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Becoming a Better Teacher

Being a teacher, you have probably noticed that a vast majority of your students don’t put forth as much effort as they could. Most students could do a lot more to become better students. Have you ever wondered, though, what you can do to become a better teacher?
One of the best ways to become a great teacher — and a teacher students will love — is to focus your attention on the students. Know what is important to the students’ education and what they should be learning about. Try to get a feel for what past teachers have missed teaching them and what they have already covered.
Learn your students’ names. If you are able to learn the name of all your students it will create a bond between you and your students, no matter how small that bond might be. A connection with your students will help to motivate their study habits and participation in class. It will also be easier for you in class and while grading papers to know who is who.
Use a variety of techniques when giving a lesson. Not everyone learns the same. If you teach in only one way, some students will miss out on the benefits of being taught in a different way. Try to find the best teaching technique in your class.
Try to correct assignments quickly. Students appreciate it if you correct tests and quizzes fast. The faster you can get them back to the students, the more they will appreciate it. Don’t try to correct them too fast so that you don’t correct them properly, though.
There is a lot more you can do to become a better teacher. Remember to focus attention on your students. It will be much easier on your part, and your students will enjoy the way that you teach. You will find the most benefits if you focus your attention on your students.

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How to Keep Your Students Engaged

Keeping students engaged in what you are teaching can be one of the most difficult parts of being a teacher. No matter the age group or content that you are teaching, many times it is too easy to plan a lesson that allows the students to lose focus. Instead, you need to make sure that your students are interested in what is going on. There are many small things that you can do to help keep your students focused and engaged.

For example, making part of the lesson interactive is a very good way to go. Many times, teachers forget that their students want and need more stimulation than sitting in a chair and listening to a lecture. So, instead of just doing a lecture, find a way to get the students involved in what you are teaching them. Of course, this is much more difficult in some subjects than in others, but it is by no means impossible in any.

Make the facts interesting. This may seem a little more difficult at first, because you may know these facts inside and out, and feel that they are a little bit boring, yourself. Unfortunately, if you feel this way, it will come across to your students, and they will find them boring as well. So, instead, find a new way to see the facts. Find something interesting about them. Focus on the great part of the subject, instead of the same things that both you and the students have heard time and time again.

Do something crazy. Surprise your students every once in a while. If you teach history, for example, come dressed up in the time period that you are currently discussing. Be a little wild (but not too wild, of course), to grab your students attention. Try to find something new and crazy to do about once a month, to keep them on their toes.

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Respect in the Classroom

One thing that all teachers want in the classroom is respect. Sometimes, this is an easy thing to maintain, while at other times, it can be very difficult. For example, if you have a student in your class, or some times it may be a group of students, who are rowdy, loud, and a little obnoxious, you may find it hard to keep control of the classroom, and therefor the respect that you expect and deserve from your students.

Keeping the relationships and respect well balanced in the classroom starts from the first day of class, and extends through the end of the semester, or at whatever point the class is completed. Many times, the biggest problem that a teacher will have with keeping the respect of their students is that they don’t worry about it too much at the beginning. On the other hand, some teachers push for respect a little harder than they probably should. In this case, many of the students find that they want to fight back, to gain a little bit of independence.

So, what is the best way to go about getting the respect that you feel you deserve in the classroom? First, set out clear rules. Everyone has different rules for what is and is not allowed in the classroom. The point of this, though, is not how strict your rules are or are not. Instead, it is making sure that the students understand that there are rules, and exactly what those rules are. Providing a clear understanding of what will happen if the rules are broken is just as important.

Respect your students. If someone does not feel that they are being respected, they find it much more difficult to respect in turn. Listen to what your students have to say, don’t be rude to them, and just all around give them respect, just as you expect them to give it to you.

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Take a Class as a Teacher

As a teacher, you may feel that you have gotten the education that you need. You are able to effectively teach your students, and at times, you may even feel overqualified for your job. This does not mean that you need to stop learning. In fact, for many people, the reason that you became a teacher in the first place is because of your love of knowledge and learning. You want to instill that love in other people. So, even if you feel like you are done being a student, you may find that you aren’t. At least, not quite yet.

