Teachers Archives - Page 59 of 107

Matthew Lynch published in Classroom Management, Teachers March 28, 2023

24 Advanced Classroom Management Tricks to Try When Your Students Won’t Follow Directions

Are you looking for advanced classroom management tricks to try when your students won’t follow directions? If so, keep reading.

1. Place the learner near the source of information to keep attention (e.g., in the front row or near the speaker in a cooperative learning experience).

2. Make the learner wait until other students begin the task.

3. Get the learner to practice a new skill (e.g., jumping rope, dribbling a basketball) alone, with a peer, or with the teacher before the entire group attempts the learning experience.

4. Organize their surroundings to give the learner increased chances for help or assistance (e.g., peer tutoring, instructions for work sent home, frequent interactions, etc.).

5. 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.

6. Jot down oral instructions. Train the learner to cross each step off as it is finished.

7. Get the learner to explain to the teacher what is to be done to finish the task.

8. Get the learner to demonstrate attention to the source of information by keeping eye contact, keeping hands free from other learning materials, and practicing attending posture.

9. Make the learner wait until the teacher gives a signal to begin (e.g., hand signal, ringing of bell, etc.).

10. Notify individuals who will be spending time with the learner (e.g., substitute teachers, coaches, learning experience sponsors, etc.) about their tendency to begin things before receiving instructions.

11. Provide a signal (e.g., clapping hands, turning lights off and on, etc.) before giving oral instructions.

12. Make appropriate adjustments in their surroundings (e.g., give out learning materials after delivering instructions) to prevent the learner from becoming overly excited or anxious.

13. Make sure the learner achieves success when following instructions.

14. Get the learner to read instructions aloud to ensure instructions are read prior to beginning a task.

15. Provide instructions in an assortment of ways to enable the learner’s comprehension (i.e., if the learner fails to understand oral instructions, present them in written form).

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

17. Assess the degree of task difficulty to ascertain whether the learner will require additional information, time, assistance, etc., before starting a task.

21. Consider using a classroom management app to help the student learn to follow directions and instructions. Click here to view a list of apps that we recommend.

22. Consider using an adaptive behavior management app to help the student learn to follow directions and instructions. Click here to view a list of apps that we recommend.

23. Consider using Alexa to help the student learn to follow directions and instructions. Click here to read an article that we wrote on the subject.

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

Matthew Lynch published in K-12, Teachers March 27, 2023

13 Hacks to Teach Kids to Take Pride in Their Schoolwork

Are you looking for hacks to teach kids to take pride in their school work? If so, keep reading.

1. Get the learner to use a pencil grip (e.g., three-sided foam rubber, etc.) to assist in appropriate positioning of the pencil or pen.

2. Give the learner additional time to perform schoolwork to achieve increased accuracy and quality.

3. Embody appropriate handwriting at all times.

4. Assess the appropriateness of tasks designated if the learner continuously fails to finish tasks with minimal accuracy.

5. Talk regularly with the learner to monitor task performance.

6. Organize their surroundings to give the learner increased chances for help or assistance on academic or homework (e.g., peer tutors, seat the learner near the teacher or aide, etc.).

7. Assess learner performance in an assortment of ways (e.g., have the learner give oral explanations, simulations, physical demonstrations, etc.).

8. Give sufficient repetition and drill to assure minimal accuracy of tasks (i.e., require mastery/minimal accuracy before moving to the next skill level).

9. Make sure that all educators who work with the learner keep consistent expectations of accuracy and quality.

10. Give the learner shorter tasks while increasing accuracy and quality expectations.

11. Select a peer to work with the learner to give an acceptable model for the learner.

12. Do not expect mastery too soon after introducing new information, skills, etc.

13. Consider using assistive technology designed to help students to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder to concentrate. Click here to view list of assistive technology apps that we recommend.

Matthew Lynch published in Teachers March 27, 2023

Corrective Feedback: Everything You Need to Know

This is when a teacher gives students helpful feedback to help them improve in a specific area. Corrective feedback is the communication to a student that’s intended to modify the learner’s behavior or way of thinking to improve learning. It redirects learners and offers support when they make an error. In the context of behavior, there may be a thin line difference between positive and corrective feedback. Positive feedback is the act of describing particular behavior, emphasizing a kid’s strengths and competencies. Corrective feedback is the act of describing the behavior and offering an alternative action, asking what the child could have done differently.

