Ines from Germany, teacher trainer. My last 2 weeks of holidays: on my schedule are some family issues and preparing for a new job. So I'm excited to start at university in August. #nt2t
A1: I do theme therapy with a majority of my students, so at the start of the year, I print blank calendar and choose weekly themes for the school year. I then gather all my materials and find new ones usually the week before. #nt2t
Hey! I'm Sarah, a preservice ELA teacher in Ohio. The rest of my summer is just finishing up summer classes and getting ready for my placement this autumn! #nt2t
Hello Everyone! I am Julie, co-creator of #NT2t My plans for the summer is to keep working (I am in higher ed-no summer break) and sneak in a few more days off! #NT2t
A1: When I was in the classroom I stayed after school every Wednesday until I had the next week sketched out. Of course, plans rarely ended up as I planned but at least I had something written down! #NT2t
Thanks for understanding! I’m on Lake Michigan, and phone service here is a rare find! #nt2t community is always so great and understanding. I love starting my Saturdays with you guys! 😊
A1 As a preservice teacher, I spend a lot of time planning and do it at least a week in advance. There’s a lot of revising happening right now. I doubt this is what it will be like once I have my own classroom… I definitely won’t have as much time for revising! #nt2t
A1: We had team planning once or twice a week and were pretty efficient at planning out pretty far, so my plan was written as a team. But by the end of a week I would make sure I understood the following week's plans and had what I need put together. #Nt2t
A1) I sketched out entire year (units) and then filled in lessons per unit knowing that flexibility would be needed. In some positions, had to turn in weekly lesson plans which was actually a help b/c forced me to plan more specifically. Helpful resources to have in future. #nt2t
What an exciting and a little nerve-wracking time for you! So glad you are on Twitter for help and support on your journey. Feel free to reach out when you have questions; we are all here to support you! #NT2t
A1: At the beginning of the year I planned from day to day since I was still learning, but by the 3rd quarter I could plan a few days in advance, or even plan a unit out sometimes! #Nt2t
Good morning #nt2t from Barbara in TX, just retired school counselor and headed into my encore career working with @careacter and freelancing in consulting, coaching and writing.
A1: I write my plans ahead of time, then rewrite them as they happened to reflect how it went.
It will be like that for several years Sarah, but don't worry about it. Curriculum needs to be flexible and many times, your best laid plans will change because they need to. Don't worry when that happens, it;s normal. #NT2t
We have standards that must be included. In some schools how you teach them is up to you, in some there is a mandated/set curriculum. Depends on your district and principal. #NT2t
Yeah, wish I would have had it when I started in the 1990's! Am thrilled it is here for all newbies so the veterans can help support you, and vice-versa! #NT2t
A2: I started out the year going digital, using https://t.co/AwGi4RDGd0, but ultimately it helped me a lot more to just have our team planning Word doc and then hard copy lists and plans on my desk. #Nt2t
A2) In past, I used notebooks but then Word tables for weekly lesson plans (which I printed and kept in a binder). For my online teaching, I primarily use Google tools, including GDrawings to map out course, units, essential questions, etc. #nt2t
I am all about both! In the special education world, there are so many due dates and paperwork responsibilities, so I keep a google calendar for those tasks and then I am all paper and pen for session planning. #nt2t
It will be like that for several years Sarah, but don't worry about it. Curriculum needs to be flexible and many times, your best laid plans will change because they need to. Don't worry when that happens, it;s normal. #NT2t
I've thought about this a lot.. it doesn't really stress me out (at least right now). It's good to have extra time right now to revise so I can practice and figure out what works best for me. That way, when I don't have the luxury of time, it's a lot more streamlined. #nt2t
@shyj I like your point about digital, what sort of program do you use to keep it all organized? My problem was always that there were too many digital 'notepads' to keep track of! #Nt2t
How do you handle assignments? Do your students hand over their work in class, or do use some kind of tech for you to track their progress and for them to submit? #NT2T
A1: To all the new teachers out there...please do NOT reuse your plans from year to year as written. What worked for one group of kids may not work for the next group. Doing this will not encourage your own growth either - be creative & keep things fresh. #NT2t
Thank you, Julie. I made it to 34 years of service and just ran out of steam. Battling compassion fatigue, I decided very late in May to let someone else love my school family and lead them forward. Super excited about the next chapter. #nt2t
A2 It depends on the moment… if I’m sitting down specifically to plan, it will all be digital. If it’s more casual or something I want to remember for later, I usually write it down in a notebook. But I like having digital copies to edit and keep everything in one place #nt2t
And, from the perspective of a new teacher, when a team plans together and more or less recycles unit plans from the previous year it really leaves the new teacher in the dust not knowing what all of the notes or resources are. :( #Nt2t
I might also add to not get too deep in to planning for this next group of kids during the summer since you haven't met them yet, you don't know who they are, what their needs are or how far you can take them. #nt2t
Completely agreed. Another advantage for me: searching. It's much easier to find things in digital notebooks, by tags.
