Start with a curriculum map from your district and lesson plans for the first week.
Ahhhh…. summer. When I was teaching, I really looked forward to summertime. Not just for the relaxation and free time, but also to reorganize and revamp my lesson plans. I usually devoted two weeks to cleaning up my files, looking for new material as needed, and comparing my plans to the curriculum guide for my district. For me, the investment was well worth giving up some of my vacation to have that feeling of being ready for the first day of classes. It was only during the summer that I had the time, free from distractions, to reflect and create (or find) new material.
If you are new to teaching biology, you might want to spend a little time getting ready before the new school year begins. Having a plan is a great confidence booster.
Get a curriculum map for your district.
Most districts have a curriculum map that is aligned with state standards. You are expected to follow this map.
You need a curriculum map because...
It brings consistency to the process of teaching to ensure that all students are learning the material that has been approved by the district and enables students to transfer within the district and be in the same unit as the school they left. Your principal can point you in the right direction to find the curriculum documents that you need.
I worked on the curriculum map for our district with colleagues from around the district.
Our input and experiences gave us a feeling of ownership of what we were teaching and helped teachers across the district to focus their energy on the mission at hand.
Begin with a scope and sequence if there is no map.
Here is a scope and sequence that I felt worked the best:
A 5E lesson plan format is very effective for teaching biology.
This is a very informative article that discusses PRACTICAL application of this model: https://www.edutopia.org/article/how-use-5e-model-your-science-classroom .The introduction describes the 5E Model as “An inquiry-focused method (that) gives students a way to connect scientific ideas to their experiences and apply their learning.” As stated in the article, you probably already have lessons you can place in this model; it may just be a matter of the sequence that you use them. Even if you somewhat follow the 5E Model or only make one 5E plan for the first year, you are teaching in a more effective way that just using lessons willy-nilly.
Here is an example of a 5E Lesson on Macromolecules available for purchase at my TpT store.
If you need help with lessons please check out my TeacherPayTeachers store.
Good luck and happy teaching!
Comentarios