Dr. Wendy Ghiora
Posting #101 – January 17, 2012
In about two weeks, you’ll be receiving your child’s first semester grades. If you even suspect there may be problems, such as lower grades than you anticipated, now is the time to act. As soon as school reconvenes, call and schedule appointments with your child’s teachers.
Be proactive. Begin the meeting by thanking the teacher for all the hard work she has done with your child. Do your homework and be prepared with specific questions. These are some I recommend:
1. What are my child's strengths?
If the only news you return with is about your child's deficits weaknesses (i.e. attention span, engagement, effort), your child can be left with feelings of failure and inadequacy. A balanced report gives you, the parent, a good second perspective from an objective teacher's point of view. This question also gives you valuable information about how the teacher sees your child.
It can tell you much about the farsightedness or nearsightedness of the teacher. Does she see his strengths and is she capable of articulating them by providing specific examples? Or is she always looking at problems and limitations?
2. What are the major goals other than academics that are addressed in the classroom?
Is there a focus on something besides test scores, benchmarks and grades?
Other goals could include: higher level thinking, cooperation, leadership, responsibility, application, in-depth analysis and being able to see several sides of an issue. Are these skills being covered? Where is your child in regards to these areas?
3. How are my child's social skills?
Do people like him? Does he make and have friends or is he seen as a bully? How does she handle adversity and social conflict at school? Ask for specific examples of what the teacher is seeing, don't accept generalizations or judgmental labels. You want to know how the teacher really views your child when the grades are set aside.
4. Is my child working to the best of his ability?
How is progress measured? If my child is currently behind in any assignments, what are they, and how can he make them up? How can I monitor my child's completion of assignments on a daily basis?
5.What type of learner is my child (visual, auditory, kinesthetic, tactile)?
How does she accommodate differences in learning? How does she differentiate lessons to meet the needs of all learners?
6. What standardized tests will be administered this year?
How much class time will be devoted to preparing students for them?
7. How can I support your teaching program at home?
What can we do at home to support you? What does he need to work on and how can I help? Get specific feedback, such as "has difficulty combining sentences" or "has difficulty summarizing stories," as well as specific information about how you can tackle any issues.
8. How can we engage in timely communication?
What is the best way to keep in touch with the teacher (telephone, email)? Let the teacher know you are an important part of her team. Ensure the teacher you have a common purpose; to help your child realize his potential as a student and a productive member of society.
By being proactive and creating situations, you do not have to wait for the bad ones to come and force you to react.
Anonymous
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Saturday, December 10, 2011
LITTLE KNOW FACTS ABOUT THE AMERICAN TEACHER
Dr. Wendy Ghiora – Posting #100 – December 10, 2011
Have you ever thought about becoming a teacher? I found it to be an extremely rewarding job, not so much financially, but spiritually. I believe becoming a teacher is definitely a “calling”. Unfortunately, it is more and more difficult these days to entice college students to pursue teaching careers and to retain the ones that began to teach, but just couldn’t continue.
Here are a few possible reasons for this dilemma:
• Teachers work an average of ten hours per day
• 46 percent of teachers quit before their fifth year of teaching.
• Teachers cannot afford to buy a home in 32 metropolitan areas
• Over 92 percent of American teachers spend their own money on their students or their classrooms each year.
• 62 percent of teachers have second jobs outside of the classroom
Most teachers I have worked with during my 25 + years as a teacher and principal in various public schools, work long hours for not enough pay. They sometimes neglect themselves and their own families in order to do the best they can for their students. Teachers cannot take a break or go out for lunch whenever they want. By the time students are walked out to the lunch area, teachers have about twenty minutes to guzzle down their food and get the classroom set up for the next activity for the students. When teachers are absent, classroom production decreases. And by the way, teachers are not paid for the two months of summer vacation. Teachers cannot afford to have a bad day; they always need to be "on." Not many jobs are this demanding in so many ways and on so many levels.
Is it possible for teachers to gain the respect, recognition and paycheck they deserve for arguably the most important job there is? If you have any ideas on this, I’d love to hear them.
Modern cynics and skeptics see no harm in paying those to whom they entrust the minds of their children a smaller wage than is paid to those to whom they entrust the care of their plumbing.
