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Help! I'm teaching 1st grade!

5/3/2017

2 Comments

 

On May 10th, I will be a guest teacher for my son's 1st grade class.

I'm scared. Help. What should I expect? Any tips?#elemmathchat #mtbos

— John Stevens (@Jstevens009) May 3, 2017
When I got the email from my 1st grade son's teacher about coming in to teach a lesson to the class, I was thrilled. No, I was mortified. So many questions ran through my head.

What are they like?
Are they all missing teeth?
Do they smell funny?
Are they going to like me?
What do they know?
What if a kid pees his/her pants?
What if I talk too fast?
What if they think I'm lame?
How do I handle the potty passes?
Is my son going to be embarrassed?
Am I supposed to discipline if he acts silly? 
Picture
This is how I imagine my day going. Not good.
Rather than (completely) freaking out, I opted to reach out to the most useful group of people I could possibly think of: the #mtbos. Sure there are still nerves, but clearly they can help, and they certainly didn't disappoint.
OK, got it. So, all I need to do is:
  • Practice my hugs (there will be plenty)
  • Sing the Cookie Monster song (or something like that)
  • Be prepared for random stories (I can only handle so much of this)
  • Keep my standards high (game on, kids)
  • Read a book with a math story (can I read them Tracy Zager's book?)
  • Rehearse routines (hey, some things are the same w/ high schoolers)
  • Be prepared to tell stories (oh I have a few of those)
  • Keep them moving (what if we just go for a long walk?)
  • BreakoutEDU (so I lock them in the room & make them escape?)
  • Small chunks of info (good to know)
  • Splat (Nice work, Steve)
  • Poison (Wait... what's going on here?)
  • Bring stickers, pens, something... (King size candy bars OK?)
  • Don't make eye contact (now wait a minute.)

From the sounds of it, I'm screwed.

In all seriousness, I'm sure it's going to be a blast and I can't wait for the opportunity to work with my son, his classmates, and an incredibly comfortable teacher who is so willing to try new things that she's asking one of her students' parents to come in and take over the math portion of a lesson. I know that this isn't normal and I don't want to treat it as such. I want it to be special, even moreso than a regular day where I work hard to help students understand a concept. 

With that, you need more context, then I want to ask the same set of questions from you again... Tips? Ideas?

The standard that we will be working on:

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.1.G.A.1
Distinguish between defining attributes (e.g., triangles are closed and three-sided) versus non-defining attributes (e.g., color, orientation, overall size); build and draw shapes to possess defining attributes.

The end of the school year is coming quickly, with only two weeks remaining after the lesson I will teach. She calls her class "the sweetest first graders on the planet!" My son is not embarrassed at all; in fact, he's super excited to have me come to work with his class. His class has access to a set of chromebooks if we would like to use them. His teacher is comfortable using tech, and they have used them a few times with success.

What do you do? What's that one lesson, technology or not, that will leave a lasting impact? Drop a line in the comments below, please.

As I'm reaching out and getting responses on this, I am quickly thinking about how a first year teacher might feel. I have almost too many good ideas (but keep them coming) to implement and can't help but put myself into that position. If I were a new teacher, would you offer the same advice? Is it because you know me? I am so grateful for the community we have and want to make everyone feel the way I do right now.

Happy "Stop Picking Your Nose" Fishing
2 Comments
Simon Gregg link
5/4/2017 07:51:06 am

I'm teaching 5 and 6 year olds this year, so I should be able to help. But actually, it sounds like you've got lots of ideas already, and you know how to do this kind of thing. You probably don't need any more ideas.

Obvious things: You'll talk together, maybe for 15 mins, with something to look at and discuss. And then there will be a practical thing, hands-on. (Either you've got materials, or they've got them at school.) And then come together to share and close.

You're a visitor, so although you'll be guided by the standard, your style shouldn't be cramped by it; you don't have to be the 'teacher', you can jazz it up, take it off in an unexpected direction.

You're going to have a good time. Take some pictures, maybe of what they create, for us.

Reply
Bryan Anderson link
5/4/2017 09:07:30 am

Well, this is a much more defined question! There are a couple of things I would do.

The first would be to build a common sense of language and understanding using Christopher's WODB book. I love the vocabulary and thinking that the book inspires in students.

The second would be to then move into a game I had run across in Teaching Mathematics in the Middle School- classify and capture. It is a Venn-Diagram game where students have only 2 overlapping areas, and the categories are on small note-cards and change each game. Categories would be the defining AND non-defining attributes. Students then draw 2 randomly and place them in the areas. I would have a variety of shapes and objects to play with for this and students then classify each shape and justify their classification for their partner.

I would tend to want to come back together as a group and talk about both activities, and get a general set of "classroom rules" for defining and non-defining attributes.

As an end-cap I am not sure from there, I don't want to assume to give you a whole lesson plan. I guess I would have some sort of task that would assess their thinking and allow them to create shapes based on attribute.

The whole time I would be taking pictures, listening to student's explanations and thinking, and asking questions here and there...

You will have to blog about this and let us know how it went, I'm totally interested!

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