Secrets for Secondary School Teachers (5 page)

You might want to hang pictures, photos, or posters to create a homey feel to the room. Students, and their parents, love to see their work displayed. In many schools, teachers are permitted to hang student projects from the ceiling. Some classrooms turn into museums by the end of the year, with student-created artifacts and projects!

It all depends on what mood and images you want to communicate to your students. In a history class, you would expect to see pictures of past achievements. In an English class, you might see rules to use for writing, or programs for plays, or pictures of famous authors. In a math class, you might see applications of formulas, geometric patterns, or famous mathematicians. But these are only traditional applications; you can be a lot more creative than that!

In deciding what to do with your bulletin boards, consider the following functions that are possible:

•   Informative—Giving facts

•   Rule giving—Guidelines to follow

•   Demonstrative—Showing examples

•   Motivational—Giving inspiration

•   Stimulating—Posing a question or new idea

•   Rewarding—Displaying student work

•   Aesthetic—Reflecting interests and likes

•   Reinforcing—Giving support

•   Entertaining—Using humor

E
QUIPMENT
C
HECKLIST

Before you put your plan into action and start moving heavy furniture around the room, first design a blueprint on a piece of paper, positioning each piece of furniture and equipment. Consult the following checklists for items you might wish to consider in your plan:

Permanent Features

___ Placement of door

___ Electric sockets

___ Bulletin boards

___ Light switch

___ Pencil sharpener(s)

___ Location of windows

___ Chalk- or dry-erase boards

___ Lighting

___ Telephone line

___ Stationary cabinets

___ Laboratory (science, home economics, art) equipment

Technology-related Equipment

___ Computer(s)

___ VCR

___ Audiotape player; CD Player/Record player

___ Television

___ Laser disc player

___ Overhead projector

___ Opaque projector

___ Screen

Furniture

___ Teacher’s desk and chair

___ Stool

___ Podium

___ Wardrobe(s)

___ Student desks or tables

___ Wastebasket(s)

___ File cabinet(s)

___ Table(s)

___ Chairs

___ Bookshelves

S
UPPLIES
C
HECKLIST

Once the furniture is arranged, you will next need to concentrate on supplies that will be useful in your work. First, take inventory of what is already available in your room. Then, make a list of items you will need, based on these suggestions:

•   Lined paper

•   Construction paper

•   Scotch tape

•   Book covers

•   Stapler(s) and staples

•   3-hole punch

•   Paper clips

•   Pens

•   Rulers

•   Computer disks

•   Hanging folders

•   File folders

•   Overhead markers

•   Attendance book

•   Scantrons (machine-scored answer sheets)

•   Plain paper

•   Masking tape

•   File cards

•   Post-it notes

•   Pencils

•   Scissors

•   Videotapes

•   Index cards

•   Dry-erase markers or chalk

•   Dictionaries

•   Lesson plan book

•   Multipurpose cleaner and paper towels

•   Tissues

•   Snacks to munch on (for you)

In addition to these general supplies, you will also need those related to your subject—chemicals for science teachers, balls for physical education, paint and clay for art, food for consumer and family sciences. Consult with your department head and other colleagues for suggestions in this area.

M
AKEUP
W
ORK

It is helpful to have a place in your room where students who have been absent can pick up their makeup work or a paper that was passed back when they were gone. Some methods that teachers have used successfully are these:

•   A notebook binder where handouts—instructional as well as homework—can be found for each given day

•   A file folder, posted on the wall or placed in a drawer in a hanging file or situated in a storage box

•   A calendar posted with each assignment listed

•   A list of assignments on a poster board

•   An area of the chalkboard listing the day or week’s objectives and assignments

F
IRST
-A
ID
S
UPPLIES

Easy access to first-aid supplies is important. Band-Aids are commonly requested. You will want to have the basic supplies readily available so as not to waste class time looking for them.

You will probably receive Band-Aids, a disinfectant, cotton swabs, sterile gauze pads, and gloves in a first-aid kit from the nurse’s/health office. It is a good idea to include safety pins in the kit for torn clothing. For serious problems, immediately refer the student to the school nurse or health aide.

S
UPPLIES FOR
“T
RAVELING
” T
EACHERS

Often new teachers receive schedules that require them to move from room to room for part or all of the day. Most teachers in this situation select one room as a home base and then use a cart to carry office supplies and the resources they need for each day. They prepare posters on large display paper, poster boards, or large Post-it notes that they can
easily post when they arrive at the scheduled room. In each room, they identify bulletin board space and chalk or dry-erase board space to reserve for their classes. Their students are directed as to where to locate information pertinent to their specific class. In such mobile situations, it is important to keep the lines of communication open with the other teachers so that cooperation can be maximized.

