I am LaKaito Barr-Miller and teach business, computer applications, and strength & conditioning at Parsons High School. This video discusses surprises, challenges, and successes as a new teacher.
Audio TranscriptAuto-generated
Hey, everybody. I'm
Lao Bar Miller. I'm a teacher at Parsons High School. I teach business,
uh computer applications and strength and conditioning in
business. I teach marketing principles, um,
business essentials, entrepreneurship, sports and entertainment, marketing
and communications.
Um,
the most surprising thing is a new teacher. I came in a few years ago,
um,
you know, during that COVID year,
um
when everybody had to mask up,
um, when we were distance 6 ft apart,
um, you're teaching in class and remote students at the same time.
Um,
that was real surprising. That was, uh,
that, that kind of made me, you know, second guess,
um, what I was doing, you know, when I first started,
um, also, you know, the cell phones in the classroom.
Um,
at first,
um, I saw it as a big distraction
but, um, here within the last couple of years,
kind of figured out how to weaponize that
and use that more as a research tool.
Um, you know, part of my classroom management is we put the phones up in a,
like a calculator cubby.
Um, and then, you know, when we're doing research or looking things up,
you know, allow them to use that for those purposes.
My greatest challenge last semester, last semester
um for
my business essentials class.
Um we started using Sy
Gauge.
Um
I was using personal financial literacy
um and we had Sin
Gauge platform, the Mind Tap platform
um where everything was digital.
Um
you know, you had different assignments and everything.
It was just trying to figure that out
and use that
um
you know, throughout the semester and just kind of,
um,
you know, being able to know before the students and help the students out
um as they use that program,
um the greatest success last semester,
I would, I would say figuring out that mind tap,
um and being able to use it.
Um, you know, not only was it convenient for me,
um and the students because they can access that
here in the classroom or at home.
Um It was also, you know, helpful
um as far as being able to see what,
see their progress as we go through different lessons units.
Um
And also, uh
I, I thought it was, it was great. It was a great tool for, um,
you know, coming up with your lesson plans,
um had good resources for the students for the teacher.
Um So I thought that was great. And also um our marketing class, we do a billboard.
Um
There's a billboard outside the high school and the billboard outside
the middle school that we kind of switch every other semester.
Um and it just kinda i
it's about
the Viking community, you know,
we are Vikings Viking nation and we come up with an idea of what we're going to put on
um
that billboard
and uh
how we're going, you know, what slogan we're gonna use,
how we're going to represent Parsons.
Um So my marketing class last semester
um came up with the idea, we were regional champs in football.
Um
And so they wanted to use that regional football team
and uh come up with the slogan like we are Parsons or,
you know, something along those lines um to trade out for this semester.
Um
The difference between my challenge and my success.
Um
man,
uh you know, uh
when you get a challenge like that and you're trying to learn something new.
Yes.
Um You're trying, like I, like I said earlier,
you're trying to stay ahead of your students.
Um Just so you can kinda
um answer any questions that they may have.
Um
And the success was, you know, being able to
um be persistent and like I said, get further ahead
and totally understand that program to where
um it was like a fluent
um platform used in the classroom, not just for me, but for the students.
Um the state of my current lesson planning process
and are required to show or use of specific lesson plan templates or processes.
Have I developed my own?
Um The first couple of years. Like I said, I,
I used
um some of the lesson plans. I, I don't know if I said this,
I used some of the lesson plans of the um teacher
um
that from the teacher that she left behind.
Um
and they were good plans. She's uh very detail oriented, organized.
Um but it was a little outdated.
Um So,
you know, as I got into year three, going into this year,
um definitely started to update those and change those
plans and make them more of my own.
Um
We used to have to turn in a lesson plan or lesson plans
um to our principal. Um we have since changed
um staff
and we haven't done that yet, but, you know,
we use our professional development days um you know, to be ongoing learners
and uh
you know,
the people that they've brought in have brought in different uh templates,
um different processes um that we've been able to use.
Um We got in our staff hub and Google
um that we can access and um if we need help planning uh a lesson that we,
we have right there
uh in that drive
um
biggest questions and challenges and planning units and lessons of study. Well,
not being a
uh traditional teacher and, you know,
going through, you know, school and just coming out as a teacher and
um
having that experience,
um
you know, the, the things that were tough for me.
Um at first, I mean, I'm getting better. I feel like I'm getting better at it. Um,
was,
um, you know, making sure
the objectives line with the standards and um
educational goals,
um
making sure that my content,
um,
you know, kind of grab the students and gain their interest
and, uh,
you know,
basically trying to relate it to real world uh situations.
Um
Also,
uh trying to differentiate instruction, you know,
not everybody learns the same, you know,
I figured that out
um through trial and error
and data, you know, from uh different assessments.
And so
um just trying to deliver the same lesson, the same content to
20 different students,
you know, making sure they all understand.
Um
I think the benefits I see in high quality lesson planning
would be,
well, one being able to support um each student,
you know, um
each, each different student.
Um again, you know, we all learn differently,
um see things differently.
So just being able to reach those students
and help them understand the content being taught.
Um
you know, being adaptable
um
and reflective, you know, seeing what worked, what didn't work
and uh
you know, getting feedback from your students, you know, seeing what they enjoyed.
Um and maybe what didn't go so well with them, you know, what, what uh
you know, left them with questions.
So
um
I think those are
good benefits because that helps you build an even better lesson plan.
A stronger lesson plan, more complete lesson plan where