IMPACT ON LEARNING

My curriculum mapping is used to see a direct correlation between my teaching strategies and the knowledge and understanding my students' gain. I use the standards to guide me in the skills my students need to master in order to move on to the next topic. My curriculum practice allows me to give students immediate feedback when needed. I have diversified the assessments so that every learning style is addressed. Deciding what is essential for my students to know and then determining how my students will demonstrate their understanding lets me create the best road map for the learning experience. I am able to give all my time to facilitating my students because I have already designed the process to which my students will be assessed and the skills needed. If a student has to change from one math teacher to another the curriculum's mapping allows this transition to be less stressful and the knowledge gain in one class can be carried to the next. My students are free to explore a topic from all directions. The Curriculum Mapping allows you to change skills as the lesson is being taught and the students demonstrate that they may need more or less time in a particular area.

Mastery of Program Competencies

My Curriculum Mapping shows that I have mastered Program Competencies: #2 teachers know the subjects they teach and how to teach those subjects to students, #3 teachers are responsible for managing and monitoring student learning and #4 teachers think systematically about their practice and learn from experience.

My artifact shows that I know my subject by the thoroughness and details contained in my curriculum. My essential questions are open ended and requires students to use their critical thinking skills. Every content is matched with a skill and the assessments are varied to meet the diversities of my students. The skills are incorporated so that my students will gain a complete knowledge of the topic. The various methods used to teach will allow all my students to gain mastery of the skill. My choices of assessments are diverse so that all learners have a chance to be successful.

The combination of worksheets, puzzles, exploratory group activities, individual assignments and technology shows that I have diversified my teaching strategies in order to manage my students' learning. I vary the types of assessment from formative to summative and traditional to authentic. I give immediate feedback. The class activities are student centered. All of these strategies show that I am monitoring student learning.

My curriculum is set up in a very detailed and orderly manner. Each essential question is matched with content, skill and assessment. The standards are also listed. The design of my curriculum mapping is well thought and informative. All the required information is readily available. My artifact shows that I think systematically and by reflecting at the end of the unit and making any necessary change shows that I am learning from the experience of my students and myself.

Don't Miss The Bus!

For our county, school for the students start Monday, August 10. As children prepare for school by picking out what they are going to wear for the first day, parents are smiling. They made it through another summer.

Teachers are in school making preparation and declaring that this is going to be a better year. Our rooms are clean, lesson plans are made, meetings are too long and the copier is broke. School as usual. Let us keep looking on the bright side. All our smiling students are on their way back to us. New outfits on and bookbags full of school supplies. Remember, we are forming the future!

The Five P's of Classroom Management
　
Powerful curriculum all planned and ready to go - meaningful, useful, relevant, with opportunities to be creative and emotional

Prerequisites are in place - teacher and students are in relationship with each other, as are students with students

Parameters are clear at all times - general and specific ground rules, procedures, and directions

Participation is expected and nurtured - students are actively engaged and on task; direct instruction provides for student involvement

Positive attitude - teacher models a positive mental attitude towards students and classroom activities

Classroom Management: A Positive Approach
http://www.todaysteacher.com/ClassroomManagement.htm

To Scaffold or not to Scaffold

To scaffold or not to scaffold... That is the question. If we want to be effective and have all our students learn we must use diversity in our teaching strategies.

According to a definition in Thesaurus : "Scaffolding is a temporary arrangement erected around a building for convenience of workers." Let us be that temporary arrangement around our students and remember that:
"Every student can learn, just not on the same day, or in the same way."...George Evans. I borrowed this quote from Alberta Wandell's blog.

So teachers, let the SCAFFOLDING begin.

The Three Evils.....

Hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil,


This is an old adage that I was brought up on. We still see the pictures of the little monkeys covering their ears, eyes , and mouth.

Let's look at another old adage for teaching. This saying is perfect for the kinesthetic learner.

I HEAR AND I FORGET

I SEE AND I REMEMBER

I DO AND I UNDERSTAND

When we are making plans for the upcoming school year let's keep this saying in mind. (: This was probably one of the basis for authentic assessment:)

A Teacher's Motto

“The Teacher’s Motto”

As school starts back, budget cuts have given us furlough days, our class size may increase, we no longer get the $100 to buy supplies for our students and classrooms. We must remember why we became teachers.

“A hundred years from now, some things won’t matter; how much money was in my bank account, the size of the house in which I lived, or the kind of car I drove around…but the world may be a better place because I was important in the life of a child.”

author unknown
http://www.behavioradvisor.com/oldindex.html