The key benefits of corrective feedback include:

· It makes pupils less defensive. Here, the child is more likely to accept the feedback as help from the teacher instead of criticism.

· Corrective feedback focuses on the solution instead of the individual. It focuses on what the kid can do, not on what the child should have done.

· It gives students options on how to rectify their behavioral skills. They can concentrate on their replacement behavior rather than how they appear to their parents/teachers, or peers.

Corrective feedback can take different forms, some of which include:

Correct answer feedback: The teacher provides the learner with the correct answer. In oral reading instruction, this kind of feedback can be further differentiated as word supply and phonetic emphasis. Multiple studies have shown that supplying the entire word is more useful than the phonetic emphasis in minimizing errors.

Error flagging: This involves highlighting where an error happened when the learner’s response includes multiple components like in mathematics instruction.

Recast: Here, the teacher implicitly reformulates the learner’s errors or provides the correction without directly indicating that the learner’s utterance was incorrect.

Elaborations/explanation: This involves providing additional hints, prompts, or information and may or may not include error flagging or correct answer feedback.

Here’re some effective methods to give corrective feedback.

· Teachers should acknowledge students’ goals. They should share that they know why students are behaving this way before giving the feedback. This helps students know that the teacher is trying to help them.

· Teachers should give students an alternative. They should give proper direction on the best way to behave or act in the given situation.

· Teachers should understand when to communicate in a group or one-on-one because knowing the ideal time to give feedback is crucial. If the teacher embarrasses the students, they’re less likely to receive feedback.

Matthew Lynch published in Teachers March 25, 2023

Pedagogy: Everything You Need to Know

This involves all the activities, techniques, methods, science, art, and strategies that go into the practice of teaching. Pedagogy requires meaningful classroom interactions between students and teachers. The objective is to help pupils build on prior learning and advance skills and attitudes. For teachers, the objective is to present the curriculum in a way that’s relevant to learners’ needs. Shaped by the teacher’s own experiences, pedagogy has to take into consideration the context in which learning takes place and with whom. It’s not about the learning materials used but the strategy and the process adopted to accomplish meaningful cognitive learning.

There’re numerous pedagogies that can help teachers engage students. Here’re some major pedagogical approaches that help pupils acquire higher-order thinking skills and offer a more nuanced comprehension of how their learnings fit into the real world.

Constructivist pedagogy: These teaching strategies help learners comprehend the meaning of their learning materials rather than just passively ingesting content. Instead of focusing on the lesson or subject being taught, teachers are encouraged to concentrate on how the students learn.

Inquiry-based learning: This approach encourages pupils to ask questions and finish research while learning different concepts. It focuses on helping students acquire the skills necessary to build their own ideas and question group members and themselves in a constructive way.

Problem-based learning: Here, learners acquire knowledge by coming up with solutions to real-world problems. As they do, they acquire communication and collaboration skills and knowledge.

Collaborative pedagogy: Collaborative pedagogy declines the notion that pupils can think, write, and learn effectively in isolation. It’s a learner-centered strategy that aims to maximize learning, writing skills, and critical thinking through interpersonal engagement and peer-to-peer interaction.

Integrative pedagogy: Integrative learning refers to the process of establishing connections between experiences and concepts so that skills and information can be applied to complex and novel challenges or issues.

Reflective pedagogy: Reflective pedagogy encourages the teacher to reflect upon assessments, lessons, and projects, with the objective of improving them for future use. Learners are also encouraged to think carefully about their performance on assessments and search for areas where they can improve.

Critical pedagogy: It asserts that issues of democracy and social justice aren’t distinct from acts of learning and teaching. It’s a theory and practice that helps pupils question and challenge widespread practices and beliefs, which help them achieve critical consciousness.

Culturally responsive teaching: It’s a more modern pedagogy that accepts, responds to, and honors fundamental cultures. It strives to provide students from all cultures with equitable access to education.

Matthew Lynch published in K-12, Teachers March 24, 2023

21 Ways to Motivate Kids to Be Prepared for Learning Experiences

Are you looking for ways to motivate kids to be prepared for learning experiences? If so, keep reading.

1. Praise those students who finish their tasks at school during the time given.

2. Make sure that failure to be prepared for designated learning activities results in loss of the chance to take part in learning activities, or give a failing grade for that day’s learning experience.

3. Get the learner to create a routine (schedule) and utilize a weekly schedule. Get the learner to create a chart for daily school tasks to be finished.

