Teachers

Matthew Lynch published in Teachers

Teaching Portfolio: Everything You Need to Know

This is a compilation of the highlights of a teacher’s career. In other words, it’s a coherent set of materials that stand for a teacher’s teaching practice as related to student learning. Typically, a teaching portfolio contains:

·         A summary of the teacher’s teaching roles and corresponding responsibilities

·         A teaching statement that includes a concise discussion of the teacher’s teaching objectives, strategies, and methods

·         Evidence of effective teaching

Teachers should start their portfolio with a brief description of their teaching roles and responsibilities along with other non-classroom teaching activities. If they have carried out activities that augment student learning, like advising undergraduate students, tutoring, or mentoring undergraduate researchers, they should include them in their teaching portfolios.

The rest of the teaching portfolio should be structured around the teacher’s teaching statement and a coherent description of objectives for student learning. Basically, the teaching statement summarizes a teacher’s teaching experiences and provides comprehensive examples of the professional’s classroom practices.

Every claim a teacher makes in the teaching statement should be backed by adequate evidence. Items included in this section should ideally be connected to the teacher’s objectives for teaching and learning as explained in the teaching statement.

When creating a teaching portfolio, it’s important to be selective and concise. The teachers should decide how and in what sequence they would present the data they’ve gathered from their colleagues, students, and themselves. Those who are undecided can consider their audience’s perspective and what kind of evidence they’ll find convincing to build their teaching portfolios. The objective should be to choose, arrange, and present the data in a manner that brings the most convincing evidence into focus for the readers. Each piece of evidence that finds a way in the teaching portfolio should serve a purpose and support the teacher’s claim.

Teaching portfolios differ significantly depending on their particular audience, purpose, disciplinary and institutional context, and individual requirements. However, the body of a portfolio is usually about 5 to 8 pages long. It’s followed by appendices that typically take up almost 8 to15 more pages.

For a teacher, a teaching portfolio can offer multiple benefits, such as:

·         Evidence of learning in the teacher’s classroom

·         Documentation of professional development activities

·         Examples of teaching success that can be shared during an interview

·         A story about how the teacher’s teaching has evolved over time

·         Proof of meeting professional criteria for promotion

·         A way of documenting a legacy upon retirement

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Matthew Lynch published in Behavior Management, Teachers

19 Genius Tricks to Encourage Students to Care About Their Personal Appearance

Are you looking for genius ticks to encourage students to care about their personal appearance? If so, keep reading.

1. Praise the learner for being neat, clean, etc.

2. Establish a time to practice hair combing, putting on makeup, shaving, using deodorant, etc.

3. Convey to the learner the social importance of brushing teeth, shampooing hair, bathing, etc. Not only is inadequate hygiene offensive, but other children can be cruel.

4. Give the learner instruction on fastening articles of clothing.

5. Teach the learner how to fasten pieces of clothing when buttons are missing, zippers are broken, etc. (e.g., sewing a button back in place, using a safety pin, etc.).

6. Guide the learner’s hands through the learning experience of zipping, buttoning, and snapping their own clothing.

7. Assist the student in learning those skills appropriate to improve their personal appearance and hygiene.

8. Give the learner oral reminders to fasten their articles of clothing.

9. Fasten pieces of clothing for the learner if they are incapable of fastening.

10. Praise the learner for slowly improving their capacity and ability to fasten pieces of clothing over time rather than expecting total mastery immediately.

11. Praise the learner at regular intervals throughout the day for having pieces of clothing fastened.

12. Give the learner time to practice fastening their articles of clothing. (The clothing needs to be on the learner during practice.)

13. Put visual reminders to fasten pieces of clothing inside restrooms and on the classroom door (e.g., images of zipping, buttoning, and snapping).

14. Do not embarrass the learner by asking them to fasten pieces of clothing in front of peers.

15. Put a full-length mirror in the classroom for the learner to make sure that all of their pieces of clothing are fastened.

16. Give the learner a checklist of pieces of clothing to fasten (e.g., shirt, pants, shoes, coat, etc.). Get the learner to finish the checklist routine (schedule) throughout the day.

