Can't Move Forward Without Looking Back..

It's the Saturday morning after the first week of school. I am tired and my brain feels muddled. I have met over 100 new students, learned most of their names, and made judgments regarding their academic prowess based on their actions in class the two days I have had them. Right or wrong, it is how we operate as humans. This student spoke up and discussed his opinions; he will do well.  This student laid his head down and seemed disinterested; he will struggle. The truth is they both may do exceptionally well or they both may struggle.  I hope all my students do great this year. The thing I must remember is that while I am making snap judgements about my students, my students are making judgements about ME. I'm not sure I made a good impression either....

This blog is to help me identify and catalog the best US History lesson plans.  I want to achieve 100% on the End-of-Course examination program. What did I do in class this week? I went over rules and expectations because you must so everyone knows what to expect. I gave first assignments that I tried to keep to the minimum and I began talking about US History. There's is a GREAT website to find lesson plans if you are a teacher http://www.s2martsc.org/. It gives you ideas for each standard and indicator. One of the ideas for the first indicator is to activate prior knowledge by having students list everything they remember about New Spain, New France, and the 3 British colonial regions (New England, Middle, and Southern) on big pieces of paper around the room.  I totally bought into this idea. First of all, I know that students learn better when they have something to link the new knowledge to.  Second, it involved moving around.  Since my students were going to do this on the very first day of class after a nice long summer break, I thought a little movement would be a good thing.  Research also shows that movement is good.  Finally, all students would be involved.  If a student could not think of something on their own, they could place a check beside a fact that another student had listed.  Did it work? ummmmm... NO! My students walked around and listed French fries, French kiss, and France under New France...  New Spain?  Tacos...  Southern?  Cotton...(this is a cardinal sin on the EOC..  Cotton during colonial times is used as a distractor because the makers of the test know students think this).. Okay, so what do I do?

Like any good teacher, I modified and adjusted...  I went back to each sheet and talked about what they should have learned throughout their elementary and middle school years. As I went back to each piece of information, the students began to say "oh yeah" and "I remember that"..  They had the prior knowledge; it was there. They needed help to access it though. I think this is still a good beginning idea for the three reasons I listed before.  I needed to adjust the students perception of the idea a little.  They did not know me.  It was the first day.  Would a grade being attached to the activity have made them more serious or stressed? Should I have placed them in groups that had to come up with specific things and then, had them fact check with the book? I haven't decided.  I will though...

I like this activity better than the one I tried last year where I had the students in centers exploring primary sources.  It was simpler, cleaner, but the students must take it serious for it to be beneficial.  It's going in the book!

Day two of class went much smoother.  I again field tested a lesson plan from http://www.s2martsc.org/. For indicator one, the site provided terms that the students should be familiar with from previous years.  The students working in groups divide the terms into three piles (Spanish, French, British) to activate prior knowledge and complete a chart.  Based on the activity from Day one, the students were able to really think through their placement of the terms.  It went off without a hitch and will definitely be used again next year. The students had taken a GIANT step forward in just one day.  The difference?  We had looked back TOGETHER...  You can't move forward without looking back.  I hope next week goes as well!