On the very first day of my Special Education courses, I
remember a list of important components of a great teacher being generated.
Number one on every list: a great teacher has excellent classroom management
skills. When considering the word “managing” I also go to time management.
Classroom and time management are both key components of successful project
management when undertaking an excursion in project based learning activities.
The teacher is present to teach. The teacher coordinates
the project, provides a contemporary and pertinent topic, and creates an
environment conductive to learning experiences. The students have to think
about time management. How will I divvy up my time allotted to complete
everything we need to successfully complete this project?
Student stress is never productive. We as teachers can
limit this stress and provide project management skills by simply providing the
students with a time table and a rubric of expectations. I think this is where
the number of steps and due dates we use comes into play. Too many steps or
dates become overwhelming and too few become stressful. Consider the needs of
the students in your room, and create groups where students bring different
strengths into the equation. The students could even create a link on their
blog or webpage to help keep track of important dates.
The second most important teacher attribute on that list
we created on my first day in the SPED program: a great teacher is a master of
organization. Lack of organization can lead to chaos, and when undertaking
major project lack of organization can lead to failure. How can we help our
students be better organized? Think about the group itself. Make sure the students
complement each other and consider student strengths. Also, think about how
your group structures coordinate with due dates. Is this a group undertaking,
or is this individual work time?
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