Dr. Wendy Ghiora – Posting #41 – February 27, 2010
This week we will read about our fourth and final candidate for National Teacher of the Year. Let’s continue our quest to find qualities great teachers have that mediocre teachers don't. What are the unique attributes that make these teachers truly outstanding? It is my hope that as we learn from “the best of the best,” we will find at least some of the connecting threads, binding certain qualities and beliefs into something that will clarify our understanding of what makes these individuals truly special and a cut above. Ideally, as we discover these threads, we will be motivated to take our teaching up to a higher level.
Our final candidate is Cynthia Cole Rigsbee.
Cynthia Cole Rigsbee-2009 North Carolina Teacher of the Year
Rigsbee is a sixth through eighth-grade reading teacher at Gravelly Hill Middle School in Efland, North Carolina. She has been an educator at Gravelly Hill, a school of 470 students, for the past three of her 21 years serving as a teacher.
"Teachers are professionals and our citizens need to be aware of the tremendous effort and purposeful thought that go into our jobs daily. And teachers need to better understand how to market themselves and their schools. Sure, attire is important for the "look" of a professional. But what we say when we are in the grocery store and around the neighborhood pool has a great deal of impact on how the public perceives us. Any negativity must stop at the schoolhouse door and be remedied in the important collaboration that occurs in Professional Learning Communities. And as we shift the thinking of others about what we do, eventually we'll influence the thinking of legislators and others who impact education policy."
Ms. Cole is a true professional and she urges all teachers to behave in like manner. Many teachers forget the fact their role in the community is similar to that of a preacher or even a city council member. Indeed, many parents and neighbors view teachers as opinion leaders and as cornerstones of the community. When teachers complain in public or make off-handed remarks about the “horrible kids” they have to deal with everyday, what message does that send to the neighbors? When teachers complain about the stupidity of their boss (the principal) or of the lack of equipment and the poor facilities they have to work with, what is the interpretation going on in the minds of those listening? Should teachers openly convey an attitude of bitterness and inability to cope? As Mary Engelbreit said, “If you don't like something change it; if you can't change it, change the way you think about it. “ Teachers must promote themselves and their career as one of hard-working professionals full of hope and with a large dose of optimism. They alone have been given the wonderful opportunity to change the future for the better by molding one student at a time into the very best he or she can be. Only when teachers stop publicly behaving like disgruntled street urchins, and start behaving like professionals will they get the respect they deserve. Only then will legislators take teachers seriously and become advocates for public education. "People seem not to see that their opinion of the world is also a confession of character." ~Ralph Waldo Emerson, "Worship," The Conduct of Life, 1860
Showing posts with label Best teaching. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Best teaching. Show all posts
Friday, February 26, 2010
Saturday, November 28, 2009
TEACH LIKE A COACH, COACH LIKE A TEACHER PART 1
Dr. Wendy Ghiora – Posting #30 – November 28, 2009
Have you ever noticed how the kids look forward to their P.E. class? Many kids also look forward to team practices after school and on weekends. Maybe there are some valuable lessons we, as classroom teachers can learn from coaches, and maybe coaches can learn a few of our tricks as well.
The Focus
Experienced coaches, like experienced classroom teachers, give students a clear goal for the day at the beginning of class. When a team practice begins, what a good coach does, in effect, is focus their athletes on the task for the day. Inexperienced coaches tend to be sloppy about the way they begin practice. The same can be said for classroom teachers. Experienced teachers, like good coaches, have a goal in mind, and make that the focal point from the moment the class begins.
Students Learn Best at the Beginning and End of Class
Reasearch shows, students are able to absorb more information at the beginning and end of class. This is the reason experienced coaches introduce new material during the first hour of a practice session. Likewise, the best teachers introduce what they expect the students to know and be able to do at the beginning of the lesson.
If that is the way they begin sessions, how do they end them? Both experienced classroom teachers and sport coaches end with applications. For the teacher, review of the day’s lesson can be most effective. For the coach, integrating what was learned into the offensive or defensive system helps drill in information.
One of the easiest and best ways of ending a lesson or a practice is by reviewing (verbally, physically, or visually) what students learned that day and why it will help them. It is even better when students are asked to verbally, physically, or visually tell a fellow student or teammate what they learned that day. This gets the entire class or team engaged and imprints the new knowledge in their memory. They now inherently know they really did learn something new!
