My Ideal Classroom (Entry 1)

You are preparing to be a teacher. Imagine a typical lesson that you might teach in the future. Below, create a sketch or a description of a typical lesson in your future classroom. 

I. Thought-provoking journal entry to introduce the day's topic (e.g. Why did people on both sides fight so fiercely in the Civil War?)

Ia. Discuss what different answers people came up with

II. Introduce the topic, ask students what they know about it

III. Lecture (15-20 mins) to give them background knowledge they need (Reasons of the North and South for fighting the Civil War)

IV. An activity to help them engage in the topic. (e.g. a jigsaw with primary resources about the topic that they analyze one source together as a small group, then break off again, mixing the groups, and discuss multiple sources within a group, and see how multiple sources sheds further light on how people think, felt, and acted)

V. Have people in each group share what they learned (Why did they fight so fiercely after all?)

VI. Write down as a class some of the things we learned in the activity

VII. Assign Homework

Imagine the students in the classroom and describe them in more detail. Who are the typical students? What are their backgrounds? What are their interests? Where are they during the lesson?

There will be something of a spread. There will be an even amount of boys and girls. At least 60-70% will be white and English speaking from more affluent backgrounds, though there will be a few who come from poorer families. There will also be multiple students of differing ethnicities, religions, and varying socioeconomic statuses. They will be interested in all the things junior and high school kids are interested in-- sports, video games, fashion, reading, the opposite sex, their families, music, art, learning, building things, camping, anything they want to be interested in. During the lesson, I want students' desks to be in pairs around the room, and people seemingly different from each other near each other-- poor with rich, white with black, etc in order to enliven their discussions and foster understanding.

Imagine the surroundings in the classroom and describe them in more detail. What does the room look like? What resources are available to the students? How are those resources used during this lesson?

There are posters on the wall with paintings of important historical events, the Bill of Rights, inspiring quotes, etc. There is a board with folders for missed work. The room is colorful, with my own decorations up in my corner that express who I am as well. There will be a bookshelf for textbooks that they can access during class for certain class activities (like doing their own bit of research on a topic), and I will have a bookshelf behind my desk that they can look at for supplemental reading, though if students wish to take it, they must check it out. These may be used for book projects or just for personal interest. There may be a marker/craft supply box for them to use during more creative activities, like creating their own propaganda poster.

Imagine the lesson and describe the topic in more detail. What are you teaching? What is the main thing you would want students to learn during this lesson? Why are you teaching this lesson?

If I were teaching, for example, on the difference between the Northern and Southern motivations for fighting the Civil War, I would be primarily let them draw conclusions for themselves from primary resources that I give them. Ideally, I would want them to learn not only the reasons and to learn how to analyze primary resource documents, but to gain a personal understanding of why the war happened. I want them to understand that the people involved were real people, with real thoughts and opinions that made sense to them and that they held strongly. I want to debunk the idea that you can write people off as racist or sexist and dismiss them as immoral people; rather, I want them to understand people for who they are in more complexity as people.

Imagine your work as a teacher during this lesson and describe it in more detail. What are you doing during the lesson? Where are you in during the lesson? 

During the intro writing, I am in the front, making sure everyone is seated and working, and then moving throughout the aisles to see that people are doing the assignment. During the discussion I'm on one side of the room, perhaps the back, facilitating discussion. During lecture I am in the front, speaking and answering any questions, occasionally asking questions to be put out for discussion. During the group activity, I am all around the room, listening to conversations, re-directing unfocused behavior, stimulating group discussions that are not getting the point of the activity, etc. In the end I'm in the front, perhaps writing the most important things they learned down on the board for them to write down.

Imagine the various lesson activities and describe them in more detail. What are the students doing during the lesson? Why have you chosen these activities?

Jigsaws-- to help them analyze resources, or to become experts on a topic we don't have that much time to cover so they can shuffle groups and teach their peers.

Think-Pair-Share-- to facilitate discussion, more engaged learning.

Political Spectrum-- have students stand up in a line, and throw different ideas out and have students rearrange themselves by how much they agree or disagree on a topic. Can use this to introduce the different party systems of American history (for example), and help them relate to it.

Writing activities-- writing a paragraph to analyze the reasons for something happening, to compare and contrast, to analyze resources, to state opinions.

Lecture-- to give them the knowledge they need in order to engage the topic meaningfully

Debates-- Give different readings/topics to different groups to read and prepare for the next day, then hold a debate between the groups on a topic as if they were people of that time.

Intro assignments-- they are often writing to help them get engaged in the subject matter as well as to get thinking and quiet

Discussion-- get them thinking and synthesizing information. Often will be discussing with their desk partner, but also as a class.

My internet was having problems while I did this, so I'm not sure if I have everything, though I think I do. Let me know if I don't.