4. Make sure that homework is designed to drill learning activities rather than introduce new information.

5. Give the learner a book bag, backpack, etc., to take homework tasks and learning materials to and from home.

6. Do not require the learner to learn more information than they are capable of learning at any time.

7. Find resource staff members from whom the learner may receive additional assistance (e.g., librarian, special education teacher, other staff members with expertise or time to help, etc.).

8. Make sure the learner knows that tasks not finished and turned in on time must still be finished and turned in late.

9. Give the learner written instructions to follow for all designated learning activities.

10. Make positive remarks about school and the importance of finishing tasks.

11. Plan the learner’s time at school so homework will not be appropriate if they take advantage of the school time given to finish tasks.

12. Make sure the learner has all the learning materials appropriate to finish school tasks (e.g., pencils, paper, erasers, etc.).

13. Conference with the learner’s parents to discuss appropriate ways to help their child with school tasks.

14. Limit learning materials needed.

15. Introduce the learner to other resource persons who may be of help in doing homework (e.g., other teachers, the librarian, etc.).

16. Show assignments/tasks in the most attractive and exciting manner possible.

17. Give individual assistance to the learner to help them prepare for designated learning activities (e.g., time set aside during the day, study hall, after school, etc.).

18. Give the learner a list of appropriate learning materials for each learning experience of the day.

19. Give the learner structure for all academic learning activities (e.g., specific instructions, routine (schedule) format for tasks, time units, etc.).

20. Make sure that the learner knows the relationship between unacceptable behavior and the consequences that follow (e.g., forgetting to finish their school tasks will result in a low grade).

21. Consider using an education app to help the student sharpen their organizational skills. Click here to view a list of apps that we recommend.

Matthew Lynch published in Parenting, Teachers March 24, 2023

Summer Slide: Everything You Need to Know

The summer slide occurs when students who have gone on a long break from school begin to gradually forget the knowledge they gained during the school year. It only takes a couple of weeks for the summer slide to start affecting students. However, learning loss doesn’t impact every student equally. Younger students are prone to maximum learning loss because they’re at an important stage in their development. Things like letter knowledge, word reading skills, and decoding are very likely to decay without regular practice, as are math facts such as addition and subtraction.

Also, according to summer slide statistics, some demographics are more susceptible to falling behind than others. For example, kids of under-resourced families are more prone to lose more knowledge during the summer than kids from wealthy families. Kids with learning disabilities are also susceptible to learning loss because, during the summer break, they don’t get the instructional support that they receive throughout the year.

Fortunately, the basic skills aren’t difficult to maintain over the summer break. Parents can use the following ways to keep children engaged in reading and math.

Parents should find something that their kids can read every day. They should encourage children to read online resources while playing on the computer or the comics in the newspaper every day. Kids won’t gain much from summer reading if they’re not enjoying it. Therefore, parents should ensure that children have access to different types of books that they enjoy reading and can fully understand. Parents can ask the librarian at their local library for recommendations based on their kids’ age, interests, or reading level.

Math is another subject that often gets lost over the summer break. Research shows that pupils lose around two months of summer skills over the summer break if they don’t participate in some kinds of activities during it. Here’re some tactics parents can try to incorporate math learning into their children’s summer activities.

· Searching for summer camps that use skills learned in math, such as space or robotics camps.

· Encouraging students to take science- or math-related jobs that will help them improve their academic abilities while learning crucial job skills.

· Encouraging students to tutor others in math subjects they’ve already mastered.

· Letting teens participate in trip-planning actions by calculating fuel needs, figuring out the distance between destinations, or setting a budget.

· Finding ways to incorporate math into day-to-day activities.

· Helping struggling pupils discover remedial summer work they can perform to improve their skills.

Matthew Lynch published in Education Leadership, Teachers March 23, 2023

How to Implement the Stations: Interacting with Multiple Texts Teaching Strategy in Your Classroom

Description

In a station learning activity, small groups of learners move from station to station to read, watch, and interpret a variety of resources that focus on an event, theme, or question from multiple perspectives. Groups of learners spend an allotted amount of time at each station interacting with the material and either answering questions or engaging in a reflective activity. The station’s learning activity works well to launch a new unit or to explore in more depth something learners have already studied. When the instructor selects from different kinds of content—informational texts, poetry, art, photography, maps, video or audio clips—learners can engage with the material utilizing multiple modalities thus allowing them to reach a deeper comprehension of the event, theme, or question than they might by reading or discussing just one or two pieces of contents.

