BothBlocksTipsAndTricksCollection


 * =Tip= || =Source= || =Shared by= ||
 * Never assume || [|Dr. Bob Moses] understood that part of why students fail algebra is that the typical curriculum //assumes// "everyday" experiences and builds on them (reading a map, following a bus schedule, riding a train, . . . ). You can't build a foundation on a common experience if everyone hasn't had the same experience.

Also, my personal story about classroom arrangement and swimming lessons that you heard/will hear when we talk about chapter 1 in the Classroom Management book. || Dr. Theresa ||
 * Be prepared || Me!! As a Girl Scout from 2nd through 12th grade and a Girl Scout volunteer for 29 years, I live, breathe, and eat this motto--be prepared--on a daily basis. I often don't think about it, I just do it. I was reminded of it on Sept. 15, 2010 when I was in the Enrollment Management Committee. It's a big committee (20 people!) composed of a lot of high-powered people on campus. At one point in the meeting, someone stood up to write on the white board and there were no markers in the tray. "Does anyone know where there are board markers?" he asked. Without really thinking about it, I reached into my white canvas book bag that I carry to all my classes (and just happened to have with me because I had come straight from class) and pulled out my zip loc bag with 6 different colored board markers and a board eraser. "I do," I said, holding the bag up in the air while still reaching down in the bag to close it back up. When I sat up and looked around the room, everyone was laughing. "Of course you do, Theresa," they all said. And the meeting went on without a hitch because we were able to write on the board. Laugh all you want, I'm ready to teach with only a moment's notice. || Dr. Theresa ||
 * Over book your classroom agenda. || My mentor teacher mentioned that he always over books his class schedule. That way, if classes are completing tasks quicker than expected, there will always be something more to do so you won't have to scramble for ideas. Also, it lets students know what they will be working on next class. || Mr. Towle ||
 * Have Mailboxes || My mentor teacher has a mailbox for each student. He said that having mailboxes cuts down on the time wasted passing back work during class giving him more time for instruction especially because class periods are only 40 minutes. || Ms. Douglass ||
 * Have a notebook or journal just for brainstorming

Prepare a Substitute Notebook || My mentor teacher suggested having a notebook for brainstorming ideas for lesson plans. She carries it around everywhere she goes in case a new idea pops up. She brings it especially to meetings with other teachers when they are sharing plans about their units.

My teacher keeps all of her plans in a notebook for substitutes to use. This is helpful when she needs a substitute last minute and doesn't have the time to leave notes for the sub. Instead, the book is already prepared and kept up to date every time she plans a lesson. || Ms. Sayward

Ms. Sayward ||
 * Choose your battles

Have everything online || My mentor teacher always says that it is best to choose your battles wisely, especially when it comes to rowdy classes. Instead of having to talk to students over and over again about their behavior, figure out what is truly a disruption and what can slide by. He has a mini basketball hoop duct taped over his recycling bin, and students will throw paper from across the room. If it's during a discussion, they always ask if its ok. And if they miss, they go and pick it up.

Students react well to having everything online. They truly are the incoming "digital natives", and it seems that everything that is not online, they lose! My mentor teacher even has the class do group work on this site called crocodoc, where everyone in the class can edit a document together and see the changes that everyone makes. And its all online! That way, students can go back and check out what everyone said again. Also, students will remember to check an online calender more so than they will remember a paper agenda. || Ms. Steinhagen

