Into the Classroom: A Practical Guide for Starting Student Teaching

185 Pages·2011·0.72 MB·English

by  Rosalyn McKeown

Into the Classroom

Into the Classroom
A Practical Guide for Starting Student Teaching
Rosalyn McKeown
The University of Tennessee Press / Knoxville
a
Torchbearer Texts
The University of Tennessee Press • Knoxville
All Rights Reserved. Manufactured in the United States of America.
First Edition.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
McKeown, Rosalyn.
Into the classroom: a practical guide for starting student teaching / Rosalyn McKeown.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
eISBN-13: 978-1-57233-836-4
eISBN-10: 1-57233-836-9
1. Student teaching—United States.
I. Title.
LB2157.U5M37 2011
370.71—dc22
2011011282
Dedicated to Gene, Gary Scott, and Kelsey, from whom I learned so much about
teaching, learning, living, and loving.

Contents
Acknowledgments xi
Author’s Note xiii
PART i
Before Entering the Classroom
1. Twelve Years as a Student Do Not Prepare You to Be a Teacher 3
2. Common Pitfalls of Inexperience 7
3. Order in the Classroom: Managing Common Discipline Problems 15
PART ii
Classroom Instruction
4. Ready, Aim, Teach: Writing Objectives and Lesson Plans 33
5. Great Beginnings and Endings 43
6. Instructional Strategies and Techniques: Introducing Variety 47
7. Lecture, If You Must 61
8. Models: The Memorable Part of the Lesson 71
9. Asking Questions 79
10. Little Thoughts and Big Thoughts 89
11. Discussions and Interactive Teaching 97
12. Working with Visual Aids 103
PART iii
The Bigger Picture
13. Boring Teachers 115
14. Not Everyone Learns the Same Way You Do 121
15. Be Kind 133
PART iv
Becoming the Teacher You Want to Be
16. Tensions of Practice Teaching 141
17. Organizing Your Room to Suit Your Needs 147
18. Developing Your Own Teaching Style 153
Afterword 157
Index 159
FiGuReS
14.1. Kolb’s Learning Styles 125
17.1. Restroom Pass 151
17.2. Late Homework Pass 152
TAbleS
4.1. Teaching Objectives and Learning Objectives 35
4.2. Sample Lesson Plan Template 37
10.1. Recording Level of Thinking Skills Involved in Answering
a Question 94
10.2. Lower–Order and Higher–Order Thinking Skills 95
SidebARS
2.1. Coping with Distracting Noises from Outside Your Classroom 8
2.2. Social Networking 10
3.1. Dr. McKeown’s High School Classroom Expectations, Rules,
and General Information 16
3.2. Learning to Do School 23
3.3. The Author’s Personal Experience with Classroom Management 27
4.1. Four Questions—The Basis for Teaching 33
4.2. Rejoice 34
4.3. Coping with Stage Fright 36
4.4. My Lesson Plan Template 38
5.1. Questions for Beginning and Ending Class 45
6.1. Simulation: Sustainable Fisheries Management Inquiry 55
7.1. Clueless 65
7.2. Planning for Block Scheduling 67
7.3. Tips for a Good Lecture 68
11.1. Tips for Good Discussions 98
11.2. Tips for Small Group Discussions 99
13.1. Boring Teacher Prevention Questionnaire 118
13.2. Attributes of Boring Teachers 119