Teachers: Advice Please

As some of you know, I am starting my first teaching job in the fall as a middle school SS teacher. What are some of the things I should be doing this summer to prepare? Any and all suggestions are appreciated!

Re: Teachers: Advice Please

Start developing

Class Rules
HW/Class Procedures
Different projects you may want to do
How you want to grade

Re: Teachers: Advice Please

I'd get a copy of the textbook you will be using and any ancillary materials asap.

What grade SS will you be teaching?
I've taught high school SS for 13 years now

Re: Teachers: Advice Please

Thank you I will be teaching 6th & 7th. I have a meeting on Tues with the SS director and he is going to give me the text and some info he has.

Re: Teachers: Advice Please

I am a math teacher, but I know whenever I was in SS my teacher's always had some good history channel type mini movies to show the class when a related topic came up.

It might not be a bad idea to start taping some specials that relate to what you have to cover.

Re: Teachers: Advice Please

Get familiar with the NYS Standards for your subject. I found that the State Ed Dept has good resources; I know that I really rely on state ELA standards and core curriculum to help me plan.

There are so many wonderful YA historical fiction titles- I was disappointed that the teachers in my building didn't want to use HF in SS because I think it can really add so much. Maybe see what your school has available, and see if funds are available to order? I can suggest some titles if you are interested since I am a middle school person too.

Message edited 6/23/2006 9:32:27 AM.

Re: Teachers: Advice Please

Re: Teachers: Advice Please

Shameless bump for teachers coming home!

Re: Teachers: Advice Please

Can you find out the names of some of the other teachers in the school and give them a call over the summer to plan together.
I did that the summer before my first year and it helped A LOT!

Re: Teachers: Advice Please

Do you have a class list?....Maybe you could send a welcoming letter.

Re: Teachers: Advice Please

Posted by DMcK

Posted by MrsProfessor

There are so many wonderful YA historical fiction titles- I was disappointed that the teachers in my building didn't want to use HF because I think it can really add so much. Maybe see what your school has available, and see if funds are available to order? I can suggest some titles if you are interested.

I would LOVE that! I have dual cert in English and SS and would love to bring literature in the SS classroom. Thanks

Thanks everyone for the wonderful suggestions!

Re: Teachers: Advice Please

Are you on a team? Things like classroom rules, consequences, and procedures are probably team-driven.

Definitely work on some lesson plans!

Re: Teachers: Advice Please

Maybe a class web site.

Re: Teachers: Advice Please

Thank you all so much

Re: Teachers: Advice Please

I'm a 6th grade teacher and my best friend does 7th grade.

6th grade is the ancient world (geography, the stone age, ice age, rome, greece, medieval times...)

7th grade is American history up until the civil war.

Familiarize yourself with the textbook. You may want to start creating graphic organizers cloze activities for your first chapter introduction and start to search the net for webquests related to these units.

good luck!