Nicola Schneider, OCT - a spot of reflection
  • Home
  • My Vision
  • Resume
  • Career Highlights
  • Life-Long Learning
  • Endorsements
  • Contact Info
  • Blog - Come Learn With Me...

A Day in the Life of a Supply Teacher - Personal Teacher Reflection... 

3/25/2016

0 Comments

 

​Creating Art - Exploration & Problem Solving - Perfect for Developing a Growth Mindset in Students

Picture
This post focuses on pied colouring pages of seven Easter Eggs to paint.

One little girl (G1), immediately settled at the table, grabbed her paint brush and started filling up her eggs with colours.  Being the Arty soul that I am, I joined her at the table.  I started filling my eggs with patterns.  Two other girls came over  (G2 and G3) and they wanted in on this Egg-painting Extravaganza.  I gladly gave up my paint brush and used a pencil to fill in the rest of my eggs.

Now, working with water paints sounds simple, but it provides ample opportunity to problem solve: too much water results in a wishy washy colour; if you don’t rinse the brush well enough, the colours blend in the tray; you are limited by the colours in the tray,… or are you?!

G1 filled about six pages of eggs with solid colours before she was brave enough to try some patterns and colour-blending.  But she kept counting the eggs she had left to colour, thus working on her numeracy skills, naturally, without being instructed to do so.  This nicely illustrates how young children use their daily “play” activities as natural learning opportunities, and how a knowledgeable educator can use natural conversations to encourage the process.  This girl probably filled about 70 eggs, increasing her exploration and discovery as she proceeded.  

G2 was quite meticulous in her methods.  She only used one page of seven eggs, but she immediately realized that she could mix her own colours by layering them directly on her paper.  She discovered this by simply observing what happened when she placed the different colours beside each other.  (The colours blend where they meet, making a new colour.)  I said, “I love making new colours! It’s super neat because you can make your very own colour and then it’s fun to give it a name.”  She agreed.  I gave her validity of her process and provided an opportunity for higher order thinking.  She also stated she was going to make a lighter colour.  I asked her, “How are you going to do this?”  She proceeded to choose a lighter colour to mix with a darker one. These special moments of wonder and awe come so often in young learners as they engage in art (and play).  It happens naturally.  An educator’s skill lies in providing the materials for the students.  The educator does this with intent.  Of course, the young learners explore things that were not even thought of by the educator!  - This is true, you know it is!  And, of course, recognizing these ample moments for rich conversation to push their thinking further.
Now, back to our learning situation… I used paper towel to wipe excess water off my brush and  G2 noticed this method that I had subtly modelled.  She began to do the same.  She independently took this line of thinking further; she decided that she could mix colours on the paper towel before applying the process to her paper.  The final discovery she made was that she could paint her finger and press it to her paper, making mini-eggs, with a finger-print pattern.  I told her that was a great idea and I immediately did the same to colour the rest of my eggs. (Recall, I gave up the third paintbrush to G3 because I am a sacrificing teacher… ha ha!)
Throughout the whole situation, G3, very quietly, observed me, and she went about using the pencil to try her own patterns to fill her eggs.  She also tried what G2 did with her careful blending and finger-painting techniques.  I provided gentle encouragement and reassurance, and she became increasing braver in proudly showing her work.
With art, all this comes together and nurtures the development of a growth mindset - paint right over mistakes, or get another paper and try again (all without judgment from teacher - “It’s okay; that’s what’s one of the things that is awesome about art!”) As Bob Ross (The Joy of Painting) says,

“We don't make mistakes, just happy little accidents.”

He tells us:
“I started painting as a hobby when I was little. I didn't know I had any talent. I believe talent is just a pursued interest. Anybody can do what I do.”​

… Which leads me to…
Picture
The Goal of Educators: to nurture the belief in our students that “I can do ANYthing!”
Here’s another nugget of fine advice from Bob Ross, 
“The secret to doing anything is believing that you can do it. Anything that you believe you can do strong enough, you can do. Anything. As long as you believe.”
Young children really do believe that  they can do anything - watch them play and listen to them tell a story!  They have this bold and fiery attitude until they are told differently; life will tell them differently; as a teacher, I aim to nurture and develop it.


Even the boys, whom had gravitated to the intentionally-chosen computer game, were learning turn-taking, which is very hard to do - nobody enjoys waiting, but 5 year olds really hate it!  But these are some topics for another day and another post:)
A Day in the Life of a Supply Teacher... So much more than meets the eye!
0 Comments

A Day in the Life of a Supply Teacher - Aujourd'hui, je suis un professeur de français!

