Planning for Instruction
Classroom Manage-ment Plan
RCPS has a ready baked science safety plan, and anything else is on me as the teacher. Their policies are very applicable to most lab scenarios.
Unit Plan
This is the unit plan for unit 9: Classification. This was designed from an Understanding by Design perspective that my mentor uses, and that I adopted because it is very effective. I inserted inquiry especially in the pacing by trying to incorporate engagements, and more organic explanations, especially in the lab activity.
Reflection on Evidence
Classroom management is all about routines. My classroom procedures are closely tied to routine. We start class with focus or warm-up questions post on the board with what we are doing that day. We go over our focus then I explain what we are doing that day. Then we move through an activity or notes. For every set of notes there is always an accompanying activity. I try to do the activity first before doing our notes, because it aligns more realistically with inquiry. The routine allows me flexibility to care for my students or handle problems as they arise. I developed this routine after some trial and error with behavior/logistical stuff. When the students switch internet access points their computers sometimes lose internet access for a few minutes, so a means of not needing to use their computer immediately is useful. I also learned that if you are going to stray from the routine then you need to tell them like a day or two in advance, then repeat yourself a lot more than usual. Otherwise it is like a bomb dropped on them, because they are overwhelmed and confused.
Science safety in the classroom is all about establishing very strict protocols of how to behave. If students are not under direct supervision then they should be given very explicit instructions about the protocol, and then they should repeat it back to you, and then tell you where to check what they should be doing if they forget. Instructing them on where to find information is a lot more effective than telling them what to do.
I learned that inquiry is hard to plan, and unless you had a team of people, a new teacher will only be able to add bits and pieces of inquiry into their lessons that they are inheriting. Slowly that repertoire of inquiry lessons will grow, but realistically it will not happen in the first year. I learned that it is better to have your stronger classes be the "first pancake" class where you find and work out the kinks of your lessons. I learned that it's easier to start with all of the pieces you want to include from the standards that you have picked apart and then build your activities to them. I learned that students should have a notebook or binder to store their notebook in, instead of letting them decide they don't get to keep it.