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starmekitten
-= Forum Pistolera =-
United Kingdom
6370 Posts |
 Posted - 10/15/2006 : 06:17:55
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I hated school, I loved the learning I hated pretty much all the other pupils. It's weird to me how some lessons stand out more than others. I remember maths because I had a great teacher, I remember biology because it was my favourtie subject. I only remember physics because my friend Jon sat behind me and told me he could see my bra through my shirt pretty much every lesson and we got to do soldering. I don't remember chemistry at all, couldn't tell you the name of any of my chemistry teachers. I remember very little spanish, I remember latin mostly because I used to mess about more than in any other subject. I remember graphic media because there was a boy in my class who looked like kryton and I remember english only because my teacher was an old perv. History I remember some of because my teacher was hot.
So, I'm doing this course and I've been going into schools to observe lessons. We've been told the key is to make them interesting and I've had a lot of fun trying to design interesting lessons, but when I go and observe them... not so much. I guess it's time consuming, it really is. I have a microteach on thursday at a boys school and I've had to design an entire lesson even though I'm only teaching the first ten minutes of it, and it's difficult. It took me a good couple of hours to design this activity and I've tried to make it interesting. This is for ten minutes of one lesson.
I dread the thought though, of going into school and being one of those boring dictation teachers. So out of interest, what do you remember from school, lesson wise, that was particularly bad or good. What sort of thing would make it stay in your head. I might be able to get some tips here.
And if I get enough responses I'll tell you all about the naked snowman lesson I designed :) |
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Superabounder
* Dog in the Sand *
USA
1041 Posts |
Posted - 10/15/2006 : 08:59:05
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I remember french because my teacher would always wear shirts that were button-downs and you could always see her bra when she turned sideways in the right direction. And they were always really sexy looking bras.
That doesn't really help too much does it?
I'd rather be anywhere or doing anything |
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starmekitten
-= Forum Pistolera =-
United Kingdom
6370 Posts |
Posted - 10/15/2006 : 09:12:49
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| Maybe, how's your french? |
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Newo
~ Abstract Brain ~
Spain
2674 Posts |
Posted - 10/15/2006 : 10:52:11
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I suggest fostering some spontanaeity in the classroom, thatīs always a breath of fresh air after lockstepping from class to class all day. Failing that, show some skin.
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Gravy boat! Stay in the now! |
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Homers_pet_monkey
= Official forum monkey =
United Kingdom
17125 Posts |
Posted - 10/15/2006 : 10:56:02
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You did latin?
Private school, right?
 I'd walk her everyday, into a shady place
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starmekitten
-= Forum Pistolera =-
United Kingdom
6370 Posts |
Posted - 10/15/2006 : 11:26:56
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Absolutely Owen, some of the lessons I've seen are so stale I don't know how anyone learns anything. I'm trying hard to keep things interesting.
You joking Monkey? No, it wasn't a private school. Nothing like. Latin was optional, five of us gave up some of our lunch breaks to do it and we had a visiting teacher who looked like a penguin. |
Edited by - starmekitten on 10/15/2006 11:47:18 |
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Cheeseman1000
>> Denizen of the Citizens Band <<
Iceland
8201 Posts |
Posted - 10/15/2006 : 12:38:04
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quote:
Originally posted by Homers_pet_monkey
You did latin?
Private school, right?
I'd walk her everyday, into a shady place
You didn't do Latin? Pikey school right?
 Numberwang? |
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Llamadance
> Teenager of the Year <
United Kingdom
2543 Posts |
Posted - 10/15/2006 : 12:53:00
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Good: interaction, quizzes (like pub quiz style), juggling, experiments (especially of the explosive kind) backing up theory.
Bad: incessant blackboard writing. Teacher monologue.
I had a physics teacher who once decided not to give us a lesson and instead told us his life story, including his time as a roadie for Nazareth. That was pretty cool.
Anything outside of maths and science was a necessary evil so I just got on with it - apart from History, where we had a mental Polish teacher called Fred Ossowski.
What lies before us and what lies behind us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us -Ralph Waldo Emerson
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Cult_Of_Frank
= Black Noise Maker =
Canada
11687 Posts |
Posted - 10/15/2006 : 12:56:21
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Depends on the grade, but the projects that I remember most were the ones that were more verbal than written. Our social studies teacher used to have us do simulations for historical things. For example, we did the confederation of Canada and we each were assigned a person of importance from that time and we had a three day summit. So we had to research that person and their position and then try to act as though we were that person. It could be bad with the wrong group, but if you can get people into it, it's great.
Otherwise, I suppose the best thing you can hope for is to create interest in the material. How you do that depends on the kids, but some enthusiasm for it yourself definitely helps.
 "Now you're officially my woman. Kudos. I can't say I don't envy you." |
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ScottP
= Cult of Ray =
USA
618 Posts |
Posted - 10/15/2006 : 13:31:06
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| Sweet! You could dress up as Canada's finest- Nickelback |
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Broken Face
-= Forum Pistolero =-
USA
5155 Posts |
Posted - 10/15/2006 : 13:42:24
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The best teachers i had all did the same thing - they made it personal. If you can somehow relate what you are doing in some way to your life (or theirs) it will have so much more resonance.