Implementation

Select Texts and Develop Stations: Determine the number of stations you want to have, the amount of time each group will spend at each station, what activities learners will do at each station, and what texts you plan to utilize. Determine the kinds of media you want to use, so learners have multiple access points to engage with the topic. For instance, you may select informational texts, short videos, images, and poetry. Having some variety is ideal. When collecting resources, learners must complete each station learning activity in about the same amount of time, they are ready to move to the next station together. Copy any necessary materials for each station and place them in numbered or labeled folders. Make enough copies of each envelope so that there is one available for each group member to use while they visit each station. Create directions or discussion questions for each station. You may staple these instructions to the station’s folder. Alternatively, you may select a teaching method, such as a 3-2-1 or S-I-T response, that learners complete in their journals during each station. Decide what type of groups you will create for the stations, or whether learners will be able to select their groups. Prepare your classroom, so there are table groups for every station.
Prepare Learners: Tell learners that they will be working with a group to move through a series of stations where they will learn about a specific topic. Explain to learners the instructions for each station and how much time they have to complete the work at each station.
Learners Move through Stations: Assign each group to begin at a different station and ask the groups to move to their first stations. As learners work, circulate to listen in on their conversations or work with struggling groups if they need help comprehending the content or instructions. Tell groups to move to the next station after the allotted amount of time has passed until all of the groups have visited every station.
Debrief the Stations Learning activity: Debrief the learning activity as a class if you have time. Below you will find some sample questions that you can use during your debrief:
- Did you draw any conclusions about the subject from the sources you inspected?
- Where you able to substantiate any of the information?
- What conflicts did you notice among resources?
- At what station did you learn the most, and which was the most challenging? Which did you like the most, and which did you like the least?
- Do you have any questions about any of the stations?

Matthew Lynch published in K-12, Teachers March 22, 2023

17 Interventions for Kids Who Have Trouble Completing Classroom Tasks

Are you looking for interventions for kids who have trouble completing classroom tasks? If so, keep reading.

1. Organize their surroundings to give the learner an increased chance for help or assistance on tasks (e.g., peer tutoring, instructions for work sent home, frequent interactions, etc.).

2. With the learner, chart those tasks that have been finished within the time given.

3. Get the learner to record the time it took them to finish each task to accurately determine how much time is spent on each task.

4. Show one task at a time. As each task is finished, deliver reinforcement along with the presentation of the next task.

5. Get the learner to use a timer to finish tasks within a given period.

6. Create challenges in designated tasks to increase interest and motivation (e.g., cooperative learning strategies, etc.).

7. Give an incentive statement along with an instruction (e.g., “On occasions where you finish your classwork, you may go to lunch.”).

8. Create task rules (e.g., listen to instructions, wait until all oral instructions have been given, ask questions about anything not grasped, make sure you have all the appropriate learning materials, and begin the task when you are sure about what you are supposed to do, etc.).

9. Make sure that the learner knows the relationship between unacceptable behavior and the consequences that follow (e.g., failure to perform or finish classroom tasks will result in a low grade).

10. Inspect the learner’s classwork when they are finished so you can be sure that everything is finished.

11. Praise the learner for beginning, working on, and finishing tasks.

12. Take proactive steps to deal with a learner’s refusal to perform a task to prevent contagion in the classroom (e.g., refrain from arguing with the learner, place the learner at a carrel or other quiet space to work, remove the learner from the group or classroom, etc.).

13. Let the learner have additional time to finish class tasks or homework.

14. Show the learner that work not done during class/work time will have to be done during other times (e.g., recess, break time, leisure time, before/after school, lunchtime, etc.).

15. Follow up a less desirable task with a highly desirable task. Make the learner finish the first to begin the second.

16. Give the learner step-by-step written instructions for finishing class tasks.

17. Consider using an education app to help the student sharpen their organizational skills. Click here to view a list of apps that we recommend.

Matthew Lynch published in Early Childhood, Teachers March 21, 2023

19 Tips for Teaching Kids to Not Interrupt Classmates During Learning Experiences

Are you looking for strategies to teach kids not to interrupt classmates during learning experiences? If so, keep reading.

1. Give constant, positive reinforcement for appropriate behavior. Ignore as many unacceptable behaviors as possible.

2. Make sure that reinforcement is not provided for unacceptable behavior (e.g., making unacceptable remarks, talking to others during quiet activity periods, etc.).