17. Get the learner to practice fastening pieces of clothing with oversized zippers, buttons, and snaps. As the learner shows success, slowly lessen the size of the fasteners.

18. Consider using an adaptive behavior management app. Click here to view a list of apps that we recommend.

19. Click here to learn about six bonus strategies for challenging problem behaviors and mastering classroom management.

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Matthew Lynch published in Assessment, Teachers

What are the 5 Ways In Which Education Assessments are Designed?

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Assessments also are used to find personal learner weaknesses and strengths so that educators can provide specialized educational support, educational programming, or social services. Also, assessments are developed by a wide array of groups and people, including educators, district administrators, universities, private companies, state departments of education, and groups that include a combination of these people and institutions. Assessments are designed in a variety of ways for different purposes:

Standardized assessments are developed, administered, and scored in a standard manner. They often utilize a several-choice format, though some include open-ended, short-answer questions. Traditionally, standardized tests featured rows of ovals that learners filled in with a number-two pencil, but the tests are increasingly computer-based. Standardized tests can be administered to large learner populations of the same age or grade level in a state, region, or country, and results can be compared across people and groups of learners.

Standards-referenced or standards-based assessments are created to measure how well learners have learned the specific knowledge and skills described in learning standards. Standardized tests and high-stakes tests are usually based on specific learning standards, and personal schools and educators may develop their  standards-referenced or standards-based assessments.

Common assessments ensure that all educators evaluate learner performance consistently, reliably, and efficiently. Common assessments are used to encourage consistency in teaching and assessment among educators responsible for teaching the same content, e.g., within a grade level, department, or content area. They let educators compare performance results across several classes, courses, schools, and learning experiences. Common assessments have the same format and are administered in consistent ways. For example, educators give learners the same instructions and time to finish the assessment or utilize the same scoring guides to interpret results. Common assessments may be “formative” or “summative.”

Performance assessments usually mandate learners to finish a complex task, such as a writing assignment, science experiment, speech, presentation, performance, or long-term project. Educators will often utilize collaboratively developed common assessments, scoring guides, rubrics, and other methods to assess whether learners’ work shows they have learned what they are expected to learn. Performance assessments may be called “authentic assessments” since some educators consider them more accurate and meaningful evaluations of learning achievement than traditional tests.

Portfolio-based assessments are collections of educational work—for example, assignments, lab results, writing samples, speeches, learner-created films, or art projects compiled by learners and assessed by educators in consistent ways. Portfolio-based assessments are often used to assess a “body of knowledge”—i.e., acquiring diverse knowledge and skills over some time. Portfolio contents can be collected in physical or digital formats, and they are often assessed to decide whether learners have met the required learning standards.

The purpose of an assessment drives the way it is designed, and there are many ways in which assessments can be utilized. A standardized assessment might be a high-stakes assessment. A student learner work portfolio can be used as a formative and summative test. Teacher-created assessments, which may be created by educator teams, are commonly used in a single course or grade level in a school, and these assessments are typically never “high-stakes.”

Screening assessments may be produced by institutions that have researched a specific area of kid development, such as the skills and attributes that a learner should have when entering kindergarten to increase the likelihood that they will be successful, or the pattern of behaviors, strengths, and challenges that suggest a kid has a particular learning disorder. Assessments are created for specialized purposes.

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Matthew Lynch published in Teachers

How To Annotate on Word (Plus Reasons to Learn)

Microsoft Word is one of the most widely used word processing programs, which means it is essential to have the skills to use it properly, including how to annotate on Word. Annotation is the process of adding notes to a document, which can be extremely helpful for reviewing documents, editing text, or adding references. This guide will explain how to annotate on Word, as well as the reasons why learning to annotate is important.

How to Annotate on Word

Annotating on Word is a fairly straightforward process, but there are a few steps you should follow to make sure your annotations are accurate and effective.

First, open the document you need to annotate. You can then select the text you want to annotate using your cursor. Once the text is selected, you can click the “Review” tab and open the “Comments” section. This section allows you to add notes, questions, or suggestions to the text you have selected.