1/31/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
The fact of the matter is that as an occasional teacher, you will likely find yourself covering for the French teacher, whether it be in a French Immersion classroom or as the Rotary French Teacher in an English-speaking school.  And, it's a scary prospect, if you have a less than basic knowledge of the French language, like, you took it as far as they made you (Grade 9)...
Here are some tips, gathered from personal experience, as well as from conversations with other supply teachers:
​Clever Teacher Move #1:
  • If the lesson plan is in French (gasp!) and so are the text books! (Oh, boy!) - Look for the English version that many teachers leave out and hope there be a friendly teacher neighbour who can give you the gist of the plans.  Or, in older grades, ask a student:)
​Clever Teacher Move #2:
  • Many French teachers frown on using a translator program, such as Google translate, for various reasons: It’s kind of like cheating, i.e., it does all the work; it often doesn’t give the correct word order… and those teachers can tell… they really, really can!  Hmmm…. but, that’s what I use!  My instruction to the class typically went something like this, “Make your sentences in English, first, and then try translating.”  Here’s another idea… tell the students to type in the French sentence the way they think it should be.  The english translation will tell them how close they were!  
​Clever Teacher Move #3: Playlists at the Ready...
  • Here’s my Christmas (Noel) Version: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9BTUQ4Bns7z0YI5ZrKKXEYkKuNTEYBoN
  • French Popular Music (for middle school) — https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9BTUQ4Bns7wzygEJLq_lYnW9Hv_eOn4j
  • French Music for Kids: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9BTUQ4Bns7wHIFRxpjE4nSC545SUXL80
  • Here’s a cool musical group: La goutte avec paroles du groupe Swing - https://youtu.be/7ywEETsPQuA?list=RD7ywEETsPQuA
Supply Teacher Bag O' Tricks!...
If all else fails: 
I always carry various French crosswords, or even some meditative colouring sheets.  And, I gather these when I am in french classrooms!
  • And here's a video I made when I covered grade 4/5 french for multiple days....
  • And, don’t forget about the French language option with English subtitles (depending on the students’ level) on DVDs.  I usually carry a Scooby Doo DVD and let them watch it in French.  Shows that they are familiar with in English and have a predictable plot line work well!
  • Transforming Learning Everywhere (TLE) - If you have access to the Computer Lab or iPads, etc.:
  1. QUIA - https://www.quia.com/shared/french/
  2. Digital Dialect, French Language Games - http://www.digitaldialects.com/French.htm
  3. French Games - http://www.french-games.net/frenchtopics
  4. Tres Bien French - http://www.tresbienfrench.com/en
  5. French For Life - http://www.frenchforlife.ca/students-games-and-learning-activities.cfm

C'est tout.  C'est très facile!


A Day in the Life of a Supply Teacher... So much more than meets the eye!

0 Comments

A Day in the Life of a Supply Teacher - Today I'm a Music Teacher.

10/16/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
"I'm a million different faces from one day to the next..."
​*Richard Ashcroft (The Verve) lyrics


Grade 6's... No! Not THAT assignment, again!
It's a really great assignment, actually, and as I know music theory (enough for grade 6), I'm able to help out.  Last year, I got left the same assignment, and the 6s had a lot of trouble, so, having recognized that the students would require assistance, I guided them through the instructions of the assignment, whole-class.  And, it was hard.  
​
Fast forward a year later, and I find the same assignment on the teacher's desk.  Yikes!  But this year, I knew that I should go over the instructions, plus review key concepts with the student before they started the assignment.  Alrighty, two minutes in, going strong, the kids are with me, someone has their hand up to inform me that they have already done this assignment.  Okay, yeah right.  I  wasn't born yesterday.  But she goes on with more detail... "the last supply teacher gave us the assignment, in fact, here it is!"  Okay, but still, I figured, it must be different, so I look and it is the same and the EA pipes in that, yes, that is true, indeed.  So, I am secretly so very pleased, and also a little put out for having no actual lesson, until I realize that we can do drama....
  • 'Yes, Let's', a miming game:  Their core teacher popped into the class, on his prep, I might add, to get a message to a particular student, and unbeknownst to him, he fit right into our game as he mimed his message.  Of course, I drew attention to this, "Mr Dean is playing the game right!" 
  • 'Energy Balls', in which students pretend to be holding on to changing and moving balls of energy.  It is an exercise in imagination, but I was loosing them, so I proclaimed it mental health music class, and gave the students a choice: read, do other work, draw, or they could work on a very hard halloween word search and maze worksheet that I had ready for extra-time fillers.  Note: I warned them that the maze may not even have a solution so do not get frustrated because, well, just don't.  One kid pipes up, all trying to be 'bad ass'... "what's this have to do with music?" to which I replied, honestly, "absolutely nothing.  So, by all means, feel free to repeat the other assignment, if you'd like!"  That was acceptable.  Another student, who is accompanied by a super EA but she was out of the room for a moment, choose to do the maze, even though he was left the iPad to use (because he deals well with structure and, in this case, all pretence of structure was thrown out the window long ago), well, after several warnings that this was very hard and I wasn't even sure there was a solution, he took on the challenge and the EA came back in the room and was very pleased that her student was engaged and happy. It also pleased her that the rest of the students were enjoying a mental health break because she said that they had been working very hard for a long while and they could use a little down time. 
Picture
Picture
* Source  of the above resources are - somewhere on the internet at some time, (i.e., not made by me but I don't know who made them).

