Goals for 2nd semester

This is a rebuilding year as our school has switched to a new bell schedule that affects pacing and instructional time. I am looking to bring in some new activities WWI- present, especially for decolonization. Suggestions are welcome

I will be trying out the Climate course again this spring, so I'll be digging into those materials and piecing together a plan that works for my students and our schedule. I'm sure I'll be leaning on the community a great deal in those months!

As we approach the second semester, my goal is to shift away from relying too heavily on direct instruction. When I have a well-behaved class and management isn’t an issue, I find myself leaning on this method because I enjoy it, the storytelling, even a bit of a performance. But I’ve realized that just because I’m teaching doesn’t always mean students are truly learning.

I want to focus more on building skills through activities that spiral learning and challenge students to apply their knowledge. Simulations like the Black Death, Silk Road, and Peace Talks have been engaging and effective, and I’d love to incorporate more of those throughout the course. My goal is to create an environment where students are actively doing and discovering, not just listening.

I am in the same boat as you Drew. One goal I have for the second semester is to enhance student engagement by incorporating more active learning strategies into my lessons. Whether it's through collaborative projects, thought-provoking discussions, or interactive activities like role-plays or simulations. I want to move away from direct instruction.  Last year I used OER Projects Cuban Missile Simulation https://www.oerproject.com/OER-Materials/OER-Media/PDFs/1200/Unit8/Simulation-Cold-War-Crisis?Id=144200&share=link and students really enjoyed it. We also do a mock trial and I want to make some tweaks to that as well. 

 Shauna Aningo   may I ask who is the defendant in your mock trial? My students really got into the trial of Genghis Khan earlier in the course so I told them I would try to figure out a way we could do another, similar activity second semester. 

Happy New Year Anne -The question I pose to students is this: Is violence justified in order to overthrow imperialists and gain independence? Students will already have learned about Gandhi and India's fight for independence this provides an opportunity for comparison.

The defendant is Dedan Kimathi, a representative of the Mau Mau from our case study of Kenya, and the plaintiff is the British Colonial Government on behalf of the European settlers in Kenya.

I can imagine your students enjoy themselves. My students really enjoy it, take it very seriously, and come up with some persuasive arguments. I am also thinking about doing one when we get to our Vietnam unit, but I have not put anything together yet. 

Thanks for the question, Mike Weisensel  - my goal for the second semester is to figure out ways to engage students and assess their learning in ways that are less time-consuming for me - pursuing the ever-elusive "work-life balance" - without resorting to more direct instruction and multiple choice tests.  Wish me luck!

Shauna Aningo I am intrigued! I hadn't thought about incorporating colonial resistance - it sounds like a great idea. Would you be able to direct me to any resources that you found especially helpful in setting up this activity? Thank you!

Best of luck, Carrie Emmerson . When you find some strategies that work, will you share them?

Teachers are constantly trying to "find center" over and over again!

Using more of those one-page graphic bios.  My students seem to really like them, they cover almost every topic,, and they share some unique voices in history.