As a teacher I am always looking for ways to gain more knowledge about teaching. I am currently taking professional development through 5-Star Academy. One of the modules is on Time Management. After taking a short quiz I was able to pinpoint the exact area of time management that is the biggest problem for me. This area was on managing interruptions. In order to help with the interruptions I decided that I would make a list with three categories: urgent (must be taken care of now), moderately important (needs to be done by the end of the day), and mildly important (needs attention by the end of the week).
I normally get interrupted by students from a club I sponsor or from my main student out in the general education population who needs a lot of attention. After making my categories I had information above them telling students, teachers, and principals to please list name and reason for seeing me. If it was an urgent need I would be with them as soon as I got my students started. This checklist was helpful when it came to student interruptions. Many times students thought it was an urgent need, but I could tell by the information listed that it could wait and I would send them on their way. By having this checklist I was able to really focus on my students and only get interrupted a few times a day when normally it was 5-7 times a day. This also helped me understand how much work I am able to get done during times that I don't have interruptions and when students aren't around I am able to focus on my interruption important list.
If you are struggling with daily interruptions during the classroom instruction time it is important to have a way to separate important ones that need taken care of now with those that can wait. My checklist made it easier for me, but it may not work for someone else. Come up with something that is simple and easy to follow through. Once it is done you can even check it off! This will make the list even easier to use/see.
Thursday, March 5, 2015
Monday, February 16, 2015
Blog #1: Reason for blogging
Blogging is something I never thought I would do, but have come to do quite a bit. In my start up class for 5-Star Academy I am now writing about why everyone should blog.
Blogging helps everyone write better. I think that as a teacher it is important to show others that you can write something, even if you don't like doing it. Many times a student will say they don't like writing and when it comes to essays they do a very poor job. If you show them that it can be very meaningful and that people will read what is said then they find that it is important. The way someone writes really does change who they are and how they are going to be when they get older. Students who blog become better writers and see that what they write can make a difference. Blogs get posted on the internet and everyone has a chance to see them. If a student, teacher, doctor, or anyone else writes and publishes it then they will be able to see how many people are able to learn from the information they provide.
In this first course through 5-star academy I have come to learn about Google chrome. I was never interested in changing from Mozilla Firefox to Google chrome because I was comfortable with it. Now that I have had a chance to see the difference between the two browsers I am excited to start using google chrome. Google Chrome really helps the individual user make it their own browser. Most browsers have options, but not as many as Google chrome does. I have learned how to add apps to personalize things that I like on chrome. I have learned to block out unwanted ads and to import bookmarks from other browsers that I use often.
Blogging helps everyone write better. I think that as a teacher it is important to show others that you can write something, even if you don't like doing it. Many times a student will say they don't like writing and when it comes to essays they do a very poor job. If you show them that it can be very meaningful and that people will read what is said then they find that it is important. The way someone writes really does change who they are and how they are going to be when they get older. Students who blog become better writers and see that what they write can make a difference. Blogs get posted on the internet and everyone has a chance to see them. If a student, teacher, doctor, or anyone else writes and publishes it then they will be able to see how many people are able to learn from the information they provide.
In this first course through 5-star academy I have come to learn about Google chrome. I was never interested in changing from Mozilla Firefox to Google chrome because I was comfortable with it. Now that I have had a chance to see the difference between the two browsers I am excited to start using google chrome. Google Chrome really helps the individual user make it their own browser. Most browsers have options, but not as many as Google chrome does. I have learned how to add apps to personalize things that I like on chrome. I have learned to block out unwanted ads and to import bookmarks from other browsers that I use often.
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