2 More Characteristics of the Novice Teacher

4. We believe the novice teacher should be a facilitator of learning for all students.

Definition: A facilitator is someone who can deliver lessons so that all of their students are able to understand and learn from it. If a facilitator cannot do this then they will find something or someone else that can do this for them. 

 Rational: Because there is such a diverse way that students learn, teachers cannot teach a lesson one way and expect everyone in the class to learn it. Each student in the classroom has different knowledge, experience, and background. If a teacher is only effectively teaching to half of their classroom, what is the second half supposed to do? A novice teacher can put aside their pride and re-teach the lesson in a different way if needed. A novice teacher will plan on a variety of activities for one lesson so more students can understand their lesson. 

·                                    -      I am actually questioning something in my PDS that deals with this. There is one teacher who has to have a second teacher in all of their classes. I understand that one or two of their classes might have students with IEPs that state this but I know that some classes there are two teachers this is not the case. I have set in on some of their classes and they let the students pretty much get away with murder. I feel if the teacher had any classroom management skills they would not need this second teacher in most of their classes. I do not understand why GHS continues to employ this person when they are really employing two teachers to do the job that only should take one.

9. We believe that the novice teacher should be aware, of and have respect for human diversity.

Definition: Human diversity is the difference among people; this can be in many different forms. Some examples are background, race, and/or gender.

Rational:  Teachers should know students and their backgrounds. This way a teacher can get to know how their student’s best learn from their background situation. This also can help when planning the types of assignments, topics, and even the amount of homework given.

Practicum Plan Reflection 1

   I set two basic goals for myself this semester. When figuring out goals that I wanted to reach was hard for me, I am at a different placement, different age levels, different math subjects, and a different mentor teacher. If I would have stayed at the middle school I would have not problem coming up with three or four learning goals. The two I came up with are also pretty generic, 1. make better lesson plans (more detailed, descriptive, examples, ect.) 2. Computer organization (using edline and other computer program Gafton High uses for grading, attendance, and such).
     The first learning goal I am completing but I find it hard to do since no one is checking our lesson plans. I feel that the programs wants lessons to be extremely detailed and mine are not but at the same time I have never had anyone check or tell me I was completing them incorrectly so lots of time I find myself questioning why I spend anytime on them at all.
      The second learning goal I have had stop doing. Not purposely but it is something my mentor teacher has done all year and days I'm not there so she just does it automatically with out having me do it. I did check attendance daily for about two weeks so I can do it and know how but don't do it regularly now. I have not done anything with their online grading system, edline. My mentor teacher has never been submitting grades into the computer while I was there so the situation has not came up but I definitely want to do and learn how to so I need to ask her about it one day here soon.