Search results matching tags 'education' and 'classroom management'

If you don’t have time to read this post, I’m talking to you (Guest Blog Post)

Anonymous — Sat, 01 Dec 2012 11:51:34 GMT

I’m happy to introduce to you, Michael Roderick, my guest blogger for today. He’s got some really practical ideas on how to manage your time – I think most of us could use a little help in that area. I know I can! Take it away, Michael! ~~~ As a former teacher, I spent a [...]

Getting Organized for Back to School

Anonymous — Thu, 02 Aug 2012 09:00:18 GMT

Just a quick post to share my newest “school supplies” buy! So sad that I can get excited over colorful supplies or organizational tools – this is BOTH! I have been on the lookout to find some ways to tame the “paper monster” that lives in my classroom. In particular, I really [...]

I got new school stuff!!!

Anonymous — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 23:23:43 GMT

Picture it. You’re at Staples (just fill in your favorite teacher store here). You can smell the Crayola…and you know that you’re home! Alright, I know that you all get excited about colorful post-its, new Sharpies and fancy bulletin board borders too. Well, I decided to share about some treasures that I purchased on my [...]

Professional Books for Summer Reading

Anonymous — Thu, 21 Jun 2012 23:50:25 GMT

Okay. I admit it. I have committment issues. Well, not exactly. My husband and I have been together since we were 17. It’s not that type of committment that I’m talking about;) I can’t commit to just ONE book at a time. There. I said it. I read a bit, put it down, pick up [...]

10 Years of Teaching: How Do I Keep My Students Quiet?

Anonymous — Thu, 07 Jun 2012 13:04:59 GMT

Five years ago, I wrote a series of seven articles called “Questions That Will Save Your Career” that still remain among the most visited articles on this site. When I wrote those, I had successfully completed my 5th year in education. This summer, after 10 years, I am revisiting some of these older concepts. Today, I revisit How Do I Keep My Students Quiet?

How Do I Keep My Students Quiet?
How Do I Keep My Students Engaged?
How Do I Keep My Students Interested?
How Do I Keep My Students Learning?
How Do I Keep My Students Away From Me?
How Do I Keep My School Administration Happy?
How Do I Keep My Sanity?
10 Years of Teaching: How

Take Your School Academically From Last to First in State!

Anonymous — Tue, 05 Jun 2012 15:48:44 GMT

Last week, a webinar was held in the state of Washington about changes that must be made in school districts to develop a culture of learning. Kevin Carney from Vail Unified School District of Arizona promoted their concept of its Beyond Textbooks program. Focusing on teaching to the essential state standards through curriculum calendars, classroom [...]

Classroom Discipline 101

Anonymous — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 14:25:18 GMT

A teacher in my school with 18 years of experience has an interesting technique to “enforce” discipline management in her class. Every incoming student has hand-outs on their desk which they must address immediately. No down time, no idle chitchatting before the lesson actually starts and transgressors of this rule are called to order without delay. I have seen other instructors do things differently and suffer the consequences: They sit down at their desk while students are still incoming or they write instructions on the white board with their back turned to the class. Granted, these are high school youngsters who should know how to behave; but a teacher who is not ready to keep them busy from the get go will see their class fall into chaos with frightening speed, especially if the group exceeds 25 teens. It is always much more difficult to recover discipline than to start right away in an orderly fashion.

Without a clear sense of what is expected of them, writing the topics for the whole week on the board is a good way of doing this, juvenile students will inevitably fall into a conversation regarding the merits of the latest musical trend, powder their nose, literally, check their smart phone for messages, exchange jokes accompanied with loud laughter, throw pieces of paper across the room, and generally make a lot of noise that requires strong intervention by the harried teacher. Total time lost: 20 minutes!

Keeping these teens on task is no mean feat; aside from establishing clear rules of conduct and keeping them busy all the time, other personal factors intervene to make the teacher a successful professional: a strong voice, a commanding presence derived from a high self-esteem, greeting students by name as they enter, a well-prepared lesson plan, varied activities for the class, walking around to make sure everybody is on task, words of encouragement to the struggling ones, and, most important, a seating chart. To facilitate learning every student’s name, a fundamental requirement to keep discipline, it is convenient at the beginning of the year to sit them alphabetically; it makes memorizing names much easier. Once this is accomplished, change the order by mixing nerds with slow learners, thus hoping they will work well together.

Caricature of ancient school discipline

We cannot as teachers rule by fear, at any level; we must earn their respect by being courteous with them, no matter what the provocation. I made the mistake once of yelling at a student who was being disrespectful; I wrote him up and sent him to detention. I then called the parents and discovered that the kid was in a foster home and had been diagnosed with emotional disturbance. Feeling quite stupid, the next day I apologized to him and he did the same. I should have known better than to think that it was personal; it never is. Some of these troubled teens will lash out at authority as a reflex action, as they have been abused so often by the same authority figures. Keeping calm and poised is the best way to deal with injurious epithets from a distraught youngster. Whenever possible, include some light humor and kids will see the teacher as a “cool” guy or lady. It will make the classroom a lot easier to deal with. But we must be careful not to give the impression that we are their buddies; that would erode our authority and lead to dangerous consequences.

A Classroom’s Simple Pleasures! Smiling/Laughing Allowed!

Anonymous — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 03:46:28 GMT

After reading Angela Maier’s 12 Things Kids Want from Their Teachers, I thought about the things in my classroom that really make my kids happy. I mean, besides the normal stuff, like getting an education, becoming global learners, using technology, etc… I mean the simple things that help you remember that they are just kids [...]

Reflective Teaching - Free Journal!

Anonymous — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 15:08:00 GMT

Click on reflection page to download.

I think if there is one thing that has made the most impact on my teaching - it would be my reflective practice. At the end of the day I always take a moment to look at how the day went. I do not linger on my answers. Rather, I write down what immediately comes to mind. It does not take long to quickly review your day. Here are some of the benefits of a reflective practice:

your teaching becomes more like research - learning along side the children
attention is given to those areas that might otherwise be overlooked
the social and emotional climate of the classroom is addressed daily
teaching becomes more responsive to the children's current learning needs
you will develop an more observant eye in the classroom
INSTRUCTIONS

To make your own journal - print out how many pages as you will need till the end of the school year.
Hole punch the pages and put them into a notebook.
Use this notebook to keep your thoughts and feelings about how your year is going. I keep mine at home as it can be very personal and I would not want just anyone reading what I write. This way I am free to express feelings of doubt and celebration! I do have a stack at school just in case I am feeling the need to capture my thoughts right after school.

Enjoy!

“Are Our Gifted Children Being Left Behind?”

Anonymous — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 01:49:34 GMT

Have you ever heard the saying, “He/She treats me like a stepchild?” Of course, when it is used, it is not meant to be a compliment. It meant that the stepchild was ignored, while all the biological children were fawned over by the parents. I started thinking about this after I read an article in [...]