You can also add annotations to a document by highlighting the text you want to annotate. To do this, select the text, click the “Home” tab, and then click the “Highlight” button. This will add a highlight to the text, which you can then add comments to by clicking the “Review” tab and selecting the “Comments” section.

Finally, you can also add annotations to a document by using the “Insert” tab. Here, you can insert a comment box or text box, which can be used to add comments or notes to the document.
Reasons to Learn to Annotate

Annotating on Word is a helpful skill to have for both personal and professional use. In a professional setting, annotation is a useful tool for reviewing documents, making edits, and adding references. It can also be used for tracking changes and offering feedback to colleagues.

On a personal level, annotation can be used to make notes on documents, such as research papers or articles. Annotation can also be used to add questions or comments to documents, which can be helpful for studying or organizing information.

In conclusion, annotation is an important skill to have when using Microsoft Word, and it is fairly easy to learn. Annotation is useful for both professional and personal use and can be helpful for reviewing documents, making edits, adding references, and organizing information.

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Matthew Lynch published in Teachers

How To Add Page Numbers in Excel (With Tips)

Adding page numbers to an Excel spreadsheet can be a useful feature for organizing data and creating reports. Page numbers can help keep track of where certain information is located and make it easier to refer to previous data. They can also be used to separate different parts of a spreadsheet, making it easier to read and understand.
This article will discuss how to add page numbers to an Excel spreadsheet and some tips to help make it easier.

Adding Page Numbers
Adding page numbers to an Excel spreadsheet is fairly straightforward. To do this, you will first need to select the page number cell. This can be done by clicking on the cell you want to add the page number to.

Once the cell is selected, you can go to the Insert tab and select the Page Number button from the Header & Footer group. This will bring up a dialog box that will allow you to choose the type of page number you would like. You can also choose where you would like the page number to appear on your spreadsheet.

Once you have chosen your page number, you can click OK, and the page number will be added to your spreadsheet.

Tips for Adding Page Numbers
These are some tips that can help make adding page numbers to Excel easier:

1. Use a consistent style. Choose the same type of page number and same location for all  your page numbers. This will help make it easier to find the page number when you need it.

2. Add page numbers at the start of each section. This will help create a clear distinction between different sections of your spreadsheet.

3. Add page numbers to the header or footer. This will make the page number easier to see and will help keep it in the same place on each page.

4. Use page numbers to keep track of different parts of your spreadsheet. This can be useful if you need to refer to a certain part of your spreadsheet quickly.

Conclusion
Adding page numbers to an Excel spreadsheet can be a great way to keep your data organized and make it easier to refer to. It is a fairly simple process, and these tips can help make it even easier. Give it a try and see how it can help make your Excel spreadsheets more organized and easier to read. 

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Matthew Lynch published in Teachers

How To Add Double Spacing in Microsoft Word (With FAQs)

Whether you’re drafting a professional document or writing a school paper, double spacing can make the text more legible and easier to read. Microsoft Word makes it easy to add double spacing with a few simple clicks. Here’s how to do it:

Adding Double Spacing
1. Open your Word document.
2. Click the Home tab, then click the Line and Paragraph Spacing button.
3. Select the 2.0 option from the drop-down menu. This will add double spacing to your document.
4. To make sure the double spacing applies to the whole document, press Ctrl + A to select all the text.
5. Click the Line and Paragraph Spacing button again, then select the 2.0 option to apply the setting to all the text.

FAQs

Q: How do I double space in Word for Mac?
A: The process is the same as for Windows. Open your document, click the Home tab, then click the Line and Paragraph Spacing button. Select the 2.0 option from the drop-down menu.

Q: Can I change the line spacing for just a portion of the document?
A: Yes. Highlight the text you want to change, then click the Line and Paragraph Spacing button and select the new option.

Q: How do I change the spacing between paragraphs?
A: Click the Home tab, then click the Paragraph Settings button. In the Paragraph Settings window, you can change the spacing before and after paragraphs.

Q: Can I add triple or quadruple spacing to my document?
A: Yes. Click the Line and Paragraph Spacing button, then select the 3.0 or 4.0 option from the drop-down menu.