Ms. Steinhagen || on tests || Recently my mentor teacher gave a test to almost everyone of his classes. Of course were a couple people absent for it and instead of marking it down in his grade book he wrote the missing student's name on the test and kept it on his desk. The next time the student came in he was prepared with the appropriate test to give the student. || Ms. Douglass || looked at it. Also there is one for late work. All the students know how to use these, so it takes out the hassle of the students giving her the paper when she is not at her desk. || Ms. Kemp ||
 * Use your presence || Laptops are used a lot in the classrooms, and my mentor teacher always has to specify when they can and can't be used during class. He said that if you give a class an assignment or project to do on the laptops during class, stand or sit at the back of the room so that you can keep an eye on what the students are doing and if they're staying on task. Plus, it makes them nervous :] || Ms. McLaughlin ||
 * If students aren't meeting expectations, don't give up! || Sometimes my mentor teacher appears to be a counter-example for this tip. When students aren't doing well on quizzes and tests, she has the attitude of "if they don't study, let them fail." After working one-on-one with some of the students, I've noticed that they weren't doing well because the instruction in class didn't match with their learning style. This could be one reason why students aren't meeting expectations, it's not necessarily that they aren't studying. || Ms. Haase ||
 * "shut up" is not an effective way to get through to students || I have encountered many instances at the high school where teachers/administration decided to tell a student or a group of students to shut up. Each time it was not effective because when kids hear it they turn themselves off. They don't want to listen to someone who has just disrespected them. If you are having a problem with keeping kids quiet and attentive (if that's what you need them to be) try using the technique my mentor teacher uses. He has a goblet that sits at the front of the room and he told kids at the beginning of the year that whoever is holding up the goblet is who you should be listening to and when you see the goblet you should stop conversations and pay attention. It takes a minute or so but this technique really works and it is much more respectful than "shut up". || Ms. Ricker ||
 * Be Organized || I feel like I have seen a lot of class time wasted because teachers were not organized and ready for the lesson. I know it is harder for some than others to keep organized and some even like "organized choas" but if you take time during class to search for the worksheet you lose the students attention and it takes more time to get them back on track then it would to make sure the worksheet was right in front of you. Plus if students see that you are not organized and are taking up their time they think why should they be. || Ms. Ricker ||
 * Have something for students to do || At the end of quizzes and tests the teacher has the students doodle on the back and then puts on an "art show" following the quiz. By some strange miracle, this keeps the students busy while other students are completing there quizzes. Although I would expect this to create more talking in the class, my mentor teacher and I commented on how we could just keep them doing that all period and have no problems. || Mr. Towle ||
 * Take steps toward reaching your comfort zone || My mentor teacher told me that, although I am good at standing in front of the class and directing the students, I don't appear completely at ease. She told me that I need to do anything I can think of in order to be comfortable, and that will help my teaching skills as well. We all do a little less than our best when we feel pressured. So she told me that I can change the lesson, the room arrangement, anything as long as I am comfortable and the students are learning. || Miss Wadsworth ||
 * Write absent student's names
 * Leave tests with students until everyone is finished. || My 8th grade class recently took a unit exam. In order to try to keep the students sitting quietly when they were finished with their tests, she said that she tries to keep their tests with them until everyone is done because as soon as you collect them, they feel as though they have been given permission to talk. So by keeping it with them, they tend to be more patient and cooperative about how loud they are being. || Ms. Baum ||
 * Allow time for breaks, but not in between concepts. || My mentor teacher's classes usually consist of lecture then examples then students get to work on their homework. Sometime the lectures (even though they are about 20 minutes long) get students anxious and they become distributive. I think it is important to give students a little break; however, one time my mentor gave students a break in between describing a concept in the lecture and it was really difficult to get the students back into lecture mode when they came back from their break. || Ms. O'Halloran ||
