English Teacher - help urgently needed

Audioh8

Hey there and TIA,

I am currently on my first placement for post primary English and I am about to take over a class that are 270 odd pages deep into The Handmaid’s Tale

I feel completely overwhelmed and lost, I feel I have all these resources and theory learned from my first few months of college but lack the actual nous to carry out a lesson. I can’t even begin to think how I can start teaching a lesson, do I read? Do the students read? When do we discuss or take notes?

Is there anyone that could provide some help or guide me somewhere. I am talking basic fundamentals of carrying out a lesson.

byhookorbycrook

Best advice is to talk with the class teacher and see what approaches they suggest, I think. It's shocking that you feel so unprepared, have you a tutor/supervisor who could offer guidance?
In the meantime, perhaps you might find it helpful to google "literature lesson plan." The one below might give you some ideas.

https://www.academia.edu/32320880/Lesson_Plan_in_Literature

lulublue22

Audioh8 wrote: »

Hey there and TIA,

I am currently on my first placement for post primary English and I am about to take over a class that are 270 odd pages deep into The Handmaid’s Tale

I feel completely overwhelmed and lost, I feel I have all these resources and theory learned from my first few months of college but lack the actual nous to carry out a lesson. I can’t even begin to think how I can start teaching a lesson, do I read? Do the students read? When do we discuss or take notes?

Is there anyone that could provide some help or guide me somewhere. I am talking basic fundamentals of carrying out a lesson.

What I will say is that it’s normal to feel unprepared no matter how prepared you are - you quickly realise that college is a bit like the foundations of a house - good foundations are a must but there is an awful lot more to do. Teaching is all about developing and honing your skills. A key element of teaching is learning on the job - be open to advice , ask for advice from the class teacher and most importantly learn from those lessons which did not go well. Be kind to yourself - you will have fab lessons and not so fab enjoy the fab ones learn from the not so fab ones. Best of luck !

ETA - the class teacher is your port of call here - what theme do they want you to focus on 1st do they have a list of quotes that highlight each thene ? Do they set exam questions? Is thete a companion book that outlines themes etc - do they do grammer work ? If they are 270 page in they have a system up and running follow that system.
As a primary teacher who takes a lot of students - the worst thing is when they come in and go off on a solo run and upend any systems / practices that are in place. Make sure you know about any issues in the class - both in terms of needs and behaviour - if there is no option in your course to observe ask can you do so .

mirrorwall14

Audioh8 wrote: »

Hey there and TIA,

I am currently on my first placement for post primary English and I am about to take over a class that are 270 odd pages deep into The Handmaid’s Tale

I feel completely overwhelmed and lost, I feel I have all these resources and theory learned from my first few months of college but lack the actual nous to carry out a lesson. I can’t even begin to think how I can start teaching a lesson, do I read? Do the students read? When do we discuss or take notes?

Is there anyone that could provide some help or guide me somewhere. I am talking basic fundamentals of carrying out a lesson.

If they are 270 pages in then definitely talk to the class teacher about how it is being presented. Can you sit in? Observation is brilliant for seeing how it’s being done and learning. College is great, I love the foundations analogy. Now you have to build your own house but you need help!

marialouise

When observing, did you take any notes, to see how the teacher was approaching the lesson?
Have you seen any lesson plans of the class teacher? Is there a scheme of work for the coming lessons? What does the teacher want to cover? What do the students need to be able to do?

I'm a trainee too (secondary English but as an acquired language as I'm abroad) and there isn't a scheme of work or any lesson plans, but the class teacher has been giving me practical advice on how to approach the lessons and what I could do differently the next time.

It's never going to be perfect in the beginning, all you can do is reflect after each lesson on what could have gone better and try and change that the next time, and keep going.

I echo the other posters comments: do not try to reinvent the wheel or overhaul what the teacher has been doing. Keep the transition seamless for the students and for the class teacher.

I find I have to read up so much on each and every lesson I teach, so that I can be confident in what exactly I'm teaching, which I expect will be the norm for the first few years. If it's your first time doing the Handmaid's tale, how do you feel about it yourself?

There are a few resources on TES which boost your confidence on the themes etc. Have a read of the curriculum and any past exam papers to see what students might be asked, which might help inform your lesson planning.

Do not panic. The students won't know the difference between reading it out loud in class with a different person at the front of the room so don't worry about that. Have a chat with the teacher and see how they usually handle these lessons.

dno7239

Hi I am an English teacher and my advice is similar, ask your cooperating teacher what they want you to cover etc. I’ve never taught it but if I was doing it as my single text I would do an opening activity then read it in class and a bit of group work towards the end of class (if one hour classes). You could use an audiobook. However, it is quite a long book so if it is being used for the comparative I’d read key scenes in class and then set some chapters to read for homework and use summary notes as well. See if you can download sparknotes or Lit Charts and there’s a great pack on The Handmaids Tale with characters, quotes and themes. Also, if you join Post Primary English Teachers on Facebook there are loads of resources. Additionally, TES.co.uk and Teachie.co.uk Best of luck, we have all been there but it will get easier

Bobtheman

The handmaid's tale is feminist propaganda. Don't panic. If it's a single text they just have to know the story very well plus characters and themes. Bound to be tons of study guides out there. It's months until the LC. Don't panic

AndrewJRenko

Bobtheman wrote: »

The handmaid's tale is feminist propaganda.

Wait till you hear what goes in in religion class Bob. Indeed, in religious schools in general.