In analog times it was like looking for a needle in a haystack. #nt2t
A2. First week of school I write out minute by minute detaild even to this day. Then it is just a note in a plan book rest of year. Sub plans are digital (Google Doc) so I can share w my team so they can assist sub as needed #NT2t
I take data for all my students on individual data sheets with their goals listed in live time during sessions and then use that information to update their progress. As an SLP, I see small groups of students so it makes it a little easier. #nt2t
And, once you get more experience as an educator, you can start planning with the kids...always good to share the work, kids are more invested in the learning this way. #NT2t
I use Google Calendar, which is my district platform, is for meetings and due dates because I need to coordinate with others. I then have a paper calendar for my personal tasks and information. My students all have paper files also. #nt2t
A3 If necessary, I’ll plan a mini lesson to introduce new tools, skills. Otherwise, just drop it in the planner and say ‘Here’s something new I’d like to try together!’ #nt2t
A1: To all the new teachers out there...please do NOT reuse your plans from year to year as written. What worked for one group of kids may not work for the next group. Doing this will not encourage your own growth either - be creative & keep things fresh. #NT2t
Love that! It's fun to pose something new as a "challenge" to the kids. Gets them excited and feel like they are going to be the first to succeed! #NT2t
A3: When introducing something new with my students, I make sure that I plan time in my schedule to practice with it myself to make sure I am fluid using the tools/technology and can explain things well prior to working with students. #nt2t
A3: Interested to see what others say about this. My biggest struggle was always trying to introduce a new system into our classroom (non-academic), and it falling flat because I didn't explain it well, practice it enough with them, or really plan how to explain it to them. #Nt2t
Great advice! I wouldn't even remember to plan enough time to practice with students, much less practice myself! As a first year teacher, I wish I had known this so that I would have better known what my lessons would look like and how they would work. #Nt2t
A3: When introducing something new with my students, I make sure that I plan time in my schedule to practice with it myself to make sure I am fluid using the tools/technology and can explain things well prior to working with students. #nt2t
Don't feel like you need to know everything though Megan. Know the basics and then let you AND the kids discover everything together. Make sure when you learn something new that the person gets to share & even become the "go-to-expert." #NT2t
Storage in @evernote
Material, games, tasks, assignments, homework,... In @CloudSchoolTeam
My writing, grading, assessments in @GoodNotesApp
Worked fine for me! My handicap: I like to try new things- could get mixed-up🙃 #nt2t
In reply to
@hturk139, @evernote, @CloudSchoolTeam, @GoodNotesApp
A4: Use Twitter to share what you are doing so we can steal (errr...borrow) ideas from you. When you need an idea, ASK! There are thousands of educators on Twitter from around the world just waiting to share/collaborate. Take advantage of this! #NT2t
A4: I can use twitter to connect with other professionals and learn of new interventions or lesson ideas to incorporate when working with students. #nt2t
I read this somewhere... Teachers also create a hashtag of their own for their classes, so students and teachers can communicate on Twitter as well. None of my teachers did that, but I love that idea. #NT2t - A4
Make a friend, preferably in a nearby room, that you can go to after team planning or after school to ask specific questions. As the team plans, make a note of all the things that you don't know what it is or where to find it, then ask later. #Nt2t
Just ask your team to share and fill in the gaps for you. Also, you are coming in with a fresh perspective and ideas. Don't be afraid to share your ideas. New does NOT mean you should sit there quietly. Veterans Ts can learn from you too! #NT2t
@stephwurking A4 #nt2t#Twitter is the best #collaborative staffroom ever. Magpie ideas from other, ask questions, seek advice etc. Find a resource that you can adapt for your needs. Seek out the experts in your subject- they are on Twitter too.
A4 I think twitter can be a great way to quickly bounce ideas off of others, like these chats! I haven’t specifically used twitter for planning, but I do get great ideas from here. I’ll have to be more intentional about using twitter for planning at some point! #nt2t
Yes, definitely share your ideas or thoughts in planning! There was of course a learning curve at the beginning of the year, but I definitely started speaking up after not too long and my mentor always complimented me on it. #Nt2t
Yes! Find a mentor. When I started back in the mid-90s, my state had a mentorship program. A T in your bldg could be your mentor, they got a bit of extra $, & sub $ was provided so mentor could observe you or you could go out & observe other Ts & discuss. It was great. #nt2t
A3: In leadership class, I would typically pitch a new element using a puppet. I did all of my pre-writing prior to introducing the puppet's problem, but often the script changed with the S's response! Here's a podcast w/more info.
https://t.co/eycopFzndw#nt2t#hooks
I have one that has worked reasonably well-being check it out - #speaknwrite. It was created to discuss how to develop the language skills of English learners in Brazil #NT2T
A4 #NT2t put your resources on Twitter and watch how others give you ideas to develop and adapt. You can see how your one resource can be used in so many ways. #timesaver.