One of the luxuries, I realize, of being (more than) "just" a supply teacher is being able to give them this 'relaxation' time... The demands of classroom teaching nowadays requires so much of one teacher - curriculum expectations, ministry/board demands, increased student needs, increased classroom sizes - it's often just too much for one human to handle, and it kills us, a little inside, each and every day that we don't get to spend enough time with each of our students; and the ones that justifiably need us more, get our attention more and the others suffer through, unchallenged... anyway...
I put on some Piano Guys and the 2 Cellos and they worked together to do the word search, maze or draw... and a couple kids chose to read their novels.  Plus, I received a request-turned-recommendation for another Piano Guys song, Titanium, and I promised that next time, I'd have it. (Note-to-self: obtain music file.) Specific curriculum expectations met = not so much; learning skill = many; mental health benefits = priceless (*insert mental health strategy link)

Two periods down... time for grade 8s.... music math... again, yikes; we did this last year, so.... I know where troubles may be lurking.  Again, review key concepts, and go... math & music connections come to life... another brilliant assignment, but head-hurting all the same:) They stuck with it and I interacted with them, offering help, but not lying to them... I admitted that I hadn't checked the second side yet and I had required many goings-over before I was certain I had the correct answers.  I joined the students in their learning journey, role-modelling perseverance. With grade eights, I call this class a success.  Plus, this batch of grade 8s are quite awesome:)
Picture
Picture

And then, Kindergarten!... (26 JK/SKs + 3 adults)
​Kindee's Songs: 
  • Make a Circle
  • Shake My Sillies Out
  • I Hear a Sound... FOCUSED LISTENING... rub your ears to let your brains know that it is time to listen!  The idea behind this 'game' is twofold: First, it allows the children to transition from movement and focus on quite listening.  Secondly, it is an effective way to develop listened skills.  Hearing is innate, but listening is a skill that must be practised - a LOT - in order for the children to become good at it.  I used the app shown below, but you could use any sound effect app, or real instruments or objects.
Picture
Picture
Picture
  • VOCAL PLAY helps students develop their language skills and gain confidence in using their voices in many different ways.  This read-aloud, How to Speak Moo, is an excellent exercise in developing these skills:
Then we danced and danced (music and movement) and listened to some more animal sounds and danced some more:
  • Wild Things - The Learning Station
  • ​Head to Toe Dance - The Learning Station
  • Tappy Tappy  - The Learning Station - A focused listening and vocal play story song.
  • The Giving Song, Thanksgiving Feast (the Learning Station), See you later and See You Later, Alligator! (Super Simple Learning) - Follow the leader around the room and into line and out the door and back to the classroom (for a super duper transition back to class)... 

What a super fun class!  Sometimes, I just can't believe that I am lucky enough to call this is my job!!

The second class of Kindergartens made it crystal clear that I would have to adapt the class; there were 14 JKs (3 & 4 year-olds) and no other adult... I quickly assessed that these little guys would need a more movement-oriented class... so... Kindee Boogee Fun Time! Concerned about the students running into each other, due to their lack of inhibitory skills, I needed a plan that would allow them to safely develop these lagging skills in a fun and engaging manner through movement and music.

In a spur-of-the-moment-get-the-class-under-control-act-of-desparation, I said, "Find a tile... it might be a blue one, or a brown one, or even one of the white ones... the only rule is that it cannot be next to another friend's tile.... name your square (mine is called, "Bob") and that is your square for the class."

Now, this is not a magical method by any means.  The three running boys still ran, but because the others were each in their place, it avoided collisions, and gave the kids a 'base' spot to gravitate back towards.  The naming provided ownership of their personal space.

