Teachers Archives - Page 58 of 107

Matthew Lynch published in Teachers April 3, 2023

6 Ways to Build a Rapport With Students

There are several ways to build a rapport with students and make them more comfortable with you as a teacher. Here are six tips:

Build a Rapport Through Eye Contact
One of the most important ways to build a rapport with students is through eye contact. When you make eye contact with them, it shows them that you are paying attention to them and that you are interested in what they have to say. This will make them feel more comfortable and trust you more.

Be Friendly and Positive
Another way to build a rapport with students is to be friendly and positive. This will show them that you are a kind person and that you view them as equals. It will also help to defuse any potential hostility or anger that students may have.

Make Sure to Answer Questions Directly
One of the best ways to show students that you are interested in them is to answer their questions directly. This will show them that you are attentive and that you are listening to them. It will also help to build trust between you and the student.

Make Sure to Reflect on What the Student Has Said
One of the best ways to build a rapport with students is to reflect on what they have said. This will show them that you are paying attention to them and that you are interested in what they have to say. It will also help to build trust between you and the student.

Be Polite and Respectful
One of the best ways to build a rapport with students is to be polite and respectful. This will show them that you view them as equals and that you respect their opinions. It will also help to defuse any potential hostility or anger that they may have.

Be Flexible and Patient
One of the best ways to build a rapport with students is to be flexible and patient. This will show them that you are willing to listen to them and that you are not judgmental. It will also help to build trust between you and the student.

Matthew Lynch published in Education Leadership, Teachers April 3, 2023

How to Implement the S-I-T: Surprising, Interesting, Troubling Teaching Strategy in Your Classroom

Description

A learning activity based on the S-I-T method provides a quick and straightforward way for learners to demonstrate their engagement with a piece of content, image, or video. In this learning activity, learners identify what they find surprising, exciting, and troubling about the material. Because the learning activity allows learners to process and articulate a short response, it’s especially useful when learners are encountering content they find shocking or an outcome that is counterintuitive. Having learners complete a S-I-T learning activity can be an effective way to help them prepare for a class discussion in which you want everyone to have something to contribute. It can also be a useful prompt for an exit card at the end of a learning activity about an emotionally challenging historical topic.

Implementation

Select a piece of content, image, or video that you expect learners will find engaging and will want or need to discuss after reading or watching.
After reading, observing, or watching this stimulus, ask each learner to identify the following:
- One surprising fact or idea
- One interesting fact or idea
- One troubling fact or idea
Allow learners to share and debrief their S-I-T responses, either in pairs or as a class discussion. Or collect their answers and read them to find out how learners are feeling about and comprehending the material presented in class.

Matthew Lynch published in Teachers April 2, 2023

Why Teaching Kindness in Schools Is Essential to Reduce Bullying

There is no one-size-fits-all answer to the question of why teaching kindness in schools is essential, but the following five reasons are all valid.

Kindness can help reduce bullying.
Bullying is a problem that affects both students and staff members alike. It can take on many different forms, but it typically involves one or more individuals hurting or insulting others. Acts of kindness can help to reduce the risk of bullying. In fact, a study published in the Professional Psychology journal found that “teaching kindness in schools can reduce bullying in groups by up to 60%.”

Kindness can help students feel more connected to others.
Bullying can make it difficult for students to feel close to others. It can make it difficult for them to build relationships and feel part of a community. Teaching kindness in schools can help them overcome these challenges.

Kindness can help reduce online bullying.
Teaching kindness in schools can help to reduce online bullying. In fact, a study published in the Pediatrics journal found that “teaching kindness in schools can reduce bullying by up to 57%.”

Kindness can help reduce social anxiety.
Social anxiety is a problem that can cause students to feel shy and uncomfortable around others. It can make it difficult for them to connect with others. Teaching kindness in schools can help reduce social anxiety. In fact, a study published in the Social Psychological and Personality Science journal found that “teaching kindness in schools can reduce social anxiety by up to 51%.”

These reasons are all valid for teaching kindness in schools. Teaching kindness can help to reduce bullying, reduce social anxiety, and reduce the spread of bullying.

Matthew Lynch published in Philosophical Foundations of Education, Teachers April 2, 2023

Realism: Everything You Need to Know

This refers to a philosophical school of thought that believes that the material world exists outside of ideas and ideologies. Realism opines that things can be known as they actually are. It aims at building an ability in learners to deal with the problems and get happiness out of life. Realism has both merits and demerits.