Another secret is to color-code items for each class according to the room they will be used in. For example, use a red book cover on the text, red file folders, and a red notebook binder for course materials for the “red” room. It’s also wise to carry “emergency” enrichment and/or review activities at all times. They will be useful in any of the following scenarios:

•   you are called away from the class

•   the students finish an activity more quickly than you anticipated with plenty of time before the end of the period

•   you discover that students don’t have the prior knowledge you expected in order to move to the next level activity

Even more important for “traveling teachers” is to begin and end classes promptly so that the room can be prepared for the next group. Establish routines for materials and supplies to be collected and desks rearranged at the end of the period, if necessary. Let students know where they can find you before and after school if they want to see you, rather than approach you with personal questions at the beginning or end of the class in the room you are trying to vacate. Since the between-class-periods time is limited, consider developing communication through other means (journaling, email, etc.).

O
THER
C
ONSIDERATIONS

You may decide to bring some things from home to make the room more comfortable, such as a fan, a desk lamp, posters,
magazines and books, and/or supplies. When I (Ellen) was teaching World History, I brought in a life-sized model of a knight’s armor which I posted as a sentry by the door. The students enjoyed touching the metal, feeling how heavy the helmet was, and seeing how the visor moved. Some teachers bring in plants and comfortable chairs or sofas, space and district permitting. In most situations, these efforts will be greatly appreciated and not disturbed by your students.

In summary, how you arrange the space for learning is as critical as anything else you do as part of your teaching method and style. If the learning environment is uncomfortable, unattractive, distracting, or unduly plain and dull, you cannot maximize the possibilities for fun, organization, and focused concentration that will be necessary in the tasks that you plan.

Your classroom is your new home. In some cases, you will spend as much time there as the place where you live. Customize and decorate it in such a way that it becomes a comfortable base for your work and an inviting place for others to visit.

  3  

Knowing Your Students

N
ow that you’ve got your room out of the way, it’s time to concentrate on the students with whom you will be working. Within a very short period of time, you will be exposed to over a hundred students, each with individual needs and unique names to memorize and pronounce correctly. If you think that’s overwhelming, just think about foreign-language teachers who not only learn the real names of each student but also their assigned Spanish or French or German (or Russian or Japanese or Latin) names.

Learning the names of students quickly is only one of your initial tasks; you will also want to accumulate some basic data on each of your students.

C
OLLECTING
I
NFORMATION

One straightforward way to collect information on your students is to ask them to fill out index cards on the first day of class, beginning with their names at the top. You can also ask them to suggest ways to help you remember how to pronounce their names correctly (such as with pictures or phonetic spelling).

Not all students go by their given names. Many have preferred nicknames. Some are diminutives such as “Jimmy” or “Susie.” Others are common, such as “Junior” or “Bud.” One boy told me (Ellen) he wanted to be called “Boogie.” I wasn’t sure what to make of that, and I didn’t want to embarrass myself. Because he wrote he was a football player, I went to see one of the coaches. I told him I had a student who wanted to be called “Boogie” and asked him what the story was. He assured me that it was okay; everyone called him Boogie.

On succeeding lines of the index card, there is room for all sorts of information. One line at a time can provide a place for the following:

•   
Name and nickname.

•   
Address.

•   
Telephone number(s)
(sometimes students have their own telephone numbers).

•   
Birthday
.

•   
Age.

•   
Mother’s or guardian’s name, telephone numbers at home and work, and e-mail address, if available.

•   
Father’s or guardian’s name, telephone numbers at home and work, and e-mail address, if available
. You may also want to inquire as to what hours the parents or guardians work.

•   
Language skills.
(Ask, “What is your first language?” then “What languages are spoken in the home?” “What languages do you read?”) Here, you will learn if there is support in the home for English language (or foreign language) activities. Some students will not be able to get help with their homework in subjects such as English grammar if their parents or guardians do not speak English. This information will be useful in planning for communication with parents where translators or translations may be needed.

•   
Interests and activities.
(Ask students: “Do you play an instrument?” “Do you play sports?” “What activities do you participate in before school? After school? Until
what time?”) Here, you will learn what responsibilities your students have—who baby-sits, who cooks for the family when parents are at work. It’s also important to know whether the student works or not and if so, how many hours per week.

I (Ellen) had one student who was always falling asleep in class, although he seemed like a very capable learner. At first, I thought it was a motivational problem, then that he was just being obstructive. Finally, I remembered to look at his card, and I discovered an obvious clue: He was working 40 hours a week in a restaurant. No wonder he couldn’t stay awake in class!

Other information to ask for on the index card might include the following: