High School History Teacher Needes Advice?

Question

Next Semester, will be might first year teaching World History to High School Students. Many students are anxious and excited about being in my class. I really want my lessons to be interesting and not boring. Any tips, suggestions,teaching strategies, and/or websites to help keep my students alert.

Answer 1

I teach 7th grade world history (I actually taught 10th grade world history when I began teaching 15 years ago)

I find the best way to teach history is by getting students directly involved in the learning process. That involves magazine and newspaper projects where students can show their creative side; role plays and simulations that allow students to put themselves in the shoes of people in history; debates; and performing plays.

I would encourage you to check out any TCI materials that might be at your school. They are filled with short (and long) hands-on activities as well as creative, visual assignments.

I would also encourage you to check out a company called interact. They provide simulations and debates that students generally enjoy. For example, they have a trial of Martin Luther, a French Revolution simulation, and a trial of Galileo. In all situations, students are directly involved in playing the roles of people in history.

And, of course, use humor at all times! People in history do a lot of funny things! Students should be encouraged to reflect on prior knowledge or experiences (including humorous ones) before learning new information. It's never too hard to find a link between what students already know and what they are about to learn.

One last thing: recognize that your first year is a challenge. Don't be too hard on yourself. Enjoy learning, and when you make a mistake, remember that it's all part of the process.

All the best!

Answer 2

My experience from teaching and educating "androgs" can be summed up in two words "CHALLENGE THEM" ... "pedgrogs" are not much different, perhaps, much more willing and impressionable.

As an educator, it is your primary responsibility to "pilot the course of your students minds towards the objective(s). Additionally, since all students are individuals (no two alike, albeit similar learning styles), you MUST be able to create an environment where learning can take place ... "canned or profiling" types of instructions spells "boring", so creativity and , versitility "participation (involvng others) are a common tools you need, as well as the use of effective questions. Always strive to keep them wondering and guessing (great sign that the are open and willing to learn).

Good Luck, your motivation is correct.

Answer 3

my AP human geo teacher used *internet "scavenger hunts" to complete fill-in the blank notes. and, believe it or not, she used to *play around the world with vocabulary from the current chapter. usually, the winner would get extra credit.
* it's also interesting when you incorporate exciting "events' into your class. If there's an controversial issue that your class is learning about, then you can hold things like debates....where you assign the parts. the students would have to do research on their parts and find articles pertaining to them as well.
*students really hate when you give them every single note to copy as well as when you don't give them anything to see when you give lectures. make sure that you have an outline that you can post on an overhead or hand out to the entire class. outlines with bullets and headings are really helpful.
*there are a lot of things that you can do....actually....i think that your students would find it "cool" if you ask them how they learn best. on the first day of school you could hand out a little survey or questionairre.

good luck

Answer 4

well I'm a student in high school and one thing i like my teachers doing is opening an account on blackboard, there students can log on to see what hw we have and help full websites. Also dont give out many test instead give out many quizzes, that way you can still see how ur students are doing but their grades dont suffer as much, i know this doesn't help you make you lesson excited but at least students wont hate u for giving out too many test and therefor wont hate ur class.

Answer 5

I'm taking that course this year and my teacher is great!! Here are some of the best things he's done:
-for greece, he made a tape outline on the floor roughly in the shape of greece. He arranged the desks as the mountain ranges and split us into groups. He didn't tell us anything about what this was. He gave us a stack of papers with our groups letter on them and told us on the count of three to lay down as many as we could without overlapping and not going under the desks. We argued with other groups over space, ran into each other....at the end he explained that that was sort of like greece with its mountain ranges limiting the space
- another one of my favorite activities was when we learned about confucianism, daoism and legalism. Again we were in groups, and he gave us readings about each one with questions. For each, we had to act a certain way to be like the philosophy. For example, for confucianism we had a group leader who we had to respect...ect. like in the 5 key relationships. For legalism tho, he kept us together in a class and acted really strict and all, it was kinda funny...especially because he didn't tell us why. The previous year, He slapped a ruler on a desk when someone talked and it shattered!
- one more was studying the socratic method. He asked us to picture a tree we knew well, any tree....we talked about what made a tree a tree. Then he asked us what made a human a human...."4 limbs and a head" said one person..."so a person whose limbs were amputated is no longer human??" we could not think of something that could not be contradicted

good luck, have fun!!

Answer 6

My (American) History teacher did a lot of different things with the class, watching movies, he even set up a whole play for us. Try to get the kids in the class be interactive.

Answer 7

Perhaps you could choose your words a little better: "will be might first year teaching" is a bit confusing.

(Sorry, I'm an English teacher and couldn't help but noticing.)

Answer 8

Make sure that you have loads of hands on activities