Georgia State University
TEEMS Interns, in consultation with their mentor should:
A. Preliminary Actions
______1. Read the teacher’s handbook of school rules and system policies
______2. Read about and discuss the Science Department’s policies and safety procedures, with special emphasis on laboratory work.
______3. Examine resources for teaching science including curriculum guides, texts, supplementary materials, media and technology materials including computers and Internet connectivity, software and science equipment.
______4. Visit other science classrooms and other subject area facilities.
5. Visit and interact with personnel in:
_____the media center/media specialist_____the science department including the dept. head
_____the counseling department
_____the principal/assistant principals
_____the lunch room staff
6. Use the TEEMS Calendar to co-plan with your mentor your work this semester at your school. Keep this calendar at the front of the Binder that you use to contain all of your lesson plans, and logs.
7. Keep a Professional Activities Log for the semester. Use the log form provided to keep a record of your experiences throughout the semester. Use the log with your mentor and GSU professor as a tool for discussion and reflection. (You might want to include the log in your portfolio.)
B. Teaching/Learning Inquiries (all of these are required and should become artifacts for your Professional Portfolio)
The following inquiries are designed to provide a framework for collaboration and investigation between you and your mentor. Each inquiry is designed to engage you in one of a number of important aspects of teaching. The purpose of these inquiries is to help you construct ideas about teaching, and working in a partnership with your mentor, to see the wisdom that professional science teachers provide novices in a mentoring situation.
As a intern your role is that of a learner in each of these inquiries. Your mentor will be invaluable to you as you explore the various realms of teaching that these inquiries are designed to foster. There is no special order for carrying out these inquiries. It might be a good idea to outline on the calendar for the semester an initial plan for carrying them out.
_____Inquiry 1: Design a Three Week Unit Plan. The PLAN should be brief and organized on a single page (using the Unit Plan Guide). Each box in the Unit Plan should include the topic for the lesson and how students will be involved with the topic. This is best done collaboratively with your mentor. Note: The Intern is not expected to teach all of the days reflected in the three-week plan. The central purpose of this inquiry is to strengthen the Intern's ability to design coherent instruction.
______Inquiry 2. Mini-Unit. Design a Mini-Unit. Develop a science teaching mini-unit based on the content of one of the courses you are teaching. The mini-unit should consist of at least five lessons, assessment strategies, references, and any ancillary materials (handouts, lab sheets, assignment sheets, etc.).
_____Inquiry 3: Instructional Plan for a Single Lesson. (This should be repeated over the semester, so that you have a lesson analyzed early and late during the semester. You should author your lesson using the lesson plan format of your own design, then you should "analyze" the lesson using the Lesson Analysis form. After you have analyzed the lesson plan, meet with your mentor to discuss your the lesson, and try to incorporate any suggestions prior to when you actually teach the lesson. Since you will be repeating this process, you and your mentor should discuss the evidence that shows how you have grown in your ability to plan lessons.
_____Inquiry 4. Instructional Plan for a Technology Oriented Lesson. Prepare a technology based science lesson (could be an Internet-based activity), and then analyze it using the Lesson Analysis form. Collaborate with your mentor to design a technology lesson that takes into consideration the kind of technology available to you and the goals of the course you and your mentor are teaching. You should then implement the lesson, and use student work and classroom observations to reflect on the lesson. How did it go? What do you think needs to be changed?
_____Inquiry 5. Samples of Assessment Procedures. You should include at least one assessment procedure, although you will no doubt use a variety of procedures this semester. When doing this inquiry, you should link the assessment procedure to the instructional goals to which they are connected. Include student work that is part of the assessment (such as a homework assignment, lab report, or essay). When you include student work, be sure to include a representative sample showing the range of responses to the assessment. Use the Instructional Artifacts Sheet as a cover for these inquiry.
_____Inquiry 6. Videotape of a class. When you do this, you should discuss with your mentor your intent. For example, you might want to illustrate in the video tape how you introduce a laboratory activity (or conduct a post-lab session), how you conduct an EEEP, carry out a class discussion of a science-related social issues (e.g. a Fuzzy), or how you establish an environment of respect and rapport. You can then have your mentor or a your TEEMS Partner use the TEEMS Class Observation Form to give you feedback about the videotaped segment. Please note, that the segment will most likely not include all of the elements on the Class Observation Form. Keep the taped segment within a 15 - 20 minute frame. The product for this inquiry should include TEEMS Class Observation Forms completed either/or by your mentor or TEEMS Partner, and the video tape. You might also want to solicit the help of your TEEMS Partner to do the videotaping.
_____Inquiry 7. Instructional Artifacts of Student Work. You should give careful thought to this through reflection and discussion with your mentor. Student work can include a homework assignment, or an in-class assignment (a laboratory activity, student projects (such as building a model of the cell), an EEEP, a Fuzzy Situation, a Web-based discussion using a bulletin board, such as beseen.com). When you put together samples of student work you should select a small sample (three or four) that reflects that represents the full range of student responses in your class. You should use the Instructional Artifacts Sheet as a "cover page" for your artifacts. The number of different artifacts to include is up to you. You should have at least one.
C. Actions in the Science Classroom
_____1. Keep a "record" of all lesson plans in a binder and make available to your mentor and GSU faculty.
_____2. Teach and/or team teach with your mentor as many science classes as possible.
_____3. Teach your mentor’s full load for at least a two-week period.
_____4. Design a three-week unit plan 9 (see inquiry 1)
_____5. Design, implement and evaluate a science technology-based lesson (see inquiry 3).
_____5. Participate in tutorial or small group teaching.
_____6. Identify techniques to reinforce acceptable student behavior
_____7. Compile a "log" of hints for teaching supplied by the mentor teacher.
_____8. Identify effective strategies for time management.
_____9. Discuss safety issues with your mentor teacher.
_____10. Grade papers and keep the roll.
_____11. Develop assessment measures with assistance of your mentor. (see inquiry 4)
_____12. Develop and carryout laboratory activities.
_____13. Discuss routines of teaching:
_____beginning of class_____rules of student behavior
_____collecting and grading homework
_____ending class
_____14. Prepare special activities such as EEEPs, Fuzzy Situations, demonstrations, bulletin boards.
_____15. Assist your mentor teacher with the development of a web pages
_____16. Develop and carry out one or more Internet-based Lessons plans. (see inquiry 4)
D. Professional Science Teacher Activities
_____1. Observe teachers in other classes and departments.
_____2. Examine the curriculum for the high school science program.
_____3. Find out about teacher and student support services provided by the school.
_____4. Investigate teacher activities in extracurricular school committees or clubs.
_____5. Participate in science department meetings and/or teacher workdays.
_____6. Observe a parent-teacher conference.
_____7. Be on time.
_____8. Dress professionally
E. Additional Goals
The Intern has successfully completed or demonstrated each of the items initialed above.
Mentor Teacher_________________________Date________________
TEEMS Intern _________________________Date________________