Help for Dip year?

Stressed Scholar

Hi guys
I am currently teaching 4th Class in a primary school in Ireland and am in the dreaded dip year. Unfortunately the veteran teachers are part of their own little clique and tend not to share information or resources. Im sure you are all aware of the hell that is your dip year and it is a rite of passage in many ways, however Im really struggling to come up with resources and new ideas and lesson plans for 4th class in a respectable time frame, and usually spend every waking hour of free time trying to make lesson plans and resources. Unfortunately the guys I completed my HDip with are in different classes, so theres no overlap to share ideas and plans. Im wondering if you guys have any suggestions for different subjects or could share resources/ lesson plans? Im not trying to steal ideas or be lazy here, Im just genuinely at breaking point in terms of stress

pooch90

If you said which subjects in particular that you were finding tough it would be easier to advise. Aim for thematic planning where possible to integrate as many subjects as possible.
The dip year is bloody awful, I feel your pain!

Stressed Scholar

Hi,
Thanks for your quick response. I'm trying to take a thematic approach but I'm finding it difficult to integrate all of the subjects. I spend a lot of time searching the web trying to find ideas for art, music and drama. Some weeks are easier than others depending on the theme.

I am also finding English overwhelming. I enjoy teaching it but I worry that I'm spending too much time on comprehension and reading and not enough time on grammar.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Kathnora

Register on education posts.ie message forum...tons of invaluable ideas are shared by teachers on it.

Redser87

Would you consider a writing workshop approach to English, and teach grammar in mini-lessons?

pooch90

Stressed Scholar wrote: »

Hi,
Thanks for your quick response. I'm trying to take a thematic approach but I'm finding it difficult to integrate all of the subjects. I spend a lot of time searching the web trying to find ideas for art, music and drama. Some weeks are easier than others depending on the theme.

I am also finding English overwhelming. I enjoy teaching it but I worry that I'm spending too much time on comprehension and reading and not enough time on grammar.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I generally take the theme from the Gaeilge and work around it. No need to be overboard, just whichever lessons lend themselves to it.

I find seomra ranga is handy for lesson ideas, particularly art. Music not my forte and I tend to stick to the teacher's manual ideas if there is a music scheme in place.

I was once told 'never just teach drama for the sake of teaching drama' so I use it as an extension of whatever story we are reading/SPHE topic etc. Use it as a methodology a lot too so drama won't be an alien concept when the official lesson commences.

Work the grammar into your comprehension work. You can find the text of the comprehension online, copy it and remove words, delete punctuation etc and make that the grammar element. Could be a cloze procedure either Also a nice lesson to do on the IWB.

forum.educationposts.ie would be a great site for you as mentioned. They have a dedicated dip forum and everything.