Their behaviour was in no way surprising as they are only 3 and 4 years old, so what else would they, realistically, be doing? - New to kindergarten, some scared and anxious, nearing the end of the day and tired... poor little guys.  Which reminds me of one poor friend whose picture of his family, that he had been clutching so hard, had crinkled and wrinkled right in half.  He came to me crying and I quickly found some tape to fix his picture because that is what he needed right at that moment. ​
Picture
Picture
And, then these little kiddos surprised me, but good! I was so proud and impressed by them.  We got all lined up and I challenged them... "What if we were super quiet and we snuck right into the classroom and snuck right onto the carpet and sat down, without making a peep? Your teacher would be so surprised to see us all sitting there!"... well, they were well into this plan.  They were so super quiet that I was unsure that they were even behind me! And it would have worked, too, if their teacher wasn't looking right at us when we entered the room:)
My Big Idea upon REFLECTION:
DIFFERENTIATION ON THE FLY IS THE ULTIMATE FLEXIBILITY!  IT IS MY SUPER POWER! 
0 Comments

A Day in the Life of a Supply Teacher... Today I'm a Grade 4  Math, Social Studies & Art Teacher.

9/29/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture

"I'm a million different people from one day to the next..."

* Richard Ashcroft (the Verve) lyrics

Rounding Numbers...

My instructions: Review, on the board, rounding numbers (to tens, hundreds, thousands)...
Picture
Picture
As the students were finishing up their silent, okay, silent-ish, reading, I approached each table and asked them if they had a favourite number.  Then I told each to put it up on the board, anywhere, in whatever colour.  A stir began to be created as the students noticed something happening... ooooh, I created a bit of a buzz, I did:)
Then I asked a series of questions to gather knowledge of what the students already knew and what some of them may need to review further:
  • What's the smallest number?
  • What's the biggest number?
  • What's the longest number?

Next, I gave the instruction to group the numbers together...
  • 1-digit, 2-digit, 3-digit, etc
  • one with a decimal
  • numbers ending in 0
  • numbers already rounded
  • numbers needing rounding

Then, I just randomly asked them to round certain numbers:
  • What is _________ rounded to the nearest (ten/hundred/thousand)?
  • How do you know?

We came up with the rules pictured in the top left of the picture:
  • 5 or higer, round up
  • 4 or lower, round down
  • If rounding to the nearest ten, look at one's place
  • If rounding to the nearest hundred, look at ten's place
  • If rounding to the nearest thousand, look at hundred's place

I was able to ascertain that the students had a pretty firm understanding of the concept of rounding, which was further substantiated when I circulated around the room whilst the students were working on their task:

The Rounding Game (left by the classroom teacher):
  • Roll 2 dice & round to the nearest 10; roll 3 dice & round to the nearest 100; roll 4 dice & round to the nearest 1000. 
  • They were to do each 2 times, but I'm seeing how you could easily vary this, as some of the students told me they did (after having played in the last class).

Canadian Government/Political Parties...

Here's a brilliant website: ​http://studentvote.ca with lots of useful teacher resources!  We had a bit of a discussion about Canadian Political Parties... just let me say, that's interesting with a bunch of 4th graders!  Too bad we ran out of time before they had helped me who to decide who to vote for:(
WHAT IS STUDENT VOTE?
Student Vote is a parallel election for students under the voting age, coinciding with federal, provincial, territorial and municipal elections.

The purpose is to provide young Canadians with an opportunity to experience the voting process firsthand and build the habits of informed and engaged citizenship.

Since 2003, 26 Student Vote programs have been conducted across Canada. In the last federal election, 563,000 students cast ballots from 3,750 schools.
​

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

Voter turnout in Canada has been declining for decades at all levels elections, particularly among young people.

Studies have also shown that habits of voting and non-voting persist over time, so if young people don’t vote now, there is good reason to believe that they won’t become voters later in life.

By practicing the habits of informed and engaged citizenship at an early age, students will be more inclined and prepared to participate in our democracy when they graduate high school.

Picture
Picture
Check out the videos from the website!

... and a little Art History... Painting with Scissors - Creating in the Style of Henri Matisse:

Picture
Read-Aloud
Picture
​All the artists at the time were painting in the Impressionist style.  But not, Henri Matisse.  He used brilliant colours and made art like nobody else.  In fact, everybody made fun of Matisse and called him weird, and he said, "Thank you."  He did not want to be just like everyone else! What a brilliant way to draw a connection between a time in history to the students in today's classroom.
Picture
teacher art
Picture
teacher art
Picture
teacher art "discarded and picked up off the floor pieces"

Whole-Class Engagement... Bam!

