea that I should be getting some "real world" experience while finishing up my education. I have been on FULL academic scholarship (complete with a pretty decent stipend) that has funded my full education and kept my bills paid since starting college...But now I'm sick of sitting at home and being bored day in and day out...Long story short, I was offered a job as a High School Science teacher at an inner city school. The inner city part really doesn't scare me too much as I am a product of this type of school myself. The part that does scare me is the fact that I am starting well into the second semester of school (Mid January), with no materials, and completely unprepared. Im not sure what to do. I am starting to become very stressed, depressed, and worried as my first day is approaching. I keep asking myself "What if I dont like it?", "What if the kids hate me?", "What if the admin/teachers hate me/are mean to me?", "How will I get through the remainder of the year?", "What do I do if teaching is not for me?" Anyone have any advice for me as I prepare for my first day as a new teacher in the middle of the school year? What other options are out there if teaching doesn't work out? HELP!

-Nervous Teacher To Be

BTW my Masters is in Higher Education and Doctorate is a Ed.D. in Educational Leadership if that helps....

Martin Luther King, JR literature

CGiles — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 20:52:07 GMT

I am wanting to teach a unit on nonviolence. *I want to use Stride Toward Freedom or Why We Can't Wait as my extended text for this unit. *This will be a unit taught in January/February to 9th grade. *My problem is that I can', for the life of me decide which book to have them read. *Has anyone used these books before. *If so, how did it go and which would you recommend?
Thanks,
Crystal*

Algebra help for the Common Core

jeanette18 — Thu, 21 Jun 2012 01:22:15 GMT

I am currently working on a website to help Algebra 1 Teachers.

It is certainly a work in progress and has much to be done, but it is a start and for many of us, that is the hardest part.

I have begun a newsletter to keep people informed of where I am at in the process. Here is a link to my first one.

Please pass this on if you think it might be helpful!

Algebra1Teachers.com

Great Way to Unleash Every Students' Full Potential

mrsatina — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 19:30:03 GMT

Send me an email at dukeandanita@gmail and I'll send you the information. The root of all issues students face lies in one simple concept.

TEKS in the classroom

Kcharleston — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 14:52:43 GMT

I'm a new teacher and I teach Intergraded Physics and Chemistry, can anyone give me a few pointers as to how I can use more TEKS in the classroom?

Assessment FOR Learning (AfL)

bwaring — Sun, 27 May 2012 17:40:01 GMT

To what extent has the implementation of Assessment for Learning (AfL) strategies had any significant impact on a group of learners and what are the issues, (if any), surrounding the effective implementation of AFL?
What would improve the efficacy of AfL?
Where would one find anonymised exemplar samples of AfL in practice? (both “good” practise and what might be considered “an area for development”)

Hiya! Looking for my first step!

ryfinerty — Mon, 14 May 2012 14:04:59 GMT

Hi everybody, my name's Ry. I just completed a year of service with City Year, an AmeriCorps organization focused on ending the dropout crisis. I proudly served on Chicago's West Side for 10 months with my wonderful 9th graders.

Now that my year of service is over, my path is pretty firmly set in education. I've been doing a bit of online research, trying to get a sense of where I should start. The more I look, the more questions I have. I know that I need a teaching certificate, but does that mean a MA in Education isn't the right choice? I've heard that an MA is more for administrative positions.

Furthermore, were I to have my pick of all 50 states, where should I focus my attention? I know that there are a myriad variables to consider - each state has their own specific regulations regarding teaching, budget cuts, salary to cost-of-living ratio, etc.

Any and all information would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for the help!

-Ry

Student support systems

Fang — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 20:43:51 GMT

On a teacher application form, it was asked what skills were necessary to be outstanding when working in student support systems and how to address the range of issues in your groups. Exactly what is meant by student support systems?

Classroom Management tips and parental, teacher student communication

Bmanzo — Sun, 22 May 2011 16:48:21 GMT

What are the most effective way to have a classroom managmenet plan in place on the high school level? How can you guarentee the classroom management planimplemented will be both recognized by the students and the parents? Do you think the contract of agreement on the high school level is as effective as it is in the midle school level? Do you think by inviting and doing an open house on the high school level will increase the chances of parental, teacher and student communication?

Bundlenut -- Free web app, hopefully useful for teachers!

redwood — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 04:05:59 GMT

Hi there, I'd like to share our free website so that teachers can take advantage of it:

www.bundlenut.com

Essentially our site lets you combine a bunch of online resources into a commented list which you can then share to have others easily surf in our in-tab browser.