 * Establish good relationships with the students, especially in the beginning || I find it very helpful, especially for first time teachers, to establish good relationships/friendships with certain students in the beginning. I know that having favorites isn't the right way to teach, but establishing a comfortable outreach with one or two certain students can make all the difference in making yourself more comfortable in the classroom. One or two good connections will only lead to great relationships throughout the entire classroom. || Mr. Rines ||
 * You can be your best substitute || My mentor teacher told me this at the beginning of practicum. Just like the students, you aren't going to have the best days everyday. So she suggested, on days you not feeling you best, to have the students to exercises that are relevant but doesn't necessarily require you to be that involved. || Ms. Burns ||
 * Be cautious about what school you teach in. Not all of them are for you. || ME!! Through trials and tribulations I have realized that all schools have a different atmosphere. Some are tend to be free and lively while others are confined to the point where there seems to be no escape. Find a school that you can relate to and don't take it for granted. The difference might just be how the students were taught previous to you as well, but just take into consideration that you are the teacher now and you need to complete that role however possible. || Mr. Stefani ||
 * Create a class wiki that has all the handouts on it for the classes you teach. || Though it is good to have students talk to you about why they have missed a lesson, it can sometimes just be way to much work for the teacher to keep backtracking to find papers from previous lessons. By creating a class wiki and showing it to all your classes they will be able to print off any work that they lost or need to redo. Having this in place lets the teacher focus on the lesson at hand and not on things that should have been done. If students want to go ahead and complete them all then by all means. This only means that they are interested in the subject and have a knack for learning the material. My mentor teacher uses this tool and it does not always work because of technical issues, but it is a good thought. || Mr.Stefani ||
 * Let the little things go In my class || My mentor teacher seems to not get angry and send kids out of the classroom so much he will just let them know that he is upset with them and that seems to be more effective than yelling at them and sending them to the office. It just seems that it is better. I like that the students seem to respect the teacher more for that. || Mr. Shorey ||
 * Don't make kids take notes post them on a wiki || It seems to work when the teacher doesn't make students take notes in class and they can listen. It really only works if the students do well on the quizzes and test however. My mentor teacher doesn't make students take notes however most of them do. He post the notes on the class wiki and the students that want to use the notes do. Another form of notes for this class really is also that homework because they do that mostly in class with help which I also like as an idea || Mr. Shorey ||
 * Be adaptable to changing situations || Sometimes students will finish assignments quicker than you thought they would, other times you'll have to spend half a class period on something you thought would take fifteen minutes. The key in these situations is to be adaptable -- rather than having a set agenda in your head from which you can't imagine erring, you should know what is most important for students to get out of your class, so that you can cut activities short if they aren't important and make sure you always get to the essentials. || Mr. Villeneuve ||
 * Keep in mind that students will have not only differing but sometimes contradictory requests. || I especially saw this in the //Fires In The Bathroom// text. At times, students will go beyond just learning in different ways, and it will start to seem like you can't possibly accommodate all of them fully. In these situations, you have to remember that it's your job to make sure these students are learning, and to come up with a way to accommodate these students at least as much as they need in order to learn. || Mr. Villeneuve ||
 * Establish a routine || My mentor's classroom has a very clear routine. When students arrive, they go get their folders (each class section has a different color), find their seat, and take out their homework. This is helpful because the students have a task to do right at the beginning of class and it helps them get settled down and focused. || Ms.Darnell ||
 * Use humor to control disruptive behavior || When a student was tipping in his chair and making a lot of noise, I asked him if he could please tell his chair to settle down, and that it was disrupting the class. Surprisingly, this worked very well. It may not work for all students in every situation, but I found it to be effective in my classroom. || Ms. Darnell ||
 * Don't humiliate your students || In the classroom, it's easy for students to be passing notes or doing something they shouldn't be doing. Instead of calling them out in front of the entire class, talk to them in private to avoid a situation where they are embarrassed and other kids pick on them because of it. Also, it makes them respect you more if you make it clear you want to work //with// them, not against them. Also, if you take a note, don't read it. Just throw it away, you might regret reading it. || Miss. McLaughlin ||