One thing that many teachers do is take an extra class or two at a local college or university. Sometimes this is required by the school board, or you need these extra classes for a certification that you are trying to achieve. Other times, you may find that you just want to keep learning, or have a desire to take a particular class. Either way, taking some extra classes can be a very beneficial thing to teachers.

When you take extra classes, you are not only learning the subject, but you are learning to be a student again, as well. This can be very helpful in the classroom. Many students feel that their teachers can not identify with them. They feel that the teacher may have been teaching so long that they have forgotten what it is like to have to write a mid term paper, instead of just grade it. When you are not only a teacher, but a student as well, those feelings come fresh. You are able to easier identify with your students.

Taking a class or two through a college can also help keep you going. Sometimes, it can feel like teaching gets stale. Doing something different for a while, and understanding that it is not always the same, can be very helpful for many teachers.

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Is Calculator Use Ok?

Calculator Citizen SDC-362
Image via Wikipedia

With the arguments that are currently going on about whether or not a student should be allowed to use spelling and grammar checks for their English assignments, a more common practice comes to mind. Should students be allowed to use calculators in their math classes?

For many years, calculators have been used and allowed in class. Each class is different in what they allow with this, though. For some teachers, they do not allow calculators at all. Other teachers only allow them at certain times, for certain assignments. Some say that the calculator is fine on homework, but not on tests and quizzes. Still others, though, believe that it is perfectly fine to use a calculator at all times.

There are many reasons for this debate. Some feel that in our day to day lives, a person is likely to use a calculator if need be, so why not allow the student the same courtesy. When in a classroom setting though, the point is to learn the material. Is it ok to understand the concepts, but use the calculator to get the right answer? Or is there a line that must be drawn?

No matter where you sit on this issue, one thing is clear. This is an argument that has been going on for a long time, and is likely not to end soon. When a student is taking a higher level test, such as an SAT, they are rarely allowed to use a calculator. Making sure that they understand the principles, and that they are not solely reliant on the calculator, is what is most important. Whether you decide that calculator use is banned or great, you need to take steps to ensure that the students understand that calculators are not always allowed, and that it is important that they understand what they are doing, and what the calculator is doing for them.

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Keep Your Class Interested with Experiments and More

If you have ever had a class get extremely loud and obnoxious on you, or on the other hand, had them fall asleep, you may find that there are things that you need to do in the classroom to keep them interested. No teacher wants to feel like they are boring their class to sleep. So, there are a few things that you can do to keep them excited and interested in what is going on.

Conduct experiments. In almost every class, you can do some sort of experiment. Most people think that this is something that can really only be done in a science class, but this of course is not true. For example, in a history class, you could do a mock trial for something in the time period that you are discussing. If you are talking about the Salem witch trials, do an experiment with your class. See how they respond!

Do something interactive. Similar to doing experiments, you need to do interactive activities to keep students occupied and interested. Many times, students have a fairly short attention span. Of course, this depends on the age group and the class that you are teaching, but in general, they are there in your class because they need to be for their diploma, degree, etc. Though you may have some people in your class that are always engaged and ready to learn, there will be an overwhelming number of people that just want to make it through the class. Because of this, you need to make it fun, otherwise, you may end up lecturing to one or two people.

Keeping your students interested is one of the hardest things that a teacher has to deal with on a regular basis. Look online for some ideas for your particular class. Talk to other teachers. There are a multitude of ways to keep a class interested.

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Curriculum Center vs Student Based Learning

Village school in Northern Bahr el Ghazal, Sud...
Image via Wikipedia

Imagine you have a class that is very curriculum based. You go by the book, and everyone knows what is coming next. Your class is very structured, but you are also able to make it fun for everyone. Now, add into this thought a student, or even a few students who are struggling, or failing, to keep up with your curriculum. What do you do?

On the other hand, imagine that your class goes by the needs of the students. You never let anyone get behind, and take extra time in class to explain things that these students need help with. Unfortunately, this means that the students that grasp the concepts and understand the lessons may feel like they are being held back. Is this situation any better than the first?

No matter which way your lessons and class tends to be – curriculum based or more student centric – it can be taken too far. The best thing that many teachers have found is a balance between the two. Though this may sound obvious, it may end up being more difficult than you think.

