Learning From Taking Chances

As my class nears its end, I have learned a lot of things and most of them have come at the tail end of my journey. It has been an enjoyable experience and I feel I have grown quite a bit when it comes to technology, but there is a lot more to learn and try.

One thing I gained from this experience is that if I expect my students to stick their necks out and take a chance in their learning then I should do the same! For the first few weeks of this I never ventured out from just typing things. It was not until a few weeks ago that I downloaded some new apps and started trying them. It never occurred to me that this process is about trial and error, not perfection.

A second idea I developed is that I am not by myself. Although this is not profound, when working with the internet, Google, and other Star Trek type toys things can be daunting. There are a lot of people within my school district but also on the web who can help me. I have learned so much from random searches, discovering new learning communities, blogs, and talking with colleagues via e-mail, G-chat, and Twitter. The key is that I feel like I am part of a greater community dedicated to helping kids learn and be better prepared for the future.

A third epiphany garnered from this spiritual/technological journey is that a lot of what I am doing can and has been applied to my classroom. The process of learning is the same but the tools can be different. Like anything, it is how you use, present, and make good with the tools. Sometimes I would psyche myself out and go back to tried and true methods. There is nothing wrong with trying! To show your students that you are human and make mistakes helps foster a more collegial classroom atmosphere. When a child can help explain how to use or do something it builds them up and makes the class even closer.

Converting YouTube Videos into MP3 Files

One of my very early posts described things I saw and heard from my students in the computer lab. Consider this post part deux of super, happy, fun sightings in the computer lab. Today the students worked on presentations and one young man was helping others in the class find and use a site.

If you love using YouTube to find such timeless classic videos like Laura Branigan's classic "Self Control" or a special Andy Griffith during the day it is a lot of fun! But what if you want to create a fun presentation using the audio from that subject area but all you can use are MP3 audio files and you have no access to those files? That is where this site http://www.youtube-mp3.org/" converts that video into an MP3 audio file.

What is cool about this tool is that it is a simple copy, paste, and download process. Please watch this next addition of Screencastify to see how to do it! As always this is a work in progress which means you will get a video that does not help too much but it gives you an idea!

Here is the "how to" video on converting videos into MP3 files.

How to Tweet! (More Like Trying to Tweet)

I am still learning to work Twitter. Tonight was my third chat session and it was very illuminating and enlightening. I am still trying to learn how to respond to tweets and to figure out the characters.
I created a video of trying to use Twitter which is neither illuminating nor enlightening but is extremely amusing and/or frustrating to watch. In any event, take a look and let me know what you think! #seriously?

Reasons Why Laughter Makes Classroom Management More Effective

Read This Before Using Laughter in Your Classroom

There is a common belief that if you use humor in your classroom, you’ll lose control of your students.

But here’s the thing; if you already have poor classroom management, then yes, it’s true. Trying to be funny will backfire on you. Behavior will likely get worse.

But if you have solid classroom management skills, then bringing more laughter into your classroom will make you even more effective. 

Here are some reasons why I think laughter is an effective tool.

It’s a common language.

Although it can take time for some students to come around, all students like to laugh. Laughter is the one thing guaranteed to build camaraderie and knock down social and emotional walls, binding students from different backgrounds together into one happy classroom.

It’s easy.

It takes little or no planning to bring more laughter to your classroom. All you need is a willingness to try. Your students will appreciate any effort to be funny. They’re primed to laugh. So be your silly self, tell a joke or two, and show your best–or worst–dance moves.

It motivates students to behave.

Humor can help you create a classroom your students love being part of. This, along with strict accountability, provides a strong motivator for students to behave. No student wants to wallow in the hall while their classmates are sharing a laugh with the teacher.

It eases tension.

Many classrooms buzz with tension. You can feel it as soon as you walk through the door. And before long, you’ll see it too: excitable, irritable, and misbehaving students. Laughter, however, can relax an uptight classroom—releasing tension, calming vibrating knees, and bringing joy to the room.

It encourages hard work.

When students are happy to be in your class, you can ask so much more of them. They appreciate a classroom they enjoy coming to every day, and they’ll want to repay you for it. It’s human nature. We reciprocate those we feel indebted to.

It reaches the hard to reach.

Humor has the power to help you make personal connections with students, particularly with those who are hardest to reach. When I look back on the most challenging students I’ve had over the years, I can often point to the use of humor as a major factor in helping me turn them around and guide them in the right direction.

Reaching Students One Shout - Out at a Time!

One of my favorite pictures! I do not know who these students are but they definitely like the shout outs at football games! This took me by surprise but also made me realize how lucky I am to be a teacher and be in District 303.

One of the many ways I try to let kids know they are a part of something is by calling them out at sporting events and making them laugh or wave! Along with students, parents have become fans along with the average passerby's.

Some lines that draw attention are "Please be kind, pick up from behind" and "The concession stand is awaiting your business, and speaking of business, the port-a-potties are next to the concession stand." Along with the students and parents I try to incorporate the administration into the festivities at the games, especially with St. Charles North. Those games are usually the "Cross-River Dean's Night Out" "Hug Your Principal Night" and "Administrators are not just pencil pushers but are people too! So give your favorite administrator a hug!" The key is to make people feel like they are a part of something, kind of like what Saturday nights were like in my household when we all watched television or played a board game.

