For Teachers

Знову зміни

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Вчителі англійської мови - агенти змін

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Реформа освіти

Учителів тестуватимуть за технологією ЗНО

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Для чого вчителю блог?

1. Блог - це сукупність:

• авторських методичних матеріалів
• майстеркласів, рекомендацій
• розробок з прикладами використання у навчальному процесі
• реалізація освітніх технологій
• результати дослідницької діяльності з використанням мережевих ресурсів
• джерело нових ідей та методичних прийомів

2. Що дає блог вчителю:

• методична скарбничка вчителя
• розміщення посилань на інтернет-ресурси
• зворотній зв'язок з учнем та батьками
• тестування учнів у школі / вдома
• мультимедіа та відеоресурси до уроків

3. Що дає блог учням:

• розширення інформаційного простору учня
• підвищення мотивації вивчення предмету
• матеріали до уроків в режимі онлайн
• додаткова інформація для творчого розвитку
• зворотній зв'язок з учителем
• колективна робота

Are you a reflective teacher?

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Stay cool!

Many of us have done it. After losing patience, we've become a bit snappy with a room full of students or raised our voices a level or two higher than we should have. It happens. The longer you teach, the more probable an incidence (or two) becomes.

Responsive, Not Reactive

Once a teacher loses it with a class or student, it takes some time to rebuild that feeling of safety and trust within those four walls, so it's wise to avoid heading in that direction early. If you are a new teacher, it's important to develop good habits around routinely using a calm and appropriate voice level with your students. (We've all heard the explosive teacher down the hall in another classroom. It's not pretty -- and far from conducive to learning.)

When you feel on edge, here are some ways to be responsive rather than reactive:

• Take a few breaths. Step right outside the door. You are offstage, and this can help shift emotions really quickly.
• Count. Before responding to a student, count to three . . . or five . . . or seven . . .
• Ask a question. Instead of giving a declarative statement, try, "How might you rephrase that comment so it's more respectful to your classmate?"
• Pause and think before speaking. It's OK if they are waiting for your words. The silence creates a space that is calming and contemplative for everyone.
• Smile. This is the best cover for unpleasant feelings. It can melt tensions, or at least suspend them.
• Wait for the right moment. New teachers, especially, please know that you don't have to address bad behavior right in that very moment. You can wait until after you are done direct instructing or just before or after the class is excused (for their next class, recess, lunch, etc.) to address that child one-on-one.

Staying Healthy

As the new school year gets underway, let's recall some of the basic personal care that helps us stay calm and cool in the classroom:

• Get lots of rest. How many hours do you need? Some of us need eight (me). Stick to this number no matter how busy you get.
• Watch that coffee (or soda) intake. Too much caffeine can make the calmest of souls super edgy.
• Take mini breaks throughout the day. Teachers hit the ground at a hundred miles an hour in the early morning and often don't stop until getting in their cars to go home. Avoid this all-too-common habit. Close your classroom door for a few minutes and put your head down on your desk, do a quick meditation, make a phone call to a friend, or listen to a short podcast or a soothing song.

Calm, Cool, and Collected

By the way, calm doesn't mean using a flat or monotone voice. When reading aloud, posing a question, or explaining the exciting choices your students will have for an upcoming project, continue to be your dramatic, upbeat self.

Students mirror our energy. If we stay calm when teaching -- giving instructions, addressing individuals or the whole class -- it's amazing to see that this, too, happens with them. Whether we want the responsibility or not, we are constantly modeling for the children we teach ways to be out in the world.

We want them to see that kindness, flexibility, and a tranquil approach to others are vital skills to develop. Using one of the oldest and best practices in our business -- Show, Not Tell -- is the way to guide your students to emulate these very actions.

Professional development

Most teachers consider themselves life-long learners. As professionals, teachers are required to complete a certain amount of professional development (PD) every few years. While these opportunities are ways to advance their craft, many teachers find that they don’t get much as they should from sitting in meetings or classes.

Just like the differentiated lessons they teach to meet students’ individual needs, teachers need to learn strategies in PD arranged for their individual interests and needs. Differentiated PD isn’t a new idea. Many administrators already ask teachers what their professional goals are and what the teacher will do to meet those goals. The teacher is observed in class and given suggestions to help align her practice to her goals. But differentiated PD should go beyond teacher goals; it should be an experience that gives educators new ways of thinking about their practice through a meaningful experience. We’ve compiled a list of unique ideas that help individualize the PD experience for teachers.

1.    Observation: Allowing teachers into the world of their colleagues, both at their own schools and at different schools, gives them a perspective of what can happen when they approach teaching in different ways. Teachers see new and innovate ways of instructing and organizing class time. They learn new methods for interacting with students and having students interact with others. Observations allow teachers to explore alternative ways to demonstrate their craft—not in theory, but in practice.

2.    Portfolios: Many schools nowadays require students to create portfolios to demonstrate their learning. Not all learning is represented as grades on a test, so students must find ways to symbolize their educational journey. Portfolios for teachers are a great way to collect artifacts and reflections on the school year. For PD purposes, teachers might be required to fill their portfolios with certain things like professional book reviews, video lessons, examples of parent communications, and so forth.

3. Action Research: Action research is best for teachers who want to apply learning in their classroom as soon as possible. It’s also a great way to get teachers interested in research and publishing in the education world. Like all research, action research starts with a question, usually something like “What part of my current teaching practice needs to improve?” From there, the teacher dives into the current research and literature about the topic and formulates a plan for improvement. The classroom becomes a mini-lab as the teacher tries out their newly researched strategies and collects data on their effectiveness.

4.    Lesson Study: Lesson study is a PD strategy that has its origins in Japanese elementary education. During lesson study, teachers work together to plan a lesson, often based on a specific goal or research question. One teacher delivers the lesson to his or her class while the other group members observe. The group meets to discuss their observations, at which time the lesson is often revised so that another teacher can deliver it in his or her classroom. The group observes the second lesson and reports their findings to the larger staff. A lesson study gives teachers the time and space to collaboratively improve both individual and school-wide teaching practice.

Teachers are skilled learners. As professionals, they’re required to continue studying and improving their craft. Schools design professional develop to help their faculty grow, but sometimes that PD is misaligned with teachers’ goals and classroom needs. By allowing teachers the option to choose how they’ll grow, differentiated PD options make continuous learning engaging and meaningful. I am curious about what options your school gives you for PD. Comment below.