Assignments

Assignment 1: Personal Statement

Due in Ses #2

Your name

Your email

Year of graduation

Have you completed 11.124 and 11.125?

The subject(s) you wish to be certified in.

The school(s) where you are most interested in doing your student teaching.

Write a brief personal statement (this will become part of the folder submitted in your behalf for certification purposes).

• Why you want to be a teacher?
• Describe any experiences you have had working with children.
• What do you hope to learn this year?
• Are there any special circumstances/concerns I should be aware of in terms of your teacher application process?

Assignment 2

Due in Ses #3

Topic I: You shared "significant moments" that you have experienced in the classroom as you went through school. What were some common themes in terms of the best and worst experiences that people lived through? Are there characteristics common to excellent teachers? If so, what are they? Can you extend this to the type of teacher you want to become? Any concerns you have?

Topic II: Being aware of who you are and how you learn will give you more awareness and control over how you develop into the teacher you want to become. Reflect on your own learning.

What kind of learner were you in middle school and then in high school and now? What motivated you? What kind of teaching was effective for you and when were you turned off in the classroom? Does this raise any flags for you as to how you plan to approach your own teaching?

Assignment 3

Due in Ses #7

Topic I. Comment on # 6 and #7 under "Other points to ponder" on the Expectations handout.

Topic II. Much is said about discipline in Chapter 7 of The Skillful Teacher.

• How would you deal with the Mike situation on page 122? Would you have done what is described in the text? What are the risks with doing what is described? What are some alternatives for dealing with the Mike situation?
• Kids picking on kids is often a cruel reality and one very difficult to deal with. On page 145, what is your reaction to "All misbehavior is the result of a discouraged student's mistaken assumption of how to find a place and gain status"?
• What in this chapter did you find most useful? Least useful?
• Have you ever been in a situation where you were the disciplinarian? If so, were you comfortable in that role? What kind of disciplinarian are you?

Topic III. What criteria should we use when giving feedback to "teacher" mini-lessons? Devise a rubric.

Assignment 4

Due in Ses #13

Write about a classroom observation you have done this semester in terms of the 24 teaching techniques presented in Chapter 9 of The Skillful Teacher (how to make a lesson more efficient and effective). You are unlikely to have seen 24 techniques in one class. Just focus on what you DID see.

• Describe in detail what happened in the classroom (narrative description of lesson).
• What skills did the teacher employ to make it a good lesson (Chapter 9)? What went well?
• Could the lesson have been improved (what would you have been done differently and why)?

Assignment 5: The First Formal Reflective Paper

Due in Ses #15

This is a time to reflect on what you have been learning so far, and where you find yourself now in your thinking about teaching and learning. How do you describe yourself as a teacher (if you have done any teaching)? What are your strengths? What are areas that you want to work on? What do you want to learn more about?

You can include whatever is useful to you as you write from your reflections on your own education, from your field work, from discussions in class, or from readings. It is up to you.

Expected length: 4 to 6 pages (1000-1500 words), but this is flexible.

Assignment 6: Final Reflection Paper

Due in Ses #24

Topic I. How have your thoughts on teaching and learning changed over the last three months?

• Give an analysis of your mini-lession. What did you do well? What do you still need to work on?
• Describe any differentiated instruction you have observed. What are you inclined to try yourself?
• What do you want to learn more about?
• Other comments and thoughts.

Topic II. "Excellent practice" ideas.

• Describe successful practices you have observed in the classroom. Which one do you see yourself using in your teaching next month?
• Give a short description of teacher resources you have encountered and their particular strength (i.e., websites, textbooks, etc.).
• Describe successful beginning and ending class scenarios you have observed. Which ones will you use in your teaching?

Topic III (on a separate sheet). Give a description of your plans for January (what school will you teach at, what classes will you teach and who is your mentor teacher, do you have any concerns and if so what are they).

Assignment 7: Folder of your Work

Due in Ses #26

1. Table of Contents
2. Curriculum Project (PDF)
3. "Teach a book"
4. Any other work you have done for this course
5. Pre-practicum log (PDF)

List of Projects

1. Mini-lesson (you design and teach a lesson in your subject area to the class). (PDF)
2. "Teach a book" (you read a text and teach it to the class).
3. Curriculum project (you design complete lesson plans for approximately one week of teaching during IAP).