lesson planning help!

I need some help with planning. I am going to be teaching math this september and I have never taught before. Needless to say, I am a little nervous and overwhelmed and really don't know where to start.

I know that 3 days a week, I will have double period bloks with each of my classes (i will have 3). But I don't know my exact schedule yet, so I don't know what to start planning. I was given a pacing calender with the topics that I should be covering each day, but I don't know which days will be the double periods and which days will be the single periods.

How do I start planning lessons?

Re: lesson planning help!

Relax! it's only August. I know you want to be prepared, but honestly, most teachers write lessons only the day before they teach them. Maybe 2 days if you know you're going out the next night or something.

I think the best thing to do would be to wait until you're at work and ask other teachers for advice. Each school is different - at the HS I worked at, you HAD to use what is called "Backwards Design." First you decide..."At the end of the lesson, the students will understand that __________." Then you write the lesson around that.

If it's a City school, you probably start with a Do Now - a 3 or 4 minute task that keeps the kids quiet while you take attendance and check HW. At my school, the Do Now HAS TO lead to new information and preview the day's lesson; at other schools it's usually a review of yesterday's work that compliments the checking of the HW.

After that, you need a Motivation - something to grab the kids' attention. Usually a question that gets them thinking or a story that piques their interest. This only lasts a minute or two, and takes you to your Aim - the question of the day. If it's not on the board yet, write it now.

Next, you teach your new material and have the kids practice it. Depending on the method your school uses (Developmental, Workshop Model, etc.), the amount of time you spend on each part is different. Just make sure that at some point in the lesson (hopefully 2 or 3 points) you have the kids actively engaged. They need to be DOING something - drawing a figure, working together on a problem, playing with manipulatives - and not just sitting and listening to the teacher. You lose them really quickly if you just lecture (Admins call it "chalk and talk).

GOOD LUCK!!!!

Re: lesson planning help!

Posted by DavaDay

Relax! it's only August. I know you want to be prepared, but honestly, most teachers write lessons only the day before they teach them. Maybe 2 days if you know you're going out the next night or something.

I think the best thing to do would be to wait until you're at work and ask other teachers for advice. Each school is different - at the HS I worked at, you HAD to use what is called "Backwards Design." First you decide..."At the end of the lesson, the students will understand that __________." Then you write the lesson around that.

If it's a City school, you probably start with a Do Now - a 3 or 4 minute task that keeps the kids quiet while you take attendance and check HW. At my school, the Do Now HAS TO lead to new information and preview the day's lesson; at other schools it's usually a review of yesterday's work that compliments the checking of the HW.

After that, you need a Motivation - something to grab the kids' attention. Usually a question that gets them thinking or a story that piques their interest. This only lasts a minute or two, and takes you to your Aim - the question of the day. If it's not on the board yet, write it now.

Next, you teach your new material and have the kids practice it. Depending on the method your school uses (Developmental, Workshop Model, etc.), the amount of time you spend on each part is different. Just make sure that at some point in the lesson (hopefully 2 or 3 points) you have the kids actively engaged. They need to be DOING something - drawing a figure, working together on a problem, playing with manipulatives - and not just sitting and listening to the teacher. You lose them really quickly if you just lecture (Admins call it "chalk and talk).

GOOD LUCK!!!!

Re: lesson planning help!

I bought a book from this website that was subject area specific and gave tons of wonderful ideas about cooperative learning. They sell them for math:

Kagan

Good luck

Re: lesson planning help!

Posted by Shanti

I bought a book from this website that was subject area specific and gave tons of wonderful ideas about cooperative learning. They sell them for math:

Kagan

Good luck

Re: lesson planning help!

Posted by vitha

Posted by Shanti

I bought a book from this website that was subject area specific and gave tons of wonderful ideas about cooperative learning. They sell them for math:

Kagan

Good luck

they look like they have some good stuff. thanks!