John F. Kennedy
Have you ever thought about becoming a teacher? I found it to be an extremely rewarding job, not so much financially, but spiritually. I believe becoming a teacher is definitely a “calling”. Unfortunately, it is more and more difficult these days to entice college students to pursue teaching careers and to retain the ones that began to teach, but just couldn’t continue.
Here are a few possible reasons for this dilemma:
• Teachers work an average of ten hours per day
• 46 percent of teachers quit before their fifth year of teaching.
• Teachers cannot afford to buy a home in 32 metropolitan areas
• Over 92 percent of American teachers spend their own money on their students or their classrooms each year.
• 62 percent of teachers have second jobs outside of the classroom
Most teachers I have worked with during my 25 + years as a teacher and principal in various public schools, work long hours for not enough pay. They sometimes neglect themselves and their own families in order to do the best they can for their students. Teachers cannot take a break or go out for lunch whenever they want. By the time students are walked out to the lunch area, teachers have about twenty minutes to guzzle down their food and get the classroom set up for the next activity for the students. When teachers are absent, classroom production decreases. And by the way, teachers are not paid for the two months of summer vacation. Teachers cannot afford to have a bad day; they always need to be "on." Not many jobs are this demanding in so many ways and on so many levels.
Is it possible for teachers to gain the respect, recognition and paycheck they deserve for arguably the most important job there is? If you have any ideas on this, I’d love to hear them.
Modern cynics and skeptics see no harm in paying those to whom they entrust the minds of their children a smaller wage than is paid to those to whom they entrust the care of their plumbing.
John F. Kennedy
Saturday, November 5, 2011
YOUR SENTENCE: EXHILARATING OR DEATH INDUCING?
Dr. Wendy Ghiora – Posting #99 – November 5, 2011
Have you ever been forced to listen to a monotone, boring, and oh so irritating instructor teach a class? I’m guessing most of you are nodding your head up and down. On the other hand, do you remember a teacher who was so interesting, you hung onto every word? You don't have to subject your students to cruel and unusual punishment. Here are seven principles for getting your students from a reclining and slouching position right up to the edge of their chairs.
If you don’t want to be guilty of this cruel and unusual punishment, here are a ew tips for teaching or presenting information to an audience.
1. Know Your Stuff
This one may sound obvious; but you’d be amazed how many times instructors attempt to “teach” a class simply by reading the slides to the class. Other instructors actually make slides from the textbook students have already been asked to read as homework and then do a “replay” during class.
It is very poor form to attempt to teach a subject about which you have minimal understanding. You must know your content well. It also enhances the learning experience for students if you have some real life, practical experiences and stories related to the subject, you can share with them. For example, if you teach American History, know more about why Lincoln wanted to end slavery than is in the textbook.
2. Let your students (or audience) in on the “Secret”
Tell your students what they are about to learn during this class period. Clue them in as to what it is they will be able to do as a result of the lesson. That’s right. Why on earth would you want to keep it a secret? For example, "Students, tomorrow you will be introduced to some of the latest scientific knowledge about space. Did you know, they found another solar system in the making? What does it mean? Do we now know how this earth came into being?"
3. Present a Clear Lesson Through Connections
Use directness, clarity and creativeness to get the main point of the lesson across with understanding and relevance. Try different methods throughout the year to keep it lively and interesting. For example, an economics teacher could split the class into groups of 3-4 students. Each group would be given a “virtual” check for $25,000. They would be told to research various stocks and bonds and then “purchase” $25,000 worth of their selections. The groups would be responsible for tracking their “investments” on a daily and weekly basis. At the end of six weeks, each group would share the investment outcome with the class.
4. Check for Understanding through Student Application
Have students practice the new skill they have just learned. Assign various problems for them to solve. Have them work with a partner to share and check each other’s work.
5. Work the Room
Standing in one spot doesn’t allow you to “hear” what’s going on. Walk around and listen to what the partners are saying to each other. Watch how they apply the newly learned skill to the problem at hand. Then you will know what they have actually understood and learned. You can also interact and connect with the students while working the room. Working the room is also good class management. More work happens in the group you are close to.
6. Lighten Up
Life is too short to not laugh a bit… so be sure to have some fun. Research shows that students need some sort of stimulation every 10 to 15 minutes, so do your best to keep them interested, smiling and wide awake. But never make any student, or yourself, the brunt of the humor. You will lose respect.
