The First Day of Class The first day of class sets an outline for how the rest of the semester will go! It is imperative the teacher establishes the rules and expectations for the class. It is also important for the teacher to be mindful of how he/she is being perceived by the students and if that is what he/she wants to be perceived as for the remainder of the semester. Things Every Science Teacher Should Do On the First Day
Sample Safety Contract |
It is every science teachers duty to supervise especially during science experiments! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D34Se7zxgKo Science experiments are fun and engaging ways for students to uncover the information but also faces a lot of safety concerns. In order the address the safety concerns and successfully execute an experiment, every teacher must properly manage and supervise the experiment! Ways to Manage Science Experiments
|
Strategy for the Entire School Period (Day to Day)
The Eight Critical Contacts
1. PRE INSTRUCTION
2. OPENING THE SESSION
3. GENERAL INSTRUCTIONAL FUNCTIONS
4. TRANSITIONS
5. STUDENT INITIATED QUESTIONS
6. CLOSING THE SESSION
7. POST-INSTRUCTION
8. STUDENTS INITIATED DISRUPTIONS
During PRE INSTRUCTION
- BE ACCESSIBLE Priority is your student in class but be available before class, lunch, preparation time, after school.
- TEACHER INITIATED CONTACT welcome the students to the class
- USE LEARNER NAMES learn the student names or nicknames
- PERSONALIZE TOPIC EXCHANGE share personal histories
During OPENING THE SESSION
- VISUAL SCALE THE CLASS
- ROUTINE CALL TO ORDER
- EFFICIENT ROLL TAKING
- ACADEMIC ORGANIZER
- BEHAVIORAL ORGANIZER
- CHECK FOR MATERIALS
- CHECK FOR UNDERSTANDING
During GENERAL INSTRUCTIONAL PURPOSES
- REVIEW PREVIOUS WORK
- PRESENTATION
- GUIDED PRATICE
- CORRECTIONS AND FEEDBACK
- INDEPENDENT WORK
- WEEKLY OR EXTENDED REVIEWS
During TRANSITIONS
- PROVIDE NONVERBAL CUE
- PROVIDE VERBAL CUE
- MAINTAIN SCANNING
- EXPLAIN EXPECTATIONS
- SIGNAL START OF TRANSITION
- MONITOR NOISE LEVEL
During STUDENT INITIATED QUESTIONS
- ESTABLISH ACCESS
- ACTIVELY LISTEN
- BE CONSIDERING
- PROBE INQUIRE, EXTEND
During CLOSING THE SESSION
- SIGNAL CLOSING
- REVIEW PERFORMANCE
- PROVIDE MOTIVATION
- PREVIEW NEXT SESSION
- ANSWER ANY QUESTION
- DISMISSAL
- VISUAL SCANNING
- PROVIDE LEARNER ACCESS
- CONFERENCE TO CONCERNS
During STUDENT INITIATED DISRUPTIONS
- REVIEW THE RULES
- ESTABLISH PROXIMITY OR STARE
- STATEMENT OF CLOSURE
- AFTER CLASS MEETING
- IMMEDIATE MEETING
- CALL PARENT
- MOVE TO PRINCIPAL
Well dang....That is so comprehensive so nice job! I'm glad you touched on the importance of first day of school. That is something that Mr. Harry Wong emphasizes in his book. Do you think allowing students to choose their own seats will lead to problems? If so will you then end up selectively changing seats or is there a better method?
Its always a good idea to have students pick there seats at first because it is an good indication of the type of student they are (if they pick front or back) and shows who they like to sit by. This isn't the case for every student but it gives general ideas. I would probably change seats every 6 weeks so the first 6 weeks they get to choose then I will choose seats for them.
I think everything on your list of things to do on the first day of school is important, however, it seems like a whole heck of a lot to accomplish in 40 or 50 minutes. Do you think it is possible to accomplish everything? What time management strategies do you recommend?
Write everything out beforehand with how much time you expect each thing to take. Naturally, we can't plan everything so if it pours into the second day that is okay as well but I think it is critical to cover everything before you start the material of the course.
WOW! This blog is intriguing, thorough and insightful.... Question: For the instructional strategies listed above it says "Go over previous work, lecture over new material, practice, closure." How will you address the Learning Cycle to that listed above? Seems counter in that the kids don't "experience" the concept before?
Your links are important ones too.... the inquiry management is particularly vital.....
REVIEW PREVIOUS WORK
During this stage you can just make a quick comment or ask a question to remind students about what was covered the day before
PRESENTATION
This includes your engage part of the cycle
GUIDED PRACTICE
This is the explore part where students are guided but also uncover the material.
CORRECTIONS AND FEEDBACK
I saw this section as the explain where you correct and guide students further into their thinking.
INDEPENDENT WORK
This would include the elaborate where students work independently or take ownership if what they have learned.
WEEKLY OR EXTENDED REVIEWS
This section can also be apart of the elaborate or evaluate by informally assessing where students are at.
This is just a general outline of your day to day activities. You can't follow this strategy exactly day to day but overall this is how I would tie in the learning cycle to this strategy.
I too really like the usage of a science journal, it really helps aid in developing study skills and provides an opportunity for later meta cognitive thinking. Do you think that requiring a specific format or letting students choose their own is more beneficial to them?
Leave a Reply.
Author
Anna Kirkpatrick
Certified Science Educator and
Curriculum Developer
Archives
January 2019
April 2016
March 2016
February 2016
January 2016
November 2015
October 2015
September 2015