The merits of realism include:

· Realism gives emphasis to functional knowledge and practical knowledge. It’s only such type of knowledge that makes an individual successful in life.

· The objectives of education provided by realism may not be highly exalting, but at least they’re very important and useful. It’s a very important aim to develop an adaptable and dynamic mind to cope with life situations.

· Realism provides due importance to science and technology in its scheme of curriculum. Only science and technology can raise the standard of living of millions throughout the world. No country can make progress without utilizing science and technology.

· Heuristic method, Dalton plan, correlation, etc., are all gifts of realism in the arena of teaching methods. All students are expected to investigate for themselves instead of accepting things dogmatically.

· Realism favors emancipationistic and impressionistic types of discipline. According to this, school discipline should be based on sympathy, understanding, and love instead of authority.

· Realism promotes the development of proper attitudes like rational judgment and objective thinking among the students. It also emphasizes sympathy, love, and fellow feeling.

The demerits of realism include:

· Critics opine that realism overlooks the ultimate reality of the spiritual world on account of its passion for the immediate reality of the material world. But the immediate reality as recognized via the senses and interpreted by intellect gets its significance only from the ultimate reality, and the former cannot be isolated from the latter.

· Realism overlooks the importance of imaginations, emotions, etc., which are also highly important in human life.

· According to realism, all the knowledge is gained from experimentation and observation. It doesn’t accept the claims of intuition and meditation as superior sources of getting knowledge.

· Realism excessively emphasizes science and technology and altogether overlooks the importance of the non-material subjects such as art, culture, religion, etc. According to critics, science and technology don’t by themselves have any value unless they act as instruments for developing people’s moral and aesthetic life.

· Realism has no faith in the highest ideals of life and eternal values. It has faith only in the harsh practical aspects of daily life.

Matthew Lynch published in Education Leadership, Teachers April 1, 2023

How to Implement the Save the Last Word for Me Teaching Strategy in Your Classroom

Description

The “save the last word for me” dialogue method requires all learners to participate as both active speakers and active listeners. Working in groups of three, learners follow a pattern of sharing and discussing their responses to a piece of content. By creating a clear format for the discussion, this method encourages reserved learners to share their ideas and ensures that frequent speakers practice being quiet. It can be a useful method for assisting learners in debriefing a reading or film.

Implementation

Select a Text: Identify a reading or excerpt that will catalyze this learning activity.
Learners Read and Respond to Text: Have learners read or view the selected text. Ask learners to highlight three sentences that especially stood out for them and write each sentence on the front of an index card. On the back, they must write a few sentences explaining why they chose that quote—what it meant to them, what it reminded them of, etc.
Learners Share in Groups: Divide the learners into groups of three, labeling one learner A, one B, and the other C in each group. Invite the learners to read one of their chosen quotations to their group. Then learners B and C discuss the quote. What do they think it means? Why do they think these words may be applicable? To whom? After several minutes, ask the A learners to read the back of their card (or to explain why they picked the quotation), thus having “the last word.” This process continues with the B learners sharing and then the C learners.

Modifications

Utilizing Images: This same process can be used with images instead of quotations. You could give learners a collection of posters, paintings, and photographs from the period you are studying and then ask learners to select three images that stand out to them. On the back of an index card, learners must explain why they chose this image and what they think it embodies or why it is essential.
Utilizing Questions: Ask learners to think about three probing questions the content raises for them. Learners answer the question on the back of their card. In small groups, learners select one of their questions for the other two learners to discuss.

Matthew Lynch published in Philosophical Foundations of Education, Teachers April 1, 2023

Philosophy of Education Statement: Everything You Need to Know

This refers to a written description of what is considered to be the best educational approach. It’s a reflective and purposeful essay about a prospective teacher’s teaching beliefs and practices. This individual narrative also includes solid examples of the ways in which the author enacts these beliefs and practices in the classroom.

A philosophy of education statement should comprise an introduction, body, and conclusion. However, there’re specific components that the author needs to include in the statement. These include:

Introduction: This should be the thesis statement where the authors discuss their general beliefs about education and ideals in relation to teaching. One should consider what the pupils will have learned once they depart the class, after having been guided by the person’s teaching philosophy and strategies.