7. Conduct a Reflection Time at the End of Each Class
At the end of each lesson, take a few moments and have partners explain to each other what concept or skill they have learned and how they can apply it. Then ask for volunteers to share out to the whole class what either they or their partner has said.
Now, you as the teacher or presenter will know how well you did. Not only is this the perfect way to evaluate yourself as a teacher, it also enables your students to re-affirm and “take home” the new knowledge they have acquired.
Get ready for your newly awakened audience. They will look forward to learning something new each day, and gain confidence and pleasure when allowed to apply their knowledge.
Have you ever been forced to listen to a monotone, boring, and oh so irritating instructor teach a class? I’m guessing most of you are nodding your head up and down. On the other hand, do you remember a teacher who was so interesting, you hung onto every word? You don't have to subject your students to cruel and unusual punishment. Here are seven principles for getting your students from a reclining and slouching position right up to the edge of their chairs.
If you don’t want to be guilty of this cruel and unusual punishment, here are a ew tips for teaching or presenting information to an audience.
1. Know Your Stuff
This one may sound obvious; but you’d be amazed how many times instructors attempt to “teach” a class simply by reading the slides to the class. Other instructors actually make slides from the textbook students have already been asked to read as homework and then do a “replay” during class.
It is very poor form to attempt to teach a subject about which you have minimal understanding. You must know your content well. It also enhances the learning experience for students if you have some real life, practical experiences and stories related to the subject, you can share with them. For example, if you teach American History, know more about why Lincoln wanted to end slavery than is in the textbook.
2. Let your students (or audience) in on the “Secret”
Tell your students what they are about to learn during this class period. Clue them in as to what it is they will be able to do as a result of the lesson. That’s right. Why on earth would you want to keep it a secret? For example, "Students, tomorrow you will be introduced to some of the latest scientific knowledge about space. Did you know, they found another solar system in the making? What does it mean? Do we now know how this earth came into being?"
3. Present a Clear Lesson Through Connections
Use directness, clarity and creativeness to get the main point of the lesson across with understanding and relevance. Try different methods throughout the year to keep it lively and interesting. For example, an economics teacher could split the class into groups of 3-4 students. Each group would be given a “virtual” check for $25,000. They would be told to research various stocks and bonds and then “purchase” $25,000 worth of their selections. The groups would be responsible for tracking their “investments” on a daily and weekly basis. At the end of six weeks, each group would share the investment outcome with the class.
4. Check for Understanding through Student Application
Have students practice the new skill they have just learned. Assign various problems for them to solve. Have them work with a partner to share and check each other’s work.
5. Work the Room
Standing in one spot doesn’t allow you to “hear” what’s going on. Walk around and listen to what the partners are saying to each other. Watch how they apply the newly learned skill to the problem at hand. Then you will know what they have actually understood and learned. You can also interact and connect with the students while working the room. Working the room is also good class management. More work happens in the group you are close to.
6. Lighten Up
Life is too short to not laugh a bit… so be sure to have some fun. Research shows that students need some sort of stimulation every 10 to 15 minutes, so do your best to keep them interested, smiling and wide awake. But never make any student, or yourself, the brunt of the humor. You will lose respect.
7. Conduct a Reflection Time at the End of Each Class
At the end of each lesson, take a few moments and have partners explain to each other what concept or skill they have learned and how they can apply it. Then ask for volunteers to share out to the whole class what either they or their partner has said.
Now, you as the teacher or presenter will know how well you did. Not only is this the perfect way to evaluate yourself as a teacher, it also enables your students to re-affirm and “take home” the new knowledge they have acquired.
Get ready for your newly awakened audience. They will look forward to learning something new each day, and gain confidence and pleasure when allowed to apply their knowledge.
Saturday, October 8, 2011
STEVE JOBS TEACHES US
Dr. Wendy Ghiora – Posting #98 – October 8, 2011
We lost a great teacher a few days ago. His name was Steve Jobs. Most of us know him as a young genius and creator of the Apple Dynasty. I was one of more than nine million who viewed his 2005 Stanford University Commencement Speech. I found his message to be a profound teaching tool. Mr. Jobs used three stories from his life as the means to deliver his wisdom.
