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 guess I don't see them as separate; I see classroom management as part of the bigger picture as to how to impart knowledge, at least in a classroom setting.
I see them as separate. There's how I manage my classroom and there's how I teach. You can have mediocre teaching skills but great classroom management and get away with it. You can have great teaching skills but lousy management and you'll fall flat on your face.
This year, I will hit classroom management hard up front. Last year I tried the build a rapport method and it bit me in the face. Someone gave me the advice "A teacher doesn't even smile before Christmas" and I thought they were joking. They weren't. My kids may not like my by Christmas but I will have control of that classroom.
Personally, I think it's the lack of role models. Teachers opertate in isolation. We learn about the trade what we learn about the trade and miss what everyone else knows. I'd love to see a move towards team teaching where novice teachers are paired with veteran teachers, at least for the first few years.
Our current system leaves every teacher to reinvent the wheel when they become a teacher by limiting interaction time with peers. I wish I'd had time last year to sit in on other teacher's classes to see how they do things. Unfortunately, once you set the pace in your class, it's hard to change direction.
From what I'm seeing, classroom management skills are more important than rapport with students. A year ago I would have agreed that you need a knack for imparting knowledge to students. I don't think that's of much value except with the higher end kids if you're lucky enough to have classes grouped by ability.
We use that system where I work. Each teacher, no matter how much experience they have, is assigned to an education specialist. Each ed specialist has 5 - 6 classrooms, and it's a very involved position.
We use that system where I work. Each teacher, no matter how much experience they have, is assigned to an education specialist. Each ed specialist has 5 - 6 classrooms, and it's a very involved position.
That's good. We really need more on the job training. And I don't mean student teaching. When I student taught, I walked into a classroom that was already set up and stepped into someone else's shoes. When I walked into my own classroom, I only knew what I'd read and been told to do. I learned a lot of things that don't work but I'm struggling to find the ones that do. I swear I'll be at this three years before I figure out what questions to ask.
This learning curve is one of the reasons I don't like homeschooling. Every parent is a new teacher. By the time they have any experience they're done. I'm not sure that's good for kids when your only teachers are people who are not subject matter experts nor experts in education. While I admit the kids who had me last year and who will this year, probably aren't going to get all they could out of my classroom, they will have other teachers who have more experience to offer. I'm not teaching them in isolation. I wouldn't do this if I were. This is why I don't homeschool. I think experience is good.
Anyway, I'd love to see an apprentice program for teachers. Have us work with a vetaran teacher to learn the ropes. Then we learn what we learn AND what that teacher has to teach us. For some reason, schools don't want to put money into training teachers other than at seminars. As far as I'm concerned, you can nix the seminars and use the money for a program where I shadow another teacher and learn from her. Pay her what you would have paid for me to go to that seminar.
That's good. We really need more on the job training. And I don't mean student teaching. When I student taught, I walked into a classroom that was already set up and stepped into someone else's shoes. When I walked into my own classroom, I only knew what I'd read and been told to do. I learned a lot of things that don't work but I'm struggling to find the ones that do. I swear I'll be at this three years before I figure out what questions to ask.
This learning curve is one of the reasons I don't like homeschooling. Every parent is a new teacher. By the time they have any experience they're done. I'm not sure that's good for kids when your only teachers are people who are not subject matter experts nor experts in education. While I admit the kids who had me last year and who will this year, probably aren't going to get all they could out of my classroom, they will have other teachers who have more experience to offer. I'm not teaching them in isolation. I wouldn't do this if I were. This is why I don't homeschool. I think experience is good.
Anyway, I'd love to see an apprentice program for teachers. Have us work with a vetaran teacher to learn the ropes. Then we learn what we learn AND what that teacher has to teach us. For some reason, schools don't want to put money into training teachers other than at seminars. As far as I'm concerned, you can nix the seminars and use the money for a program where I shadow another teacher and learn from her. Pay her what you would have paid for me to go to that seminar.
For me, nothing replaces just been thrown into a classroom and learning this craft by trial and error. I remember when they gave me my keys back on September 9, 1994, and told me to go into that classroom and teach those 5th graders in the inner city part of Los Angeles, actually Compton CA, man was I excited and yet scared at the same time.
Thank God I was working at a school full of veteran teachers, who were all ready to retire, but before they retired, they embraced me as their own son. They helped me set up my classroom, and helped me learn about classroom ventilation, seating arrangement, and how to set up attractive bulletin boards.
Now when a teacher works directly with a veteran teacher that new teacher ends up copying everything that the veteran teacher does, thinking that by copying what the veteran teacher does is going to work for him or her. We all have different personalities, and different teaching styles, and that's what makes teaching great. I had to learn by trial and error that what system Mrs. Jones uses to motivate her students to do homework or pass tests, may not be a system I can manage as well. It may not even work for me because passing out tickets for example my be too time consuming for me or something that I won't remember to do.
The latest research strategies and methods are there to help teachers improve student achievment. As long as we focus on the researched strategies that work in our classrooms, and share ideas with fellow teachers on our grade levels or departments, then I think we can improve and do a better job, as long as we are still motivated and supported by our administrators.
For me, nothing replaces just been thrown into a classroom and learning this craft by trial and error. I remember when they gave me my keys back on September 9, 1994, and told me to go into that classroom and teach those 5th graders in the inner city part of Los Angeles, actually Compton CA, man was I excited and yet scared at the same time.
Thank God I was working at a school full of veteran teachers, who were all ready to retire, but before they retired, they embraced me as their own son. They helped me set up my classroom, and helped me learn about classroom ventilation, seating arrangement, and how to set up attractive bulletin boards.
