Secrets for Secondary School Teachers Read Online Free PDF

an obvious clue: He was working 40 hours a week in a restaurant. No wonder he couldn’t stay awake in class!
    Other information to ask for on the index card might include the following:
•    Goals. What plans do you have for the future? What would you like to do when you graduate? Or, what do you hope to learn from this class? Some teachers like to ask what grade students would like to get as a way to find out something about their expectations for the course.
•    Something you would like me to know about you. One way to provide students with an opportunity to give you information secretly is to ask, “Is there anything you would like me as a teacher to know about you?” This is particularly useful for gaining personal information. Students will write about things that they are not particularly comfortable telling you face to face or in front of other students. Problems are revealed: “I stutter.” “I can’t see from the back of the room.” “I am really nervous about learning to drive.” “My mom just had a new baby and the baby cries all night, so I don’t get very much sleep.”
    You can personalize the questions to fit your subject area as well.
    In a language class, you might be interested in knowing if the students have pets or how many brothers and sisters they have, because these can be topics for future discussion using basic vocabulary. In English, you might ask, “What is the last book you read or the best book you’ve read?” In a history class, you can ask, “What is the last movie or best movie that you’ve seen related to a historical period?” In any class, you might ask, “What would you like to review from last year?”
    The cards quickly provide basic information about your students that will help you to get to know them. They offer an opportunity for your students to tell you some things about themselves in a private, non-threatening manner.
SAMPLE INFORMATION CARD
Cary Jay Kottler Call me Cary. Spanish name: Carlito Born: Nov. 25, 1987 I’m 16.
We speak English at home, although my first language was Spanish when I lived in Peru when I was 2.
My mom works at the school district so I can’t get in trouble. My dad works at the university.
Baseball is the most important thing to me. We’ve won 5 State Championships in a row.
If I can’t play baseball professionally, then I have no clue what I’m going to do.
Besides baseball, I guess I like music, movies, and girls. Once in a while, I will read a book.
I gotta tell you: I’m not crazy about Spanish. Hopefully, you will change that for me.
    Although the information cards can contain a lot of useful information, remember to ask students to write legibly so you can read their answers.
    One time, I (Ellen) misread a boy’s first name and called a girl’s name with his last name. Both of us were quite embarrassed. Sometimes, attendance lists are not provided until the second week of school, so your cards may be the only accurate information you have about who is in your class.
    One nice thing about index cards is that they are easy to handle. In the beginning of the school year, the cards can be organized alphabetically, for taking attendance and recording grades. Later, they can be organized by calendar sequence so you can acknowledge birthdays. Being wished a “Happy Birthday” does much for a student’s self-esteem.
    The back of the cards can be used to keep records of parent contacts. Use the space to write the date, time, and notes about the nature of the conversation.
    I NTRODUCTIONS
    It will take some time to get to know your students individually. A good rule of thumb is to model what you expect of others. If you want students to be open and forthcoming in the ways they present themselves, then you should be prepared to do so as well. Students admire teachers who are not only experts in their subject area but who are also compassionate, caring, accessible, and human. If you want students to be open and honest, then