Body: In this section of the statement, the authors should discuss what they see as the ideal classroom environment and how it makes them better teachers, facilitates parent/child interactions, and addresses student needs. This section should also discuss how they’ll facilitate age-appropriate learning and how they’ll involve students in the assessment process. The authors should explain how they’ll put their educational ideals into practice. They should clearly state their goals and objectives for students. This helps the reader understand how their teaching philosophy will play out in the classroom.

Conclusion: In this part, authors should talk about their goals as teachers, how they’ve been able to meet them in the past, and how they can build on those to meet future challenges. They should focus on their personal approach to classroom management and pedagogy and how they wish to advance their careers to support education further. While the authors don’t need to use an official citation style, they should cite their sources.

There’s no right or wrong method to write a philosophy of education statement. However, authors should follow some general rules when writing such a statement.

Keeping it brief: The statement shouldn’t be more than one to two pages.

Using present tense: Authors should write the statement in present tense and in the first person.

Avoiding jargon: Authors should use everyday, common language and not technical terms.

Creating a vivid portrait: Authors should try to write the statement in a way that helps the readers take a mental peek into their classrooms.

Additionally, it’s important to talk about the authors’ personal experiences and beliefs. Authors should also ensure the statement is original and truly describes the philosophy and methods they’ll employ in teaching.

Matthew Lynch published in Teachers March 31, 2023

Interesting Facts About the English Alphabet

Interesting facts about the English alphabet include the following:

1. The English word alphabet comes to us, by way of Latin, from the names of the first two letters of the Greek alphabet, alpha, and beta. These Greek words were, in turn, derived from the original Semitic names for the symbols: Aleph (“ox”) and beth (“house”).

2. The original set of 30 signs, known as the Semitic alphabet, was used in ancient Phoenicia beginning around 1600 BCE.

3. Most scholars believe this alphabet, consisting of signs for consonants only, is the ultimate ancestor of virtually all later alphabets.

4. The most common word in English is THE.

5. The longest word in English which doesn’t use the letter E is floccinaucinihilipilification.

6. Each letter has both a majuscule (major) and a minuscule (minor) version. Many modern conventions such as clear capital letters and spaces between words date back to a system of writing called Carolingian minuscule from around the 10th century.

7. About 100 languages use the same alphabet as English, making it one of the most widely used alphabets in the world.

8. The most common word in English is “the.”

9. The longest word in English, which uses the letter E, is “integrity.”

10. A sentence that contains all 26 letters of the English alphabet is called a pangram. A famous pangram is: “The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.”

Matthew Lynch published in K-12, Teachers March 30, 2023

20 Ways to Teach Students to Peacefully Resolve Conflicts

Are you looking for ways to teach students to peacefully solve conflicts? If so, keep reading.

1. Show the learner that it is natural for conflict situations to happen. What is essential is how they react to the situation.

2. Find typical conflict situations for the learner and discuss appropriate solutions to specific situations (e.g., peers taking things from him/her, peers hitting or grabbing, peers not following the rules, etc.).

3. If the learner has responded improperly to a conflict situation, take time to explore with the learner appropriate solutions that could have been used in solving the problem.

4. Provide mobility throughout the classroom to supervise learner interactions and intervene in conflict situations in which the learner is unable to successfully solve the problems.

5. Intervene early and often when there is a problem to prevent more severe problems from happening.

6. Do not force the learner to interact with someone with whom they are not entirely comfortable.

7. Make sure the learner does not become involved in overstimulating learning activities that may cause a conflict situation.

8. Always treat the learner with the utmost respect. Talk objectively at all times.

9. Teach the learner acceptable ways to express displeasure, anger, frustration, etc.

10. Get the learner to put themselves in someone else’s place (e.g., “How would you feel if someone called you dumb or stupid?”).

11. Do not assume that the learner is being treated nicely by others. Peers may be stimulating the unacceptable behavior of the learner.

12. Urge the learner to interact with others.

13. Do not force the learner to interact with others.

14. Make sure you express your feelings in a socially acceptable way.

15. Teach the learner to think before acting (e.g., they should ask themselves, “What is happening?” “What am I doing?” “What should I do?” “What will be best for me?”).

16. Make sure the learner is allowed to voice an opinion in a situation to avoid becoming angry or upset.

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

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

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

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

Matthew Lynch published in Teachers March 30, 2023

Merit Pay: Everything You Need to Know

This refers to the educational philosophy that suggests that teachers should be paid according to their performance, with the more competent teachers receiving significantly higher pay. Teachers still get the step and lane salary in the merit pay system. The main difference is that one can also earn additional money based on thorough performance evaluations.

Here’re some pros and cons of the merit pay system.

The pros:

· Incentivized teachers will work harder and generate better results. The simple possibility of additional money will most likely translate into smarter teaching and improved results for the children.

· Merit pay system will help recruit and retain the country’s brightest minds. Particularly effective and intelligent teachers may reconsider leaving the profession if they feel that their outstanding efforts will be recognized in their paychecks.

· Merit pay will inspire potential teachers to consider the profession a viable career choice instead of a personal sacrifice for the higher good. The profession will look more credible and modern by joining teaching salaries to performance, thus attracting fresh college graduates to the classroom.

· If the old methods of motivating teachers and running schools aren’t working, probably it’s time to think outside the box and try merit pay.

The cons:

· Many major questions will have to be adequately answered before educators can even consider implementing merit pay for teachers. These deliberations will inevitably take away from the actual goal of focusing on the students and providing them with the best education possible.

· In places that have already tried variations of merit pay system, the results have often been counterproductive and unpleasant competition between teachers. If teachers refrain from working as a team, it may be disastrous for the students.

· High-stakes merit pay systems will naturally encourage corruption and dishonesty. Educators will be financially encouraged to lie about testing and results. Teachers may have valid suspicions of principal favoritism. All these messy issues serve only to distract from the needs of the students who simply need teachers’ attention and energies to succeed in the world.

The largest criticism of the merit pay system is that it’s almost impossible to measure teacher effectiveness, which is the most important component involved in determining extra compensation. Therefore, administrators should devise a thorough and meaningful evaluation system based on transparency and fairness rather than relying on any test to display classroom effectiveness. The evaluation process should be as clear as possible, and educators need to know exactly what’s involved in the review.

Matthew Lynch published in K-12, Teachers March 29, 2023

21 Easy Tips to Organize the Disorganized Student

Looking for some tips on helping your disorganized students get organized? If so, keep reading.

Inform the learner at the end of the class period of learning materials required for specific learning activities the next day (e.g., note sent home, oral reminder, etc.).
Give the learner a schedule of daily activities so that they know what and how much there is to do in a day.
Designate shorter tasks for the learner. As the learner shows success in organizing academic learning activities, slowly increase the length of tasks over time.
Support the learner in beginning each task to lessen impulsive behavior.
Give the learner a checklist (e.g., routine or schedule learning activities, learning materials needed, and steps to follow).
Give the learner stated criteria for acceptable work (e.g., neatness, etc.).
Praise those students in the classroom who are prepared/organized for specific learning activities.
Give the learner more workspace (e.g., a bigger desk or table at which to work).
Give the learner only those learning materials they need to finish a task (e.g., pencil, paper, dictionary, handwriting sample, etc.). Be sure that the learner has only the appropriate learning materials on their desk.
Limit learning materials that need to be kept inside the learner’s desk.
Give the learner the structure for all academic learning activities (e.g., specific instructions, routine/schedule format for tasks, time units, etc.).
Get the learner to keep a task notebook that indicates those learning materials needed for each class.
Give time at several points throughout the day for the learner to organize their learning materials (e.g., before school, beginning of the class period, break time, recess, lunch, end of the day, etc.).
Make sure that the learner is not accidentally reinforced for losing learning materials. Give the learner used learning materials, copies of the learning materials, etc., rather than new learning materials if they fail to care for the learning materials suitably.
Establish a time each week for the learner to organize their locker.
Converse with the learner to explain (a) what they are doing wrong (e.g., failing to bring appropriate learning materials for specific learning activities ) and (b) what they should be doing (e.g., having appropriate learning materials for specific learning activities ).
Require that tasks done incorrectly, for any reason, be redone.
Get the learner to create monthly calendars to keep track of essential activities, due dates, tasks, etc.
Observe the learner while they are doing schoolwork to monitor quality.
Give storage space for learning materials the learner is not using.
Consider using an education app to help the student sharpen their organizational skills. Click here to view a list of apps that we recommend.