Grade yourself!

You will be receiving a copy of your mentor teacher's evaluation of your performance inside their classroom, soon.  It is important to receive feedback in order to improve over time.

Click here to evaluate yourself.  These are the same questions your mentor teacher is given to evaluate you.  It will be interesting to see how you see yourself and how your mentor sees you.
Please be honest in your answers.  Don't be overly harsh on yourself, on the other hand, don't think there is no need for improvement.  This is due by the end of class on Friday, January 9.

You will receive a 25 blog grade for doing this assignment.  You will receive a 0 if you don't do the assignment.

The Teaching Channel

The Teaching Channel is a great resource for new teachers and experienced teachers as well.  The link takes you to a group of instructional videos that show best teaching practices with teachers modeling good instruction.

The video below, is an example of a teacher modeling what she wants her students to do.



You will need to find two videos that fit your grade level and subject as well.  Either copy or embed the videos in your blog.  Give a brief description for each video and why you chose it.   What can you learn by watching good teaching?

This blog is due on Friday December, 12.  Always follow the rubric for best results.

Humor

Read this article about infusing humor into your classroom.  It is from the GoTeach! FEA magazine. 

Think about the article and some of the examples in it.  Have you ever had a teacher that made class more interesting by being funny?  Have you ever had a teacher that had a humor tumor and made things unnecessarily uncomfortable or boring?  Write about something funny that a teacher has done or said in one of your classes along the way. 

Look at some of the technology sources suggested and linked in the article like Blabberize - try them out. Link one website or an APP in your blog this week that you think would be fun or humorous in a classroom.  Find a funny picture. cartoon, quote or meme with captions that would be appropriate for your site school classroom and insert the image in your blog this week. 

Your blogs should reflect conversational style writing, not just answering the questions.  Your writers voice should come through on your blogs.  Check your hyperlinks and make sure they are linked.  Pictures make your blog more interesting to read. 

An example of an educational meme:

 

This blog will be due on Friday, December 5.  As always, follow the rubric for best results.  

Reflect

Many of you recently attended the TAFE Region XI competitive events day in Lake Dallas.  You all did a great job.  You were willing to jump in and help where needed.  I am proud of the way you conducted yourself.  You competed well and you should take pride in a job well done.  At times it was hectic and stressful and other times, it was boring just sitting around waiting.  Thus is the nature of competition day.  The hard part is over and now we wait till Friday for results.  Regardless of the results, you should feel good about yourself.  We are a great TEAM - BCTAL Richland!

This weeks blog is to reflect.

1. What event / events did you participate?
2. What was the hardest part of your event?   
3. What did you learn from this experience?
4. What will you do differently next round?
5. What was the best part?

If you didn't attend the region event.  You will need to describe in detail, your Teacher Created Material.  Take two pictures of your project and include in your blog.  Give step by step details of how it should be used inside a classroom.

Blog is due at the end of class today, Monday Nov. 10.

Rubric

My internship so far...

This week, you are to write about your internship, so far.  Everyone will answer the following things:

Year 1 and Year 2

1. What school you have been placed in?
2. What is the grade level?
3. Your mentor teacher / teachers name.  How long have they been teaching?
4. Link your teacher's webpage to your blog.
5. What subject is going on while you are there?
6. How did you feel when you first walked into your site school classroom?
7. What do you do when you are in the classroom?
8. What are you most looking forward to doing in your classroom this year?
9. Take a picture of your mentor teacher and include in your blog.  

Year 2 interns only, in addition to the above list, compare the similarities and differences to your experience last year.  

Blog is due on Friday, November 7 - UNLESS you are participating in TAFE Region 11 competition this weekend, your blog is due on Friday November 14.  Always follow the rubric for best results.  

Genius Hour

Watch the above video.

Have you ever thought?  "if I were in charge of my own education, I would do _____."
Look at this interesting website called GeniusHour.com.

This week's blog will allow you to think outside the box.  On your blog, you will propose your own Genius Hour project.  What would you like to do if you had a free hour in class each week to work on something / anything you were passionate about?  Follow the guidelines outlined in the video.  It needs to be something that has your own point of view.  We will share this blog in class and vote on the best proposal.  Do your best work!

This blog will be due on Monday, October 27.  As always, follow the rubric for best results.

What Would You Do? Year 1 Only

Blog Due on Tuesday, October 6.  Year 1 Only

Read the scenarios below.  Choose ONE of the potential situations you could encounter in your internship.  Post an entry on your blog that reframes the outcome by generating a solution that would be an appropriate and professional way to handle the situation as an EAT intern.  Your response should have clarity while avoiding vague recommendations.  Be sure you state which Scenario you are writing about.  Discuss at your table.  This is due at the end of class today.  

Scenario 1

You left campus for lunch and when you returned to campus you missed the bus that transports EAT interns to your field site campus.  You don’t have a car, but your boyfriend (girlfriend) said that he (she) could take you to your field site.  You took him (her) up on the offer.  When you boarded the bus to return to your home campus, another intern asked why you weren’t on the bus earlier.  You asked the intern not to point this out to your EAT teacher, Mrs. Crabapple, since no harm was done.

Scenario 2

You are at your EAT field site.  Although you know you are supposed to have your phone put away at your field site, you check it and see that you have a message from another intern in your class.  He said that he had an early dismissal and left the field site campus just a little early, but when he did, he forgot to sign out.  You think this is a bit strange because you never saw him ride the bus to your field site in the first place, but you agree to sign him in and out because you want to let him know he can trust you.  After all, Mrs. Meddlesome, your EAT teacher, stressed that it is important to establish relationships with your students and others with whom you work.

Scenario 3

You have just arrived at your field site.  Your teacher is absent and you have a substitute.  Previously, you have been in charge of monitoring the reading groups each day, and even though you were not aware that your mentor teacher would be gone, you know that you need to follow the routine so the students will progress. The substitute tells you that she has everything under control and you may leave because there is nothing for you to do. You decide your field site mentor will have plenty of time to get the reading groups caught up tomorrow so you go to the classroom next door where your EAT friend is interning.  The two of you move to the corner of the room and work on homework the rest of the period so you won’t disturb anyone.

Scenario 4

You are about to change into your field site attire and realize you have forgotten your field site shirt and name badge.  The bus will be leaving in three minutes.  You have on jeans with holes, and a low cut top.  You saw Mrs. Picky, your BCTAL EAT teacher, at your field site yesterday.  Since you think she will not be stopping by to visit interns at your field site, you hop on the bus without your EAT attire, taking your chances that you will not be discovered.  After all, if your field site mentor teacher and principal don’t say anything, there is no harm done, right?

As always, follow the rubric for best results.