 * Treat your students like you want them to act! || I have noticed in my mentor teacher's classroom that if students are treated like little kids, by being repeatedly scolded and told hey need to 'grow up,' nothing changes in their behavior except the desire to irritate the teacher more. I found that if students are treated with respect and spoken to like normal adults, they will feel like they have a reputation to uphold. This is another way to meaningful and engaged conversations with students, because they really know more about life than a teacher might think. || Ms. Wandelear ||
 * Encourage the sharing of personal experiences || In //Freedom Writers//, Erin Gruwell got through to her students by establishing connections between the novels they were reading and their own lives. Her students understood the plights of Anne Frank and Zlata because they were experiencing the same issues. This puts school in a real-life context. To stifle students thoughts, opinions, and connections to the material they are exposed to in school is essentially telling them that they don't matter, to both the teacher //and// the world. My mentor teacher sometimes shares her own experiences that relate to the novel we are reading, and invites students to share their own stories. I wish she did this more often, because it really makes students place seemingly boring and completely irrelevant schoolwork into an important and meaningful context. || Ms. Wandelear ||
 * Demand Respect || The 7th grade at Phillips is a rather difficult one. I've found that all they really want is to be reached out to. It seems that the teachers have sort of given up on them. I noticed one student (a smart kid) is always very disrespectful to his fellow classmates. However, as soon as I called this student out on it, and told him to be respectful to his classmates, I never really had to speak to him about it again. Working at a camp, where our values are Respect, Responsibility, Honesty, and Caring, I have really just learned to use them at all times. Therefore, it's really great to have up my sleeve when I catch kids being disrespectful to each other. Middle school is hard enough without having to be against each other. || Ms. Simmons ||
 * Have good relationships with the janitors, kitchen staff and substitutes || My mentor teacher suggested this and I figured it out on my own, you should build good relationships with the janitors, the kitchen staff, and the substitutes. Having good relationships with these people will show that you respect them and you don't feel that you are superior to them. In addition, with strong relationships, they are more likely to do things for you when they know that there is a mutual respect between the two of you. After all, in many cases, they are the ones that make lots of things happen for you. For example, your room wouldn't be clean if the janitors were not there for your, you wouldn't get food if they kitchen staff wasn't there for you and there would be no one to cover for you if there were no substitutes when you aren't able to go to school. || Ms. Burns ||
 * Spread yourself evenly. || This is my own advice. If you have a lot of students vying for your attention and/or help, spread yourself out so that none feel left out and all get the help they need. Speak to one student, set them to do a task, and move to the next person. Always check back to see what they have done, and encourage them to move to another task after congratulating them on a job well done, or ask them to redo something; but if they are all keeping you busy, keep them busy without making it "busy work" so that everyone gets something accomplished despite the commotion or waiting that could be going on. || Ms. Wadsworth ||
 * Have students sit with their back to you when using their laptops. || In my mentor's class, she has them sit so that their backs are to her in order for her to see their computer screens at any point throughout the class. This seems to be an effective way of making sure they are staying on task and not going onto inappropriate websites or games and are instead doing school related work. || Ms. Baum ||
 * Check in with your students when free working || In my mentor's classroom, she often gives them time to work on the project at hand. She circulates through the room touching base with all her students making sure that each is on task, and can answer questions that they have as well as edit what they are doing. Overall it keeps the whole class on track || Ms. Kemp ||
 * Have a system to turn in papers. || My mentor teacher has a folder for each class that she teachers so when the students pass in their work it goes there. She has a folder for graded things, that she transfers the work to after she has
 * Post an agenda for each class some- where in the room. || I found myself forgetting to mentions certain things during the initial instructions for an activity, and even with a cheat sheet I still forgot, as well as it being awkward to carry around and deal with my reading glasses. Beth suggested that I use an agenda on a bulletin board or the chalkboard to help remind me of the information I need to give the students, || Ms Collins ||
 * Treat students with respect.