Now when a teacher works directly with a veteran teacher that new teacher ends up copying everything that the veteran teacher does, thinking that by copying what the veteran teacher does is going to work for him or her. We all have different personalities, and different teaching styles, and that's what makes teaching great. I had to learn by trial and error that what system Mrs. Jones uses to motivate her students to do homework or pass tests, may not be a system I can manage as well. It may not even work for me because passing out tickets for example my be too time consuming for me or something that I won't remember to do.
The latest research strategies and methods are there to help teachers improve student achievment. As long as we focus on the researched strategies that work in our classrooms, and share ideas with fellow teachers on our grade levels or departments, then I think we can improve and do a better job, as long as we are still motivated and supported by our administrators.
I"m thinking more mentoring not copying. More of offering constructive criticism for the new teacher. I too was given the keys and shown my classroom. I would have loved having a veteran teacher, regularly sit in on my lessons and offer feedback. My mentor did that once for me and her suggestions were great. That should have been a regular occurance.
I think a mentoring teacher should have two preps ( more than one mentee (if that's even a word ). There were five in my group.) Mentee's should have one of those two preps and a requirement to meet with their mentor on a regular basis. When not meeting with mentees on prep, the mentoring teacher should be sitting in on lessons and offering feedback. The mentee should also be using their prep to sit in on other teachers lessons regularly. Perhaps the new teacher should have two preps too to facilitate this.
I"m thinking more mentoring not copying. More of offering constructive criticism for the new teacher. I too was given the keys and shown my classroom. I would have loved having a veteran teacher, regularly sit in on my lessons and offer feedback. My mentor did that once for me and her suggestions were great. That should have been a regular occurance.
I think a mentoring teacher should have two preps ( more than one mentee (if that's even a word ). There were five in my group.) Mentee's should have one of those two preps and a requirement to meet with their mentor on a regular basis. When not meeting with mentees on prep, the mentoring teacher should be sitting in on lessons and offering feedback. The mentee should also be using their prep to sit in on other teachers lessons regularly. Perhaps the new teacher should have two preps too to facilitate this.
Ok, in California, the mentoring program was sunseted back in 1999, and it was replaced with BTSA or Beginning Teacher Support Assessment. I feel very forturnate that my schoold district asks me every year to be a Mentor/Support PRovider for new teachers. With all of my experience and little wisdom I have, I try to encourage new teachers, and stress that classroom management is most important part of teaching. Without it, you won't get anything done, and your students won't learn.
I"m thinking more mentoring not copying. More of offering constructive criticism for the new teacher. I too was given the keys and shown my classroom. I would have loved having a veteran teacher, regularly sit in on my lessons and offer feedback. My mentor did that once for me and her suggestions were great. That should have been a regular occurance.
I think a mentoring teacher should have two preps ( more than one mentee (if that's even a word ). There were five in my group.) Mentee's should have one of those two preps and a requirement to meet with their mentor on a regular basis. When not meeting with mentees on prep, the mentoring teacher should be sitting in on lessons and offering feedback. The mentee should also be using their prep to sit in on other teachers lessons regularly. Perhaps the new teacher should have two preps too to facilitate this.
The school I worked at my first year didn't have a mentoring program. They basically gave me the key to my classroom and expected me to be ready on the first day of school. As a matter of fact, when I asked some teachers for help, they would go running to the principal and tell her that I made a mistake or couldn't handle things. The school I worked at my third year had one but it was like they were yelling at me all the time. They would only tell me what I did wrong and not give me suggestions on how to do it differently. I only observed in a classroom one time the whole year. They wanted anyone who came into the district as a new teacher to take the mentoring program.
Five years later it is no wonder I feel like my heart is no longer in teaching.
I think the bigger issue is that we as a society are unwilling to seek out the truly good teachers and pay them what they're worth. Instead we pay all teachers the same adequate salary, the truly good and the merely adequate teachers alike. So guess which ones have the bigger incentive to join the teaching field.
That is very, I repeat very difficult to disagree with.
I guess I don't see them as separate; I see classroom management as part of the bigger picture as to how to impart knowledge, at least in a classroom setting.
Classroom management is one part of teaching, yes, but you can have great teaching skills and lousy managment skills. You'll only teach well on the odd days when the kids want to behave.
I've been told I have great teaching skills but there are days when disruptions get the best of me. I haven't mastered the classroom management part. Not surprising since that is really on the job training. You'll always have students who'd rather disrupt the class. I had more than one last year who thought if they could, they'd have less to do.
Anyway, I'd love to see an apprentice program for teachers. Have us work with a vetaran teacher to learn the ropes. Then we learn what we learn AND what that teacher has to teach us.
I'm in a mentor-apprentice program as part of an M.Ed. right now. My degree program is heavily based on best-practices research. Education is such a hot topic, we really do have a lot of scholarly literature on what does and doesn't work in teacher training. In any event, mentoring and developing a "reflective practice" (striving toward self-improvement) have been shown to boost teacher quality.
Across the country more and more grad programs are going for the collaborative model of mentor-apprentice relationships for pre-service teachers. I can't speak to what undergrad programs are doing, though. As well, some districts have peer counseling for new and struggling teachers. I imagine the success of those depends on the training of the teachers who provide the counseling.
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.
). There were five in my group.) Mentee's should have one of those two preps and a requirement to meet with their mentor on a regular basis. When not meeting with mentees on prep, the mentoring teacher should be sitting in on lessons and offering feedback. The mentee should also be using their prep to sit in on other teachers lessons regularly. Perhaps the new teacher should have two preps too to facilitate this.
