Tag Archives: teaching methods

Departmentalized Teaching

In my previous article, I discussed the teaching method that I encountered during my eighth grade years. I refer to this method as semi-departmentalized. In this article, I will discuss the method that I consider to be complete departmentalized. Most high school and middle school teachers teach using a departmentalized method. In a departmentalized grade, all subjects are taught by a different teacher during a different block of time. For example, one teacher will teach math while different teachers teach English, history, science, and reading. In some cases, reading, spelling, writing, and language arts are all combined into the same … Continue reading →

Semi-Departmentalized Teaching

Through my eight years of teaching, I have encountered several different teaching situations. Classroom set-ups and teaching styles vary greatly from room to room and teacher to teacher. However, the class schedule and subjects taught also come with variety. My first four years of teaching, I taught in a semi-departmentalized setting. This is the name that I labeled it. I have never heard anyone use the term before but it seems to fit nicely. I say semi-departmentalized because there were only two teachers and we shared the subjects that were to be taught. To some extent we were departmentalized because … Continue reading →

Team Teaching

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There are many different teaching styles and methods. The traditional classroom consists of one teacher and a group of students. However, some teachers prefer to teach by other means than this one. Team teaching has also been a popular concept among some educators. Team teaching can occur in many levels and varieties. During some team teaching efforts, one teacher is considered to be the presenter. He or she presents new material to the class. The second teacher floats among the students and checks their work for understanding. In other cases, one of the teachers conducts class and the other pulls … Continue reading →

Learning Center Tips

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I am not an expert at learning centers. However, I do use them in my classroom and on most days they work very nicely. At least one of my centers usually involves a type of art project. The center focuses on skills such as cutting, tracing, or lacing. The other centers usually include a type of writing activity, math activity, and reading activity. On occasion, I have play center with a game or play dough. My centers usually revolve around independent work. However, I sometimes have students complete a team activity. I divide my students into groups. I prefer no … Continue reading →

Learning Centers

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I only recently, a few years ago, began using learning centers in my classroom. I had always wanted to do some type of center work but I was not sure how to manage the students during center time. I observed different classroom settings and talked with teachers that use learning centers successfully. I gave them a try. Now learning centers are used in my room on a weekly, almost daily, basis. A learning center is an activity or group of activities that demonstrates, reinforces, or practices a specific skill. During learning centers, the students are basically responsible for their learning. … Continue reading →