Communicate! || This comes from Fires in the Bathroom but also from my own experiences. My mentor teacher runs a tight ship and has on occasion been really hard on particular students when they were being difficult. She would correct them loudly in front of the entire class, and then not give them an opportunity to defend themselves. Every time she did this I would cringe. If I were that student I would shut down at that moment and not be able to do anything else the rest of the day. Most of the time behavior correction can be done quietly while still maintaining the students dignity. This allows the behavior to have the least effect on the classroom and the student.

Being in the Classroom, It is easy to see just how much a lack of communication can hurt your students. Communicate clearly and concisely. It will help you and your students. || Ms. Collins

Mr. Brookings ||
 * 2 for 1 deal || My mentor teacher provided this tip for disciplining students. When a teacher notices an inappropriate behavior, the teacher can give a student a detention. The teacher can then tell the student that he/she can put the detention in their pocket and watch to see if the behavior occurs again. If it does not, then the student will not have a detention, if the teacher does notice it, then the student will receive two detentions. The student may wish to simply complete the detention if they wish, but the offer is out there. || Mr. Stewart ||
 * Address students one on one when a problem occurs more than once with a student. || When I was out in the field, a student made an inappropriate statement to me and my mentor teacher applied this idea. He took the student aside during class and talked to him one on one. From there the teacher talked about what was wrong (whether he was upset with me...) and what was wrong with the way he talked to me. The students demeanor changed completely once in the room. The student then wrote me a letter telling me he was sorry. This is a good method for behaviors that are reoccurring and may be solved. || Mr. Stewart ||


 * Homework Buddies || My Mentor teacher assigns homework buddies if someone is absent. This will encourage students to pay attention to class as they are responsible for teaching their fellow students what they missed. If there are any handouts passed out then the homework buddy is responsible for getting them to the absent student. || Ms. Stevenson ||


 * Interact Immediately || When you notice that your student is falling behind in grades, assignments, and the class expectations you should notify them immediately. Sometimes students do not know that their work quality is not meeting the expectations of the classroom. By interacting quickly you can help the student before they continue the downhill trend. || Mr.Pelletier ||


 * Have a Daily Plan || When students are working on a group project, my mentor teacher requires each group to hand in, just on a piece of paper, a dialy plan. This is kind of similar to a contract like the ones that we have seen in class. Each member of the group will write what they will have done by the end of the class period. Each group hands in their daily plan and then the teacher checks for evidence of their work before the class is dismissed. || Ms. Stevenson ||

Booth || Booth ||
 * Be Passionate || I notice that even if students are not fond of your teaching style, they can still learn more if they at least know that you are passionate. It helps bring meaning to the material. It allows them to understand that your subject is a big deal, and students will be more apt to respect you and your subject. It also makes it a lot easier on you when you are teaching something that you are passionate about. || Mr. Pelletier ||
 * If you can't answer a student's question on the content don't panic. || Some students are going to ask tough questions that will go beyond the curriculum you teach. Do not make up an answer! If you don't know it, then tell the student just that. You can't know everything, and your students know that. If you are curious of the answer, tell the student you will look it up; however, don't tell them you will and never do. They will appreciate it and will learn to respect you more. || Ms. O'Halloran ||
 * Expect the unexpected || You never know what your students will come up with or say. Being prepared for the possible topic or side conversation is a good thing. It is also a good thing not to let the student waylay the learning. Students will say many things that you never thought you would hear, and they think quickly, so don't let it catch you off guard. || Ms. Tingley ||
 * Don't sweat the small stuff || Students will do things that may be against the rules or may not always be what you would want, but there are times when you can't address the issue. Knowing when to make a point about something and when not to will go a long way in ensuring that students actually listen to what you are saying. If you hound a student every time they do something you don't like, than the student won't feel he or she can breath in your classroom. || Ms. Tingley ||
 * Keep passwords simple || With all the technology students are using in the classroom, they are bound to collect some passwords. My mentor recommended using one simple password for them all. She even used "password." Most sites have a log of the edit history which eliminates students "messing" with other peoples work. || Mr.
 * Digital Textbooks || During class one day my mentor teacher sent a flash drive with a digital copy of the text book. I look at the backpacks students carry around these days and I'm a little afraid they might fall over backwards. One less textbook seems like it could make the difference. While I want to sit read a nice hard cover, I don't have any objection to pulling formulas and math problems off the screen. || Mr.
 * Look at the Big Picture || In the beginning of the 6 total weeks in the school there was this one kid who gave me no respect at all, actually he didn't give any of the female teachers respect. I treated him as if it didn't bother me and he was no different from everyone else. By my formal observation he respected me, didn't give me a hard time, and the minor things that he still did such as talking out of turn and leaving the room without asking for long periods of time didn't bother me. When I looked back at what he had been like before I would much rather have respect than anything else. I needed to remember to look at the big picture. || Ms. Cook ||
 * They will not hate you for punishing them. || What I found I was most afraid of was being hated by my students, but as I was observing my mentor teacher and the other teacher that I observed I realized that I didn't have to worry about that. Most kids will respect me for holding all kids to the same rules, and if they do end up hating me it is because they were going to anyway. Usually punishing students only makes them think before they do their next bad thing. || Ms. Cook ||


