Blog Entry #1:

I believe that planning things out is the best way to make the least amount of mistakes.
Visualizing what a lesson is supposed to look like and then thinking about the potential
consequences that could appear if I choose to do one activity over the other gives me flexibility.
If things don’t go according to plan, then no problem! I have a backup plan and additional
materials that I can implement right away.
Picturing what you want your classroom to look like is beneficial to how well run it will
end up being. For example, implementing classroom rules at the very beginning of the school
year is crucial to having a well run class and well behaved students. If everything has a place,
students can easily find their materials, their seats, and get straight into a working environment
so that they can squeeze every little benefit from the days lesson.
Another reason for this would be for students to be aware of potential consequences if
they do not do their part to fulfil their lesson requirements. If they don’t turn in their homework on
time, that means they get a reduction in points, longer than a week would mean that students
get a 0 as a grade. Additionally, students will be made aware that they have work to turn in, I
won’t let them slack off, I will make sure that they are reminded that they have pending work to
do.
If you have a plan for something, then that means that you have flexibility and resources
to help the you and the students. Now, the skill that I need to brush up on would be the “wow”
factor. This is an easy fix though, considering that instead of bringing just a plain resume, I can
provide an interesting example of the work I can provide students. I would say that my
technology skills are fairy descent, so I would present this in a visual manor. I can show how I
integrate technology into my classroom to engage students in active learning.