My Big Challenge Now!
A student's background factors greatly into his/her prior knowledge attained. This then affects student engagement & test taking ability. Being that I currently teach at a Deburgos Bilingual Middle Magnet School, many of my students are either special ed or ELL or both. Their Latino culture is also a factor that is quite new for me but not insurmountable. Even knowing a little Spanish impresses some staff or students and helps build inroads. This is a great place to work with a strong principal, supportive staff, & family atmosphere. Also this year I am coteaching with a special ed instructor (advisory/1st class) and an ELL teacher – 2nd class especially - since many of our students entered 7th grade at or near 4th grade reading and/or math level. Although some have exited the ELL program, many are entering at WIDA level 1or 2. Still others need to be tested or have their IEPs/profiles updated. Group work & differentiated instruction, while intrinsic to my preferred teaching style, are chaotic without good classroom management. I am not by nature a strict disciplinarian, therefore my challenge is to define my role, streamline procedures, lab activities & projects, based on the rapport with students. This allows me to calmly demand that their behavior match my stated expectations. "Hands on, Minds on" student-centered lessons can effectively engage most students. I am utilizing educational technology to expand upon this thru visual presentations, use of short phrases, differentiating presentation and assessment. It is simply essential in my attempt to teach adapting science content to cover basic literacy or math that children need for overall comprehension and skill development. LiveS.T.R.E.A.M. the after school STEM club allows me to beta test these strategies and better prepare for teaching science as descriptive behavior of natural processes rather than abstract, vocabulary intensive content. Then we can really practice the "Learn one, Do one, Teach one" motto common to so many science and engineering labs. |