1.Follow Your Heart
The first story was about “Connecting the Dots.” This is where each of us tries to make sense of a path we have taken, we are on, or we are about to embark upon. He described how after he had formally dropped out of Reed College, he informally “dropped in,” only this time he only attended classes that caught his interest. One of these happened to be a Calligraphy class. He learned all about typography, spacing and the art of hundreds of beautiful fonts. At the time, he figured none of this would have any practical application. As it turned out, this led to Apple being the pioneer computer company to include multiple typefaces with beautiful spacing and typography, for which they are so well known.
Mr. Jobs teaches us that “connecting the dots” can be done only by looking forward, not by looking backward. Somehow, he knew dropping out was not looked on as a very wise thing to do; and even though the “drop in” classes seemed impractical, they “called to him.” In his words:
Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your inner voice.
2.Be Courageous
The second story he told was about “Love and Loss.” This is where each of us loves something very much, loses it, and how we deal with this loss. Steve Jobs and a friend started The Apple Company in a garage when he was twenty years old. It soon became an enormous organization with several thousand employees. He had a falling out with someone who had a different vision of where Apple should go. The Board of Directors agreed with the other person, and Steve Jobs was fired at the age of thirty.
So, there he was, Jobs was jobless and had to start all over again. He believes this was the best thing that could have happened to him. He was forced to begin freshly and in a new time. This led him to conceive of and develop two new companies: NEXT and PIXAR; both of these became giant, new successful businesses. Eventually Apple bought NEXT, so he was working for Apple once again.
Steve’s message here is to be courageous, find what you love and to love what you do. He prods us to “never settle.” His exact quote was:
The only way to be truly satisfied is to do great work.
And the only way to do great work is to do what you love.
3.Live Each Day as Though It Is Your Last
His third and final story was: “Live each day as though it is your last.” Steve Jobs was faced with pancreatic cancer and faced death. Luckily, he survived. From that moment on he looked in the mirror each morning and asked himself if what he planned to do this day would be enough if it turned out this was his last day on earth. He advises us to follow our hearts and our intuition each day, and included this quote:
Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life.
As teachers we must refrain from only giving answers to students. Instead, we should strive to give them examples in life so they can discover the answers themselves. Steve Jobs is one of those examples in the way he chose to live his life.
Steve Jobs’ attitude toward and actions taken in his life speak to students at the brink of finding their own calling. Many children have dreams of who or what they want to be one day. Steve Jobs was the embodiment of those dreams attained.
We don’t get a chance to do that many things,
and every one should be really excellent.
Steve Jobs
We lost a great teacher a few days ago. His name was Steve Jobs. Most of us know him as a young genius and creator of the Apple Dynasty. I was one of more than nine million who viewed his 2005 Stanford University Commencement Speech. I found his message to be a profound teaching tool. Mr. Jobs used three stories from his life as the means to deliver his wisdom.
1.Follow Your Heart
The first story was about “Connecting the Dots.” This is where each of us tries to make sense of a path we have taken, we are on, or we are about to embark upon. He described how after he had formally dropped out of Reed College, he informally “dropped in,” only this time he only attended classes that caught his interest. One of these happened to be a Calligraphy class. He learned all about typography, spacing and the art of hundreds of beautiful fonts. At the time, he figured none of this would have any practical application. As it turned out, this led to Apple being the pioneer computer company to include multiple typefaces with beautiful spacing and typography, for which they are so well known.
Mr. Jobs teaches us that “connecting the dots” can be done only by looking forward, not by looking backward. Somehow, he knew dropping out was not looked on as a very wise thing to do; and even though the “drop in” classes seemed impractical, they “called to him.” In his words:
Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your inner voice.
2.Be Courageous
The second story he told was about “Love and Loss.” This is where each of us loves something very much, loses it, and how we deal with this loss. Steve Jobs and a friend started The Apple Company in a garage when he was twenty years old. It soon became an enormous organization with several thousand employees. He had a falling out with someone who had a different vision of where Apple should go. The Board of Directors agreed with the other person, and Steve Jobs was fired at the age of thirty.
So, there he was, Jobs was jobless and had to start all over again. He believes this was the best thing that could have happened to him. He was forced to begin freshly and in a new time. This led him to conceive of and develop two new companies: NEXT and PIXAR; both of these became giant, new successful businesses. Eventually Apple bought NEXT, so he was working for Apple once again.
