Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I teach at a middle school for the NYC DOE and I am having trouble creating engaging my 7th graders for my Native American unit. I have the perfect storm of challenges which seem to be hindering me in being the best I want to become. I am a first year teacher and I got a view problems. My school uses the workshop model which consist of Introduction (Do Now), New Material/Guided Practice, Group Practice, Share, and Independent Practice.
My main problem is time. We only have 45 minute class periods, no time to pass between classes, therefore I lose 10 minutes already. I am a floating teacher, I teach multiple sessions in multiple classrooms.
For example, I have a 7th grade class that has the following schedule:
7B
Monday - 3rd Period RM 114
Tuesday - 7th Period RM 108
Wednesday - 5th Period RM 112
Thursday - 4th Period RM 114
Friday - 8th Period RM 110
They say PLAN PLAN PLAN, which I do, but I am still finding it tough to engage them. I use mostly teach made materials and always find myself running out of time. I have "retooled" so many times and it has only been less than a month since school started.
I am not complaining, but I am just trying to make it clear of the circumstances I work under so that I can get some viable advice. I know my classroom and time situation won't change, so I need to know what I can do to engage my students, using the workshop model, with no tech, books, and only 35 minutes.
These kids deserve better and I feel like I am failing them because I am not able to properly adjust or engage them.
Currently we are doing Native American Cultures. I am trying to come up with activities that will engage them and help them process the material with close to no resources.
You have every right to "complain". That's an awful assignment. Seventh grade is the most challenging group of students, IMO, and they have you floating. AND you are a first year teacher? I'd be willing to bet you are at an inner city school as well. Whoever came up with schedule is a dolt.
Is there another teacher teaching the same curriculum? I would suggest teaming up. For the most part, people that are drawn to teaching are helpers and love to help. If you go to another teacher and explain you frustration and ask if he or she wouldn't mind planning together, that cut out some of the work and there is no reason to reinvent the wheel.
If there isn't another teacher currently teaching the same material, is there a teacher who taught it previously that might have some ideas and lessons for you?
Are social studies and is your curriculum tightly controlled and/or high stakes tested?
I've done the "Do now" and that whole model. Are you required to do it for every lesson? Sometimes when administrators make lesson planning particularly onerous, you can skirt it a bit by doing the lessons that way just enough so that your students understand the routine so that you can switch over to it when being observed, but then do things differently as much as you dare. You will find out throughout your career that you will be required to change up the way you do things, on average, every two years. Don't get too worked up over whatever latest and greatest panacea that your district comes up with.
Hope you are hanging in there. I am also a first year teacher, in a very similar situation, teaching 6th and 7th grade history.
Although we have been focusing on current events, I think a project-based unit may work well for what you describe. Also, any variation of read a text (aloud, or independently), discuss it, and then respond usually works well. You can allow 10-15 minutes for the reading, 10 minutes for students to discuss, and then they write a response or answer a question independently for 5-10 minutes. This also fits into the "workshop" model that you describe. Videos are also great for Social Studies - I recommend checking Vimeo and Youtube for history videos, as well as Brainpop.com and The History Channel.
Hope things are working out, and good luck!
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