If you are the type that prefers structure, it can be very difficult to let go a little and focus a little more on those that are struggling. Breaking routine can feel very frustrating for many people. If you are the type to focus more on the students that are lagging behind, you may find it a very hard to occasionally move the lesson on, even if they don’t understand it.

One of the best things to do in this situation, many have found, is to spend a little extra time with the struggling student, outside of class time. This may be difficult, as well, but this way, they don’t get left behind, and others don’t get held back.

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Why are Field Trips Important?

You will find that many times, field trips are necessary. Other times, they may be helpful to the lesson, but they are not needed. Field trips have been shown to be a great way to help students learn, and have fun while they are doing it. Of course, the school may have policies about field trips, or budget problems with taking them, so before you plan one, make sure that you get it ok’ed.

Why are field trips a great way for students to learn? There are many reasons. First, a field trip allows a student to get out of the classroom. This can help with any blocks that they may be having because of being bored in the classroom. Many times, students do get bored with the same day to day routines. Even something as simple as going and sitting outside for the lesson one day can make a big difference in how the students react.

If the students are learning about something specific, and there is a way to take them on a field trip centered around this, it is always a good idea. For example, if you are teaching about a specific part of history, and there is a museum nearby with an exhibit from that time period, you may want to look into the possibility of a field trip. Not only does this get the student out of the classroom, but it also can help show them what you are discussing. This is very beneficial for many. Everyone learns in different ways, and at different rates. Being able to get out and actually see an example of what you are talking about can help a large number of students grasp the concepts a little bit better.

Field trips can also be great for the teacher. Getting out of the classroom is a breath of fresh air, not only for the students!

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Changes to the Curriculum

Depending on your school district, the age level of your students, and what you are teaching, you may find that the curriculum that you are supposed to tech just doesn’t quite cut it all the time. In fact, you may find that at times, you need to deviate a little from what you are supposed to teach in the curriculum. Sometimes this is fine, and even a very good idea. Other times, you may find that you could get in trouble for this. So, if you are considering going off of the curriculum, what are some things that you should do?

First, understand your own reasoning for going off the curriculum. Do you not agree with it? Is there more information that needs to be presented to the students? Has something that you are supposed to teach been proven wrong, or inaccurate in some point? No matter the reason for deviating from the curriculum, you need to know your reasons before you can talk to anyone else about them.

If your school requires authorization before deviation from the curriculum, you will need to talk to the principle, and possibly even the school board. You will want to produce your reasoning in a well thought out manner. Even if you are supposed to teach something that you do not believe in, or do not agree with, you need to make it a logical argument.

Once a decision is made, continue your lessons. Keep in mind that you may not get your way with the deviation from the curriculum. If this is the case, you may still be required to teach the present material. In other cases, you may have won your argument, and get to change it up a little bit.

In many schools today, this is not necessarily something to worry about. Check into the policies before you worry too much about what you need to do to change something in the curriculum.

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Discipline in the Classroom

If there is one thing that no one seems to agree on in life, it is discipline. This is not only in the homes, but also in the classroom. Of course, it used to be that discipline was something that was harsh. We have all heard stories about knuckles being hit with rulers, and sitting in a corner with a dunce cap on. Today, though, these things are not acceptable, and in many cases can get you in a lot of trouble. So, something that many teachers are struggling with is discipline in the classroom. It can be very difficult to strike the right balance.

When considering discipline in the classroom, there are many considerations. For example, you have to think about what the problem is in the first place. What is the student being disciplined for? Are there different levels of punishment for different offences, or just for the frequency of them? These are things that need to be thought about before the school year starts.

On top of that, you have to decide what exactly the punishment is going to be. Are you going to make an unruly student write a paper? How long, and on what subject? Will you immediately send them to the principals office? Will you write a letter to the parents? Each of these things have their time and place, and it is important that you understand your own feelings on these punishments and more.

Some schools already have all of their discipline policies laid out, and you will have to abide by them. If this is the case, the choice of discipline is taken out of your hands. Other times, school districts will have guidelines that will allow you to make some of the decisions, but you will have to consider the specifics. Either way, making it clear early in the class what the punishments may be, and what they may be given for, is crucial.

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