JoinHighly qualified teachers
By MsMentorAdmin
Posted on 2009-06-18
You didn’t mention the grade level of your new assignment. Some states have separate credentials or endorsements for teaching at the middle school level. Before accepting the position, check with the personnel/human resources director and your teachers’ association to be sure you are properly credentialed for this new assignment. When this documentation is in place, you’re ready to start the next chapter of your career.
There has been much research on the challenges faced by novice teachers. However, I know of very little research on what happens when veteran teachers change subjects or grade levels (an interesting dissertation topic for an education researcher?). A veteran fifth-grade teacher who is assigned to a first-grade class may struggle at first with the primary curriculum and the students’ maturity (or lack thereof). It’s a humbling experience as a veteran teacher to realize you may not have all of the answers right away in a new situation and that you’ll make some mistakes. On the other hand, as a middle school teacher who switched to high school, I already had a repertoire of strategies to deal with the ninth-graders everybody else complained about.
Your collection of lessons, assessments, and materials may no longer be appropriate, so you’ll have to spend time creating or adapting materials and lab investigations. Ask for a copy of the curriculum, textbook, and other resources to review ahead of time. If you change schools, you’ll have to get used to new schedules and get to know a new group of teachers. If you’re teaching a different subject, you may need to refresh your content knowledge. NSTA can assist with resources such as SciLinks and the resources on the NSTA Learning Center. As an NSTA member, you can access the journals’ online archives (and you may want to switch your print subscription, too, if you’re switching grade levels).
Veteran teachers are usually not required to participate in induction programs, but my district did assign “mentors” to teachers who changed schools, grade levels, or subject areas. It was helpful in a new assignment to have a go-to person to answer questions and share resources and information. Try to find a colleague who also changed teaching positions and pick his or her brain about what to expect from a different age group or in a new school.
Your experience gives you an advantage over a novice teacher. You already have a strong foundation in science, and you’ll be able to help students see the connections between science concepts. You’ll already know a variety of strategies for instruction, assessments, lab safety, and classroom management.
Some teachers are content to teach the same subject to the same grade level in the same classroom/lab for their entire career. I’ve found, however, that changing assignments was both personally and professionally rejuvenating. It forced me to learn new content and how to relate to different age groups of students. I learned new instructional skills and expanded my circle of professional colleagues. I loved working with the enthusiasm of middle school students, but I also thoroughly enjoyed the intellectual interactions with high school and college students. Reflecting on your question, I realized working in a variety of situations helped me feel even more “highly qualified” as an educator, beyond the official definition.
If anyone has any other suggestions to help Charlotte with the transition, please feel free to add a comment.
The 18 chapters in this monograph illustrate various forms of inquiry, offer detailed examples of planning and execution, and provide case studies highlighting successful implementation of inquiry. Student learning, development of positive attitudes, the ability to use concepts and skills in completely new situations are all demonstrated for use in your classroom.
The 18 chapters in this monograph illustrate various forms of inquiry, offer detailed examples of planning and execution, and provide case studies highlighting successful implementation of inquiry. Student learning, development of positive attitudes, the ability to use concepts and skills in completely new situations are all demonstrated for use in your classroom.
Another online resource
By Mary Bigelow
Posted on 2009-06-14
In an earlier blog, I spotlighted the Teachers’ Domain website, with its collection of lesson plans and multimedia resources. The more I see of this, the better I appreciate it!
As I was searching for additional resources for SciLinks, I found another site that is a treasure of resources in science (and mathematics). Visionlearning is a collection of materials, organized into a library of science topics. Each topic has a “module” which includes text, graphics, and animations. Most topics have a quiz and an annotated list of links to related resources. The modules are peer-reviewed for accuracy. There is also a glossary that is cross-referenced to the modules.
There is an option for teachers to create “Learning Areas” to customize materials for their students. You can post assignments, notes, comments, and a list of modules for the students. Registration is required, but it is free. (The site was funded through the NSF).
The modules are heavy on text, but they present the concepts in a readable style, appropriate for students who are reading at a high school level (or for teachers who are interested in background information). The pages can be printed, a nice feature if you want to use them in class. There is a link to access just the animations that are in the modules. And another great feature – the entire site is available in Spanish.
Several of the modules are in SciLinks, but the entire site is worth a look.
In an earlier blog, I spotlighted the Teachers’ Domain website, with its collection of lesson plans and multimedia resources. The more I see of this, the better I appreciate it!
Rocks: collecting and classifying
By Peggy Ashbrook
Posted on 2009-06-13
On the playground two sisters collected rocks and set them on a bench where they grouped them by size. When I asked, “What kind of rock is that?” one said, “A triangle” referring to its outer shape. They also had a group based on material— small chunks of concrete were put together because “they have little pieces in them.”
Urban rock collecting is discussed on the Neighborhood Rocks webpage. View the identification pages with your class and ask them if they have seen any of the pictured types of rock before, and where did they see them?
In my east coast urban setting “real” rocks, or rocks naturally in place, are hard to find without excavating. Walking along a creek is one place to find rocks that have been moved there by natural forces, not by humans. Along the Potomac River and its minor tributaries are good places to touch water-worn rocks. (Be sure to wash hands afterwards.) You don’t have to know what type of rock it is, to appreciate that it is smooth and pinkish, or has sparkles, or has holes in it.
Label even the most non-descript rock with the location and date collected, and that single rock becomes the beginning of a scientific rock collection. Maybe a high school earth science teacher would be willing to view the collection and help with scientific names.
In the December 2006 Science and Children, The Early Years column discusses exploring sedimentary rock material with young children with an activity on making pretend rocks. Search the journal archives for “rock” find 22 more articles on teaching about rocks. Young children can experience melting ice, deforming playdough or clay, packing snow or sand into a ball, and the softening of hardened clay in water. In your experience, at what age do they typically understand the Rock Cycle?
Peggy
On the playground two sisters collected rocks and set them on a bench where they grouped them by size. When I asked, “What kind of rock is that?” one said, “A triangle” referring to its outer shape. They also had a group based on material— small chunks of concrete were put together because “they have little pieces in them.”