K&N wrote:
>
> Actually, I'm 'close' to the only teacher teaching chemistry.
>
> Our department has been rearranged. Last year was my first year of
teaching
> but I taught Biology and Freshman Science.
That sounds a lot like what happened here / with me last year.
Another teacher and I got given Web Mastery to teach (I'm a tech
apps / vocational teacher) and neither of us has ever taught it
before.
> Both of our chemistry teachers left at the end of the year. I will be
> teaching all of the honors chemistry sections and 3 out of 4 of the
general
> chemistry sections.
>
> The other person teaching general chemistry will be in her first year of
> teaching and will otherwise teach freshman science.
>
> I'm looking forward to teaching chemistry. I feel more qualified to
teach
> it than I do biology.
>
> I do have copies of the computer files that the teachers last year had
> tucked away on their computers and copies of their daily lesson plans.
> (though they don't have much detalil)
Same thing here - we were given a couple boxes of the previous
web teachers' stuff, but most of it was sketchy in detail and
neither the other teacher or I had enough knowledge & experience
with the subject to be able to make heads or tails of it. Course
the same thing would apply if anyone ever took over any of my
other cl***** - pretty much 80-90% of my 'lesson plans' are in
my head and not in my file cabinet, or at least not all of the
details of them.
> I just need to assimilate all this information into a coherent whole. I
> have a goal of handing out the the students a detailed syllubus for each
> unit so they know exactly what is being covered and the problems that
will
> be assigned during the unit.
Word of advice - don't try to do 'everything' the first year.
You might aim at getting the frame work in place and fle****ng it
out as much as you can, but don't get frustrated if you don't
get it 100%. Planning is great, but one of the things that you
are going to have to deal with as a teacher, is that plans
change - alot. There are going to be things that will affect
when and how you do stuff in your cl***** - most of these are
going to be outside of your control. More than once, I've spent
days putting together some unit or other, and ended up with it
not being used for some reason or other.
> Our students tend to be extremely busy after
> school and I want to avoid homework assignments that they only have one
> evening to work on. If they have the assignments ahead of time they can
> work ahead if they know they will be busy on a particular night.
What sort of schedule is your campus on? Our is a A/B block
schedule - alternating A & B days with four periods per day (A
Day - periods 1,2,3,&4 / B Day - periods 5,6,7,&8), so the kids
typically have two nights to work on something.
>
> I feel good to be actually getting things accomplished so far this
summer.
> I think it will go well. If I keep working :-)
The more you get done at the beginning the less you have to do
later - get enough done and next summer all you'll need to do is
update and adjust your lesson plans.
Martin
>
> Nan
>
> "Rowley" <rowleykmREMOVE@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message
> news:42AF6DFB.85D17BFC@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> >> I have a few ideas... but I'm currently a bit overwhelmed.
> >
> > I'm assuming that you aren't the only teacher who going to be
> > teaching chemistry (then again, maybe you are). If not why not
> > get with the other teachers and see what they have to offer - no
> > sense reinventing all the wheels on the cart. And I know that
> > some places require teachers in the same department to pretty
> > much teach things in a similar manner.
> >
> > Good luck with your first year.
> >
> > Martin
> >
> > K&N wrote:
> >>
> >> I'll be teaching Chemistry next year for the very first time :-)
> >>
> >> I figure I have two months to prepare... I better get busy.
> >>
> >> I have two different sections of chemistry (general and honors).
> >>
> >> My goals for the summer are to put notes into powerpoint so that I
don't
> >> need to write them out on the overheads. (I've been working
diligently.
> >> Am
> >> getting close to done for one of the cl*****.)
> >>
> >> Next I plan to work through many of the problems in the book and
decide
> >> which ones to assign. I'm also looking into 'extra' worksheets to
help
> >> students practice various concepts.
> >>
> >> Finally, I need to get organized for labs. I've got to figure out
what
> >> supplies I have to work with and which labs I can actually do.
> >>
> >> Once I get all that done, I figure I can focus on actually 'teaching'
the
> >> information. I have a few ideas... but I'm currently a bit
overwhelmed.
> >>
> >> Nan
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