Peer Coaching
It has been said, “If you want to learn something, teach it.” Studies indicate that one of the most powerful teaching tools extant is having the students teach one another. Smart coaches often put the upper classmen in charge of teaching the novices, even during the practice. While watching the athletes teach one another, the coach can be carefully listening in on what is being taught as it is being taught. Great classroom teachers use the peer method for teaching everything from learning basic sight words to learning how to take lab notes for a classroom science experiment.
Goal Setting
This can be done far more effectively by involving the athletes or students in the process. For the coach, one of the best ways of motivating the athletes is by including them in the decision-making process in such areas as team organization, practice, uniforms, game strategy, leadership development, and even team rules. With the classroom teacher as facilitator, students can be included in deciding classroom rules, the parameters and requirements of a specific upcoming project in history, or virtually any subject.
Put It In Writing
As we know, there are several learning styles and one student’s best learning strategy, may be different than another’s. In athletics, some players learn best on the court or field, in action, while others will benefit from being able to see diagrams and read text, or watch video with the same information. However, having something written to refer to is your insurance policy. For that reason, coaches should put in writing whatever they are trying to teach. Good teachers also know this, and use a myriad of written resources including: note cards, posters, books and handouts with specific information for the current topic. In testing students who have been taught by video, audiotape, and reading, coaches will find that reading produces the best results. Coaches can derive great use out of a simple booklet describing the most important things they want their athletes to know. The booklet is easy to write and puts all the basic knowledge at the athletes' fingertips.
Stay tuned next week for more ideas on teaching like a coach and coaching like a teacher.
Have you ever noticed how the kids look forward to their P.E. class? Many kids also look forward to team practices after school and on weekends. Maybe there are some valuable lessons we, as classroom teachers can learn from coaches, and maybe coaches can learn a few of our tricks as well.
The Focus
Experienced coaches, like experienced classroom teachers, give students a clear goal for the day at the beginning of class. When a team practice begins, what a good coach does, in effect, is focus their athletes on the task for the day. Inexperienced coaches tend to be sloppy about the way they begin practice. The same can be said for classroom teachers. Experienced teachers, like good coaches, have a goal in mind, and make that the focal point from the moment the class begins.
Students Learn Best at the Beginning and End of Class
Reasearch shows, students are able to absorb more information at the beginning and end of class. This is the reason experienced coaches introduce new material during the first hour of a practice session. Likewise, the best teachers introduce what they expect the students to know and be able to do at the beginning of the lesson.
If that is the way they begin sessions, how do they end them? Both experienced classroom teachers and sport coaches end with applications. For the teacher, review of the day’s lesson can be most effective. For the coach, integrating what was learned into the offensive or defensive system helps drill in information.
One of the easiest and best ways of ending a lesson or a practice is by reviewing (verbally, physically, or visually) what students learned that day and why it will help them. It is even better when students are asked to verbally, physically, or visually tell a fellow student or teammate what they learned that day. This gets the entire class or team engaged and imprints the new knowledge in their memory. They now inherently know they really did learn something new!
Peer Coaching
It has been said, “If you want to learn something, teach it.” Studies indicate that one of the most powerful teaching tools extant is having the students teach one another. Smart coaches often put the upper classmen in charge of teaching the novices, even during the practice. While watching the athletes teach one another, the coach can be carefully listening in on what is being taught as it is being taught. Great classroom teachers use the peer method for teaching everything from learning basic sight words to learning how to take lab notes for a classroom science experiment.
Goal Setting
This can be done far more effectively by involving the athletes or students in the process. For the coach, one of the best ways of motivating the athletes is by including them in the decision-making process in such areas as team organization, practice, uniforms, game strategy, leadership development, and even team rules. With the classroom teacher as facilitator, students can be included in deciding classroom rules, the parameters and requirements of a specific upcoming project in history, or virtually any subject.
