8/15/13 Education Update:Planning for Processing Time Yields Deeper Learning:Ten Rookie Mistakes to Avoid

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August 2013 | Volume 55 | Number 8

Planning for Processing Time Yields Deeper Learning Pages 3-3

Ten Rookie Mistakes to Avoid

1. Don't try to teach too much in one day. New teachers often struggle

to balance high expectations for what is engaging, is developmentally

appropriate, and gives students time to process newly learned

material. Gary Rubinstein, math teacher at NYC's Stuyvesant High

School and author of Beyond Survival (2010), advises splitting

lessons originally planned for one day into two-day sequences.

2. Don't teach a lesson without a student activity. Rookies tend to burn

up their planning time (or energy) fretting over the direct instruction

component of their lesson. Rubinstein says to plan the activity first,

even if it occurs last in the lesson. "We can wing direct instruction and

discussion if necessary, but not a thoughtful learning activity."

3. Don't send kids to the office. When the buck stops at the office, this

can become the only thing students respond to. There are no magic

answers for discipline, but this holding pen should be a last resort.

4. Don't allow students to shout out answers. If you want students to listen and respond to one

another, pose thoughtful questions, but then wait for several hands to raise before calling on

volunteers or nonvolunteers. A lively classroom may mask the fact that only a few vocal students are

tuning in.

5. Don't make tests too hard. Rubinstein uses a scale of 1–3 to rank test questions from high to low

priority. When he finishes creating a test, he cuts about 25 percent of it by eliminating low-priority

questions.

6. Don't be indecisive. Teachers make countless decisions daily. Rubinstein says that new teachers

should focus more on answering decisively and less on whether it is a right or wrong answer. If you

make a mistake, reverse it the next day with more decisive language: "I thought that, but now I think

this. Let's move on," advises Rubinstein.

7. Don't tell a student you're calling home. Calls home work best when they are a surprise. Don't give

students a reason to ratchet up bad behavior, a chance to intercept your call, or the impression that

you're all talk if, for some reason, you don't get a chance to follow through with calls home.

8. Don't try to be a buddy. This classic rookie mistake is likely to creep in as the school year

progresses. Rubinstein suggests marking a random day, for instance, some day in February, "to be

the first time you carefully cross the buddy line for a short visit before returning back."

9. Don't dress too casually. It's a misconception that looking like a professional creates barriers

between you and your students.

10. Don't babble. While new teacher nerves might have you rambling, remember this: "The more words

you say, the less value each word has. … Choose your words carefully."

Source: From "The Don'ts and Don'ts of Teaching," by G. Rubinstein, 2012, Educational Leadership,

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8/15/13 Education Update:Planning for Processing Time Yields Deeper Learning:Ten Rookie Mistakes to Avoid

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