Comments on: Letter to a New Teacher

By: Jenny

Jenny — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 03:18:23 +0000

I’ve streamlined so much of what happens in my 5th grade classroom to maximize learning time (including math games while we take bathroom breaks), but this post highlighted for me areas that still need my focus. “Teachers burn a few minutes here and there” – how true. For me, I do so sometimes because I’m trying to get my brain to switch gears. One of the challenges of elementary is the lack of breaks. I have kids for 2/12 – 3 hours at a stretch without a break. I can choose to use that as an excuse or be grateful for the amount of time I have, because there is never enough. Now I’ve just got to mull over how to keep them engaged while I get my brain focused on the next lesson.

By: Benjamin Baxter

Benjamin Baxter — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 02:09:35 +0000

I have homework, but it doesn’t count for much. That and classwork is set at 25 percent of the grade. That way, students who actually care about their learning have an additional outlet.

Those who don’t — and also manage to know the material for tests and quizzes, the other 75 percent — are happy enough.

I pass out worksheets by having them on the front table. Students know to pick them up when they come in.

http://awaitingtenure.wordpress.com/

By: jose

jose — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 22:52:04 +0000

An engaging letter for sure. It’s interesting to see how you approach your kids. I’ll definitely remember this for the future.

By: Mathew

Mathew — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 16:11:14 +0000

Great letter. I do wonder though if “kids today” are that different from kids of the past and if that’s the reason why we have to teach differently.

I think our parents and grandparents must have been bored in school too. It’s just that now we have additional knowledge and additional tech tools at our disposal so there’s less and less excuses for us to teach in the same way as we were taught.