Put It In Writing
As we know, there are several learning styles and one student’s best learning strategy, may be different than another’s. In athletics, some players learn best on the court or field, in action, while others will benefit from being able to see diagrams and read text, or watch video with the same information. However, having something written to refer to is your insurance policy. For that reason, coaches should put in writing whatever they are trying to teach. Good teachers also know this, and use a myriad of written resources including: note cards, posters, books and handouts with specific information for the current topic. In testing students who have been taught by video, audiotape, and reading, coaches will find that reading produces the best results. Coaches can derive great use out of a simple booklet describing the most important things they want their athletes to know. The booklet is easy to write and puts all the basic knowledge at the athletes' fingertips.
Stay tuned next week for more ideas on teaching like a coach and coaching like a teacher.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Ingredients for an Engaging Classroom, Looking at the Elements
Dr. Wendy Ghiora – Posting #19 – July 11, 2009
In my June 27 posting, eleven main elements were given that contribute to an engaging classroom. Last week, I discussed items one and two. This week, we will look at items three and four in more detail.
3.- Get students excited about the goal(s) they plan to achieve, individually and as a group.
Students get excited about learning when they experience success. But how will they feel success, if there is no apparent goal or purpose? Therefore, it
is imperative to have specific goals for the class as a whole and for each individual student. A good way to help students visualize goals is through charts and graphs. Students thrive on success. Most enjoy visually seeing the progress they are making as they approach a goal they have set. Teachers are great at creating charts and other phenomenal graphic representations of student progress. These visuals provide students a tangible progress report. For more details on the importance of goals, please read my posting at: http://teaching4achnage.blogspot.com. Scroll down to April 5, 2009. A Real Personalized Assessment.
4.-Make the content relevant and useful.
When a lesson is interesting and relevant to students’ lives, they become engaged. Learning that is interesting and relevant is viewed by students as valuable. How can we make this happen in the classroom? Here is one example. If you are teaching your students how to write a business letter, just having them copy from a template in the grammar book might not arouse much interest. I recommend:
1.- Find out how many of your students would like to get a job. This can be used for grades 5-12. (Yes, elementary school children do yard work, babysitting, dog walking, car washing, etc.)
2.-Explain how a Letter of Introduction can be a useful marketing tool to give them that all-important “edge” in securing a job. It could be passed around their neighborhood or brought to a job interview.
3.-Show them some sample letters and let them go at it.
You will definitely see much more enthusiasm when it’s relevant and useful.
In my June 27 posting, eleven main elements were given that contribute to an engaging classroom. Last week, I discussed items one and two. This week, we will look at items three and four in more detail.
3.- Get students excited about the goal(s) they plan to achieve, individually and as a group.
Students get excited about learning when they experience success. But how will they feel success, if there is no apparent goal or purpose? Therefore, it
is imperative to have specific goals for the class as a whole and for each individual student. A good way to help students visualize goals is through charts and graphs. Students thrive on success. Most enjoy visually seeing the progress they are making as they approach a goal they have set. Teachers are great at creating charts and other phenomenal graphic representations of student progress. These visuals provide students a tangible progress report. For more details on the importance of goals, please read my posting at: http://teaching4achnage.blogspot.com. Scroll down to April 5, 2009. A Real Personalized Assessment.
4.-Make the content relevant and useful.
When a lesson is interesting and relevant to students’ lives, they become engaged. Learning that is interesting and relevant is viewed by students as valuable. How can we make this happen in the classroom? Here is one example. If you are teaching your students how to write a business letter, just having them copy from a template in the grammar book might not arouse much interest. I recommend:
1.- Find out how many of your students would like to get a job. This can be used for grades 5-12. (Yes, elementary school children do yard work, babysitting, dog walking, car washing, etc.)
2.-Explain how a Letter of Introduction can be a useful marketing tool to give them that all-important “edge” in securing a job. It could be passed around their neighborhood or brought to a job interview.
3.-Show them some sample letters and let them go at it.
You will definitely see much more enthusiasm when it’s relevant and useful.
Look for a breakdown of more elements to engage students in my post next weekend.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
CREATING A SAFE AND NURTURING CLASSROOM
Creating a Safe and Nurturing Classroom
No one feels safe if there are sharks swimming in the vicinity. So what can we, as teachers do to create a safe and nurturing classroom environment?
A child comes to school naturally curious. The child’s first experiences at school can and should help foster this curiosity and love of learning. Only students that feel safe will be able to step out of their comfort zone and truly expand and grow emotionally and intellectually. As the teacher, you create the emotional and social climate of safety that makes your classroom a place for optimal learning. Here are some tips to promote your success in this area.
