Greetings All. I am wondering if someone could please provide me with some advice on what lesson I should give during an observation that I have scheduled for a week from now. But first, perhaps some background of my situation is in order.
I am a second career "student" who is to begin in a one-year proficiency-based licensure program in Wisconsin over the summer. My undergraduate degree is in healthcare administration (though I do have 30+ credits in science, which I enjoyed). I have several years of tutoring experience at the college level (mostly algebra and human biology), worked as a teaching assistant for a college biological sciences department, and now function as a substitute teacher at several public school districts.
My licensure program requires its students to obtain fulltime employment as educators and that contingency is what has me soliciting area charter schools regarding vacancies they have. One school has asked me to visit its secondary campus to guest teach. Specifically, I will be asked to devise a lesson for general science at the 7th-8th grade level and a separate lesson for math at the 10th-12th grade level. Each session will be about an hour. All I know about the students I will be working with is that most are traditional minorities and that they can be a "wild group." I do not know how many students I will see, but I suspect that each session will be attended by 12-20 students.
My dilemma is simple: what lesson(s) should I give to these groups of students? Most students at this school are traditional minorities from urban neighborhoods. The school is Christian-based; teachers are encouraged to quote the Bible and make references to God during lessons. (The gentleman who will be observing me is a pastor who teaches religious studies at the school.) I won't be able to use any tools at the school; essentially, all the materials I need for my lessons must come from my person. Lastly, I have been told that the students enjoy completing puzzles, games, and other academic resources found on the edhelper.com website.
I would appreciate any recommendations you may have regarding either lesson (7th-8th (and 9th?) grade science OR 10th-12th (and 9th) grade math lesson(s)) I should give to my students under the previously described conditions. I do want to make a good impression when I guest teach at the school - teaching science and math at the secondary level is most certainly where I want to practice as an educator. It's just that I have only one chance to make that "good impression" and, combined with being in a new environment and not having formal experience under similar conditions, I feel somewhat anxious about what is to come. This is the lone school I've contacted so far that has asked to observe me as I teach - each of the others previously has simply conducted interviews (by phone or in-person).
Thank you for listening.
I finished a similar program recently in Florida and had a remarkable classmate who had been a marine biologist. Her showpiece lesson opened with recorded whale songs and other marine sounds. She talked briefly about features of fish that give clues about their diet, environment, etc. the had the students work in groups of 3 or so on finding 2 different fish in various books from her collection and the library. For each fish, they made predictions based on appearance then tried to verify or correct those guesses. At the same time, students individually brushed blue paint on a fish and rubbed a piece of paper across the painted fish to get a fish print. As a follow-up activity, the students labeled their biology/art work after it had dried overnight. A large diagram was posted as a model. The finished products graced bulletin boards for weeks.
just joking! Do not bring up evolution!!! Have you been able to talk to other teachers at the school? Could you find out what is in their curriculum so that you could present something related to what they are already studying? Do you have a conservation dept. in your area. You could do something in regards to local environmental issues for science that the students could relate to. For math, you could have a lifeskill math lesson. Have various ads from newspapers and have students plan out what expenses they will encounter when they get out of school - rent , car/gas, utilities, food, jobs, be sure to include tything to the church!, etc. Then they could figure what their monthly expenses might be. In regards to the students being a 'wild group' - Try not to go in with prejudgment - I've found that if you set high standards for students, that sometimes, not always, they will live up to them. Don't patronize them, but don't let them see you sweat either! Good luck! I'd like to know how it works out for you. Good luck.
I thought that by next year all teachers due to NCLB had to be highly qualified. I'm curious why a district in Wisconsin has this sort of alternative program. There are quite a few unemployed teachers who got a teaching license who would love the opportunity at a teaching job. Nothing personal against you, just these programs. They set up "teachers" for failure because they lack the needed education courses to become a teacher. You may know your subject material but how to teach it is what you are missing. My advice, if you are serious about becoming a teacher, would be to look for a quality program without the shortcuts. They are quick but will make a very difficult for you to know what to do in a classroom. You can't just 'pull someone off the street' and make them a teacher. I value education and my own education to know that without these I wouldn't have had much success without all of the methods, classroom management courses etc. on HOW to teach students. Then I got my licenses in Math and Science too. Having only part of the education will be difficult for you. Some colleges still don't care I guess. They'll still take your money. Best of luck.
games and puzzles from edhelper for classroom resources OMG :O
Here in New Jersey, we have a shortage of teachers, especially good math and science teachers. Fortunately, we have a number of good alternate route certification programs. The one I'm in allows subject matter experts to teach provisionally prior to getting their permanent license. But before they begin this provisional teaching, they are required to: 1. pass the Praxis II exam in their area; 2. submit proof of sufficient college credits completed in their area; 3. apply for and receive a Certificate of Eligibility to teach in their area; 4. complete 5 graduate education credits during the summer including the teaching of a lesson to a class of students, grad credit course taught by current/retired local school superintendent; 5. complete 20 hours of teaching observation during the summer. Most of my classmates already worked as subs or permanent subs or with students in some capacity for several years before enrolling. There are additional requirements during the provisional year.
One advantage of the program I'm in is that the summer pre-service component is comprehensive in terms of methods, "classroom management", and transferrable skills. About 3/4 of the pre-service phase teachers continued the program and taught in the fall. If you were not recommended, or if you weren't able to interview successfully and find a teaching position, you did not get to be in the academic year in-service phase, which includes a mentor and weekly grad ed class from September to June. Having already taught K through adult classes in various capacities, I felt prepared for teaching full-time, although I think that no program can prepare you for everything. I don't really know how to explain the fact that there are unemployed teachers with licenses looking for teaching jobs. I do think that some teachers get more out of their graduate education courses than others. Some teachers seem to be a more natural fit with certain age groups and subjects than others, and with teaching in general. There's also supply and demand involved.
I don't think that someone needs to go back and get a second masters degree or undergraduate degree in education in order to teach; however, I did find the summer education courses useful. There is some variability of alternate route programs within and between states, I agree. I don't think that, considering the program I'm in, that there is a lack of quality, and I certainly wouldn't call it a "shortcut". In fact, I'm continually amazed at the number of hoops we jump through in order to get licensed. No wonder we have a shortage of teachers here. True, colleges may want our money. Yet, I think that for most who enroll, alternate route programs can be a complete and successful route to becoming a full-fledged professional teacher.
05-17-2007, 05:09 PM
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