 * Be firm and consistent || After the classroom rules and procedures are established make sure you are firm and consistent so students do not think you are playing favorites. All students being judged by an equally critical or not eye makes the room an even learning playing field. I have heard many students say why are you picking on me, so and so is doing the same thing. || Mr. Lambert ||

My mentor teacher felt 100% comfortable sending students down to guidance because he made the effort to get to know all the counselors as people. Instead of being hesitant when personal issues arose in class, he was confident that any student could get the assistance they need when crises arose, or personal life began to affect academic performance.
 * Try to avoid rewards || When I was a long term sub in the resource room there was a ton of sticker charts being used. The students knew that they could get rewards if they did certain things and when they were bad it just meant a smaller reward at the end of the day. It is important to try and find intrinsic motivation for as many students as possible. || Mr. Lambert ||
 * Have a close relationship with guidance ||  ||

There is nothing less comforting for students than walking into an empty room with bland walls and grayscale themes. By the same mold, do not cause a sensory overload for students; visual learners may respond, but some students may be confused or dissuaded.
 * Mr. Grivois ||
 * Make the classroom your own ||  ||


 * Ms. Grivois ||


 * Utilize the School's Technology || My mentor teacher used the school server, called the Moodle, which he used to post homework assignments, handouts, short reading exercises, and links to websites. There is also a wiki-space linked to the Moodle site for his class and for each student. He uses the wiki-site to post the agenda for the day and to post the homework for next class, so that students will always (as long as they have their laptops and an internet connection) have access to these resources. The students use their wiki-pages to post notes, quizzes, homework, and in-class assignments, so that all of their information is organized. It was a great resource, and definitely helped the students and the teacher keep track of assignments. || Ms. Alexander ||

Mr. Horne : Create easy transitions My mentor had a great tool for this, it was a tube that replicated that sound of thunder that was pretty loud and kind of irritating. This always grabbed attention of the students when used. He would use this when it would get to noisy or when we had to change from on assignment to the next and it worked in getting all the students to change at once. This allowed the class to flow very easily with little time wasted on moving around and changing activities.
 * Keep a "What I did today" note for yourself || After every class my mentor teacher immediately takes out a sheet of paper and writes down exactly what the class did that day. He explained to me that it was useful because you may have a lesson plan, where you map out what you are going to do, but it does not guarantee that you will fulfill every aspect of the lesson plan that day. You may choose to do something different (or the class may direct itself in a way that goes off of the schedule), so it is very important to keep track of what you did do, and what you need to do for the next class. || Ms. Alexander ||

Mr. Horne: Always put the student first While I was in the classroom there were a few students that would create disruptions in the class, not do the work, or never have the homework done. When my mentor saw this he would talk to the student and ask them to stay after class. During this time he wouldn't reprimand the student for doing wrong he would ask, "whats going on?" this allowed the student to explain why they weren't doing what they were supposed to and then they would discuss how and when it could be done. This worked very well because most of the time the student would talk about it with the teacher and have the assignment in, not disrupt the class, and do the work in class.

