- EFFECTIVE TEACHING is as much about passion as it is about reason. It’s about not only motivating students to learn, but teaching them how to learn, and doing so in a manner that is relevant, meaningful, and memorable.
- EFFECTIVE TEACHING is about substance and training students as consumers of knowledge. It’s about doing your best to keep on top of your field, reading sources, inside and outside of your areas of expertise, and being at the leading edge as often as possible.
- EFFECTIVE TEACHING is about listening, questioning, being responsive, and remembering that each student and class is different. It’s about pushing students to excel; at the same time, it’s about being human, respecting others, and being professional at all times.
- EFFECTIVE TEACHING is about not always having a fixed agenda and being rigid, but being flexible, fluid, experimenting, and having the confidence to react and adjust to changing circumstances. It’s about getting only 10 percent of what you wanted to do in a class done and still feeling good. Good teachers know where they need to be and when.
- EFFECTIVE TEACHING is also about style. Should good teaching be entertaining? You bet! Does this mean that it lacks in substance? Not a chance! Effective teaching is not about being locked with both hands glued to a podium or having your eyes fixated on a slide projector while you drone on. Good teachers work the room and every student in it. They realize that they are conductors and the class is their orchestra. All students play different instruments and at varying levels. A teacher’s job is to develop skills and make these instruments come to life as a coherent whole to make music.
- EFFECTIVE TEACHING is about humor. This is very important. It’s about being self-deprecating and not taking yourself too seriously. It’s often about making little jokes, mostly at your own expense, so that the ice breaks and students learn in a more relaxed atmosphere where you, like them, are human with your own share of faults and shortcomings.
- EFFECTIVE TEACHING is about caring, nurturing, and developing minds and talents. It’s about devoting time, often invisible, to every student. It’s also about the thankless hours of grading, designing or redesigning courses, and preparing materials to further enhance instruction.
- EFFECTIVE TEACHING is usually supported by strong and visionary leadership, and very tangible instructional support resources, personnel, and funds. Good teaching should always be supported, but may not always be the case. This is when a good teacher can easily burn out - because of a lack of support or becoming overwhelmed with it all.
- EFFECTIVE TEACHING is about mentoring between senior and junior faculty, teamwork, and being recognized and promoted by one’s peers, and not soley by administration. Effective teaching should also be rewarded, and poor teaching needs to be remediated through training and development programs.
- Last but not least, effective teaching is about having fun, experiencing pleasure and rewards…like locking eyes with a student in the back row and seeing a connection. It’s about the former student who says your course changed her life.
Friday, 25 November 2016
Top 10 Tips for Effective Teaching
Friday, 31 July 2015
It's time for some weekend fun, savings, winnings and TPT Sale event announcement!
Throughout the month of August, we will be having sales, freebies, or giveaways in specific subjects every weekend at our TPT (teacherspayteachers) store! Similar to a Macy's sale!
Aug 1-2 Let's start off small,... This weekend -
enjoy a whopping 50% off ALL USA REGIONAL BUNDLES! Starts now!
New sales will be announced every FRIDAY!
Aug 8-9
Aug 15-16
Aug 22-23
Aug 29-30
So lets get these bargains going! One of our buyers at our TPT store, will get an awesome buying treat! Will it be you? Announced Aug 3rd!
Back to school tips to survive the school year will also resume on MONDAY, with a giveaway... to be announced then on this blog. Follower # 30 (we're new) on this blog gets a double treat! Will it be you?
Aug 1-2 Let's start off small,... This weekend -
enjoy a whopping 50% off ALL USA REGIONAL BUNDLES! Starts now!
New sales will be announced every FRIDAY!
Aug 8-9
Aug 15-16
Aug 22-23
Aug 29-30
So lets get these bargains going! One of our buyers at our TPT store, will get an awesome buying treat! Will it be you? Announced Aug 3rd!
Back to school tips to survive the school year will also resume on MONDAY, with a giveaway... to be announced then on this blog. Follower # 30 (we're new) on this blog gets a double treat! Will it be you?
Monday, 20 July 2015
Growing the Teacher Within
cont. 2. Anticipate Your Student's Expectations and Success will be for All
Remember that all people want to succeed. Even our students are as nervous as we are, and they also want to succeed. All students will show their nervousness in a variety of ways. Most of them will be very quiet, so it might take some coaxing to get those kind of students out of their shells. Others will enter with a chip on their shoulders, as a protective defense they've learned to live with. These students lack comfort, while being nervous too. At this point, humor is the biggest tool you can have in your teaching arsenal until you get to really know them.
The new school year is the perfect time to turn over a new leaf and start fresh - for everyone. Don't expect trouble from pre-labeled "trouble students." Come to your own conclusions through your own actions and responses with them. Give them the extra time to "think things through before you judge." Last year I had several of those "troubled students," and all I did was to show them some genuine care and support; and they would have moved mountains for me. Did they always cooperate, no. You could always tell when something was going on with them, and sure enough, it would come out by being in trouble at home, on the bus, or so on. Don't react, but count to 10 and respond with compassion. They need to learn the right way to do things, and to learn in a safe environment. Remember, these are probably the same students that have these learned survival skills because of a hard life, or they're ADHD - so try to make their school life as comfortable but still structured as you can, so that everyone succeeds.
We teach children to be our future. Our goal should be that we want to make positive memories for our students every year to grow as successful and contributing adults to our communities. Let the love of reading and sharing a good book, the working with you through trail and error with problem solving in math, or even a fun competition in a game of wins and loses be what they remember about you. That's what will build life skills, and success for all.
