Teachers Archives - Page 57 of 107

Matthew Lynch published in Teachers April 7, 2023

Active Teachers: Everything You Need to Know

This refers to teachers who are fully dedicated to education and aim to improve all aspects of education. The skills required to be an active teacher involve more than just prowess in an academic field. Although there’re many different ways to teach effectively, active teachers have several qualities in common. They’re able to adjust their teaching strategies to fit both the material and the students, recognizing that different pupils learn in different ways.

Some top qualities of active teachers include:

Positive: Active teachers should keep their students engaged with a positive attitude. Teaching is most successful when pupils are motivated by the desire to learn instead of by degree requirements or grades. Teachers should remain enthusiastic and allow students to see what’s interesting about their subjects.

Prepared: Active teachers should know the course material. They need to review the key ideas and concepts if they’re unclear about them, particularly if it has been some time since they’ve worked with the topics they’ll be teaching. They should think about how the learning material can be most effectively illustrated and design a strategy. They need to take notes or write an outline to follow during a lecture and prepare their handouts, diagrams, and other aids well in advance.

Organized: Teachers job is to illustrate main points and important context to help learners integrate all of their work for the course. Given that there’s never time to teach everything, active teachers should choose the most important concepts and show students how they’re related. They should explain ideas so students can build on materials they’ve already mastered. They need to show students that what they’re learning now is related to material covered later in the course.

Clear: Active teachers can explain complicated ideas in simple ways. As teachers develop expertise in an academic field, it’s easy to forget that learners may have no prior knowledge of the basic concepts they take for granted. Active teachers should help students comprehend and use new terminology to achieve fluency in the language of their discipline.

Active: Active teachers should keep their students thinking. Unless students actively use the concepts teachers teach, most students will remember just a small fraction of what they learn. A lecture is an effective method to deliver information to a large audience, but it’s ineffective to provide the learners with lasting knowledge and skills. Active teachers should consider some classroom time for activities other than traditional discussions, lectures, or question and answer sessions.

Matthew Lynch published in Teachers April 6, 2023

Why Teachers Should Receive Instructional Coaching Throughout Their Careers

Teaching is a rewarding yet challenging profession that requires ongoing professional development to improve student learning outcomes continually. Many teachers receive professional development opportunities ranging from workshops, webinars, conferences, and various other training programs.

However, one specific type of professional development that is gaining traction and showing promising results is instructional coaching. In this article, we explore why instructional coaching is a critical component to ensure teacher success throughout their careers.

1. Personalized Professional Growth

One significant benefit of instructional coaching is that it provides personalized professional growth for teachers. Unlike traditional professional development, coaches work with individual teachers to identify their areas of strength and weaknesses, assess their teaching practices, and provide targeted feedback and support to help them improve their skills.

Instructional coaching creates personalized professional growth opportunities that align with the teacher’s goals, context, and needs. This approach has a higher impact on teacher learning and skill development than generic, one-size-fits-all training sessions.

2. Ongoing Support

Unlike other traditional professional development formats that have a brief workshop or training session, instructional coaching provides ongoing support for teachers throughout their careers. Coaches work with teachers to help them reflect on their past teaching practices, set goals, establish action plans, and monitor their progress.

The goal is to ensure that teachers continue to grow and develop their teaching practices and sustainably improve student learning outcomes. This consistent support from coaches promotes continuous improvement and effective classroom practices and helps better manage everyday challenges.

3. Collaboration and Reflection

Instructional coaching also promotes collaboration and reflection within the school setting. Coaches work with teachers to identify their areas of need, analyze data, and observe classroom practices. Such coaching supports teachers in identifying their strengths, challenges, and areas for growth.

Teachers can also work together, share resources, and collaborate on projects to enhance their teaching practices and align with the school’s goals and mission. Collaboration and reflection promote a positive and supportive school culture that promotes continuous improvement and professional development.

4. Improved Student Learning Outcomes

One of the significant benefits of instructional coaching is its positive impact on students’ learning outcomes. Instructional coaching provides personalized and ongoing support and collaboration opportunities for teachers to improve their teaching practice.

This coaching leads to significant changes in teachers’ classroom practices that positively impact student learning outcomes. Teachers who receive instructional coaching are better equipped to address student learning challenges and improve their teaching practices, leading to higher student achievement.

Conclusion

Instructional coaching is an excellent form of professional development that provides personalized, ongoing, and collaborative support to teachers. It is an effective way to promote continuous growth and improvement in teaching practice, ultimately leading to higher student learning outcomes.

Teachers who receive instructional coaching enjoy collaborative classroom environments, heightened support from school administrations, and continuous success throughout their careers. They are more confident, competent, and impactful in their community.

Therefore, more school systems should embrace the benefits of instructional coaching to support their teachers’ personal and professional development.

Matthew Lynch published in K-12, Teachers April 6, 2023

21 Genius Tricks for Teaching Students Not to Disturb Others

Are you looking for genius tricks for teaching students not to disturb others? If so, keep reading.

1. Urge the learner to realize that all behavior has negative or positive consequences. Urge the learner to practice behaviors that will lead to positive consequences.

2. Provide visibility to and from the learner to keep their attention when oral questions/instructions are being delivered. The teacher and the learner should be able to see each other at all times. Make eye contact possible at all times.

3. Minimize learning activities that might cause the learner to interrupt or talk out (e.g., announcing test score ranges or test scores aloud, emphasizing the success of a particular learner or students, etc.).

4. Teach the learner to recognize an appropriate time to speak (e.g., when the teacher has finished speaking, after raising their hand, to make remarks within the context of the situation, to make remarks that are a follow-up to what has just been said, etc.).

5. Do not let the learner interrupt you by letting them talk to you at the time they interrupt. Inform the learner that they will need to wait until you are finished talking. Allowing the learner to talk after interrupting reinforces the behavior and may increase the number of times they interrupt others.

6. Do not criticize when correcting the learner; be honest yet compassionate. Never cause the learner to feel negatively about themselves.

7. Make the learner aware of the number of times they interrupt the teacher.

8. Urge the learner to model the behavior of successful peers at not interrupting the teacher.

9. Provide the learner with frequent chances to join conversations with others by allowing him/ her time to talk, asking them to repeat an experience, etc.

10. Talk regularly with the learner to lessen the need for them to interrupt.

11. Attempt to give equal attention to all students in the classroom.

12. Make sure that the learner knows the relationship between unacceptable behavior and the consequences that follow (e.g., others ignoring him/her, hurting others’ feelings, etc.).

13. Show the learner an appropriate way to get someone’s attention without interrupting.

14. Do not interrupt the learner when they are doing something, talking to someone, etc.

15. Make the appropriate adjustments in their surroundings (e.g., lessen peer pressure, academic failure, teasing, etc.) to prevent the learner from experiencing stress, frustration, or anger.

16. Do not let the learner use ADHD as an excuse. Hold the learner responsible for their actions. However, accept the problems that ADHD brings into the learner’s life while they are learning to make accommodations.

17. Make sure the learner knows when it is acceptable to interrupt others (e.g., in an emergency).

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

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

20. Consider using Alexa to help the student learn to behave appropriately. Click here to read an article that we wrote on the subject.

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

Matthew Lynch published in Philosophical Foundations of Education, Teachers April 6, 2023

Student-Centered Philosophies: Everything You Need to Know

This refers to an educational philosophy that emphasizes the education of students based on an individualized curriculum. Student-centered philosophies give students the opportunity to use their experiences and abilities to solve problems and identify new ways of learning. One example of this will be if a math teacher allows the students to work in groups to solve various problems or lets students develop their own tests. With these philosophies, teachers and students are committed to working together and identifying the best achievable learning method.

Three types of student-centered philosophies include:

Progressivism: Progressivism builds the curriculum around students’ interests, abilities, and experiences and encourages them to work together cooperatively. The teacher will use games like Monopoly to illustrate important points. Unlike perennialists, progressivist teachers don’t believe in teaching great books but use field trips, interactive websites, and computer simulations to provide students with realistic learning challenges and build on their multiple intelligences. Teachers use many props to expand students’ abilities and help them think a little differently. Rather than just lecturing to students, teachers try to discover more engaging ways to communicate crucial learning techniques, and this provides students with opportunities to explore ideas and develop knowledge based on their own experiences and observations.

Social reconstructivism: Social reconstructivism promotes students, teachers, and schools to focus their energies and studies on alleviating pervasive inequities. Social reform is central to this kind of philosophy, and social problems and challenges help guide educators with their message. A social reconstructionist educator wants to inform the students and stimulate emotions and identify the inequities surrounding the world and them. The teacher encourages students to discuss and address problems like violence, homelessness, poverty, and many other issues that create disparity. The educator’s role is to discover social problems, suggest alternate perspectives, and help students’ examinations of those problems. The principal focus of this philosophy is to help students identify ways to improve society.

Existentialism: Existentialism places maximum importance on students’ actions, decisions, and perceptions, and individuals are responsible for deciding for themselves what’s right or wrong, true or false, beautiful or ugly. Students make choices and take the time to assess those choices. This philosophy means that pupils think for themselves and are aware of their responsibilities. It says no to tradition and concentrates on students’ unique talents. The teacher considers each student an individual, and the students learn how to achieve their complete potential by trying new concepts.

Matthew Lynch published in Teachers April 5, 2023

6 Key Areas of Middle School Classrooms

Classrooms are one of the most important aspects of middle school life. There are many things that need to be considered when designing a classroom, but six key areas should be the focus.

Noise Levels: It is important to make sure that the noise levels in the classrooms are comfortable for both the students and the teacher. Too much noise can be disruptive, while too little noise can make it difficult for the teacher to get students’ attention.
Size: A classroom should be big enough to accommodate all the students but not too big so that it is difficult to move around.
Furniture: The furniture in a classroom should be comfortable and functional. It should be easy to move around and able to hold all the equipment that the class will need.
Windows and Doors: Windows and doors should be big enough to allow sunlight.
Lighting: The lighting in a classroom should be bright enough to see what the students are doing, but not too bright that it’s difficult to work.
Technology: It is important to have technology in a classroom so that the students can use it to help them learn.

Matthew Lynch published in K-12, Teachers April 5, 2023

23 Ways to Help Students Excel on Learning Experiences That Require Listening

Are you looking for ways to help students excel on learning experiences that require listening? If so, keep reading.

1. Play games designed to teach listening skills (e.g., Simon Says, Red Light-Green Light, Mother May I? etc.).

2. Train the learner to carry a notepad with them at all times and write information down to help them remember.

3. Get the learner to take part in practice learning activities designed to create their listening skills (e.g., following one-, two-, or three-step instructions; listening for the main point; etc.).

4. Show one concept at a time. Make sure the learner knows each concept before presenting the next.

5. Give instructions on a one-to-one basis.

6. Converse with the learner when they do not listen to explain (a) what they are doing wrong (e.g., not listening to directions, explanations, and instructions) and (b) what they must be doing (e.g., listening to directions, explanations, and instructions) and why.

7. Get the learner to practice listening skills by taking notes when directions, explanations, and instructions are presented.

8. Minimize visual and auditory stimuli in and around the classroom that interfere with the learner’s capacity and ability to listen successfully (e.g., close the classroom door and windows, draw the shades, etc.).

9. Show directions, explanations, and instructions as simply and clearly as possible (e.g., “Get your book. Turn to page 29. Do problems 1 through 5.”).

10. Give the learner public announcements, directions, and instructions in written form.

11. Minimize distracting stimuli in the environment (e.g., place the learner on or near the front row, Give the learner a carrel or “office” space away from distractions, etc.). Use this strategy to reduce distracting stimuli, not as a form of punishment.

12. Praise the learner for listening: (a) give the learner a concrete reward (e.g., classroom privileges, 10 minutes of free time, etc.) or (b) give the learner an informal reward (e.g., praise, handshake, smile, etc.).

13. Praise those students in the classroom who listen to directions, explanations, and instructions.

14. Teach information-gathering skills (e.g., listen carefully, write down essential points, ask for clarification, wait until all information is presented before starting a task, etc.).

15. Rephrase directions, explanations, and instructions to enable the learner’s comprehension of what is being presented.

16. Reward the learner for listening. Possible rewards include oral praise (e.g., “You did a great job listening to every step of the instructions!” “You were able to tell me five details.” etc.).

17. Plan essential learning activities , tasks, and lectures at times when the learner is most likely to keep attention (e.g., one hour after medication, 45 minutes after lunch, first thing in the morning, etc.).

18. Teach the learner instruction-following skills (e.g., stop doing other things, listen carefully, write down essential points, wait until all instructions are given, question any instructions not grasped, etc.).

19. Show ideas following the outline of (1) Who, (2) What, (3) Where, (4) On occasions where, (5) How, and (6) Why.

20. Stand directly in front of the learner when delivering directions, explanations, and instructions.

21. Read this article that we wrote on developing listening comprehension skills.

22. Read this article that we wrote explaining why verbal comprehension skills are important to academic success.

23. Read this article that we wrote on what you should do when your child struggles with verbal comprehension.

Matthew Lynch published in Curriculum & Instruction, Teachers April 5, 2023

Socratic Seminars: Everything You Need to Know

This refers to a lecture where teachers act on questions that the students are meant to analyze, answer and critique the answers. In Socratic seminars, students help each other understand the issues, values, and ideas reflected in a text via a group discussion format. They’re responsible for facilitating the group discussion around the ideas in the given text. Students shouldn’t use the discussion to prove an argument or assert their opinions.

The procedure of a Socratic seminar involves the following steps:

Selecting an appropriate text: Socratic seminars are based on close textual analysis, so teachers need to select a text that provides sufficient avenues for discussion and interpretation. If teachers choose a simple text where the meaning is quite straightforward, there won’t be much for the students to interpret and discuss. Also, the text shouldn’t be too long to read closely in the specified amount of time.

Giving students time to prepare: Students must have time to prepare ideas before beginning the seminar. Students should annotate the text prior to the beginning of the class discussion. Teachers often designate a discussion leader who prepares a few open-ended questions that can be used to start the seminar.

Creating a classroom contract: Socratic seminars have rules that might not apply to other forms of discussion. Therefore, everyone must be aware of the norms before beginning the seminar. Some typical rules used to organize a Socratic seminar activity include:

· Talking to each other, not only to the teacher or discussion leader

· Referring to proof from the text to support the ideas

· Asking questions if one doesn’t understand what someone has said

· No interruption

· No putting down the ideas of another student

Before beginning the seminar, teachers also need to remind the students that the seminar’s objective isn’t to prove or debate a point but to more thoroughly comprehend what the author was trying to convey in the text.

The Socratic seminar: The activity often begins with the discussion leader, the teacher or a student, asking an open-ended question. It might take a few minutes for students to warm up. Teachers should allot at least 15 minutes to the activity, and it may often last 30 minutes or more. Students will be able to discuss a text for longer periods of time without requiring teacher intervention as they become more familiar with the format.

Reflecting on and evaluating: After the activity, teachers need to give students the opportunity to assess the process in general and their own performances in particular. Reflecting on the process helps students better their ability to participate in future seminars.

Matthew Lynch published in Teachers April 4, 2023

4 Strategies for Teaching Students How to Revise

There are many strategies for teaching students how to revise. However, the most important thing is to find what works best for your students. Here are four strategies that have worked well for many instructors:

Strategy 1: Teach revision as a process.
One way to help students learn how to revise is to teach revision as a process. This means breaking revision down into smaller, more manageable steps. This will help students see how their work progresses and give them a sense of achievement as they work through the process. Another way to teach revision as a process is to have students work on mini-projects. Finally, it is important to allow students to revise collaboratively. This means allowing them to get feedback from their peers and to learn from their mistakes.

