Classroom Management and Body Language

I feel that there are two things that are necessary for student success in an academic setting.  First, classroom management.  Without proper classroom management, students will be out of control and gain very little from your efforts as a teacher.  Second, rigorous and relevant content.  With serious content that will challenge your students, they will be less likely to get off topic.

In some cases the necessity of classroom management will overshadow the content being presented. In this instance students become off track.  In class discussions when one student is speaking and another interrupts them, often times I will simply hold up my hand in a "stop" motion to the student who is interrupting.

It looks a bit like this.

  With one hand you let one student know that their talking is out of time.  By maintaining eye contact with the original student, you reinforce their behavior.

Has anyone else used this method of classroom management?  What do you all do to maintain control of the class?

Thanks for dropping by,

D. Roach

A few thoughts on planning

As my first day of student teaching draws close I would like to take a moment to reflect on two strategies that I have adopted.  While they are not pedagogy per say, they are helpful.  As we are not born into this world knowing how to teach I hope that someone will (eventually) find this helpful.

The first thing I have learned is the 5 P's.  That being, Proper Planing Prevents Poor Performance.  This could not be more true.  I am striding into my first day with the confidence that if my students happen to finish all of the assignment that were scheduled on the first day, then I have around 11 more days worth of lesson plans.

My 2 week lesson plan

Not really, but you get the picture.  By keeping students on task, there is a lower chance of a behavior issue.  I suppose it is hard for 11th graders to get fired up about President Washington's first cabinet.....

Perhaps Andrew Jackson's Kitchen Cabinet will fare better, but I remain doubtful.....

Hickory Cabinets.... Old Hickory Cabinets

Horrible pun.... I know......  Next topic!

I have found that I often need scratch paper to jot down ideas while I lesson plan.  This is complicated by the fact that I can seldom find scratch paper. Enter the Notebook.

Two notebooks in fact.  The green one is to jot down ideas for lesson planning and the grey one is to make sure that I have all the notes essential to my lesson.  Lets take a look inside.

My lesson plan in the wild.

To make sure that the lesson plan is on track I always have my trusty notebook by my side... complete with pictures.

 Reform and immigration never looked so good

Hopefully my thoughts on lesson planning and class structure will be of some help.

Please feel free to comment.

Thanks for dropping by,

D. Roach

Hitting a lull

I am sure that we all have a favorite part of history.  For some it is the Revolutionary War, for others it is the social movements of the 1960s, but there are some topics that seem to be a bit hard to get down.

Allow me to make a comparison; If you were to order a pizza of history there would be some things that most people would agree on, pepperoni, cheese, ect, but then there are those that everyone considers, but no one chooses.  Like anchovies.  We are all fine with WWII or the Industrial revolution, but some things we would rather leave alone, like Andrew Jackson.

Never before had there been a president with such a polarizing effect on the Untied States.  A man who placed God and Country before all, but also a man who ordered the forced removal of thousands of Native Americans, Andrew Jackson was considered both a tyrant and a crusader for the common man.

This complexity leaves teachers glossing over President Jackson and inherently glossing over some of his more important political decisions.

Enter PBS

Recently I was able to find the majority of an Andrew Jackson documentary that was broken up into 3-4 minute clips.

Link

So for those who like anchovies, enjoy.  For those that don't, you can pick and choose what you sample.

Topics covered begin with Jackson in his youth and extend to the bank wars of his presidency.

Thanks for dropping by,

D. Roach

The Roadmap to Teaching

No this is not a post about teaching, but it is a post about maps.  Students seldom have a frame of reference when discussing other countries, and this can be problematic, especially when France is just south of Georgia.

Typical Student Conception of the World

Now, the above picture is meant to be humorous.  There are students who know way more geography than I do.  However where there is a need to teach there is a resource to be had.

One of the resources that was brought to my attention was this mapmaker sponsored by National Geographic.

National Geographic Map Maker

I have found that this map maker is one of the most comprehensive map makers out there.  Typically these type of programs are either meant for teachers, and therefore have a limited number of view capabilities.  Or they are interactive and meant for students.  This ultimately leads to the map making utility only be used when that specific lesson is being taught.  Stop.  Hold the phone.

*Note* it is important to model *Note*

Ok, got your phones? This map maker has the ability to seamlessly integrate line drawings, topography maps, language maps, population density maps, as well as the always useful satellite map.

But wait there is more!  The interactive program comes with a full toolbox of drawing functions as well as markers.  This allows you as a teacher to use it for in class direct instruction, as well as flexible group work. You can also use the "one page" mode to create custom maps for any and all purposes.



Need a quiz map? This can do it.

Need an interactive map for your mimeo or SMART Board? This can do it.

Want to create an exportable map for a handout?  This can do it.

In short, I have found this to be the map program to end all map programs.

Take 25 minutes, play around with it, and let your imagination run wild.

Just leave your sextant at home.

Thanks for dropping by,

D. Roach

Welcome!

The purpose of this blog is to serve as an online compilation of resources and methods for teaching Secondary History. While there are literally tons of different resources on the Internet, I will attempt to bring them together on this blog.

Resources

Rather than wade through the above picture for that resource that would make your lesson, why not take a look at this website.

We often start with the American Revolution in US History and authentic visuals are great ways to start class and capture students attention.  Check out this original Paul Revere engraving on the Boston Massacre.

I am sure that your students will "Revere" you as a resourceful teacher!!


Thanks for looking and stay tuned,

D. Roach

Feel free to post comments and thoughts on the resources presented!