Remember that all people want to succeed. Even our students are as nervous as we are, and they also want to succeed. All students will show their nervousness in a variety of ways. Most of them will be very quiet, so it might take some coaxing to get those kind of students out of their shells. Others will enter with a chip on their shoulders, as a protective defense they've learned to live with. These students lack comfort, while being nervous too. At this point, humor is the biggest tool you can have in your teaching arsenal until you get to really know them.
The new school year is the perfect time to turn over a new leaf and start fresh - for everyone. Don't expect trouble from pre-labeled "trouble students." Come to your own conclusions through your own actions and responses with them. Give them the extra time to "think things through before you judge." Last year I had several of those "troubled students," and all I did was to show them some genuine care and support; and they would have moved mountains for me. Did they always cooperate, no. You could always tell when something was going on with them, and sure enough, it would come out by being in trouble at home, on the bus, or so on. Don't react, but count to 10 and respond with compassion. They need to learn the right way to do things, and to learn in a safe environment. Remember, these are probably the same students that have these learned survival skills because of a hard life, or they're ADHD - so try to make their school life as comfortable but still structured as you can, so that everyone succeeds.
We teach children to be our future. Our goal should be that we want to make positive memories for our students every year to grow as successful and contributing adults to our communities. Let the love of reading and sharing a good book, the working with you through trail and error with problem solving in math, or even a fun competition in a game of wins and loses be what they remember about you. That's what will build life skills, and success for all.
Friday, 17 July 2015
180 Tips and Tricks for Teachers - Teaching in America Today
Hello Everyone,
Teaching is a fascinating but extremely complicated profession. As a teacher, you have the opportunity to affect the lives of thousands of young people. Think back to your school days. Are there teachers that you fondly remember? Did one or more change the way that you look at life? Just this impact to your personal life will help you to see the impact that you will have on those that you will teach.
The idea of successfully teaching can be scary. Will you succeed? How do I make this goal?
We will start a series of 180 tips and tricks to help you, the teacher to SUCCESSFULLY REACH YOUR GOAL throughout the school year. Follow us along as we discuss successful practices for today's classroom. What's will be your opinion for best practices on these topics? Join in to discuss, "Teaching in America Today." Let's discuss and offer each other tips to successful teachers everywhere!
Wednesday, 17 June 2015
New products for both teachers and students: A Reference for Common Core Writing
Hi Everyone!
This is my latest product, that is dearest to my heart! My students helped me to create something that was important for them to use whenever I wasn't around (at their homes or with a substitute).
They ALL brought it home with them to use next school year. It was voted as their favorite resource.
I have up and loaded it on my www.teacherspayteachers Store/Educationholics Resources, for a temporarily discounted price.
Get it while it's discounted.
and for the teachers out there needing a hands on resource for everything needed for writing...
Sunday, 14 June 2015
Favorite Vacations... our was Alaska simply pure, beautiful, and peaceful!
We were recently reorganizing our home office, getting it ready for a new school year, when I came across my scrap booking materials. I hadn't been able to work in it much lately, and I used to make an effort to be on top of making a special scrap book for every vacation, but everyday life caught me instead. We usually like to travel to different places when we can, so I have to say that by far, our favorite place to visit was our one and only cruise to ALASKA! What a beautiful state it is! The colors there, so vivid and pure, will remain with us forever. The blues from the glaciers, the emerald green water and the dark green forest were so unbelievably mind blowing! It's definetely a real peaceful place!
This week, I want to show off that beautiful state to you, with a few of our favorite pictures. I hope that you stay tuned to see a state that you all should travel to, if not by ship, but by car or plane (we're planning on going back by plane to travel there and in Canada). So drop by, enjoy our photos, and we hope that you can enjoy our beautiful adventure to the grand state of ALASKA!
Where was your favorite vacation?
See you soon from ALASKA!
This week, I want to show off that beautiful state to you, with a few of our favorite pictures. I hope that you stay tuned to see a state that you all should travel to, if not by ship, but by car or plane (we're planning on going back by plane to travel there and in Canada). So drop by, enjoy our photos, and we hope that you can enjoy our beautiful adventure to the grand state of ALASKA!
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| Lots of waterfalls... |
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| Rich green colors... |
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| A pick up boat from our cruise line, getting up closer... |
Where was your favorite vacation?
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| Beautiful glacier! |
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| Fresh salmon in Alaska! Delicious! |
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| One of the many glaciers - the blues was spectacular! A little chilly there... |
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| Love the beauty of it all! |
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| Peaceful and untouched my man... |
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| The emerald green water were gorgeous... |
Wednesday, 10 June 2015
New Blog - goodies coming to you!
Hi everyone!
We are super excited to be starting a new blog during the summer! Thanks so much to the most professional and outstanding artist we know; Mrs. Laine Sutherland from "A Little Peace of Africa." She created our new blog exactly like we wanted it.
Look for some great deals coming your way! We will post new items for a discounted price before we post them on our teacherspayteachers store. However, the time frames will vary, so you'll have to be watching for it.
Something will be posted really soon...
Good luck!
We are super excited to be starting a new blog during the summer! Thanks so much to the most professional and outstanding artist we know; Mrs. Laine Sutherland from "A Little Peace of Africa." She created our new blog exactly like we wanted it.
Look for some great deals coming your way! We will post new items for a discounted price before we post them on our teacherspayteachers store. However, the time frames will vary, so you'll have to be watching for it.
Something will be posted really soon...
Good luck!
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