Early in my Master’s program, I remember one of the experienced teachers (a wise, wise man) say that one of the big difference between novice and experienced teachers is that novices think a lot about themselves in the classroom: how they are doing, what techniques they are using, etc, and experienced teachers think about the [...]
Archive for the ‘planning’ Category
Self-Centeredness
Posted in difficulties, planning, tagged experience, revision on March 12, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
My first quarter is over
Posted in chemistry, homework, planning, students, tagged lessons on March 11, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
The biggest lesson I have learned is that my students need to practice. 3 or 4 problems is not enough. They might whine somewhat about the worksheet, but they are hopeless without a lot of practice. The thing to do is not to have other activities replace practice, but to have a lot of practice [...]
A good start
Posted in chemistry, planning on March 11, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
Today was a bad day in everything but my teaching. We are starting “shape.” This is how I think of Lewis structure/VSEPR stuff. We are taking steps towards thinking in three dimensions, which is one of the wonderful things about chemistry.
I managed to start at the beginning. I reviewed their prior knowledge of valence electrons. [...]
The River
Posted in assessment, chemistry, ideas, planning, tagged environmental chemistry unit on February 29, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
I have been expanding on my environmental chemistry unit idea. The only problem is that I am not sure if six weeks is enough time. That is what I have between Spring Break and the end of the year. It would encompass just about everything we will do. Electrochemistry, Acid/Base chemistry, concentration, ions and metals, [...]
The Search for Labs
Posted in planning, purpose, tagged labs on February 26, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
My search for labs has intensified, because while lecturing on molarity and solution stoichiometry, I found myself saying things like, “now, if we were in a lab, and you were going to make this by mixing these two things, you would do this, because…..” and so on. How awful is that. So hard to follow, [...]
Environmental Chemistry
Posted in chemistry, ideas, planning, tagged environmental chemistry unit on February 26, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
Looking for labs, I found some great ones on water quality. (I should of thought of this myself, they do a huge unit on this in FOS 1)
Edited to add: Here is the link with the lab that inspired me.
Potentially encompasses acidity, metal ions in solution, redox, organic, absorbance (turbidity), and the environment.
I am “fortunate” [...]
Games
Posted in planning, tagged games on February 26, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
Criterion for a worthy classroom game: the game must proceed naturally from the joy of the discipline, and not be foreign or imposed upon it.
Bad game: a standard computer game where you have to solve a math problem to get more bullets.
Why do I care about games? Apparently when kids solve puzzles and play, their [...]
When planning goes awry
Posted in difficulties, planning, technology, tagged technology on February 15, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
Today I had planned to take my students to the computer lab, to do some computer simulations on Molecular Workbench. I love molecular workbench. I think the models and simulations are very good. They also have ways for students to answer questions (which I have found to be high quality so far) and submit reports. [...]
A Good Day
Posted in collaborative learning, planning, tagged chalk talk, collaborative learning, partners on February 8, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
Today was a great day, actually. Everything went so smoothly, and it was so interesting.
A brief outline:
For the Problem of the Day I had the students find their partners on their HOFBrINCl gases partner sheet, which I based off of “Clock Buddies,” an idea I found here. I used the diatomic gases because it is [...]
Resolutions
Posted in assessment, planning, students, tagged assessment, grading, planning, resolutions, students on February 6, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
I find making resolutions very useful. The only time I don’t make resolutions is New Year’s =). Progress reports are in for my students, and I am going to try to give myself one. Come to think of it, I should make an online survey for them so they can give me one too.
1. More [...]