Steve’s message here is to be courageous, find what you love and to love what you do. He prods us to “never settle.” His exact quote was:
The only way to be truly satisfied is to do great work.
And the only way to do great work is to do what you love.
3.Live Each Day as Though It Is Your Last
His third and final story was: “Live each day as though it is your last.” Steve Jobs was faced with pancreatic cancer and faced death. Luckily, he survived. From that moment on he looked in the mirror each morning and asked himself if what he planned to do this day would be enough if it turned out this was his last day on earth. He advises us to follow our hearts and our intuition each day, and included this quote:
Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life.
As teachers we must refrain from only giving answers to students. Instead, we should strive to give them examples in life so they can discover the answers themselves. Steve Jobs is one of those examples in the way he chose to live his life.
Steve Jobs’ attitude toward and actions taken in his life speak to students at the brink of finding their own calling. Many children have dreams of who or what they want to be one day. Steve Jobs was the embodiment of those dreams attained.
We don’t get a chance to do that many things,
and every one should be really excellent.
Steve Jobs
Saturday, September 24, 2011
BE A GREAT TEACHER FOR YOUR CHILD
Dr. Wendy Ghiora – September 24 – Posting #97
Parents have the privilege of sharing the richness this world has to offer with their children. This gives you the opportunity to be a great teacher for your child. Make talking with your child about life's everyday experiences a part of your normal routine. This will help each of you understand the others' viewpoints, values, dreams, and interests. Remember not only to talk, but also listen to your children.
Some parents consider activities such as going to museums, the zoo, or shows make up for lost time with their children. Actually, there is plenty of educational value in everyday activities, such as going to the post office, going to the bank, going grocery shopping, or doing a project at home. Parents just need to plan ahead a little to help their child discover the world.
Here are some ideas for activities to enjoy with your child:
•Watch news and documentaries on TV. (Discuss questions or interests aroused in your child)
•Rent or buy educational videos. (Encourage newly developed curiosity sparked by these videos)
•Visit natural history museums, science museums, art museums, children's museums, zoos, botanical gardens, and historical sites. (See what interests your child, and point out things that interest you)
•Experience national or state parks and forests. Sign up for a tour.
•Read articles in the newspaper, news, and magazines together.
•Go to the public library.
•Make vacations learning experiences.
•Plan "theme" parties that involve some research. For example, an American Revolution costume party, a play, or a display of inventions of the time.
The important thing for parents to remember is that they are the most important teachers in their child's life. Children are born eager learners, but parents need to help them channel that learning. Talking with children before, during, and after any activity helps them learn the steps involved in learning.
This conversation also will improve your communication and in turn, your relationship with your child. The more you talk with each other, the more rewarding your conversations will be, and the better you will get to know your child. Your child will reap the rewards of having a great teacher in you.
Parents have the privilege of sharing the richness this world has to offer with their children. This gives you the opportunity to be a great teacher for your child. Make talking with your child about life's everyday experiences a part of your normal routine. This will help each of you understand the others' viewpoints, values, dreams, and interests. Remember not only to talk, but also listen to your children.
Some parents consider activities such as going to museums, the zoo, or shows make up for lost time with their children. Actually, there is plenty of educational value in everyday activities, such as going to the post office, going to the bank, going grocery shopping, or doing a project at home. Parents just need to plan ahead a little to help their child discover the world.
Here are some ideas for activities to enjoy with your child:
•Watch news and documentaries on TV. (Discuss questions or interests aroused in your child)
•Rent or buy educational videos. (Encourage newly developed curiosity sparked by these videos)
•Visit natural history museums, science museums, art museums, children's museums, zoos, botanical gardens, and historical sites. (See what interests your child, and point out things that interest you)
•Experience national or state parks and forests. Sign up for a tour.
•Read articles in the newspaper, news, and magazines together.
•Go to the public library.
•Make vacations learning experiences.
•Plan "theme" parties that involve some research. For example, an American Revolution costume party, a play, or a display of inventions of the time.
The important thing for parents to remember is that they are the most important teachers in their child's life. Children are born eager learners, but parents need to help them channel that learning. Talking with children before, during, and after any activity helps them learn the steps involved in learning.
This conversation also will improve your communication and in turn, your relationship with your child. The more you talk with each other, the more rewarding your conversations will be, and the better you will get to know your child. Your child will reap the rewards of having a great teacher in you.
