Mr. Rodriguez ( no late work please) 12 hr so 4pm

Sample:

Hannah is a first year English teacher at a charter high school near San Diego. She has been

looking for a job since graduating from her program in May and despite several interviews, was

ultimately not hired until mid-July. The school she will be teaching at begins in early August,

and Hannah feels overwhelmed with the amount of preparation she must complete before the

first day of class. To add to her anxiety, Hannah is currently living in Virginia and will not be

fully moved until the final week of July. Hannah wants to be certain that she does whatever she

can to be prepared for the first day of school, both in terms of her instructional preparation and

her understanding of the school culture and her students.

Suggest a progression that Hannah can follow in order to be as informed as possible by the first

day. What resources should Hannah consult in order to learn about her school and students?

Who should Hannah speak with regarding the English curriculum and her instructional

planning? What methods can Hannah use before she arrives in California to ensure that the

work she has when she arrives is minimized?

Hannah’s anxiety can best be managed by contacting colleagues at her new school with an

existing knowledge of the school and curriculum. In most cases, a school will have some form

of induction program that helps to acclimate new teachers to the campus. The best person for her

to initially contact is her new department head, who can probably give her the most relevant

information regarding curriculum, resources, and teachers within the department who may be

able to help. Additionally, information may be readily available online in terms of the

community where the school is located and the culture of students who attend the school. In

reference to curriculum, it is important that Hannah rely on teachers with existing knowledge of

the program so that she does not feel like she is reinventing the wheel. Even though she is far

away, much of the work she needs to do can be completed through phone calls or by email.

Once she arrives in California, her best step is probably to meet with an existing English teacher

at her grade level to discuss the curriculum and begin formulating her first week.