The learning process can be very intimidating for some students. Maybe they've struggled in previous courses, doubted their intellectual abilities or had a hard time concentrating in class. Regardless of their reason for struggling, every student deserves the chance to be in a positive learning environment. Creating a culture of learning in the classroom can require some work upfront, but once that environment is established, teachers will see joy and success from their students. To help teachers create a culture of learning, we have compiled seven tips to help you foster learning … [Read more...]
5 Automatic Ways to Bring Laughter to the Classroom
While I was student teaching at a high school, I was paired with my humorous college classmate Tony. He always cracked jokes and could light up the room with his master storytelling. He would introduce himself as “Toe-Knee” while pointing to his toe and knee, which got an immediate laugh out of students. As we began student teaching together, I wondered how his antics would affect the students’ perception of him as a teacher. Would they take advantage of him? Would they refuse to take him seriously? Would they gravitate towards his teaching? All these questions lingered in my mind as we … [Read more...]
Controlling the Classroom with Reactive Classroom Management Tips and Tricks
Nailing down classroom management is extremely important for teachers. There is not an exact science to it, and several classroom management techniques may need to be tested before a teacher figures out what works best in their classroom. Testing out different techniques is by far the hardest part about classroom management. As much as you read and learn about it in college, there is no teacher like experience. Testing out strategies, refocusing, analyzing effects and testing again seems to be the tried and true way to achieving a managed classroom. What seems to work for one teacher may not … [Read more...]
Setting Up Your Classroom for Success: Proactive Classroom Management
I remember preparing for my first year as a high school English teacher. It seemed as if I was one thousand emotions rolled into one tiny ball. While I was not at all concerned about how I would teach the material or my content knowledge, I was overcome with stress regarding how my students would behave in class. Would they be disruptive? Would they listen to directions? Would they argue with each other? Would I be able to keep them engaged in the lesson? Rather than flood myself with “what ifs”, I knew that I had to be proactive with my classroom management and remember what I learned during … [Read more...]