Teachers, what can I do to increase my effectiveness in volunteering as a science resource person?

I would appreciate helpful suggestions. For the second year I will be responding to a request to help a 4th grade teacher and a 7th grade teacher (not the teachers I helped last year) by bringing to their classrooms weekly one-hour demonstrations and experiments, principally in the physical sciences. I already know eighty percent of the students. I will do the obvious: read the textbooks, encourage the teachers to choose my topics, and arrive properly prepared with a lesson plan and student worksheets or handouts.

What am I overlooking? What would worry you if I were coming to your class instead of theirs?

M C2007-08-04T14:12:55Z

Favorite Answer

An hour is a long time for a 4th grade demo... especially @ the beginning of the year. Some will need all the time, some will not. I would suggest that you have @ least 2 different levels of worksheets (hopefully not busy sheets) for those that need a challenge as well as those on grade level. For those below grade level I would suggest an aid to help read and follow with them the lesson you are presenting. I would also have some additional material for those that finish first that would keep them busy as to not bother those students still involved with learning.

Anonymous2007-08-04T18:14:49Z

Kids in year 4 have a shorter attention span than kids in year 7.Keep the lessons simple for year4s.