My Teaching Experience To Date

My associate teacher, whom I can't say enough great things about, has started me off teaching science to her classroom, as we have to start off at 25% teaching time and move up to 75% by the end of the block. We decided on science, together, because it is my specialty and we felt that it would make for an easier start if I started off teaching the subjects that I'm strongest and most confident in.

Meet George! We'll be using him later in the unit :)

For the last two weeks I've been teaching the human organ systems unit to the grade fives I am with. Other than the occasional "this is gross!" comment, I think it is going exceptionally well!

I always start my lessons off with something motivational to get the children excited and more interested in what they are about to learn. We've done the cracker challenge (try to eat six crackers in under a minute) to start off the digestive system, we've learned that holding one hand in the air can make your hands two different colours, and we've played a game to show how the nervous system sends messages from the brain, through the spinal cord, through the nerves and to its final destination.

We've been filling out a class table with all of the systems we have learned. At the end of every lesson, for the lesson consolidation, I ask them what the main function of the system is based on what they have learned about it during the core lesson. Afterwards, I ask them what the major parts and/or organs of the system are. This is how my lessons have gone so far.



This coming week we will be adding on gym and art. I'm excited for both of these subjects because, although I am a science specialist, I have also been a baseball coach for eight years and a trumpet and piano player for many years. For my final week, we will be adding on math. At the moment the children are learning measurement, so most likely I'll be continuing with this unit. Teaching math is a bit of a daunting prospect for me because I know that it is such an important subject and, for some students, a difficult one. However, I have been intently watching my associate teacher teach math for weeks now and I am confident that I can model her teaching style and hopefully add a bit of my own personal style to it :)