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What Makes a Good Teacher

July 24, 2011 By Leave a Comment
A special education teacher assists one of her...

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Every parent with a school-age child understands how much a good teacher can influence a child. For most kids, their motivation comes from wanting to please the teacher. It’s why they complete assignments and it’s why the student strives to do well on it. If the child doesn’t like the teacher, it may be very hard to motivate him or her to do well.

But there are other reasons why good teachers are important. Teachers who love their students can help boost their students’ self esteem and show them that they’re special. Teachers can also help their students gain a love for learning. For kids who don’t have the best home life, a good teacher can create an environment where these kids want to be — a haven that is safe and comfortable.

So what makes a good teacher? You’d think the most important thing would be a teacher who teaches well, but in reality, a good teacher is one that loves his or her students. It’s a teacher who loves teaching and wants all of the students to succeed.

Another important quality is understanding. There are many teachers who don’t get that sometimes no matter how hard students try, they aren’t able to get a concept or aren’t able to concentrate in class. This could be because of a learning disability such as dyslexia or because of having ADD.

Students need to know that they can approach their teacher and ask questions without being made to feel unimportant or stupid.

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Giving Students Virtual Access to Their Work

May 25, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Computer technology is changing education every single day and teachers benefit from learning how to keep up with those changes. Often, new technology is made available by districts looking to impress parents and business leaders, but they fail to properly train staff on how to use new tools like electronic tablets and interactive whiteboards. The students of today who grew up in a digital age love these gadgets and teachers need to embrace them as well.

One tool that has become extremely popular is online grade books. Students can go to a website and see their grades for that quarter and their current average in every subject. Many districts also require teachers to keep information on the site about assignments and upcoming tests. The next logical step is an Internet based site where they can get virtual access to their work. There are a number of companies hard at work developing a virtual computer lab, so that students can remotely access what they have been working on in the computer lab at home.

The implications of a virtual computer lab are huge. In a college setting, students can do from their dorm what they used to have to walk across campus to the lab to do. In high school, if a student is out sick or school has to be cancelled for a few days for bad weather, students can continue to work on their projects.

When schools have made the switch to virtual labs, they have learned that not as much supervision is needed in the computer lab and the district doesn’t have to spend as much on computer hardware for the lab.

 

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The Education Distinction: Junior High and Middle School

May 12, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Central Middle School in Quincy, Massachusetts. 

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It’s an easy certainty: the ideas are interchangeable; the concepts are the same. Junior high and middle school are identical principles, you believe. There are no distinctions between them, just the casual trade of their names.

This is incorrect.

Junior high is not the same as middle school, just as middle school is not the same as junior high. They are instead two separate formats: each with their own rules and requirements. It’s imperative to recognize this, if only to discontinue the assumptions.

The simplest — and most obvious — difference between these systems is their student demographics. Junior highs are defined by teens, favoring only the seventh and eighth grades (composed typically of individuals who are 13 and 14). Middle schools, however, include those who are in the sixth grade. This allows younger children to enter the educational population. This is the greatest distinction between these notions and can be traced back to their conceptions.

Junior high began as a way to bridge the distance between elementary schools and high schools. It was intended for students not yet able to enter their freshman years and was divided into more advanced academics.

This was not enough to satisfy many districts, however. The format was deemed too rigid and middle schools were formed to compensate — with younger students allowed to attend and the curriculum tailored to their needs.

And this difference remains today, with these concepts operating independently of each other (often within the same cities). They are not — and will never be — the same. This must be understood to avoid switching their names and branding them educational twins.

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How to Choose the Right High School for Your Child

March 20, 2011 By Leave a Comment

If you’ve recently moved to a new area and high school will be in session again in two short months, it would be advisable to decide where your child will be attending in a timely manner. Keep in mind what you value most with your child’s education. You might want to consider what your son or daughter enjoys as well.

While academic reports might lack importance for the student body, moms and dads typically like to get a glimpse of what the curriculum may entail. Many people want to be sure their children will be intellectually stimulated in the classroom. Some parents may even decide to discuss grade point averages (in general) and ongoing testing to further ensure that students are challenged. We’ve all had to do things we didn’t like in school, but that doesn’t mean learning should be a total snooze.

Instead of watching your child admire other renowned sports figures you can inquire about sports offered at the high school’s campus. Some students enjoy the concept of running around like maniacs on the field playing lacrosse, football, basketball, baseball, soccer and golf. Of course every team needs a cheerleader. Some of us view sports in a negative fashion while others are open-minded.