3. Give the learner an easily grasped list of consequences for unacceptable behavior.

4. Get the learner to make a list of consequences associated with regularly occurring behaviors (e.g., By disrupting others, I will be perceived as unmannerly. By behaving aggressively, I will cause people to avoid me.).

5. Provide a predetermined signal (e.g., hand signal, oral signal, etc.) if the learner begins to talk to other students during quiet time.

6. Provide a predetermined signal (e.g., hand signal, oral signal, etc.) when the learner begins to display unacceptable behavior.

7. Give the learner frequent chances to participate, share, etc.

8. Place the learner away from those students they are most likely to bother.

9. Teach the learner to use techniques such as crossing their arms and legs, clinching their fists, and webbing their hands when they feel the urge to speak to others during quiet activity periods.

10. Show learning activities that let the learner be highly active and talkative.

11. Praise the learner for demonstrating appropriate behavior: (a) give the learner a concrete reward (e.g., classroom privileges, passing out learning materials, 10 minutes of free time, etc.) or (b) give the learner an informal reward (e.g., praise, handshake, smile, etc.).

12. Praise the learner for raising their hand to be recognized.

13. Give a full schedule of learning activities. Stop lag time from happening when the learner can bother other students.

14. Praise the learner for working quietly: ( 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.).

15. Give the learner enjoyable learning activities to perform when they finish a task early.

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

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

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

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

Matthew Lynch published in Teachers March 20, 2023

Activities That Teach Students How to Retell

Retelling is an important skill for readers to develop. It involves summarizing a story’s main events and characters in one’s own words. Retelling helps readers remember the story, understand the plot, identify key events, and analyze the characters’ motivations. It’s also a great way to improve language and communication skills. Here are 18 adaptable retelling activities that you can use with learners of all ages and abilities.

1. Story map: Use a graphic organizer or a story map to help learners visualize the main events of the story. They’ll need to identify the setting, characters, problem, solution, and other key details. They can draw or write notes in each section.

2. Character sketch: Focus on the main character(s) and describe their traits, actions, and motivations. Students can create a character sketch or use sticky notes to label the character traits.

3. Rewriting the ending: Challenge learners to rewrite the ending of the story. They can change the outcome, add a twist, or create an alternate ending.

4. Storyboard: Use a storyboard to help learners retell the story visually. They can illustrate the main events and add captions.

5. Puppet show: Create puppets or use finger puppets to act out the story. Learners can practice retelling the story as they perform.

6. Book trailer: Create a book trailer or a short video to promote the story. Students can choose their favorite parts of the story and use images, sounds, and text to create a multimedia experience.

7. Reader’s theater: Practice retelling the story by acting out the scenes as a play. Learners can use scripts, props, and costumes to bring the story to life.

8. Story cubes: Use story cubes or dice to generate random elements of the story, such as characters, settings, or events. Learners can use these elements to retell the story in a new way.

9. Comic strip: Create a comic strip to retell the story. Learners can use speech bubbles, thought bubbles, and captions to convey the story’s main events.

10. Memory game: Create a memory game using key elements from the story. Learners can match character names, images, or quotes from the story.

11. Sequencing: Have learners retell the story in the correct order. They can use index cards or sticky notes to sequence the main events.

12. Cause and effect: Focus on the cause-and-effect relationships in the story. Learners can identify the main events and describe how they lead to the story’s outcome.

13. Storytelling podcast: Create a storytelling podcast or audio recording. Learners can retell the story in their own words, adding sound effects and music to enhance the experience.

14. Book diorama: Create a diorama to showcase the story’s setting and characters. Learners can retell the story as they point out key elements in the diorama.

15. Reader response journal: Have learners write a journal entry in response to the story. They can reflect on their favorite parts of the story, how they felt about the characters, or what they learned from the story.

16. Role-play: Assign learners different roles in the story and have them act out the scenes. They can take turns retelling the story from different perspectives.

17. Comparing stories: Compare and contrast the story with another story. Learners can identify similarities and differences in the plot, characters, themes, or writing style.

18. Retelling games: Play retelling games such as charades, Pictionary, or Apples to Apples. Learners can use their knowledge of the story to communicate with their team members.

Retelling activities can be adapted to fit the needs and interests of each learner. By retelling stories in different ways, learners can develop their comprehension, communication, and creativity skills while having fun.