Picture
Picture
Seriously, (despite the purposeful blur) these kids were super into their artwork.  Each one of them did something different; and even the ones who were less sure of themselves, the ones who started copying one of the modelled ideas, ended up with something truly their own... creativity abound!

When the students bring me their finished, or in-progress piece, I ask:
What do you call your piece? - the answer tells so much (hitting communication and literacy curriculum expectations).  Students who love to tell stories have a chance to shine:)
Picture
Picture
Picture

...All in a day:)

0 Comments

A Work In Progress

7/9/2014

0 Comments

 
I'm making myself an E-Folio! That means I am transferring old content from a Semi-professional Blog I was using, as well as uploading current content.  Please bar with me:)
Picture
0 Comments

Now, I Get It...

2/21/2014

0 Comments

 
Picture

So, this is how it feels...

As I sat watching 
a Japanese movie 
with French Subtitles, 
I kinda gleened an understanding how special learners feel… 

I can read French 
and understand better than just hearing it, 
but not if it goes too quickly; 
my processing & decoding take way too long… 

Feeling like understanding is      just     out     of      reach… 
This happens for longer than I can handle. 
I give up. 
I quit.
0 Comments

A World of Art... Georgia O'Keeffe Lesson

7/12/2012

0 Comments

 
In all of yesterday’s sorting and tossing and organizing and recycling and re-piling and filing, I came across my collection of Art Lessons.  They were shouting, “Share! SHARE!” and since 1 of my 327 incomplete projects is to actually scan and archive my Art…

ENJOY:)

Here’s one inspired by Georgia O’Keeffe, a maverick woman artist at a time when women were quite less than welcome in the World of Professional (male) artists…

Picture
This lesson was done with a class of third-graders.  First, we read a biography about Ms. Okeeffe so we could learn a little about the time she lived in and about the art she made, as well as a little bit about her philosophy as an artist.  Then, the students tried blending their pastels on a practice paper.  Next, they got to pick from a variety of close-up photos of flowers.  Their goal was to emulate Georgia O’Keeffe’s style.

VARIATION… CUT INTO ENOUGH PIECES FOR THE CLASS A LARGE PHOTO OF A CLOSE-UP FLOWER (OR, USE SEVERAL PHOTOS).  GIVE EACH CHILD A PIECE…  AT THE END, REASSEMBLE THE ARTWORK AND PHOTOS.The lesson (as I see it) of this lesson, besides the artistic curriculum expectations met (see Ontario Curriculum documents, if you so desire), is this:

Take time to notice and tend to the little things in life… Maybe they aren’t so little? And, more than likely, each little thing is part of a bigger thing and its importance is often overlooked until the little thing is gone or broken.  And, then, the big thing doesn’t work as it should.  I am intentionally speaking in such broad things because it can be applied in most situations.

And, once we accept this, then we may see the importance of every little thing we do, from completing our part of a group project to doing our part to ensure a happy classroom environment; from noticing flowers to friends…

“Nobody sees a flower – really – it is so small it takes time – we haven’t time – and to see takes time, like to have a friend takes time.”
- Georgia O’Keeffe from Goodreads

Take time to tend to a friend and chat to a flower,
or is it, chat to a friend and smell a flower.
0 Comments

A Timid Twitter Chat Newbie Looks in on the 'New Teacher Chat' (#ntchat)

7/11/2012

0 Comments

 
I am usually too over-whelmed on Twitter.  I mainly use it professionally, so my connections are either Educators or Local News & Events.  Still – I usually find it all too much all at once.  And by too much, I mean too much relevant information that has the potential to make me a better educator, and a better person, in general.  So, I mark some of it for for later, share some on Facebook,  or save inSpringpad… and then loose it… forever.

Not this time!  This time, I will share my Exploration into Twitter Chat Land.  I have pulled out some examples of Top Tweets (as determined by myself for myself, but also for others in a similar situation).  As well as some of the links to Blogs and other resources.  In a follow-up blog, I may include these to create The Compilation of Mega-Advice for Successful Job Interviews.  Of course, then…

I WILL LAND MY PERFECT FIT TEACHING JOB!I am a Twitter Newbie…. kind of.  I’ve been on it for over a year, but I am more of a passive user – for now –  I think I might try a chat one of these days, like the New Teacher Chat (#ntchat), moderated by Lisa Dabbs ‏@teachingwthsoul.  You can check out the Wiki here.

Also note that I did not notice this wonderful and extremely relevant chat until the end.  I scrolled through and was impressed by the succinct, yet helpful comments and links to informative blogs.

