Lincoln Middle School
Syracuse, Ny
Mr. Miller's 7th Grade Social Studies Class
Professional Semester Student Teaching: Fall 2005
students playing a game
This placement was structured in order to help Social Studies education majors continue to develop our unique methods and personalities as teachers on a professional level. We were to formulate several unit plans and teach our own lessons on a daily basis throughout the 12 week program.
Lincoln Middle School is one of several middle schools in the Syracuse City School District. Working in the city provided its own unique set of challenges and circumstances for me to encounter. I feel that because of this, I have not just grown as a teacher, I have also grown as a person.
Mr. Miller's 7th Grade class focussed on early American History, from exploration until the Civil War. While I was in this classroom I created and taught several units, Geography, Native Americans, Exploration, and Early Colonization, with the Election of 2004 dispersed within. While creating these units, I did so hoping that my students would come out of the experience building a "big picture" concept of what happened during the unit. I also made sure that they understood what makes up culture and what contributes to people being different around the world. The study of culture can be re-focussed to many different time periods in history, and then analyzed to see how it influenced and was influenced by the history around it.
To see unit themes, lesson plans, artifacts and picures, proficiency evidence, and reflections, feel free to click on one or more of the topics below:
Select a Topic
Geography - Where in the World?
What is Culture? - Weslandia lesson
Native American Tribal Research Project
European Exploration and Expansion
During this placement I was lucky enough to begin teaching my own lessons from the second day of classes. My students got to know me as their one and only social studies teacher for the time period i was in their school. This helped me to not only develop my own understanding of social studies education, but also to tailor lessons to my students' personalities and learning styles, develop meaningful assessments, and really get to know what it feels like to teach in my own classroom. The opportunities, challenges, and successes that this placement offered me have taught me more than i could have even imagined and they have built a firm foundation for me to continue to work on in my own classroom. I grew attatched to the students as people, and hope that they grow into the young adults that I know they can be.
My time at Lincoln provided me with an opportunity to see several special events and attend several field trips. The first trip we took the students on was to a ropes course. As they flew 20 feet or more into the air, they were able to learn a lot about themselves, their team, and how to work together to solve problems. I feel that this trip was not only really fun for the students, it started them off working and learning together as a team.
Pictures from the Ropes Course Field Trip
I also accompanied 35 students who received a 90 or above on their report cards to the Museam of Science and Technology. The students saw an IMAX movie and a planetarium show and were able to roam around the museam and take part in several hands on activities. It was a great reward for the students.
On the side, I helped the 7th and 8th grade girls soccer coach work with his team. I attended practices and a few games. This experience showed me that I would really be interested in coaching in the future, and allowed me to get to know other students in the school on a more personal level.