While I am in the classroom with my CT we have about 20 minutes of prep time before it is time for me leave. My CT either talks with us about what she expects of us from the next couple of days or has us help her get prepped. I can tell that my CT values her prep time and that it is very important to her day. My CT is very organized and has a plan for her prep time each day. Some ways she makes things go faster is she has things pre-prepped from the year before.
Examples:
Art projects: She has an example already made, sometimes from a previous year. She has stencils that she made, then she traces them on the the right size paper. She has everything ready so that the students can be successful during the art project. My CT also has tidy bins that she puts at the tables so the students can put scraps in there instead of constantly walking to the garbage.
What I have really learned from her prep time is that you want to save your lessons, but also know your students will vary so much you might have to completely readjust your lesson plans.
What are some ways that you have seen your teacher get prepped in the classroom?
I've seen my CT use her prep for opening up videos/songs, adjusting her lesson plans for the next day, and logging into her online curriculum for math or language arts. This is my CT’s first year teaching 2nd grade after six years of kindergarten so she has had to make all new lesson plans and projects. Luckily the teacher in the room before her left all of her books and some lessons/activities for my CT to use, so she didn't have to start completely from scratch.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Lydia. I too learned from my teachers prep time that she always saves her adjustments she made to each lesson that she taught that day. I have seen my teacher prepare for the day and each lesson by setting each activity out the night before the lesson is to be taught. She also makes plans in her lesson plan book and writes down her comments when she made adjustments to the class she is teaching. She talks about how each year is different and that it is important to make adjustments and keep track as she goes!
ReplyDeleteLydia- I do not see my teacher in prep time but I always get there 25 minutes before school starts to ensure we get our 3 hours in! It's a good amount of time to talk about the day and the week. We discuss different questions we may have, she helps us plan out our morning meetings and read alouds. She's awesome at telling us about the way she does things and why she does them!
ReplyDeletePrep time is vital to having a smooth day! My CT uses the time to catch up on emails, work on SMART board activities, and gather supplies she needs from other teachers (if need be). Saving copies of lesson plans is important to make each year run as it should! I agree with you that every class is different and maintaining flexibility in lessons is crucial!
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