Make your expectations clear and well known to the students at the very beginning of the school year. Introduce, and then model examples of positive and negative behavior in various settings. Ask your students to explain why each behavior is or is not acceptable. Amazingly, they will give you spot on answers. When this occurs, you can model a positive and authentic response to their answer, such as: “Thank you Robert, that shows very good analysis.”
Next, you should have students partner up and practice each skill until it is mastered. While this is going on, you will observe the role-playing activity and consistently provide positive acknowledgement and feedback to the students.
In order to have even more “buy in,” from your students, always include them in the creation of the Classroom Expectations. This is, after all, their class. Students themselves will inevitably come up with behaviors consistent with your expectations. You and the students can work together on acceptable consequences. Throughout this process, focus on the purpose: Creating a Safe and Nurturing Classroom where everyone can and will exceed even their own expectations.
This sounds great, right? We’re not quite done yet. Remember, these are children and young adults. They love to test the limits; it’s in their DNA. The most important thing you can do is respond to misbehavior unemotionally, clearly and consistently. The classroom is the stage where you will prove or disprove your fairness and ability to keep the learning environment positive and safe.
Always focus on the positive. Bees are attracted to honey, and students are attracted to kudos (and I don’t mean the candy bar). Welcome students to your class every day. Use authentic verbal praise frequently. Give students and their parents written recognition, even for small achievements. When you see the entire class really improving on a task or a skill, celebrate!
A safe and nurturing classroom is created by predictability, and predictability is created by consistent behaviors. Finally, don’t be afraid to use your secret weapon, your personality. This is your most powerful teaching tool. You may very well be the only cheerleader in this child’s life; so use your voice, your smile, your kind words and your touch to make each child feel safe and important.
Now we’re ready to roll. Hmmm, where shall we start? Tune in for my Blog next Saturday!
No one feels safe if there are sharks swimming in the vicinity. So what can we, as teachers do to create a safe and nurturing classroom environment?
A child comes to school naturally curious. The child’s first experiences at school can and should help foster this curiosity and love of learning. Only students that feel safe will be able to step out of their comfort zone and truly expand and grow emotionally and intellectually. As the teacher, you create the emotional and social climate of safety that makes your classroom a place for optimal learning. Here are some tips to promote your success in this area.
Make your expectations clear and well known to the students at the very beginning of the school year. Introduce, and then model examples of positive and negative behavior in various settings. Ask your students to explain why each behavior is or is not acceptable. Amazingly, they will give you spot on answers. When this occurs, you can model a positive and authentic response to their answer, such as: “Thank you Robert, that shows very good analysis.”
Next, you should have students partner up and practice each skill until it is mastered. While this is going on, you will observe the role-playing activity and consistently provide positive acknowledgement and feedback to the students.
In order to have even more “buy in,” from your students, always include them in the creation of the Classroom Expectations. This is, after all, their class. Students themselves will inevitably come up with behaviors consistent with your expectations. You and the students can work together on acceptable consequences. Throughout this process, focus on the purpose: Creating a Safe and Nurturing Classroom where everyone can and will exceed even their own expectations.
This sounds great, right? We’re not quite done yet. Remember, these are children and young adults. They love to test the limits; it’s in their DNA. The most important thing you can do is respond to misbehavior unemotionally, clearly and consistently. The classroom is the stage where you will prove or disprove your fairness and ability to keep the learning environment positive and safe.
Always focus on the positive. Bees are attracted to honey, and students are attracted to kudos (and I don’t mean the candy bar). Welcome students to your class every day. Use authentic verbal praise frequently. Give students and their parents written recognition, even for small achievements. When you see the entire class really improving on a task or a skill, celebrate!
A safe and nurturing classroom is created by predictability, and predictability is created by consistent behaviors. Finally, don’t be afraid to use your secret weapon, your personality. This is your most powerful teaching tool. You may very well be the only cheerleader in this child’s life; so use your voice, your smile, your kind words and your touch to make each child feel safe and important.
Now we’re ready to roll. Hmmm, where shall we start? Tune in for my Blog next Saturday!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