Adding double spacing to your Word document is easy. Just follow the steps outlined above, and you’ll have double-spaced text in no time.

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Matthew Lynch published in Education Leadership, Teachers

How to Implement the Eyewitness Testimony Teaching Strategy in Your Classroom

Utilizing a three-column graphic organizer, learners imagine events in their reading as if they were physically present themselves. Learners exchange their accounts with another classmate looking for information they omitted.

Learning Outcomes

  • Reflect
  • Selective rereading
  • Assess
  • Explain

Implementation

  1. After learners have read the content, distribute the three-column Eyewitness Testimonycharts (Click here to access all of our graphic organizer forms).
  2. In the first column, learners record the focus of their eyewitness testimony (e.g., setting, character, interactions between characters).
  3. The middle column is used to record the facts on which the testimony is based. This must focus on facts and details the author provides in the content. Encourage learners to record page and/or paragraph numbers. Prompt learners to attend carefully to descriptive language and essential information so that their versions show fidelity to the author’s content.
  4. The third column is reserved for how each learner imagined this part of the author’s message. Ask learners to include imagined personal details as if they had been there in person.
  5. Ask learners to share their versions with partners without conversation. As they read their partner’s testimony, ask learners to be alert to the specifics that were included and omitted from their versions of the content. Stress that accounts that are incompatible with the facts are deemed “inaccurate” in a court.
  6. Lastly, allow partners to have an opportunity to discuss their findings with each other.
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Matthew Lynch published in Teachers

Substitute Teachers: Everything You Need to Know

These are teachers that temporarily replace full-time teachers if they are unable to show up for work. A school can call a substitute teacher for any teaching position. The job may be for a day, a week, or extend to an entire year. This means the substitute teacher needs to continue with the lessons of the full-time teacher and even handle all duties of the absent teacher, if possible. 

This could include bus duty, lunch duty, handling discipline, keeping the class in order while teaching the provided assignment, and grading assignments. Substitute teachers should be ready to teach any class at a moment’s notice. Thus, such teachers act as educational bridges when regular teachers are absent and can often be subjected to a daily adventure with a new audience.

The qualifications required to become a substitute teacher depends on where an individual lives. Some states offer different permits, licenses, certificates, or authorizations for substitute teachers. Others typically demand a bachelor’s degree but sometimes offer ways or waivers to get around the criteria. 

A few states require some orientation or minimal training for their substitute teachers while some others have criteria related to age (must be 18 years to work in a K-8 setting or 21 years for grades 9-12, etc.) and background checks (such as passing a fingerprint check and/or criminal background check).

Unlike what some may believe, substitute teaching isn’t just about stepping inside a classroom and showing a movie. Instead, it takes a lot of preparation for good substitute teachers to arrive prepared in class and hold their students’ attention while keeping them engaged in the learning process. 

In case there are no lessons left behind, substitute teachers need to be flexible and authoritative to design and implement learning activities that test what the students have learned until now. Though substitute teachers may see a group of students just for an hour, they must remain in control of the class as if it’s their daily job.

It’s vital for substitute teachers to be thick skinned as the students are often much tougher on them than their daily teachers. It’ll also help if they have a good sense of humor, and yet be able to exercise control over a class without being intimidating. Typically, an efficient substitute will leave a note for the returning teacher on the assignments that were completed and a few affirmative aspects about the class, in addition to their name and contact number to help the returning get in touch, if needed.

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Matthew Lynch published in Curriculum & Instruction, Teachers

Lesson Plan: Everything You Need to Know

This refers to a plan that depicts how a lesson is to be organized, presented and specifies the conditions for its success. Before teachers plan their lessons, they’ll need to classify the learning objectives for the class. Next, they should design suitable learning activities and develop strategies to get feedback on student learning.

A lesson plan becomes successful when it integrates and addresses the following three key elements:

·         Goals for student learning

·         Learning/teaching activities

·         Strategies to evaluate student understanding

By specifying concrete goals for student learning, teachers can decide the types of teaching and learning activities they’ll use in class. Additionally, such activities will define how they’ll evaluate whether the desired and planned learning objectives have been achieved.

