Ingredients of Every Lesson
Many students and parents are not aware of what goes on in the class room every day. So I have made a list of everything done by teachers in teaching a class.
- Dimensions Of Learning. This is a method of classifying and organizing teaching strategies and learning styles. DOL serves as the basis for organizing all lessons. This is the most important thing in the lesson.
- Core Learning Goals. This is a set of content goals provided by Maryland State Department of Education. Every lesson should be directed toward teaching one or more of these goals. This is the most important thing in the lesson.
- Skills for Success. This is another set of goals provided by Maryland State Department of Education. Every lesson should these goals concerning the learning, thinking and communicating. This is the most important thing is the lesson.
- Count Course Guide. This is a set content goals provided by the Anne Arundel County. Any content that is the same for both the state and county is an accident. This is the most important item in the lesson.
- Positive Language. This is a school and county goal for teachers and students to use positive language and to treat each other with respect. This is the most important item in the lesson.
- Multi Cultural Education. This is another program mandate by the Maryland State Department of Education. Teachers do a better job when they are aware of the cultural diversity among students. This is the most import thing in the lesson.
- Career Goals. Every student must be a completer. They will be prepared for a job or college. Students must be reminded of this 6 times a day because - - you guessed it. This is the most important thing is the lesson.
- Reading Goals. Of course every student must learn to read so teacher must stress reading skills in every lesson because - - This is the most important thing in the lesson.
- Students with Special Needs. In every class there are students who have been identified as having some special need. So the lesson must be modified to fit the needs of that special student. Since the school system is legally bound to provide these special services - - This is the most important thing in the lesson.
Some Questions
After reading through the list of programs covered by teachers you may wonder how every item on the list can be the most important items. Well, I have found that in discussing educational policy logic should not be applied. Using logic leads to frustration, despair and headaches. Just accept the fact that teachers have been told that each item on the list is indeed the most important item and leave it at that.
Now you may wonder if every teacher actually covers each program every day in every lesson. Well, once in 1995 a teacher constructed a lesson with complete disregard for Dimensions of Learning. Fortunately his (or her) students never found out.
You may also wonder if there is any time to actually teach anything. Well, yes there is a least 3 minutes in every period devoted to instruction because instruction is the most important part of the lesson.
But There Is More
In every period each teacher also
- Takes attendance and checks absentee notes
- Provides make up work for students who were absent.
- Makes sure the doors and windows are closed so the air conditioning and heating units work correctly. This is done even if there is no working units.
- Check the bathroom for smokers or graffiti artists.
- Guard the hallways for everything.
- Watch for signs of drug abuse among students.
- Washes there hands. Every year teachers are told how to wash their hand to prevent the spread of diseases.
- Writes passes for students to go to the bathroom and health room. Of course each trip requires a different kind of pass.
- Listens to students complaints about grades, absence codes, school policies, etc.
Now about that 3 minutes for instruction. Maybe there is not that much time and maybe its not considered to be that important.