So, for all you other Twitter Chat Newbies out there, here’s what seems to happen…

The moderator will tweet the topic details, like this:
Lisa Dabbs Join me in 15min for New Teacher Chat ‪#ntchat‬ Today, Wed. 7/11 8et/5pt Topic:Tips for Performing Your Best at Your Next Interview‪#edchat‬.

Next, she introduces herself and the chat (just like if it were a f2f convo!):

Welcome, All!!  I’m the founder and moderator of ‪#ntchat‬ Join me for this time of learning and collaboration!!  To join the chat you may want to use Tweetdeck, tweetchat or other client that allows columns. Use the hashtag ‪#ntchat‬ to join the convo!  We are a small, but mighty chat…dedicated to being practitioner focused and supportive to new teachers! ‪ Before we get started…Let’s take a minute to introduce yourselves. Share who you are and where you’re from! Thanks… To be supportive we do a “structured chat” for first 20 min: Q1, Q2, Q3 with A1, A2, A3 to have everyone participate!

And, the chat begins:

QUESTION 1: WHAT’S THE FIRST THING (A NEW TEACHER) SHOULD DO TO PREPARE FOR AN INTERVIEW? LET’S SHARE IDEAS!Participants contribute to Q1:

A Teacher’s Life Have a clear educational philosophy that you can discuss in a few minutes & a prospective discipline plan for your classroom.

Jerry Blumengarten Prepare a portfolio preferably Digital http://tinyurl.com/4btmvrg Have an ed philosophy, Practice answering questions…Must show how you would differentiate learning but also they look for classroom management skills which are very important …

Karl LS Research the school they are interviewing with-the more specifics you can reference about the school the better.

Blanca E. Duarte Read about the community, visit and observe children at the library, the stores, the park. Know your community and it’s children.

Dave Burgess I think it is very important to be able to speak from a place of passion about why you want to be a teacher.  Also important to show you are a learner.Talk about what you have recently done to grow and a recent relevant book you have read.  One way I got my job (revealed to me later) is because they asked what I had read recently and I knocked it out of the park.

José Popoff The focus needs to be on what you can do for the school not other way around

QUESTION 2: HOW DO YOU PRACTICE FOR THE INTERVIEW TO BE SURE YOU SHARE WHAT’S IMPORTANT?‪Lisa Dabbs Schedule a day of introspection. Think about your career, your goals, and your past experiences. Organize your work samples!

RT @PrincipalDunlop: RT @cybraryman1: A2 Video your practice sessions and you will see/hear things you can work on.

RT @guster4lovers: ‪#ntchat‬ I’d say make yourself a website with as much work/info as possible. it’s how I got my last job

RT PrincipalDunlop: A1: ask a mentor about possible interview questions. Do a mock interview. Painful but so helpful!

Two Teacherz Make Top 5 List of key words that represent most important items; at end of ALL interviews you get floor. Use them!  Be able to express how you can reach, teach ALL learners (differentiated instruction).

QUESTION 3: HOW IMPORTANT DO YOU THINK IT IS TO MEMORIZE THE THINGS YOU WANT TO SAY, BUT STAY CONVERSATIONAL? COULD BE TRICKY?Sue Dunlop instead, organized experiences into themes: literacy, numeracy, assessment, classroom management, PLC’s etc Have a framework to organize your thouhgts, especially if you tend to ramble or if you get paralysed… had an art teacher bring in art pieces done by students. Fantastic!

Lisa Dabbs I think it’s important to have some strong talking points prepared. Then feel confident to go with the flow and SMILE!  Know what you want to emphasize but don’t memorize – you’ll have enough on you mind that day!  Stay focused on the interview question. Do not ramble. And it’s okay if you do not know the answer. Be honest!

Melissa Edwards Practice speaking slowly and distinctly without saying “ummm”. Know a few things you want to emphasize but don’t sound rehearsed.

Cheryl Morris Try to give a general principle followed by specific example: “I believe in x. In my classroom it looks like y.”  Bring water so u can pause to think/drink.  ALWAYS ask on the phone beforehand. then bring what they tell you to. if they say nothing, then listen to that.

QUESTION 4: WHAT KINDS OF PRESENTATION ITEMS DO YOU THINK ARE IMPORTANT TO BRING TO THE INTERVIEW?(WE MAY HAVE SHARED THIS, BUT…)‪RT @Miss_Doig: An iPad if you can so that you can refer to examples quickly. Make sure your digital portfolio is well organised.  (I KNEW I was right in proclaiming, “I need one!“

Lisa Dabbs I loved it when new teachers brought in actual artifacts of lessons worked on. Really impressive.  I also had a prospective interviewee, bring in a video she had done of herself teaching a class! It was great to see.

