[Catalist] Split classes Year 9/10

[Michael McGarry]

Greetings Edward,

I will be officially retiring from WA DoE on Monday March 21 2016. I have always considered that teaching is a vocation and not just a job.

In my about 47 year career teaching secondary school science I found that most students are fine young people who do their very best to learn.
 
Edward, can I clarify what you mean by your statement: "I have been given a split Year 9/10 class for 2016”? 

Can I assume that you mean that you are required to teach science to a class containing a combination of Year 9 and Year 10 science students?

I am familiar with teaching science in small district high schools so I can assume that you are HoD as well as a form/tutorial teacher as well a laboratory technician stock-taking and preparing your own trays of science gear and keeper of science department assessment records and correspondence and writing science administration reports for your Principal.

My first suggestion is that you negotiate with your Principal to be released from your form/tutorial teacher duties and use that freed-up class contact time to prepare for your combined class and trays of science equipment.

My suggestion is that you download my Australian Science (Year Levels 7, 8, 9 and 10) Interactive PDF curriculum modules from the ASTA MOODLE URL: http://moodle.asta.edu.au

I would print my relevant Year 9 science module and have your 9/10 science class work through the Year 9 module (revision for Year 10 students) and also provide all your students with the relevant Year 10 science module.

On my Middle School Science Course web pages on ASTA MOODLE, you can download my science curriculum PDF modules, my common science assessment tasks/tests and science program templates and my curriculum-support documents explaining how I teach constructivist science using my Australian Science (Year Levels 7, 8, 9 and 10) Interactive PDF curriculum modules.

Edward should you require further help to answer with scientifically 'accepted/correct’ science my pre-planned and structured PATHWAYS of Socratic Questions integrated into Learning journeys please contact me via a personal email.

To date about 1500 Australian Science teachers are participating in my Australian Science (Year Levels 7 to 10) curriculum course web pages at the ASTA MOODLE URL.

Edward, All the very best with your successful science teaching career in WA State Government District High Schools,

Mike McGarry
  

> On 25 Jan 2016, at 3:11 PM, MELVILLE Edward [Kojonup District High School] <edward.melville at education.wa.edu.au> wrote:
> 
> Hello Science Teachers,
>  
> I have been given a split Year 9/10 class for 2016. I was wondering how best to go about teaching this. My ideas so far include:
>  
> a) Teaching two differentiated groups (basically a high and low group split).
> b) Teaching the Year 9 curriculum one week and the Year 10 curriculum the next week. This is my least preferred option.
> c) Teaching them separately and giving one year group well structured work while I teach the other.
>  
> I am still only in my second year of teaching and as I work in a small District High School I am again the Head Of Department. I have very little guidance with this type of planning and structuring and only my first year of teaching to fall back on. Any ideas would or thoughts would be greatly appreciated.
>  
> Thanks in advance,
>  
> Edward Melville.
> 
>  
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