For example

- we imagine a teacher combining a series of wikipedia (or etc) pages as a reading assignment

- the teacher can include an optional comment about each page, so the student knows what the teacher wants them to focus on, etc

- the teacher could then share the link to the bundle with the students, and expect them to surf through the resources on their own.

We don't currently support Google properties unfortunately (Youtube being the biggest loss) but wikipedia and most other sites work perfectly.

Thanks and appreciate any comments!

-Andrew

Discipline Without Stress

fhufutureteacher — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 12:14:05 GMT

I recently heard about the "Discipline Without Stress" syste. Has anyone tried it? Is it effective?

Teaching Nonfiction

momteacher — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 23:43:39 GMT

I am starting a new nonfiction unit with my students in English 9. I am trying to mix it up and incorporate a bit more technology and interaction. Any suggestions for blogs or other websites that will encourage nonfiction reading? By the way, it is English 9, but they are mostly junior and seniors at a continuation high school :) Gotta keep it interesting!! Any input is greatly appreciated!!

High School Science and an 8 period day

Edgeland — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 10:58:32 GMT

Hello Everyone!

I teach in a small school district, and we have decided to switch from a 7 period day to an 8 period day. The debate is over, we are going to an 8 period day.

My question is this. I am fighting like mad to get a lab period since I have lost time in class, which then means I have lost lab time in class, so what do other schools out there on an 8 period day do for their science classes?

Do you have a lab period? or do you do nothing? or a modified schedule to increase time for the sciences?

Innovation in a Resistant Environment

WriteReadWriteMore — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 00:01:04 GMT

I am new to the forum, so forgive me if this has been discussed elsewhere.

I am a fourth year English teacher who entered the teaching profession in my late twenties. I was VERY fortunate to work for a school that emphasized technology and real life problem solving for the past three years. This year, our school district decided we needed to revisit the "traditional" design idea instead of the innovation to which I was accustomed. Also, we are transitioning to the common core curriculum. In the past, we were not in traditional "departments" but instead were in grade level teams that worked around the needs of common students. I embraced this wholeheartedly because, as an English teacher, it always made sense to relate the materials I taught to the things that were happening in the other classrooms.

My question is this: Should I abandon everything I know to work from evidence in my classroom? Should I go "traditional" when it doesn't fit me or the demands of the curriculum the state and the nation are rolling out? Or, should I use the approaches I know students connect with and understand? When I use innovation, my students learn and are excited to do the work. When I do lessons that are modeled from the other teachers, I get low student engagement and minimal results.

Many of the more "seasoned" teachers have shown a firm dislike for my "different" approach (read: not just reading a story and doing the questions at the end of the passage). They are making my work more difficult because of pettiness. I have begun to feel as though I will not be "right" until I stand and lecture every day, like the veteran teachers do. Are there any other English teachers out there that use PBL and innovation in your classroom, even in the face of the naysayers?

First day of school as a new teacher.

fhufutureteacher — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 16:21:21 GMT

I am about to graduate and start my career as a high school English teacher. Most likely I will be working with 9th or 10th grade. I am worried that my students will not see me as an authority figure because I am so young. Does anyone have any first day of school tips to help me set up the right dynamic in my classroom?

Call for participation in Educators Inclusion Perspectives survey for my University of Illinois' masters Capstone Project

majones2 — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 14:29:35 GMT

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Dear Educator:

I am currently working on my Masters’ Degree in Education at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Part of my degree requirement is the Capstone Project which involves my choice of a research project that is conducted under the guidance of Dr. Yvonne Carey.

I am emailing you to request that you participate in a survey that you will find at this link http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/EducatorsInclusionPerspectives . By participating in the survey and submitting it, you are consenting. The purpose of this study is to research educators’ perspective on inclusion. This survey will be completed on Survey Monkey (a website that hosts surveys) and will take approximately 20 minutes. The deadline to participate in this survey is August 31^st, 2011 at 11pm. Your participation in this project is completely voluntary and I anticipate that you will not experience any adverse effect by participating risks greater than normal life. You may stop taking part at any time with no negative side effects. Your decision to participate will not influence your employment at schools. All information that is obtained during this project will be kept strictly secure and kept confidential. I will be happy to share the results of this project with you after all of the data has been reviewed. The results of this study will be used for a class paper and a class presentation.

