During my practicum at OKM I am coaching the Grade 8 Girls Volleyball team. It is a short season of only 5 weeks, but it has been great so far. This past Friday, we had our first tournament. It was a home tournament, both with our girls and boys teams. The team I coach, OKM 2 started off the morning slow, losing both our sets. As a team we came up with a list of what we thought went well and what our goals were for the rest of the day. Our main goals were: calling the ball and communication, anticipating the play, controlling our passes and serving. The girls also did a great job of cheering their teammates on while they were off the court. It is important that all the players know they have a role whether they are on the court or not. After our meeting, the girls did a great job of implementing their goals into their game play. We ended up winning the rest of our matches to get to the final, and ultimately we won in the final. Overall I think the day was great for the team to bond. I have really enjoyed coaching these girls, especially after playing volleyball myself for so many years. It was exciting to win my first tournament as a coach.
My Biology 12 class has a quiz on the organelles of the cell, so as a quick review before the quiz I created this bingo sheet. Students make their own bingo cards, placing the organelles anywhere within the grid, including one FREE square. Using a document camera I will point to an organelle on a picture of the cell and students will need to recognize what organelle that is and cross it off on their board. The first one with a straight line wins, then continue until a student gets two lines.
I've noticed some of my students, especially in my Biology 12 class are so focused on what exactly they need to know to do well on a test. I am hoping to shift this mentality to the actual learning of the content, not just memorizing and regurgitating the information. To do this involves working memory. Working memory helps kids hold onto information long enough to use it, and it plays an important role in concentration and in following instructions. Working memory is the key to learning, it is the sticky note in our brain that we use to keep track of information and what we need to do. The following are strategies that can be used in the classroom to enhance our working memory:
I saw this quote today and on the eve of my first official day of teaching in my practicum it struck me. I need to remember it's not all about the content, we are teaching teenagers, the content just facilitates us in doing this. I have the power to change a students life, and I want it to be for the better.
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AuthorI am a teacher candidate at UBCO living in Kelowna, BC. I love increasing my knowledge of education, and look forward to bringing my passion and creativity to my teaching. Archives
May 2015
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