Also, any sort of creative projects help. I remember making videos for my senior English class - my teacher was great. We did all sorts of really unique projects (like to better understand satire, we did song parodies ala Weird Al) and read some great books - but the way she taught even the bad books (like Toni Morrison..shudder...) seemed relatively interesting.
And from my teacher friends, i hear that multimedia is the way to go. So film clips and power point galore!
-Brian - http://bvsrant.blogspot.com |
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danjersey
> Teenager of the Year <
USA
2792 Posts |
Posted - 10/15/2006 : 17:59:38
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brian mentioned making it personal, with that in mind i'm thinking place and time like "stand in the place where you live".
too many kids ignore their own surroundings and chalk them up as boring and not "where it's at", but i have found that whether it's science, history, or literature there is always something maybe even in your own backyard worth bringing to light.
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Erebus
* Dog in the Sand *
USA
1834 Posts |
Posted - 10/15/2006 : 21:25:56
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Yes, backyard is good. Not that you're teaching toddlers, but my experience has been that science and wonder generally start at home. I had forgotten but now recall a half hour bedtime conversation with a seven year old that started with marvel over a beam of light passing just within a gapped door. To her mother's chagrin, Melissa liked to "do science" just before going to sleep, which Mom sometimes decried as a tactic to delay turning out the lights and finally going to bed. I admit to being the subversive influence. It started with something like "imagine you were creating a universe from scratch: how would you manage a simple thing like a light beam?" Still remember how her eyes went large. She got it. Even the simplest kid, which she admittedly was not, has that capacity for wonder. Funny how the average kid has more sense than the average adult.
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Homers_pet_monkey
= Official forum monkey =
United Kingdom
17125 Posts |
Posted - 10/16/2006 : 04:48:17
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quote:
Originally posted by Cheeseman1000
quote:
Originally posted by Homers_pet_monkey
You did latin?
Private school, right?
I'd walk her everyday, into a shady place
You didn't do Latin? Pikey school right?
Numberwang?
You did?
Congratulations, you can now sit through a Latin mass.
And don't give me that rubbish about it giving you an underlying knowledge of other European languages. Like Jerry Seinfeld said, why get an underlying knowledge of other European languages? Why not just learn them?
Useless language in the main.
I'd walk her everyday, into a shady place
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Cheeseman1000
>> Denizen of the Citizens Band <<
Iceland
8201 Posts |
Posted - 10/16/2006 : 05:33:46
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Of course, I'm just being aggravating. I think the majority of schools at least offered Latin when I was there, and putting it bluntly you're much older than me...
I didn't take Latin, I took French so I could talk to hairy women.
Numberwang? |
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Newo
~ Abstract Brain ~
Spain
2674 Posts |
Posted - 10/16/2006 : 05:36:52
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inspired by Llamasteveīs post: sometimes when Iīm writing a scene with people chatting and they are describing something that happened, Iīll put it down as told by the characters in their dialogue but notice itīs lacking some kind of strong current, so I strip away the quotation marks and dramatise the retrospective scene entirely and it feels much fresher - many a time showing can be much more powerful than telling.
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Gravy boat! Stay in the now! |
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Homers_pet_monkey
= Official forum monkey =
United Kingdom
17125 Posts |
Posted - 10/16/2006 : 10:07:47
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quote:
Originally posted by Cheeseman1000
Of course, I'm just being aggravating. I think the majority of schools at least offered Latin when I was there, and putting it bluntly you're much older than me...
I didn't take Latin, I took French so I could talk to hairy women.
Numberwang?
Much older?
Hmmmmm.....
I'd walk her everyday, into a shady place
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PixieSteve
> Teenager of the Year <
Poland
4698 Posts |
Posted - 10/16/2006 : 11:32:03
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i had to do compulsory latin years 7 to 9... don't remember a word
FAST_MAN RAIDER_MAN - June 19th |
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Daisy Girl
~ Abstract Brain ~
Belize
5305 Posts |
Posted - 10/16/2006 : 11:52:28
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My Asian Studies teacher in high school would get up on the desk and he would also stomp in the trash can. It really got your attention. It was especially funny because at the time he was probably in his 60's and you wouldn't expect that from someone his age. He would crack everyone up.
I also had a teacher that tudored me in Spanish for two years. That was real dedication. |
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PixieSteve
> Teenager of the Year <
Poland
4698 Posts |
Posted - 10/16/2006 : 11:59:37
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americans, t != d
that is all
FAST_MAN RAIDER_MAN - June 19th |
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floop
= Wannabe Volunteer =
Mexico
15297 Posts |
Posted - 10/16/2006 : 12:05:50
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you could always demonstrate your lesson plan in stage play format, using clown puppets
at least that's what your mom said |
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darwin
>> Denizen of the Citizens Band <<
USA
5454 Posts |
Posted - 10/16/2006 : 13:17:04
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The rage in university/college teaching in the US is active learning or problem based learning (or many other catch phrases). It is basically trying to give students hypothetical situations and as small groups have them design and test hypotheses for the proposed situation. The emphasis then becomes trying to teach students concepts rather than facts and in the sciences teaching the scientific process (not the boring crap taught in grade school) but the how do you design and conduct an experiment that actually tells you something (learning things like replication, unbiased sampling, what is a useful hypothesis).