Please keep a copy of this letter for your records. If you have any questions about this research project, please feel free to contact us either by mail, e-mail, or telephone. Questions related to rights as research participants can be directed to Anne Robertson in the Bureau of Educational Research.

Sincerely,

Merissa Jones

Merissa A. Jones, Graduate Student

217-390-6730

Majones2@illinois.edu

Yvonne Carey, Professor

773 350 4746

ycarey@uiuc.edu

Anne S. Robertson at the Office of School University Research Relations

217-333-3023

arobrtsn@illinois.edu

Onlinetutorsite.com - Expert in math homework help, statistics homework help, chemistry homework help, physics homework help, biology homework help

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Applauding Teachers Across America

Shari600 — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 08:51:04 GMT

Hertz Furniture, a leading supplier of school and office furniture applauds teachers across America for the hard work they do.
Fellow teachers, colleagues and supporters are encouraged to enter their favorite currently active K–12 teacher. Teachers can even enter themselves. Simply tell us who you think should win and why. And they may win a home office furniture set (valued over $1000) or an office chair!

http://www.hertzfurniture.com/contests.html

Shari

Visual Arts in Literary Study

amyjw — Fri, 27 May 2011 20:02:42 GMT

I am a senior English Teaching student at Brigham Young University, and I am currently taking a class that focuses on writing about literature in the digital age. This class have given me the opportunity to research aspects of an independently chosen novel that are relevant to me. As a future teacher of language arts, I wanted to focus on an old childhood favorite, Where the Red Fern Grows, though what I am researching could apply to the study of any literary work.

Through my research I have become highly interested in visual interactions with the text; that is, I have come to believe that a language-only reaction to Where the Red Fern Grows (a written or oral response) falls flat when compared with visual arts reactions. Written responses (including Facebook and Twitter feeds) are often, "It is such a sad book." Visual responses, I have found, are much richer. (See the Picture Book Report).

Now, here is what I would like to know. Have any of you had any experience with teaching Where the Red Fern Grows in your English or language arts classroom? Did you incorporate any visual arts into the lesson plan (including pictures (painted, taken by a camera, whatever), sculptures, videos, etc.)? Was it beneficial in the students' interaction with the story? Any thoughts, ideas, or experiences will be greatly appreciated, even if they are regarding texts other than Where the Red Fern Grows.

Classroom Management Tips for New Teachers

jrumlow — Sat, 21 May 2011 16:48:11 GMT

I am a new mathematics teacher and am looking for classroom or time management tips when setting up my first year lesson plans.

Enhancing the educational experience with travel?

JackWS — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 14:32:33 GMT

Hello teachers,
Do any of you participate in annual or bi-annual educational travel programs with your classes? I wonder how you've found the experience to help enhance the educational process, what worked, what didn't, what you'd recommend to someone trying to put together a program, etc. Please let me know!

Looking for teacher advice on workbooks/online programs

hmk11590 — Sun, 03 Apr 2011 17:36:38 GMT

I'm 20, and I have been out of school since the 10th grade. I am currently trying to get a G.E.D., and I would then like to go on to college. I was wondering if anyone has any recomendations on any online programs, or even workbooks that I can use to prepare for college. I am able to self teach math, but I have great difficulty with vocabulary, reading, and writing skills. I would really appreciate any recomondations.

Some ideas about using simple technology for better teaching

devindb — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 18:04:22 GMT

Here is a short video clip from youtube about using technology to help make teaching more effective. This video uses four simple tools that are available to you today, and you can learn more about them on the website at the end of the video. The video uses teaching history as an example but these tools can be adapted for any subject. Enjoy :)

http://www.youtube.com/user/msebyu#p/u/9/a3T3MLd-92A

Advising Parents On How To Hire A Tutor?

janesanchez1975 — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 22:16:47 GMT

I offer tutoring sessions twice a week before class starts for students who need the extra help, but often kids are still left confused and eager to understand concepts. These kids fall behind even though they are trying their hardest. I know of some districts that offer tutor pairings, some even free of charge, but my district affords no such luxury. Parents are equally or more-so interested in the success of their child than their child is, and sometimes I get e-mails from parents wanting to know more about tutoring options. Does anyone have any tips or advice on this topic in regards to how I would community such information to parents?

Month of March is a tough month!

stephenteacher — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 19:02:38 GMT

From President's Day to Spring Break is what will feel like the longest stretch of the
school year. It can be one of the most tiring and stressful
Tips for teachers and the month of March!
Half way through the school year! Hang in there!

Stephen C