Saturday, August 20, 2011
OH MY, IT'S THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!
Dr. Wendy Ghiora – Posting #96 – August 20, 2011
Just how important is the first day of school anyway? It’s actually VERY important. It sets the tone for the entire year. It's been said, "You never get a second chance to make a first impression." It's another start of the school year and that means another opportunity to improve your teaching. What are your plans for the first day and the first week? If you're an experienced teacher, you probably try to establish the "class culture" each year. If that' s not started on the first day and established within the first week, it probably won’t be.
As a teacher, what are some of the most important things you should do at the very beginning of the school year? Below are some principles for creating your own class culture.
Make it Fresh
One thing every teacher should consider is trying something new; something you’ve never done before on the first day of school. That's the beauty of teaching; we get to start all over again each year. If you are an effective teacher you will undoubtedly start with a plan, a better and more reflective plan than the previous year. That change can begin the first day. Do something new that reflects the new plan. For example, change the way the seats are arranged, teach from the back and front of the class.
The ineffective teacher does the same thing year after year, which is why Einstein said,
"Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, yet expecting different results."
Get Students' Buy-In Through Icebreakers
Although ice breakers can seem frivolous, they can be an important first step to getting student buy-in. Unless a student is emotionally connected to school, they will lack motivation to learn. Many teachers consider ice breakers as essential to building the comfort necessary when creating a “team” of learners. For example, have a game where everyone memorizes everyone else’s name and something about them.
Create Class Rules
Create classroom rules using student input. Ideally you should keep classroom rules down to a manageable limit of 3-6 rules. Include a tardy policy and a behavior contract. Elicit student agreement on the order of importance of each rule.
Use Warmups
Begin the routine of using meaningful daily warm-ups. The key word here is “meaningful.” Students are experts at identifying “busy work,” which is not what they should be doing. They should do work that will include real practice toward achieving important learning goals they have set for themselves. For example, if the day before you taught about US presidents, create a slideshow that has presidents pictures and something about each and then let students jot down which president they are.
Have a Positive Teacher Communication/Attitude
Most students are also wondering:
“Will the teacher treat me as a human being?” Everyone wants to be treated with respect, dignity, and love, whether that person is a teacher, administrator, or student. You will have about seven seconds to create that perception beginning with:
how you treat yourself with respect, dignity, and love,
how you greet your students at the door,
how you dress,
what signs are posted in your classroom,
the message on the chalkboard,
the obviousness that you are organized and ready,
that you are in control of the learning environment for the classroom, and
that you really care about each child’s success in your classroom
An ineffective teacher may be more concerned with doing "their thing" or “can't wait to start with a fun activity” so that he or she can be the student's friend or pal. The students are not looking for fun. They are looking for security, consistency, respect, dignity, and care and you can convey that message on the first day of school by conveying how well you are organized. Your effective management skills will demonstrate to the students if your class will be exciting or boring, and if you will light or extinguish their candle.
Get to Know Your Students
An important thing to accomplish during the first week of school is getting to know one personal thing about each of your students. You should learn all of their names in the first week and try to remember one personal interest, hobby or strength that helps to define them. You are going to be a mentor and guiding force in the months to come and your influence will be considerably stronger if you can relate to a personal aspect of each child in your class.
Elicit High Expectations
An effective teacher must have high expectations. Strive to raise the bar for your students. If you expect less effort you will receive less effort. You should work on an attitude that says you know students can achieve to your level of expectations. This will automatically give them a sense of confidence too. This is not to say that you should create unrealistic expectations. However, your expectations will be one of the key factors in helping students learn and achieve.
When you clearly explain and train your students in your expectations, they will know what to do and when to do it. This creates a well-disciplined class which in turn supports student learning. Challenging your students every day is a powerful tool which will motivate them to strive to do their very best and beyond. Although it takes a bit of work and time on your part at the beginning of the year, it is so well worth it!
Conclusion
Which of these is most important? For building a classroom culture, all of them are. Create your teaching plan for the first week and make sure to include all of these principles. If you do, you'll be on your way to creating a class culture that will result in excellent class management and student learning. Go for it!