Billy Spicer My experiences on interview committees is that you have to embed your portfolio INTO your responses. I’ve interviewed candidates that created websites, infographic resumes (cool!), & @prezi to use in interviews. You MUST stand out.

Jimmy Casas If I were interviewing for job today I would ask permission 2 teach a class so they could see my skill set in the classroom w/kids.

QUESTION 5: HOW DO YOU DRESS FOR THE INTERVIEW?William Gabriel Suit and Tie. I try to wear a tie that matches the color of the school. Subliminal message. It was what my g-father taught in.

RT @dalehancock: Be confident with humility. Most of all, be yourself. That is who you’ll be your first day on the job.

Lastly, the moderator will close the chat with suggestions on “where to go from here” for follow-up:

Wow! Where did the time go!! A HUGH heart felt Thank You to all of you for stopping by tonight! Be sure to follow some of the new friends you met here, tonight at New Teacher Chat ‪#ntchat‬ to continue the convo!  Archives of New Teacher Chat will be on the wiki soon http://goo.gl/yLYf See you next week for our chat w/@KleinErin on Pinterest.   OK friends…remember we are here for you. If you need a mentor…you need to check out our group! (http://tinyurl.com/8ylavvm)  Be sure to check out & LIKE our New Teacher Chat Facebook page!http://goo.gl/kZCPv  Share it with your FB buddies!  I also have a list of interview questions that I will post to the wiki as soon as @evernote comes back on line!!

There it is, in a nutshell… Do check out the archives because there were many more super contributors.  Always remember:

Faige Meller Be true to yourself. Don’t try to impress. Share who you are and why you want to teach.

The clincher testimonial to convince one of Twitter’s potential…

Mary Bertram Hi! Cant stay for the chat today but just wanted to drop by & say all the weekly ‪#ntchat‬ convos helped me get my first job!

SUPER BONUS LINKS THAT I WILL BE DELVING DEEPER INTO:…and this is why teachers should have blogs - George Couros

10 Tips to Help You Break to the Front of the Interview Pack! - Randee Kallison

#MentoringMonday An Article a Day…Might Just Save Your Teaching Life – Lisa Dabbs

http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2012/07/how-to-ace-your-interview-for-teaching.html

http://www.edulang.com/blog/7-things-you-should-let-go-of-to-become-a-happier-teacher/

10 Mistakes to Avoid In Your “Hire Me” E-mail – Carrie Jackson

http://oregonstate.edu/instruct/ed416/Task4.html – This is an Educational Philosophy Task that is good for Newbie & Not-So-Newbie teachers alike!)

http://cybraryman.com/teacherinterviews.html

http://cybraryman.com/portfolios.html

http://cybraryman.com/chats.html

 
0 Comments

What Would Heidi Do?

12/9/2011

0 Comments

 
Picture
I know a great and innovative teacher who is transforming education. Her name is Heidi Siwak. (check her out if you are not already familiar with who she is and what she does… http://heidisiwak.blogspot.com/)

The other day, I had the opportunity to work in her classroom. I had her Core Language/Social Studies class for the morning. They were in the middle of a self-directed inquiry project about Canada and its trading partners. I knew this because I read her blogs and teach in the school she works at quite often. So, I thought, “Great!” I told the students at the beginning of the day that I had been reading Mrs. Siwak’s blogs and I was here to help should they become stuck or unsure, as well as doing my rounds while they worked in the computer lab.  We were disrupted when another class had there computer time period 2, and had to relocate.  Unfortunately, the students were not as productive as I, and their teacher, had hoped they would be.  I saw the usual things from students when they have a guest teacher: sitting around, chatting about things not project-related, goofing around, playing games and focussing too much on YouTube music videos.

The problem: when the teacher’s away, productivity decreased, or, to put it another way… the students will play.
Why? I know that in itself is not a foreign concept, but I really thought that this sort of project would work well no matter what teacher was in the room. Especially because, Heidi had conferenced with the students to help them set up “next steps” and work through problems. I know this. I read the blogs!

Despite my constant reminders, checking in and offers to help, only 2 students came to me to voice concern. I was able to help them and they were able to work. I was becoming concerned.


I didn’t want to disappoint Heidi and I didn’t want the students to, either.  I figured many of them had already wasted two periods, and we needed to make it better. I thought, “What would Heidi do?”
Aha! I know, she would have a discussion with the students; she would share her concerns, let them voice theirs, and together fix the problem.