A4: For me, Twitter is more kind of inspiration than planning. 1st of all its #PD. In that way it effects my work & planning too. I've learned so much here: awesome tips for teaching, but mostly help to working on attitude: growing mindset, life long learning. #nt2t
A5) You need to think about how individual plans (and pieces of them) fit into the larger goals for the unit and the course. Backward design can be great for this. #nt2t
A4 #NT2t put your resources on Twitter and watch how others give you ideas to develop and adapt. You can see how your one resource can be used in so many ways. #timesaver.
A5: I most often work on big picture plans, because with my students, my main goal is generalization and carryover of skills from my room to the classroom. #nt2t
A4: I get so many great ideas from my Twitter #PLN; I save them by sharing on my book's FB page and on my blog. My learning growth has exploded since I met Twitter 4 years ago, in year 30 as an educator, so much so that I think my first students kind of got ripped off. #nt2t
A5: Always start with the big picture - your "big idea" and objectives. Without this you can't fill in the details. When you are new, it's so tempting to start with activities...don't do it. You will end up wasting time. #NT2t
A5 #NT2T Congresses, conferences, educational lectures and speeches can never replace the use of #Twitter in education; both for planning and for professional development & #networking goals!
A5 Ideally, big picture planning happens collaboratively and weeks in advance. Details get sorted depending on urgency up to minutes before the lesson, activity, etc. #nt2t
I guess backward design can be extremely helpful here. Think of where you want to be or the learning outcomes so you can better understand how to get there. #NT2T
A5 #NT2T Congresses, conferences, educational lectures and speeches can never replace the use of #Twitter in education; both for planning and for professional development & #networking goals!
A5: mostly you're staying with a "big picture" in mind. "Little details" are difficult to plan in advance. Often they're gut decisions during the teaching process - if you have the feeling what students need right now. #nt2t
A6: Because of the nature of my position, I plan by myself, but collaborate with my students' teachers so that I can support classroom progress. I like to collaborate with teachers so that we are presenting a unified front. #nt2t
My grade level team has a shared unit planner in @SharePoint for big picture planning. Link to more specific documents as needed. Daily planning is individual, though. #nt2t
#NT2T Not used very frequently, but it means an occasion when people come together to discuss (in this case educational matters). Difference w/ conference = that congresses are often bigger (e.g. a world-renowned annual medical congress).
A6) I have done both (individual & team planning). Team planning is great for ensuring that Ss are going to get through same material but each teacher still did that differently (different activities, emphases, etc.). #nt2t
A6: Oh how I wish there'd have been a team to plan with; I did most of mine by myself (Cue the Eric Carmen ballad) ... but I did have a #PLC with the district counselors once a month, so at least I got to share, process, and reflect with them. #nt2t
This is great advice! Everything has to work towards a larger goal. When you start with the big idea, it's easier to adapt activities you like. But it's kind of impossible to figure out an objective if you started with the activities and are trying to make them fit #nt2t
Most schools have this to varying degrees. In addition to a mentor though, it's helpful to also find a friend, and someone who is in the same grade. Sometimes all three of those are the same person, sometimes 2 or 3. #Nt2t
#nt2t#collaborative planning is great, especially when you have #nqt in the team. We use @MicrosoftTeams for this. It has been great to guide colleagues in this way. Through Teams we have then planned individually and provided support/ideas for each other. A6
I did a #mindfulness training and planning session with our LSSPs this spring; we made mindfulness balloons and worked together to individualized ideas and create lessons. It was so much fun! #nt2t
Exactly! Using a big idea first focuses not only your planning, but the kids' learning too. Think of it as a learning/scaffolding step for lesson planning. #NT2t
A6: We planned as a team for reading and math. The pros were that everyone was on the same page and as a 1st year T I had a framework to help me. #nt2t (1/2)
I know my state has a 4 year mentor program, so I'm really looking forward to that! And I'm looking forward to finding those people in my school! #nt2t
Yes. It is good to have different people you can go to for different things though you are fortunate if you have one person you can go to for most anything. :) Sadly, the state mentoring program was killed shortly after I started. :( #nt2t
A6: The cons were that I didn't always understand what was planned (when previous plans were used) and I didn't feel like I had freedom to be flexible within the plan since it was very detailed. It also was difficult when the plan didn't fit what my students needed. #Nt2t (2/2)
This year, I plan to incorporate new technology from the PD I participated in this summer to promote independence and collaboration with my students. #nt2t
Sadly I didn't until almost the end of the year. :( I saw results quickly in my Ss when I finally had the confidence to adapt to their needs rather than follow the plan. The brutal truth is once I resigned I felt like I had nothing to lose and everything to gain. #Nt2t
Always thought that there should have been some training for the mentors so they knew HOW to mentor, not just have someone who was willing to talk to you once in a while. #NT2t
Will be tuning into the World Cup, thanks for the chat, #Nt2t. Please check out @learninate, the (brand new) social network for learning and help to build it!