Teachers preparing their first lesson plans can follow this 6-step method:

1.      Outline learning objectives: This is the first step where teachers need to determine what they want their students to learn and do at the end of class. Once the learning goals are outlined, they should be ranked according to their importance. This will help teachers manage their class time and achieve the more important learning objectives if they’re pressed for time.

2.      Design a creative introduction: This will stimulate students’ interest and encourage them to think. It’ll also help teachers determine students’ knowledge of the subject, or probably, their preconceived ideas about it. Teachers can use diverse approaches when planning their introduction, including a real-world example, personal anecdote, probing question, etc.

3.      Plan the lesson’s main body: This involves planning specific activities and examples (visuals, analogies, etc.) to explain the material and engage students by appealing to diverse learning styles. Teachers should also estimate the time they’ll spend on each example and activity while having a buffer for extended explanation or discussion.

4.      Evaluate understanding: This requires devising strategies and using tools and techniques to check what students are learning, if they’re following the lessons, and if the planned learning goals are achieved.

5.      Using a conclusion and a preview: Teachers should conclude the lesson by summarizing the main points themselves or asking their students to do it orally or in writing. They should also preview the next lesson to encourage students’ interest and help them link the diverse ideas to a larger context.

6.      Set up a realistic timeline to cover the key pointers: This is vital as it shows the teachers’ readiness and flexibility to adapt to the specific classroom environment.

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Matthew Lynch published in Behavior Management, Teachers

20 Ways to Respond to Students Who Throw Temper Tantrums

Are you looking for ways to respond to students who throw temper tantrums? If so, keep reading.

1. Ignore the learner’s temper tantrums. Do not let the learner have their way when crying.

2. Show the learner how to control angry feelings when things do not go their way (e.g., count to 10, say the alphabet, etc.).

3. Make sure you do not give into the learner’s temper tantrums because others are present. Provide consistency at all times.

4. Draft an agreement with the learner stipulating what behavior is required (e.g., dealing with unhappiness appropriately) and which reinforcement will be implemented when the agreement has been met.

5. Give the learner alternative learning activities, games, etc., in case learning activities prove upsetting.

6. Connect with parents, agencies, or appropriate parties to tell them about the problem, identify the cause of the problem, and discuss potential solutions to the problem.

7. Assess the appropriateness of the task to ascertain (a) if the task is too easy, (b) if the task is too complicated, and (c) if the duration of time scheduled to finish the task is sufficient.

8. Connect with parents (e.g., notes home, phone calls, etc.) to disseminate information about the learner’s progress. The parents may reinforce the learner at home for dealing with unhappiness appropriately at school.

9. After telling the learner that they cannot do or have something, explain the reason.

10. Give the learner alternative learning activities to perform in case some learning activities prove upsetting.

11. Praise the learner for dealing with unhappiness appropriately based on the number of times they can be successful. As the learner shows success, slowly increase the amount of time required for reinforcement.

12. Praise those students in the classroom who deal with unhappiness appropriately.

13. Create classroom rules: • Complete every assignment. • Remain in your seat. • Finish tasks. • Meet task expectations. • Raise your hand. Examine rules often. Praise students for following the rules.

14. Talk with the learner to explain(a) that you recognize that they are unhappy and (b) appropriate ways to deal with unhappiness.

15. Praise the learner for dealing with unhappiness appropriately (e.g., orally stating their unhappiness, problem-solving, etc.): (a) give the learner a concrete reward (e.g., privileges such as leading the line, handing out learning materials, 10 minutes of free time, etc.) or (b) give the learner an informal reward (e.g., praise, handshake, smile, etc.).

16. Consider using an adaptive behavior management app. Click here to view a list of apps that we recommend.

17. Click here to learn about six bonus strategies for challenging problem behaviors and mastering classroom management.

18. Consider using a socio-emotional learning app. Click here to view a list of apps that we recommend.

19. Consider using an emotional intelligence app. Click here to view a list of apps that we recommend.

20. Consider using a school counseling app. Click here to view a list of apps that we recommend.

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