August 30, 2013

Lesson took less time than I expected. This happened to me this week. Each lesson that I had planned finished up about 20 minutes early. I had to think on my feet because I didnt want to waste the time that the students could be using to learn, and I didnt want mass chaos in my class for 20 minutes. So what I did is I thought of several wrap up writing assingments for lessons that are coming up. Application is a big thing for me in my teaching. I decided to make these activities to where they had to apply what they had learned to use it and write about it. For instance one of them is to picture yourself as an immigrant worker before the Progressive reforms and write a letter describing where you work to your family in Europe. These each take about 15- 20 minutes and they help wrap up the knowledge and the concepts that I have presented that day. I really enjoy these and I am thinking that I may want to make them a part of each class that I do to close the lessons. This was a great idea that I stubled upon becuase I was done to early in class.

August 23, 2013

If I had the opportunity to re- teach one thing from todays lesson I would find better visuals for the meat packing plants in Chicago. The conditions here were terrible and I dont think that I addressed these well enough to get the students to see the issues being looked at. I needed a video or some other form of visual help that I can use to bring the era to life in my teaching. Given a chance I will find one and use it the next time that this topic comes up to get a more in depth understanding of what it was really like when Upton Sinclair was in the plants.

August 16, 2013

This is the first week I was here at MHS. The students have not arrived yet for their classes, and the teachers are here preparing for the year. I am here getting myself prepared for the task at hand in my intern year. This is the first time that I have been here to see the amount of preparation and meetings that go on here to begin the year. Some of the meetings have been pointless, others have been benficial. I am looking foreward to a great year and can't wait to get to know my students and start teaching!