Helpful tips for teaching

When reading all of these tips for successful teaching, it really opened my eyes to how different high school would have been for me if I had a good teacher with all of these qualities. I hope that any teacher who reads this will give it a try in their classroom. I believe you will find it very effective.

• Look at students so they can see your mouth, facial expressions, and gestures as you talk.

• Teach in 3 steps: Introduce the purpose of the lesson, teach the lesson, and conclude with a summary accomplishment.

• Teach students to recognize and use multiple pathways for learning, and discover which ones are most effective for themselves. Learning by seeing; saying; doing; listening.

• Check comprehension of information, direction and assignments by asking students to repeat or summarize information.

• Present and practice information in ways that encourage active involvement.

• Encourage and teach planning self-evaluation, and goal-setting

• Give students the opportunity to explain ask questions, and interconnect their ideas and thoughts, rather than respond with short answers.

• Incorporate their opinions, reactions, evaluations, experiences into assignments, discussions, and other activities.

• Emphasize "mastering" rather than "covering" the material.

• Give direct, honest feedback to students about their work in a way that respects their comprehension skills.

• Regard mistakes positively. Use those mistakes as clues to understand how the student thinks, where their understanding breaks down, and how to get past those mistakes.

• Concentrate on getting the student to understand, rather than memorize the material.

• Break down difficult material into smaller, more manageable units. This helps the student to understand the material as a whole.
  

• Never assume a student doesn't want to do their work if they don't do it. It's very likely that a student may hide his/her difficulties in understanding to avoid embarrassment. Take active steps to explore whether they understand the information and assignments and whether they have the skills to preform the required work.
  

• Try to develop monitering techniques of the students' understanding during the presented lesson. Ask questions, get them involved, relate material with something the student will easily relate to.

If you would like to read more please go to this link.

A teachers' poetry

Throughout high school, I have had two teachers that really stood out as people who have changed my life for the better. Mrs. Jo-ann Trozzo and Mr. Kent Fielding have been most influential and I am glad to have studied under them. They both have different tactics, but they create the same affect. Mrs. Trozzo is uncommonly kind and willing to help and support. Mr. Fielding is the most inspirational character any person could come across. He is a talented teacher and an extraordinary writer. He has written a poem about teachers that I want to share with you. I hope that you enjoy his imagination as much as I do.


To read Kent Fieldings' poem on teachers click here.

My Interview with Jonah Hanft

While attending a debate institute, I decided to interview one of the most interesting and opinionated people I have ever met. Jonah Hanft it currently a teacher and I wanted to ask him questions about my blog topic. The views he had made me wish he was one of my high school teachers. I feel that if he had been my teacher I would have been much better off in my school work.

Jonah talks of ways teachers do things wrong in class, what is wrong with today's youth, ways teachers can better themselves in their skills, and much more. The interview is a little over 15 minutes long, but I guarantee that it's worth a listen.

Click here to listen to my interview with Jonah

101 Ideas for a Great Start

My research has led me to a few interesting sites and opinions. I would like to take this opportunity to share with you one of my favorite teaching technique guides on the web. It has lists and ideas of how to capture your students right from the beginning. I believe that this sight could be very helpful to a struggling and worried teacher. I hope that you find it useful.

For 101 Ideas for a Great Start click here.

Teaching Techniques

This blog is dedicated to the ways in which teachers change the lives of their students.

The high school drop-out rate is growing. It is my belief that teachers are responsible for how their students feel about school and learning. I have had teachers who have made me excited to come to school, and I have had teachers who weren't so motivating.

I plan to interview students to learn their opinions of their teachers, and how their teachers have influenced their lives.

In addition to interviewing students, I will interview teachers at the IDEA Institute. I will ask what techniques they use to capture their students' interest, who their most memorable teachers were and why, and how they decided to become teachers.

By the time I am finished with this project I hope to have developed a better understanding of how and why teachers work, and to give current teachers tips on how to become better at what they do.