Just how important is the first day of school anyway? It’s actually VERY important. It sets the tone for the entire year. It's been said, "You never get a second chance to make a first impression." It's another start of the school year and that means another opportunity to improve your teaching. What are your plans for the first day and the first week? If you're an experienced teacher, you probably try to establish the "class culture" each year. If that' s not started on the first day and established within the first week, it probably won’t be.
As a teacher, what are some of the most important things you should do at the very beginning of the school year? Below are some principles for creating your own class culture.
Make it Fresh
One thing every teacher should consider is trying something new; something you’ve never done before on the first day of school. That's the beauty of teaching; we get to start all over again each year. If you are an effective teacher you will undoubtedly start with a plan, a better and more reflective plan than the previous year. That change can begin the first day. Do something new that reflects the new plan. For example, change the way the seats are arranged, teach from the back and front of the class.
The ineffective teacher does the same thing year after year, which is why Einstein said,
"Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, yet expecting different results."
Get Students' Buy-In Through Icebreakers
Although ice breakers can seem frivolous, they can be an important first step to getting student buy-in. Unless a student is emotionally connected to school, they will lack motivation to learn. Many teachers consider ice breakers as essential to building the comfort necessary when creating a “team” of learners. For example, have a game where everyone memorizes everyone else’s name and something about them.
Create Class Rules
Create classroom rules using student input. Ideally you should keep classroom rules down to a manageable limit of 3-6 rules. Include a tardy policy and a behavior contract. Elicit student agreement on the order of importance of each rule.
Use Warmups
Begin the routine of using meaningful daily warm-ups. The key word here is “meaningful.” Students are experts at identifying “busy work,” which is not what they should be doing. They should do work that will include real practice toward achieving important learning goals they have set for themselves. For example, if the day before you taught about US presidents, create a slideshow that has presidents pictures and something about each and then let students jot down which president they are.
Have a Positive Teacher Communication/Attitude
Most students are also wondering:
“Will the teacher treat me as a human being?” Everyone wants to be treated with respect, dignity, and love, whether that person is a teacher, administrator, or student. You will have about seven seconds to create that perception beginning with:
how you treat yourself with respect, dignity, and love,
how you greet your students at the door,
how you dress,
what signs are posted in your classroom,
the message on the chalkboard,
the obviousness that you are organized and ready,
that you are in control of the learning environment for the classroom, and
that you really care about each child’s success in your classroom
An ineffective teacher may be more concerned with doing "their thing" or “can't wait to start with a fun activity” so that he or she can be the student's friend or pal. The students are not looking for fun. They are looking for security, consistency, respect, dignity, and care and you can convey that message on the first day of school by conveying how well you are organized. Your effective management skills will demonstrate to the students if your class will be exciting or boring, and if you will light or extinguish their candle.
Get to Know Your Students
An important thing to accomplish during the first week of school is getting to know one personal thing about each of your students. You should learn all of their names in the first week and try to remember one personal interest, hobby or strength that helps to define them. You are going to be a mentor and guiding force in the months to come and your influence will be considerably stronger if you can relate to a personal aspect of each child in your class.
Elicit High Expectations
An effective teacher must have high expectations. Strive to raise the bar for your students. If you expect less effort you will receive less effort. You should work on an attitude that says you know students can achieve to your level of expectations. This will automatically give them a sense of confidence too. This is not to say that you should create unrealistic expectations. However, your expectations will be one of the key factors in helping students learn and achieve.
When you clearly explain and train your students in your expectations, they will know what to do and when to do it. This creates a well-disciplined class which in turn supports student learning. Challenging your students every day is a powerful tool which will motivate them to strive to do their very best and beyond. Although it takes a bit of work and time on your part at the beginning of the year, it is so well worth it!
Conclusion
Which of these is most important? For building a classroom culture, all of them are. Create your teaching plan for the first week and make sure to include all of these principles. If you do, you'll be on your way to creating a class culture that will result in excellent class management and student learning. Go for it!
Saturday, August 13, 2011
NEVER GIVE UP
Dr. Wendy Ghiora
Posting #95 - August 13, 2011
As I teacher, “Never give up,” was my mantra. Time after time, the most unlikely students would wind up finding the genius within and become my “brightest star.” As a teacher, leader, mentor, boss, whatever, you can help others find their own” hidden genius.” I believe there is a way to find that special something in every student; and when you do, all I can say is “WOW!”