Miss Rea: Never assign busy work! You students are smarter than you may think. They know when you are giving them work just to give them something to do while they are in class. I saw this on the day my mentor teacher was absent and he had work sheets prepared for his classes on that day. The students hated it and begged me to let them watch a movie instead. I really wanted to put in a movie for them, but I did not have one for them to watch and the worksheet was being graded on whether they worked on it or not.

Mr. Ford: Have a plan for how to group students and stick with it It's important to have a plan on how students will be broken up to work on an activity. It's even more important to follow that plan through. During one of my lessons, I tried to play the "nice guy" because I thought students would dislike me and check out of the lesson if I broke them up in a way that they did not like. To get on my students' good sides, I told them they could work on a lesson with their friends if they promised me that they would work diligently and keep the talking to a minimum. I was naive to actually expect this. I created my own discipline problems by not grouping students in the way I originally planned- the way that would be best for my activity.

Mr. Ford: Reflect on Lessons If a lesson does not go as planned, don't freak out. We learn best from our mistakes. Use the opportunity to reflect on what happened and what went wrong. Then, make changes to the lesson accordingly. One of my lessons did not go well on a Blue day but went very well on the next Gold day after I made revisions. I would sometimes look past classroom management techniques in my lesson. By writing down how students reacted to parts of the lesson, I was better able to diagnose the problems.

Ms. Bertino Ask students for input on how they think things could be improved in the class both on the teachers side and how they tehmselves can help make the class better. I've noticed that students are more respectful and appreciative when the teacher works with the students and shows the students that their input is actually valued in the class.

Ms. Bertino Be open and willing to compromising when Team Teaching. Understand that others have their own views on how the classroom should be run but don't shut the other person out. Be willing to work both content areas into as many lessons as possible. Stick to your own personal values and don't completely abandon them but realize that the other person has their own values. Split grading between the two of you so that you do not have two people grading the same assignment because your grading values may be different. Also realize that it is possible to split the class into two and do two different activities and then switch groups half way through the class. Most importantly understand that it takes time to adjust to working side by side with someone even if you haven't ever worked with someone else, it takes time to balance out your values with someone elses.

Ms. Bartlett: Keep Everything! Every test, every quiz, every homework problem you do- KEEP IT. Be organized and keep all of the work that you have done. In the future when preparing for classes you can just flip through the work that you have already done to save time and make sure you know what you're teaching without redoing any of the work.

Ms. Bartlett: Make mistakes on purpose! Make mistakes on purpose to allow for students to correct you. This will make it clear to you which students are paying attention and which are not. Also, when student do notice your mistakes and correct you, make sure to thank them- it shows respect and that you appreciate that they're participating.

Ms. Barry : Stay felxible! Having a routine for class is very important to having a successful year but after taking Dr. Grace's and Dr. Thearsa's classes we have all learned about the different learning styles and how important it is to have a plan for all learning types, we can not just teach to one type of learner. Class is going to be much more enjoyable and educational for everyone is there are more people that are able to learn. Thinking out our feet and being able to change the "game plan" is going to be huge, after being in the classroom I saw many example of my mentor teacher not teaching to all students and as a results grades were low and barley any students were engaged.

Ms. Barry: Great relationships! Being an athlete and having to miss class is makes it very hard to feel apart of the classroom and what is going on with the class. I have learned from all of my practicum professors that keeping in contact with me at all times via email has been a life savor. Keeping a great relationship with me even when i'm not here has made me feel much better and I've enjoyed class way more. A tip I would like to give to all of us future teachers is to check up on game results and see any games that you can catch so you can connect with the student and also have help to have a stronger relationship!