Strategy 2: Encourage students to use revision tools.
Another way to help students learn how to revise is to encourage them to use revision tools. This means providing them with tools that will help them improve their skills. These tools can help students learn how to revise effectively and efficiently.

Strategy 3: Encourage students to revise for the purpose of improving their writing.
Another way to help students learn how to revise is to encourage them to revise for the purpose of improving their writing. This means giving them specific goals to strive for. Some of the best goals to strive for when revising are to improve grammar, sentence structure, and vocabulary.

Strategy 4: Teach revision as a process that leads to a final product.
The final strategy for teaching students how to revise is to teach revision as a process that leads to a final product. This means breaking revision down into smaller, more manageable steps and focusing on the final product. This will help students see how their work progresses and give them a sense of accomplishment as they work through the process.
Finally, it is important to provide students with a sense of satisfaction after they have revised. This means giving them feedback that is positive and encouraging them to continue revision.

Matthew Lynch published in Teachers April 4, 2023

7 Ways to Teach Kids to Manage Their Own Conflicts

There are a variety of ways to help children manage their own conflicts. Here are seven strategies you can use with your kids.

Teach your child how to express their feelings.
It can be helpful to help children learn how to express their feelings in a healthy way. This can help them better understand and manage their conflicts.

Teach them how to compromise.
It can be helpful to teach kids how to compromise. This can help them find solutions that work for both them and the other person involved in the conflict.

Help them learn how to handle anger.
It can be helpful to help children learn how to handle their anger in a healthy way. This can help them better understand and manage their conflicts.

Help them learn how to problem solve.
It can be helpful to teach kids how to problem solve. This can help them find solutions that work for both them and the other person involved in the conflict.

Help them learn how to set boundaries.
It can be helpful to help children learn how to set boundaries. This can help them control their own behavior and avoid getting into conflicts with others.

Help them learn how to apologize.
It can be helpful to teach kids how to apologize. This can help them repair the damage that has been done in a conflict.

Help them learn how to forgive.
It can be helpful to teach kids how to forgive. This can help them move on from the conflict and avoid future conflicts.

Matthew Lynch published in Adaptive Learning, Teachers April 4, 2023

18 Genius Tricks to Encourage Students Not to Make Inappropriate Statements or Sounds

Are you looking for genius tricks to encourage students not to make inappropriate statements or sounds? If so, keep reading.

1. Show the learner the reasons why making unnecessary remarks and noise is not acceptable (e.g., impolite, might hurt others’ feelings, etc.).

2. Take the learner away from the situation until they can demonstrate appropriate behavior.

3. Help the learner find the situations in which they are most likely to talk beyond what is required or at unacceptable times. After they have identified these situations, have them think of ways to minimize their occurrences.

4. Help the learner find the situations in which they are most likely to make unnecessary noise. After they have identified these situations, have them think of ways to minimize their occurrences.

5. Assist the learner in improving concentration skills (e.g., listening to the speaker, taking notes, preparing remarks in advance, making remarks in an appropriate context, etc.).

6. Teach and practice efficient communication skills. These skills include listening, keeping eye contact, and positive body language.

7. Get the learner to work in small groups in which they will have frequent chances to speak. As the learner learns to wait longer for a turn to speak, slowly increase the size of the group.

8. Give the learner many chances for social and academic success.

9. Assess the appropriateness of the social situation concerning the learner’s capacity and ability to function successfully.

10. Get a peer to signal the learner when they make unnecessary noise (e.g., the person can touch the learner’s arm or desk as a signal that they are making unnecessary noise).

11. Draft an agreement with the learner stipulating what behavior is required (e.g., making appropriate remarks) and which reinforcement will be implemented when the agreement has been met.

12. Do not inadvertently reinforce the learner’s unacceptable behavior by laughing when the learner is silly, rude, etc.

13. 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 for the task is sufficient.

14. Urge the learner to model the behavior of successful peers at not interrupting.

15. Consider using a classroom management app. Click here to view a list of apps that we recommend.

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

17. Consider using Alexa to help the student learn to behave appropriately. Click here to read an article that we wrote on the subject.

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