Blog Entry #2

I liked the suggestions provided in Chapter 3. Having 1-2 goals set for each class period is an excellent idea. It reminds me when working with media, I always learned to be sure to get 1-2 main points across during an interview. When my students walk out of my classroom, I hope they can remember at least one major theme, idea, or concept for the class. Lesson plans was something that I did not enjoy doing when I taught in the public school system, but remembered that those lesson plans helped to keep me focused and on task. To be honest, I never thought college professors wrote lesson plans, but if they are as helpful to me in the college setting as they were in high school, I better get use to doing them. Incorporating writing into the class is important. It is amazing to me the number of students who struggle with writing. Writing assignments can help students organize their thoughts and put down ideas on paper. If students are expected to complete writing assignments, I feel it is important to provide feedback to the students. I liked the suggestions on time management. Class needs to start on time and a professor needs to be sure to prioritize information to be sure information or goals of the class period are taught. Alicia McKenzie provides some good classroom time management tips (http://www.utoronto.ca/tatp/timemanagement.pdf). The three main focus areas she describes include basic principles of classroom time management, assessing time demands, and writing the lesson plans. The last couple topics I liked in the book was the importance of having a united front and always being professional and not criticizing other professors. The tips on how to answer and handle situations should prove to be beneficial. I liked how it was noted to not embarrass students if there are issues (such as a student being late for class everyday), but rather catch the student after class and find out what the issue is.