TIPS - games

I really enjoyed learning about different games for classrooms. I would like to incorporate games more often in a meaningful way. I think that Kelly was right - debriefing is the part most overlooked when teachers use games, and it is the part that can add valuable meaning to the game. I loved the example she used in class that she took from http://www.internet4classrooms.com/. The game divided the class into two teams. Whoever gets the right answer first gets to "roll" the dice to get points added to their group score. The team that lost the round rolled the diced to get points subtracted from their group. It seemed like either team could still win with only a couple rounds in the game to go. One of the difficulties I've faced is students who just turn off as soon as they realize they won't win. This game is based on skill and luck, which is nice. It could easily be adapted for science class. Good TIP!

TIPS - luggage

I learned about a number of good TIPS in class. I liked the meet and greet that uses luggage where students write their name and two interesting facts about themselves on a piece of "luggage". In round 1, students introduce themselves with that information, then exchange their luggage. In round 2, students greet someone new. They again introduce themselves and their personal interesting fact. Then they point out the student who owns the luggage they carry and go over that students' interesting facts. Once both students have a turn, they move on to round 3. All the following rounds are the same: introduce self, then the owner of the luggage. It's a fun and different way to get students up and active while learning about classmates.

instructional strengths

I know I'm not a perfect teacher, however there are some things that I think I'm good at in regards to instruction. First of all I love the science material, so it is easy to share that excitement with my students. I also think I'm good at presenting material in different ways to try and reach different students. I'll go over notes, we'll have class discussions, and then we'll do something active. I'm also willing to change my plans instantaneously if my kids aren't getting it, or if I can ascertain we need to backtrack a few steps.

2/4 TWS update

At the beginning of the TWS process, I really felt overwhelmed by the entire process. I feel like I subconsciously assess my student's growth and alter our discussions and lessons accordingly. But even more than that, I was really worried about my ability to meet all the TWS standards without having a regular classroom. I know the teacher I just finished a long-term sub job for will probably let me teach for her classes, but I'm just going to have to make do with the situation I'm in.

Jigsaw and Graffiti cooperative learning approaches

The jigsaw method intends to give importance to each students in the class, so each is necessary for the success of the group. For example, if I wanted to teach about the different Kingdoms in taxonomy, I would divide my class into groups of seven, called "home" groups. Each individual would be responsible for acquiring knowledge about one kingdom, ie. Animals or Archaebacteria. Then individuals leave the home group to try and learn more about their assigned area by forming an expert group, ie. all the students assigned to Archaebacteria meet and thoroughly learn about Archeabacteria. Then students return to their home groups and report their knowledge. The home groups then have to make a cohesive final product, whether that's a paper, poster, or presentation. I could definitely use a methods like this when teaching biology.

The Graffiti method is when groups are given a large block of paper to write brainstorming ideas on. Then they re-write the information in an organized way with meaningful categories. Again with taxonomy, I could ask students to write down anything they know about living things, such as types of living things, traits of living things, and adaptations. Then they could try and organize it much like original taxonomers did.

Why I teach

I became a teacher because I knew I wanted to work with high school students and I love biology. It seemed like a good fit. I also like that it is a family oriented job in the sense that evenings, weekends, holidays, and breaks are generally off. As I'm nearing the family stage of life, the opportunity to be with family is important to me so I stay well-rounded. I continue to teach because I like it so much more than i expected to, and I think I'm getting better at it. I know I'm relatively new, but I'm growing as a teacher and learning still. My greatest strengths are that I care about the students, I'm flexible, and I know the material. I'm still working on follow-through with discipline. I've worked with college-aged students the last few years who spoiled me with ideal behavior. I teach required material using different methods in an effort to reach the needs of as many students as possible. I use hands-on activities, labs, notes, readings, and A/V material. Often the material in biology is something you can't really see or touch, like meiosis, so I have to get creative.