Honoring Introverts and Extroverts in the Classroom

Here's a way to treat introverts and extroverts with the special care they deserve:

Source: decrescenzio.blogspot.com via KindergartenWorks on Pinterest

What do you do to help introverts and extroverts in your classroom?

  

Discovering Your Students' Strengths

Do you know your students' strengths, talents and learning styles?

Identifying student strengths can be a helpful tool in the classroom!

One of the best ways to find out how your students learn is by watching them at play. Do you see students reading, sketching things, or building things? Do your students have lots of friends and socialize most of the time? Are your students musical and rap oriented? Are they puzzle-solvers or dancers? These activities can give you a glimpse into their academic strengths. For instance, by observation, you may find out these special talents that your students have:

• Readers - may be visual learners
• Sketchers - may be visual or  artistic
• Builders - may be kinesthetic or logical thinkers
• Socializers - may be interpersonally skilled
• Rappers, Musicians - may be artistic
• Puzzle Solvers - may be logical thinkers
• Dancers - may be artistic or kinesthetic learners.

Notice that I say "may." This is a very broadly sketched observational tool.  You can also get information about student talents, literacies and intelligences by having them share the information themselves. Offer them a survey, and then collate the information. Who better to share this than the students themselves? To learn more about multiple intelligences, please:

1. Familiarize yourself with Howard Gardner's theory on multiple intelligences 
2. Watch the following  video by Laura Candler, who explains how to use a student survey that she created.  
3. Use this link to her student survey, the Getting to Know You Survey, and use it with your students. 

Take a moment to watch Laura Candler's video to see how the survey is completed. 

Have you learned anything new about how your students learn?
  

Establishing a Relationship with Your Students

Have you made a connection with your students yet?  

Making a connection with students will reap great benefits for you and them!

We've all had teachers who motivated and supported our learning. Those teachers established a positive relationship with students in the classroom from the very first of the school year. In one of my recent posts, Remembering My Favorite Teachers, I mentioned how certain teachers established a personal connection that made a real difference in my academic success.  Our students are no different. How can you establish a meaningful, caring and professional relationship with your students? Here are a few ways that you can develop these connections:

• identify students' strengths and challenges, and take the time to discover your students' interests
• explain "why it matters" during your instruction
• offer students choices based on learning skill and style
• be respectful, firm and consistent
• avoid "playing favorites" in your room  by giving all students an opportunity to aid, assist and support others
• establish time to have personal conversations with small groups of students 
• connect with parents and students outside of school hours
• promote school functions and attend them
• develop a sense of humor (not sarcasm) and use it in the classroom
• offer tutoring when needed, be available to students who need help, and direct students to resources within the school.

What things do you do to develop relationships with your students?

  

Accomplished Teachers Look like Professionals

How do you present yourself to your students?

I've shared several things about accomplished teachers in past posts, including Becoming an Accomplished Teacher, and 20 Things Accomplished Teachers Know about their Students, but this is a more basic concern. Have you ever gone into a classroom and had troubling identifying the teacher? On my visits to classrooms I have had this issue, and it's a problem. 

Consider other professions for a moment. When you see a doctor or nurse, you immediately know that you're in the presence of a professional who can understand and possibly solve your medical issues. When you see a police officer, you know someone's on the scene who can address law and order concerns. The fireman appears, and you know that the fire will be addressed!  What about the teacher - but more importantly, where is the teacher? 

Your dress is a fundamental part of creating the image of a professional. And it's important to create that presence in the classroom. Once you do, you can use that presence to lead the students. And believe me, students will treat you differently when you dress differently! What does this presence look like? Well, in American society it looks like:

• daily hygiene - daily shower, fresh breath, deodorant, etc.
• hair that is clean and cared for (whatever the style!)
• clothing that is freshly laundered and ironed 
• tops and bottoms that fit without clinging to your natural assets. (and if you have large natural assets, you need to wear clothing to cover them)
• shoes
• non-distracting accessories
• clothing that isn't too small or too short, and doesn't expose you when you take the tip test. (The tip test: tip yourself over  in front of a mirror. Do you see more than you want to show in front or in back? That's what students see every day)
• outfits that are not casual (think loungewear or the park)
• clothing that would be worn at important functions (dresses, jackets, sweaters, suits and ties, etc)

Now if you want to dress formally and wear dresses or suits and ties, that's automatically considered professional attire.  But you don't have to wear suits and ties. You do have to wear clothing that sets you apart from the students, and creates the impression that you are someone to look up to. I guarantee that the first time you dress this way, a student will ask you where you're going. Your answer should be, "I'm not going anywhere,  I'm coming to an important place: the classroom - to teach you."

Can I get a witness?

  

How Accomplished Teachers Manage Student Learning

Find ways to manage your students' learning!

I've discussed accomplished teachers, before, and shared insights on getting to know students in  20 Things Accomplished Teachers Know about their Students, and checking what you know about your content in Accomplished Teachers Know their Content. These are the first two steps. Step number three is how to manage and monitor student learning. Today we will address how to manage student learning.

How can you manage student learning?

In my teaching experience, I find that the best way to manage student learning is to structure your teaching in a way that will support all students. If you can remember the letters  a-b-c-d, you'l be able to: Always Believe, Consider and Differentiate.

• Always begin with the end in mind - what do you want students to remember when they've left your class? If you plan with your goal in mind, your ideas will become more focused and direct.
• Believe that each child will be able to understand the concepts you've taught. Of course that means that you will do everything you can to help that along, and you won't just plan for the bright students (or the slow ones).
• Consider each student's special needs and aptitudes. Make sure that you know what your students' talents are ahead of time.
• Differentiate - after considering student needs and aptitudes, create learning activities that will address those differences. This doesn't mean re-teaching a topic  8 different ways - it means designing activities that will give students options geared to their special talents.

How do you plan your lessons to manage student learning?

  

First Things, First

How about this quote to put our teaching into perspective...
                    

Are life skills a part of your curriculum?

  

Looking for Classroom Freebies on the Internet?

Finding free internet resources and downloads is easy!

There are lots of places to find free resources for your classroom, especially on the internet.   I've found many helpful educational sites during my travels around the digital wonderland.  I've even shared several great sites in the post, Top Ten Resources for Teachers. To find freebie resources and downloads, simply google the word "free" before the topic that you're searching. Here are a few sites to get you started:

1. Free Technology for Teachers: http://www.freetech4teachers.com
2. Teachers Pay Teachers: www.teacherspayteachers.com/Browse/Price-Range/Free-Downloads
3. Free Resources from the Federal Government: free.ed.gov
4. AtoZ Teacher Stuff: www.atozteacherstuff.com
5. Teaching Tolerance Educational Materials www.tolerance.org/teaching-kits
6. TeachHUB: www.teachhub.com/free-interactive-whiteboard-resources
7. Free English Teacher Resources: www.geoffbarton.co.uk/teacher-resources.php
8. Classroom Freebies: www.classroomfreebies.com
9. Izzit Free Educational Videos: www.izzit.org
10. We Are Teachers Free Educational Resources: www.weareteachers.com

Do you have any favorite sites that offer free resources?


  

Happy Labor Day!

To all my fellow teachers, mentors, family and friends:

 

How will you spend today?