I am going to be a Kinder teacher next year and this will be my first year teaching...?

Question

I am excited but where do I start? How do I get my lessons plans? Do I make it up? Does anyone have any good ideas that will help me for my first day of school and the rest of year? I am excited but I dont know where to start!! I need help!

Well see I have my degree in education but I got it so long ago and it really did not focus too much on teaching but more so classes about teaching. I went to San Diego State Univ. but I do not have my Credential yet so I have not taken that 5th year where I am in the classroom. So thats why I needed everyone's help! Thanks

Answer 1

It is indeed rather alarming that you are not familiar with how lesson plans are developed, even if you have been away from your coursework for a while.

I am assuming that if you didn't do your "student teaching" practicum back then, that you are being hired on a "waiver," with an assigned cooperating master teacher and this next year counting as that practicum? State licensures usually require that capstone practicum.

If this is the case, go to your cooperating master teacher and ask for help in getting your first month's lesson plans put together. Your cooperating teacher can familiarize you with whatever format your principal prefers you use, how the school-adopted materials and curriculum align to the state standards and benchmarks, how to match any extra activities you develop to those standards and benchmarks, etc.

For your first week or two with the students, you will be focusing on teaching classroom routine more than any new academic content. It will be good for both you and them to get used to the school culture, expected routines, etc. You may have academic content, but focus your thoughts and directives primarily on HOW you want tasks done (sharpening pencils, changing between each activity in the classroom, getting in line for recess, lunch, etc.). Be certain about how you want things done, and be confident with the students. For your first couple of days, your actual lessons will be about 1/2 as long as they will be later on, because the other 1/2 the time you'll be teaching these classroom routine skills. Once again, that cooperating teacher is your lifeline for all this.

If you do NOT have a cooperating teacher, you've got a real problem. You need to approach your principal, but in a way that won't too strongly betray your total ignorance, or you may lose your job before you start. Ask for the school's preferred lesson plan format, a copy of the curriculum you'll be using, a copy of the standards and benchmarks for kindergarten, and a sample lesson plan for one week from another kindergarten teacher for you to review.

However, you are also going to face an entire school culture without any support. Ask your principal if he/she would be willing to assign you a "mentor" teacher to take you through the paces.

The mentor can be there to answer questions about standing duty, paperwork such as lesson plans, attendance, fire and other coded drills, classroom inventory, fire safety, student referral to nurse or office, etc. Or how about that one student you just can't seem to reach... when do you take that child to the Child Study Team... and how do you do the paperwork for it?

That's only the tip of the iceberg. But you really need to have that on-site support.

Good luck!

Answer 2

Hopefully your district has curriculum guides, which can help you plan your lessons. Oftentimes now, it seems like schools use specific programs for reading and math, so those may be pretty much what you can plug right in. Our district had what should be going on each week in the classroom.

The first few weeks are about establishing the rules, too, so students know what is expected of them and what they can expect from you. As a resource teacher, I spent the first day listening to every teacher in every class give the same kind of speech, but the kids need it (and often they need to hear it more times than once.)

I know a lot of people really like "The First Days of School." I forget the author, I think Harry Wong or something close to that. This book might help. Are there other teachers you can talk to? Can you check out the classroom to see what you have?

Maybe you can make a list and check things off as you go along- that way your stress level may go down. Best of luck! Have fun!

Answer 3

I am a teacher and I am a little concerned by your questions regarding lesson plans...didn't you learn about that while you were getting a teaching credential? There are some teacher help websites, google teaching and then teacher help websites should come up. I would also talk to a seasoned teacher of the level you will be teaching too, they can guide you. The school you are teaching at should give you a curriculumn to follow of some sort even at that level (I would assume). I taught college, so that is a different animal altogether. Enjoy your new career, remember those little folks impression of school for the rest of their lives are formed in the beginning. Always strive to do the best you can!

Answer 4

The school I work at has a mentoring program that teams experienced teachers with new ones. Talk to the other kdg. teachers and see if they will help you with lesson plans. One thing that our kdg. team does is trace an outline of each student at the beginning of the year (on brown paper) and then compare at the end. Take a writing sample from each student as well. We use inventive spelling, basically whatever they think the word is spelled like. It is fun to look back at the end of the year to see how far your students have come. Above all, don't get to worried, remember it is your students' first year in kdg. also. Have fun and good luck!!!

Answer 5

The first week of school you are going to have to acclamate them to school and schedules. Make sure you let everyone introduce themselves and tell a little bit about themselves. Have a "My first Day of Kindergarten" paper where they draw a picture of themselves on the first day of school. At the end of the year they can draw a "My last Kindargarten paper" and you can compare the two.(put them in each childs portfolio)Start doing a color a day for those days until all of the primary colors are covered.Go over the manipulitives and all of the centers..go over lunch room proceedures.Let them participate in making the class rules. Start on the days of the week and your daily calendar. Make weather charts for daily weather...You should know most of this stuff if you went to school. Make friends with other Kdg. teachers and let them help you on the lesson plans since everyone follows the same language arts program etc. You will have to make your own lesson plans.Where did you get your degree??

Answer 6

Hopefully your school has a mentor program...if not find another kindergarten teacher and latch on! Locate the state curriculum guide for kindergarten. A good resource for teachers is the Mailbox magazine and some of the Patricia Cunningham books and those on the 4 Blocks method.

Answer 7

have alot of kleenex boxes so the kids won't use you as a kleenex.Those little ones have alot of slimey noses ! lol