With tomorrow creeping up on us, it might be best to enroll your future high school student in a more college preparatory educational program. In many academic institutions, teachers can deduct up to a full grade for tardiness. It’s not unusual for homework to take up to five or six hours to complete- much like college course work. Since 2000, it’s become increasingly more of a commodity for many schools to place value upon community service. If your child is motivated and self assured about his or her future, there are schools that permit students to declare a major within their junior or senior year. You could wait, but why?

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College Student Necessities

February 12, 2011 By Leave a Comment
My sophomore dorm room. (Sharp hall, Universit...

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When heading to college for the first time, new students may not know exactly what items they need. When moving from their parents’ home to living on their own for the first time, there are many things were always available that may be taken for granted, and these things must be on the list when preparing to outfit a dorm room or apartment.

First, students must remember everything for the bedroom: an alarm clock is a necessity, as well as bed linens for the size of bed that will be in the room, a stereo, television set and DVD player if desired, hangers for the closet, a laundry basket or bag, and (since roommates often can’t agree on a temperature) a fan and space heater.

Depending on the apartment or dorm room setup, students may need to bring a microwave, quarters for on-site laundry facilities, a mini-refrigerator, and furniture such as couches, chairs, and kitchen sets. For the kitchen, every student will need a set of dishes and silverware, since some roommates prefer not to share. It also makes the process of moving out simpler, since the sets can be kept separate if desired. Dish soap, laundry detergent, cleaning supplies, towels, medications, and vitamins, as well as toiletries, a shower caddy, and flip-flops (especially if using a shared shower that is separate from the apartment or dorm) will also be necessary.

A sewing kit may also come in handy if a button falls off or an item of clothing tears and needs a quick repair. New college students always enjoy decorating their new home to reflect their personal style, so posters, photographs, rugs, lamps, and other unique pieces can add color to a room. Every student will also need to be prepared with school supplies and a computer and printer to make sure they can do research and print assignments to make sure everything is turned in on time.

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Great Gifts for School Teachers

February 8, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Teachers make a great impact on the life of their students. They can be compared to a potter who moulds beautiful pottery. They initiate children into the world of words. They build the future hence when it comes to gifts for them it too has to be special. What could we possibly give a teacher to show our appreciation?

In the Indian tradition the teacher is considered as a god. When I think of a special gift for a teacher the first thing would be giving the respect and reverence he or she well deserves all the other gifts come secondary. But when presenting something as a token of appreciation there are many things that can show your love to your teacher.

A copy of his or her favorite book, or a DVD that contains your teacher’s favorite songs or movies. But there is nothing more special to a teacher than something that has a personal touch to it. If you have good writing skills, put pen to paper and gift a poem or a short story describing your teacher and what he or she means to you.

Make a PowerPoint presentation as a class letting your teacher know how she has influenced and inspired you. You could also borrow a DVD of a classic like “To Sir with Love” and watch it along with your teacher. Make a card with each student writing a few words of gratitude. Bring out the best in you to give the best to your teacher. There is nothing more dear to a teacher than the love and affection of his or her students it’s something they look forward to and cherish. Let the teacher know that his or her efforts are acknowledged, appreciated and valued by you as a student and/or parent.

If you do not know the teacher well, consider giving classroom supplies. Your child’s teacher likely has to buy many of the items that are in his or her classroom. Some sets of markers or a case of glue sticks could be very beneficial.

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Teacher Parent Communication

February 3, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Keeping the lines of communication open between parents and teachers is an important part of having a successful school year. While it is up to parents to help keep the communication going, there are some things that teachers can do to open the lines of communication.

There are students who display issues within the classroom early in the school year. Teachers should assume that, at some point in the year, a problem will arise. Start out by sending notes home telling the parents that the child has had an especially good day or has done something well in school. It shows the parents that you are taking notice of their child.

If a minor issue does arise, beginning any note or phone call to the parents with praise for the child in some area. Again, it helps lower the defenses of a parent as well as shows them that you care about the student enough to notice positive things as well.

When a major issue or an emergency comes up within the classroom for a particular student, call the parents right away. Do not hope or assume that the problems will de-escalate or just get better on its own.

Give the parents of your students as many ways to get ahold of you as you are comfortable with. Besides the school phone number and times when you are most likely to be able to take calls, a cell phone number and an email address are also very helpful.