I was just reading this weekend an article in a magazine from my alma mater which is a very good biology school but with big class sizes. One thing they're now doing is they have a system where a professor can ask the class a multiple choice question and students can vote electronically on the answer. So, you can teach a subject then after your lecturing you can ask students what they think the answer to related question is. Then you break them into small groups (say 5 students) and tell them to discuss the question. Then you revote. They usually get the answer right more often after the small group discussion and discussing the problem cements the concept and the reason for the answer more in their minds than just reading or listening to a lecture.
So bottom line getting students actively involved in lectures takes energy and reduces how much material you can cover, but ususally they actually learn and remember more when you do. |
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Carl
- A 'Fifth' Catholic -
Ireland
11546 Posts |
Posted - 10/16/2006 : 13:18:54
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I spent my secondary school days drawing monsters all over my notebook. Which is probably why I'm in the situation I am now!
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Homers_pet_monkey
= Official forum monkey =
United Kingdom
17125 Posts |
Posted - 10/17/2006 : 04:22:55
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quote:
Originally posted by darwin
The rage in university/college teaching in the US is active learning or problem based learning (or many other catch phrases). It is basically trying to give students hypothetical situations and as small groups have them design and test hypotheses for the proposed situation. The emphasis then becomes trying to teach students concepts rather than facts and in the sciences teaching the scientific process (not the boring crap taught in grade school) but the how do you design and conduct an experiment that actually tells you something (learning things like replication, unbiased sampling, what is a useful hypothesis).
I was just reading this weekend an article in a magazine from my alma mater which is a very good biology school but with big class sizes. One thing they're now doing is they have a system where a professor can ask the class a multiple choice question and students can vote electronically on the answer. So, you can teach a subject then after your lecturing you can ask students what they think the answer to related question is. Then you break them into small groups (say 5 students) and tell them to discuss the question. Then you revote. They usually get the answer right more often after the small group discussion and discussing the problem cements the concept and the reason for the answer more in their minds than just reading or listening to a lecture.
So bottom line getting students actively involved in lectures takes energy and reduces how much material you can cover, but ususally they actually learn and remember more when you do.
That certainly makes sense. They should try that over here (or maybe they do now)
I'd walk her everyday, into a shady place
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starmekitten
-= Forum Pistolera =-
United Kingdom
6370 Posts |
Posted - 10/17/2006 : 11:54:29
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| They do, there's been a huge shuffle in the sciences and there's about to be a huge shake up in the other areas as well. Active learning is something we're very much being taught. Which is why I spent the afternoon digging around a school playground bug hunting in my big skirt and best glittery shoes. I caught a centipede. |
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Doog
* Dog in the Sand *
United Kingdom
1220 Posts |
Posted - 10/17/2006 : 12:29:05
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quote:
Originally posted by starmekitten I remember graphic media because there was a boy in my class who looked like kryton
I very nearly spat macaroni cheese over my monitor then.
------------------
www.myspace.com/doog = solo choons
www.myspace.com/casabonitaband = noisey stuff
www.myspace.com/WKtheband = surfrockpop geekery
www.myspace.com/ukpixiestribute = Nimrod's Son |
Edited by - Doog on 10/17/2006 12:31:50 |
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IceCream
= Quote Accumulator =
USA
1850 Posts |
Posted - 10/17/2006 : 13:20:13
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quote:
I was just reading this weekend an article in a magazine from my alma mater which is a very good biology school but with big class sizes. One thing they're now doing is they have a system where a professor can ask the class a multiple choice question and students can vote electronically on the answer. So, you can teach a subject then after your lecturing you can ask students what they think the answer to related question is. Then you break them into small groups (say 5 students) and tell them to discuss the question. Then you revote. They usually get the answer right more often after the small group discussion and discussing the problem cements the concept and the reason for the answer more in their minds than just reading or listening to a lecture.
Wow. That is a really great idea. It's not too probable that 5 duds would all up in the same group, which is good. The only problem I could see with that is the possibility of there being an arrogant idiot in the group who insists that his/her answer is correct and, therefore, refuses to be swayed. But those idiots would probably be just as likely to argue with the professor himself. Either way, it's a very good idea. |
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darwin
>> Denizen of the Citizens Band <<
USA
5454 Posts |
Posted - 10/17/2006 : 13:33:05
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| Even if you get stuck with an insistent idiot it gives you an opportunity to defend what you believe is the answer. We all know when that happens things that seemed clear get exposed as not so clear or if you're right it can give you a deeper understanding of why you're right. |
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Homers_pet_monkey
= Official forum monkey =
United Kingdom
17125 Posts |
Posted - 10/18/2006 : 05:13:20
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Plus dealing with insistant, arrogant idiots then, will serve them in good stead for their working lives.
I'd walk her everyday, into a shady place
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school days