I shared my concerns that they were not working to the best of their ability and that the next time Mrs. Siwak was absent they may not get the freedom to do this kind of work. They would likely have the more traditional ‘read the text book and answer the questions’ type of work.

Thinking that maybe they were a little out of sorts simply because their teacher was not there, I asked them.  Some said that was a problem; others were just goofing off.  We talked about what we should do instead.

I made an anchor chart (there’s always an anchor chart!) to guide in their reflection/next steps…

The whole process proved beneficial as the students spent all of the next work period on task, and the trend continued at the end of the day in French class.

I saw Heidi the next day, who said, “that was great. Thanks for doing that. It was great that you texted me in the day. I knew exactly what to expect when I came in to school.”

0 Comments

Colour a Rainbow

9/26/2011

0 Comments

 
Colour a rainbow
Sparkle a star
Colour a rainbow
Wherever you are.

Life is a colouring book
given to you,
Use the bright crayons
all the way through.

Use the light accents
of laughter and song,
you’ll have a picture
that’s right and not wrong.

Colour a rainbow
Sparkle a star
Colour a rainbow
Wherever you are.
Picture
Picture
Picture

Poem by: Dorothy Cameron SmithPhotography by Myself, Nicola Schneider
0 Comments
<<Previous

    Author

    Nicola Schneider, Occasional Teacher, 13 years

    Archives

    February 2020
    October 2018
    March 2016
    January 2016
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    November 2014
    October 2014
    July 2014
    February 2014
    April 2013
    July 2012
    December 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    November 2010

    Categories

    All
    21st Century Skills
    Achievement
    Achievement Matters
    Adaptation
    Advice
    Advocate For The Arts
    Animoto
    Art History
    Artistic Problem Solving
    Assessment
    Atari
    Back To School
    Bob Ross
    Bonus Clever Supply Teacher Move
    Book
    Challenge
    Change
    Clever Teacher Moves
    Clutter
    Collaborating
    Commodore 64
    Cooking
    Crayola
    Creativity
    Cross-curricular Connections
    Curriculum Connections
    Curriculum Expectations
    Daily Physical Activity
    Dance
    Dancing
    Diagnostic Assessment
    Differentiation
    Digital Footprint
    DPA
    Drama Games
    Dundas
    E-folio
    Engaged
    Engagement
    Engagement Matters
    Enjoyment Of Reading
    Enrichment
    Equity
    Exercise
    FDK
    Flexibility
    Focused Listening
    For The Files
    French Resources
    French Teacher
    Fun
    Gamification
    Glogster
    Go Animate
    Gratitude
    Gratitude Attitude Alert
    Growth Mindset
    Growth Mind Set
    Guest Teacher
    Gym Teacher
    Health
    Henri Matisse
    Humour
    HWDSB
    If-i-were-a-classroom-teacher
    If-i-were-a-classroom-teacher-next-steps-and-questioning
    I Love My Job
    Information-overload
    Inhibitory-control
    Interview Preparation
    Kindergarten Rocks
    Kindness
    Kitty Cat
    Laughter
    Learning
    Lesson Idea
    Life Long Learning
    Life-long Learning
    Link To Video
    Literacy
    Local Library
    March Break
    Mathematics
    Music And Movement
    Music Teacher
    Musing
    Next-steps
    No-power
    Numeracy
    Observing
    Occasional Teacher
    Oral Communication
    Our Valley Town
    Pay It Forward
    Personal Choice
    Personal Space
    Photography
    Phys. Ed
    Poetry
    Portfolio
    Positive Learning Environment
    Prediction
    Problem Solving
    Professional-development
    Professional Growth
    Provocation
    Questioning
    Raffi
    Read Aloud
    Reflecting
    Reflection
    Reflection To Guide Change
    Relationships
    Remember When?
    Resources
    Resume
    Rick Mercer
    Rules
    Safety
    Schema
    Self-control
    Self-regulation
    Smart Goals
    Snow Day
    Spam
    Springtime
    Student-writing
    Substitute Teaching
    Summertime
    Supply Teacher
    Supply Teacher Bag O' Tricks
    Teacher Reflection
    Teaching
    Teaching Dance
    Teaching-Learning Critical Pathways
    Technology
    The Arts
    The Arts Matter
    T-LCP
    TLCPs
    Transitions
    Twitter
    Van Gogh
    Versatile Read Aloud
    Very Good Book
    VGB
    Video
    Voting
    Welcoming
    Wellbeing
    Wintertime
    Wordle
    Writing

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.