Do YOU ever need to get tutored?

Especially for those who teach the older grades, do you ever find that YOU need to go ahead and learn some of the content before you teach the lesson?

Planning the lessons and teaching would be SO much easier if I didn't have to get "tutored" in the middle I hope I don't sound like a total moron right now!

Re: Do YOU ever need to get tutored?

you totally don't! often i review things, because let's be honest, we all have probably forgotten some of those facts about the civil war or what have you.

i also tend to "tutor" myself more so because although i understand the content, how can i bring it down to their level?

Re: Do YOU ever need to get tutored?

I am an ESL teacher and when the 5th grade classroom teacher send those students down with Social Studies, we are definitely learning together. I don't remember all those wars, names, locations, causes, etc.

Message edited 6/2/2009 12:02:23 PM.

Re: Do YOU ever need to get tutored?

I have done two 6-8 loops- so while I might not need to re-learn content, I do have a hard time because every year I am teaching something new. Next year I will teach sixth again and it's a relief to not have to learn a new curriculum (or make up a new curriculum, actually.)

Re: Do YOU ever need to get tutored?

Re: Do YOU ever need to get tutored?

I have to look up and teach myself things all the time! This year I had a new prep. that I've never had before and not only forgot 3 of the 4 novel's content from HS, but never read a Shakespearean play I taught them! I was looking up stuff constantly before I started to make sure I knew it inside and out before teaching it to them. I also ask colleagues to help me out when it comes to new material or grammar. I am horrible at grammar and am always asking questions. I have to say though, over the past 4 years I have learned a lot more than I ever did in schoo myself and will one day be a master! lol

Re: Do YOU ever need to get tutored?

There's nothing wrong with needing a refresher course on a subject you're about to teach. As teachers we have to give our students a well rounded education on all matters within our discipline of instruction--some of those areas might include our own weaknesses or aspects of our subjects we just dislike or never learned very well-- I often find that in reteaching myself something I find more creative ways to teach my own students--some of my best lessons have been from subject matter that I, myself, was never really crazy about learning..go figure!