McHarg Clinical Faculty Blog

In 1991, Gordon published results of a study of the problems of beginning teachers. The results are listed below.

1. Difficult work assignments
2. Unclear Expectations
3. Inadequate Resources
4. Isolation
5. Role Conflict
6. Reality Shock

Last week the Clinical Faculty offered their ideas of the 5 most common problems of beginning teachers. I compiled the comments you made into a wordle.  Click on the wordle to see a larger image. The largest words occurred most often in your answers.

1. time management
2. discipline
3. communicating with parents
4. classroom management
5. lack of funding/ paperwork

And here are the results of a study by Veenman (1984) of the difficulties beginning teachers most frequently reported. I put them in a poll format so we could vote.

For Assignment #6, choose the one answer you think presents the most difficult challenge for beginning teachers. On the next blog post, I’ll reveal the ranking that Veenman found. We will see if it matches the results of our poll. Don’t forget to mark your assignment on the google docs form!

Think about your first year of teaching. (No, that is not my first class photo…)  ♥

What were the problems of teachers new to the profession?

What problems did you encounter?

creative commons

Now, fast-forward to 2009. How have things changed? Have things changed?

For Assignment #5, you will list your top 5 predictions of what the most common problems of beginning teachers (not student teachers) are today. Place them in order from 1-5, with 1 being the most prominent problem.

Leave them in a comment on this blog post and I will compile the results.

Don’t forget to mark your assignment on the google doc.

Click on the link to read this blog post called Ten Ideas for a Successful Start to Student Teaching.

Now, let’s make our own!  By collaborating, we will have a great collection of  ideas for a successful start to student teaching!

Your assignment: think of three (3) ideas for a successful start to student teaching. Click on an image of wall wisher and put your ideas on a post-it note. (If the wall wisher is getting filled up, click on the 2nd or 3rd wall wisher to find room to add your ideas.)

You don’t have to do all three wall wishers! Just choose one that’s not filled up! Or choose the prettiest one! Or choose the first one you click on! … well, you get the idea.

I don’t know how many it will take, but if I need to add another wall wisher, I can.

McHarg Clinical Faculty speaks out about mentoring new teachers!

Here is everyone’s responses from assignment #2 concerning the 3 elements that you believe make an effective mentor teacher for beginning teachers.

I cut and pasted your responses into wordle – and look what happens! (In wordle, the more times a word is mentioned, the larger it appears in the artwork).

I love that your main points for mentoring new teachers would be listening, sharing, collaborating, building relationships, giving your time, and being available.  At McHarg, we have had very few opportunities in the past to mentor new teachers, but it sure looks like you have the “right stuff”!

So, this brings us to the next question…

Why would you want to be a mentor teacher?

Assignment #3:

In the comment section of this blog post, briefly explain what your motivating factors for being a mentor teacher are. Come back and read the comments as they come in – feel free to add more to the talk. This is a discussion question!

Don’t forget to click on the Google Docs tab and mark your assignment #3 as complete.

This assignment is two-fold in purpose.

The first purpose is to learn how to leave a comment on a blog. On each blog post there is a place for a comment. It might say no comment, if no comment has been made yet;

or it may say comments.

Click on the part that indicates comments and follow the steps below to submit your comment.

Now for the second purpose… to submit your comment!  But first, you need an assignment…

Can you recall your best experience as a student teacher? How about your worst experience as a student teacher?

Can you recall your best experience as a new teacher? How about your worst experience as a new teacher?

Your best and worst experiences may have possibly been connected somehow to your cooperating teacher or your mentor teacher as a beginning teacher. Mentoring teachers are there to support the new teacher/intern and to maximize the effectiveness of that new teacher/intern in the classroom.

What are the elements of an effective mentor teacher for student teachers?          … for beginning teachers?  Use the comment section and list 3 elements you believe make an effective mentor teacher for student teachers and 3 elements that you believe make an effective mentor teacher for beginning teachers.

Our first assignment is easy… subscribe to this blog via e-mail subscription this week.

There are seven easy steps. Just follow the picture instructions below.

The Subscribe to this Blog box is located in the right hand column of the blog.

Now that you’re finished, look at the very top of this blog. There is a blog page called Google Docs. Click on that tab, then click on the spreadsheet. You will find your name on the spreadsheet- just type done or complete beside your name under assignment #1 after you subscribe by email. Sandy L. says the file automatically saves! (Thanks!)

You will need to be responsible for recording your progress after each assignment. After a few days, I will lock that column so we won’t lose the data, and then post the next assignment on the blog. You should receive e-mail notification when it is posted.

Welcome to the McHarg Clinical Faculty Blog!

Remember how we used to have to learn?  We all gathered around to listen to a speaker, share information in a discussion format, and read handouts?

Well, it is a very exciting time in education!  We can now gather around our tablets at our leisure, listen to a speaker, share information in a discussion format, and read handouts!

All kidding aside, it is an exciting time for McHarg Elementary. We have an experienced group of Clinical Faculty members – ready to collaborate, share, mentor, and learn together. We will be conducting much of our Level I training right here on our McHarg Clinical Faculty blog. Hopefully with 21st century technology, a more relaxed setting, and at a time that suits you, we can learn even more from each other.

Brief assignments will be made through this blog and often upon completion of the assignment, you will be required to write a short response in the comment section. Your first assignment will be in the next blog post – look for an email from me soon.