Lastly, always remember to use positive and open body language when talking to parents, even over the phone. Your body language can be conveyed through your tone. Parents respond less defensively when the teachers they are talking to do the same.



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Cold Weather Classroom Strategies

February 1, 2011 By Leave a Comment

When it is too cold to take the kids outside for recess, the air in the classroom seems almost electrically charged for most of the day. Everyone talks a little louder. Everyone play a little more roughly. Everybody makes you repeat what you said just one time more than usual.

As crazy as everything is, the school day must go on. Cold temperatures may last for days, and the class can’t go long without getting back to the work that needs to be done. How do you keep little minds focused on work and make the room a calming environment?

First, get some energy out. Find out if the gym is open for your class to do some running. Spend a few minutes playing games that involve jumping jacks and It may be a good idea to collaborate with teachers in nearby classrooms so that the excessive noise doesn’t bother their classrooms or interrupt them taking a test.

Second, try a few yoga poses or quiet stretches with the students. Also, try playing soothing music during quiet times. Soothing music not only quiets the class, but it relaxes them as well. Not only does this work while you are getting kids acclimated, but it also works throughout the day to help you keep them focused.

A snack can be a great bribe for good behavior, but it can also be disruptive as well. If you are making a snack for your class, try something natural and healthy, like half an apple. The less additives and sugar that are in the better you students will act afterwards.

Most importantly, be flexible. If your class is obviously not getting anything out of a lesson, take a break and come back to it later. Turn the spelling lesson into a spelling game. Change the math lesson into a game of whispering “Around the World” where the winner only gets to move on if they whispered the answer.

When you feel you are at your wit’s end, remember that spring comes every year! So does the warmer weather. Hang in there!

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Balancing Children’s Learning With Learning Disabilities

December 31, 2010 By Leave a Comment

When dealing with K-12 students the basic role of teachers is to make sure that every kid they are in charge of is learning to the best of their individual abilities. Of course some teachers are more able to diagnose learning disabilities easier than others and the difficulty in the diagnosis is what makes teaching a diverse section of kids so difficult. For whatever reason, children in today’s society seem to be getting diagnosed with various learning disabilities at a far higher rate than they were in the past and still even more children are never diagnosed and the administration at their respective schools tend to simply dismiss these kids as stubborn or uninterested.

Finding the right kind of guidance for students who have a learning disability like dyslexia or hyperactivity can be extremely difficult, especially when you talking about an overtaxed school system that may see each classroom containing upwards of 35 to 40 students per teacher. The main thing that teachers, students and parents need to keep in mind is that quite a few of the problems and disabilities out there can be worked around.

The first step in dealing with a learning disability is diagnosing which of the many problems it could be. There are several different tests that can be done to determine exactly what sort of disability they might have. Pinpointing the problem is the first step in battling the disease or disability and it can indeed be all downhill after that fact if the teachers, the parents and the student all work together to solve the problem.

Whether talking about teachers who are working with learning disabled kids or the parents, the best way to deal with such problems is to always stay abreast of the latest treatments in dealing with the disorders. Education and medical professionals are always working overtime in developing treatment and solutions.

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Reading, Writing & Arithmetic in Second Grade

December 18, 2010 By Leave a Comment

When their child is headed for the second grade, most parents really have no idea what to expect. They know that the prior year was spent getting the students to understand some basic math and reading concepts but when all is said and done, the first grade is not much more intensive than Kindergarten was as far as buckling down and learning to lean on critical thinking. Second grade is where a student really begins to define themselves and in extension can be a relatively good indicator of the kind of job the teachers and the school system in general is doing in preparing these children.

As far as reading and writing goes, the students will learn to grasp a much larger vocabulary than they have been encouraged to know before now. There will be up to and possibly surpassing (depending on the quality of the school) 200 words that the student will be able to read and write without much in the way of effort. It will become second nature for the student to recognize there words in less than a second when they see them in print. Second graders will also begin to learn an art that seems to be fading a bit in the real world but is an important gun to have in their holster none the less. Second graders will begin to read and write cursive in a way that when they do indeed write using it, others can actually read their writing.

Finally, in math the story problem will take a prominent role in the curriculum as students will be encouraged to think around a problem instead of just being able to memorize different equations. The story problems, most of all can be tricky for a second grader and parents should work hard to develop a way for the student to think through the problem effectively.

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