Well, block 1 is all wrapped up now, and I’m kinda bummed. I had a great time with it and I just want it to keep going. I’m walking away with a bunch of resources to stash in my toolbox, along with some tips and tricks that I will definitely pull out the next time I’m teaching a class.
One of the tools that ended up being a fantastic resource was the google site that I made for my grade 9 math class. I posted all of the handouts from each lesson as well as solutions to the homework problems. That way, when I ran out of time to take up homework problems in class, I could just say, ‘check the class website for the rest of the homework solutions.’
Was it extra work to write out and upload the homework everyday? Yes. But it was worth it knowing that the students weren’t going to be panicking when they got stuck on some homework.
The math classroom ended up being somewhat low on technology. But you know what? It wasn’t such a bad thing at all. I think a teacher should be able to teach an effective class using nothing but a paper clip and some duct tape. Anything else is just icing on the cake. So I ended up busting out a few colourful overheads … where the screen was held in place using a mangled coat hanger. MacGyver has nothing on me.
Some things I’d change for next time:
As much as I liked the google site as a resource, I would’ve loved to incorporate the web 2.0 aspect to the class site as well (like with edmodo or ning). I’d also really like to be able to easily contact the whole class without using their school emails – another benefit of edmodo/ning. Side note: Of the school emails, I found that a) they were always crashing and b) students couldn’t access them easily from computers outside of the school. Um, doesn’t that kind of defeat the purpose?
So, in conclusion, I miss teaching. Would it be weird if I started delivering lessons to my cats?
AndtheJoyofDiscovery 