See if you can guess who each one of these supposed ne'er-do-well’s is: (answers at the bottom)
1.This person’s teachers said he was "too stupid to learn anything." He was fired from his first two jobs for being "non-productive." As an inventor, he made 1,000 unsuccessful attempts at his invention until he finally succeeded.
2.This person failed and went broke five times before he succeeded.
3.This person failed sixth grade and was subsequently defeated in every election for public office until the age of 62. He later wrote, "Never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never - in nothing, great or small, large or petty - never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense. Never, Never, Never, Never give up." (his capitals, mind you)
4.This person did not speak until he was 4-years-old and did not read until he was 7. His parents thought he was "sub-normal," and one of his teachers described him as "mentally slow, unsociable, and adrift forever in foolish dreams." He was expelled from school .
One interesting anecdote, told by Otto Neugebauer, a historian of science, goes like this:
As he was a late talker, his parents were worried. At last, at the supper table one night, he broke his silence to say, "The soup is too hot."
Greatly relieved, his parents asked why he had never said a word before.
He replied, "Because up to now everything was in order."
5.This person was cut from his high school basketball team. He once observed, "I've failed over and over again in my life. That is why I succeed."
6.After his first audition, this person was told by the casting director, "Why don't you stop wasting people's time and go out and become a dishwasher or something?" It was at that moment, that he decided to devote his life to acting.
7.This person flunked out of college. He was described as both "unable and unwilling to learn." No doubt a slow developer.
8.was fired by a newspaper editor because "he lacked imagination and had no good ideas." He went bankrupt several times. The “bright idea” he proposed was rejected by the local city on the grounds that it would only attract riffraff.
1.Thomas Edison
2.Henry Ford
3.Winston Churchill
4.Albert Einstein
5.Michael Jordan
6.Sidney Portier
7. Leo Tolstoy
8. Walt Disney
Next time you are just about to give up on someone, I hope you will think about these examples. The “I CAN,” is there in everyone. Just find it.
Posting #95 - August 13, 2011
As I teacher, “Never give up,” was my mantra. Time after time, the most unlikely students would wind up finding the genius within and become my “brightest star.” As a teacher, leader, mentor, boss, whatever, you can help others find their own” hidden genius.” I believe there is a way to find that special something in every student; and when you do, all I can say is “WOW!”
See if you can guess who each one of these supposed ne'er-do-well’s is: (answers at the bottom)
1.This person’s teachers said he was "too stupid to learn anything." He was fired from his first two jobs for being "non-productive." As an inventor, he made 1,000 unsuccessful attempts at his invention until he finally succeeded.
2.This person failed and went broke five times before he succeeded.
3.This person failed sixth grade and was subsequently defeated in every election for public office until the age of 62. He later wrote, "Never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never - in nothing, great or small, large or petty - never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense. Never, Never, Never, Never give up." (his capitals, mind you)
4.This person did not speak until he was 4-years-old and did not read until he was 7. His parents thought he was "sub-normal," and one of his teachers described him as "mentally slow, unsociable, and adrift forever in foolish dreams." He was expelled from school .
One interesting anecdote, told by Otto Neugebauer, a historian of science, goes like this:
As he was a late talker, his parents were worried. At last, at the supper table one night, he broke his silence to say, "The soup is too hot."
Greatly relieved, his parents asked why he had never said a word before.
He replied, "Because up to now everything was in order."
5.This person was cut from his high school basketball team. He once observed, "I've failed over and over again in my life. That is why I succeed."
6.After his first audition, this person was told by the casting director, "Why don't you stop wasting people's time and go out and become a dishwasher or something?" It was at that moment, that he decided to devote his life to acting.
7.This person flunked out of college. He was described as both "unable and unwilling to learn." No doubt a slow developer.
8.was fired by a newspaper editor because "he lacked imagination and had no good ideas." He went bankrupt several times. The “bright idea” he proposed was rejected by the local city on the grounds that it would only attract riffraff.
1.Thomas Edison
2.Henry Ford
3.Winston Churchill
4.Albert Einstein
5.Michael Jordan
6.Sidney Portier
7. Leo Tolstoy
8. Walt Disney
Next time you are just about to give up on someone, I hope you will think about these examples. The “I CAN,” is there in everyone. Just find it.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