Luckily, I still have a job!

Screencastify

Lately I have been trying to use Screencastify in a variety of ways. Please do not judge me by this example. I was trying to show how to create a hangout and talk to colleagues. In the future I will create a presentation which makes more sense. What I like about Screencastify is that it can be a cool step by step process whcih can make learning easier. Unfortuantely, this is not a very good example but I will try again.

Here is a presentation created by someone who knows what they are doing! It is very simple to understand and easy to follow!

Educating for the Future

With the recent events in Paris and Beirut, what is our role as an educator? What should we be focusing on: life after school or current classwork? When asked how the subject relates to a job, what is the answer? My standard answer was always if you can think, read, write, and question you will find a job. Now I am thinking what the future will entail for these students when there are groups whose sole intent is to end their futures. 

Maybe I am a wee bit paranoid but it seems like the attacks in Paris and Beirut are only the beginning. This seems to be a current pattern by groups that feel they cannot get their message across. If education is about opening minds, than why hasn't it worked in other parts of the world? What is our role as an educator in a world where trying to understand others leads to violence?

Best Practice

Is the concept "Best Practice" a phrase people use as a cop out for not wanting to try something new or going back to what works in the classroom? It seems more often than not, when I hear those two words it is from the mouth of someone who is unwilling to try something. It could also be how I am interpreting the situation but more often than not, some teachers do not want to change and use the phrase as a way to justify their style (or lack of). 

This attitude can be applied to discipline issues in which the phrase could mean "be flexible and adapt"rather than automatic consequences (please read this article) work with the student and try to come to an understanding. Not everything is "black and white" and there are times where repercussions are needed but you do catch more flies with honey than vinegar.

Another issue in which this attitude is applied is in the classroom. Just because the newest educational model or article says a certain method does not work does not mean it should be dismissed. An example would be a teacher who never liked teaching a certain topic in class using the argument "best practice" to totally dismiss it. Old school ways of teaching still work for some individuals and yet, we seem to want to always change everything in one fell swoop. Almost like we are shooting for the next flavor of the month. Please read this blog to see what is being discussed. 

The last place this attitude or concept seems to be applied is in the office. It seems like political correctness and a lack of humor have infiltrated work places and campuses. When did asking simple questions turn into hurting people's feelings which led to being insensitive and possible racist? With the world the way it is right now (look at this article about recent events in Paris) shouldn't we be working to teach students how to overcome rather than to expect?

In conclusion, I have gone off on a tangent from "best practice" to "terrorism" but there are a lot of connections, even if I cannot express them in a cogent manner. Please leave comments and tell me what you think!

How to Blog Demonstration Video

This little "How to" video will either make you want to blog or use other methods. My voice is neither lively nor enthusiastic but blogging is pretty simple!

10 Conditions For Self-Sustaining & Self-Directed Learning In The Classroom

The work is sufficiently self-sustaining if the teacher can formatively assess and provide personalized feedback and advice to each student. It seems like the following conditions have to be met to ensure that the work we give students is self-sustaining and worthy work:

1. Rich, challenging, and meaningful problems/issues/tasks that require core content
2. No single, obvious, or superficial solution path – yet, the task is doable.
3. Clear performance goals and criteria for judging progress and knowing when the work is “done to standard”
4. Access to appropriate and varied resources
5. Familiar routines/protocols that help students organize the process (with varying degrees of transfer expected, via scaffolding/explicitness provided by the teacher; depending upon level of student skill and autonomy)
6. Sufficient choice/personalization to enable students play to strengths/interests
7. Self-assessment and self-adjustment guides via models and rubrics
8. Benchmarks, checkpoints and other formal and informal formative assessments, to ensure students are on course and on time.
9. Explicit norms of mutual respect and personal responsibility, preferably built with student input and sign-off.
10. Teacher respect for reasonable non-disruptive student “down time.”

When Students Take Ownership

For the past three years officers in our  class council have been taking on a variety of responsibilities and activities. One of the things we did when we first started was to groom the students and help them prepare for becoming responsible for various things. A shining example would be one of the class projects which has been going on since fall 2013. The project revolves around local area veterans and their stories. These stories are collected, filmed, and submitted to the Library of Congress. What is neat about this project is that it was student generated and now is student run. The person in charge of the activity books a veteran every month for an interview, signs out the equipment, and assigns the interview to a fellow student. What started on shaky ground is now a solid, student driven, activity which has produced fourteen videos.

The project has really come into its own as evidenced by this article http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20151106/news/151109233/

What are some things you are doing in your class room or activities where you put the onus on the students to produce?

How Raking Leaves Connects To Teaching

The past weekend I spent my Saturday morning raking which gave me an opportunity to do some deep thinking. While I fought a futile battle against the oaks and maples, I thought about connections between what I was doing and the classroom. It was not only interesting but it was very therapeutic.

Here are some of the things that came to my mind while raking.

1. Have a well organized plan. It seems that when you have a plan for your class or for your yard things tend to work better.

2. Technology is  nice but it has limitations. A windy day in the yard and the leaf blower does not work so well. In fact, I have to work twice as hard to pick up leaves. Just like a presentation via Google does not work as well without having some knowledge and some personality to help sell the lesson.

3. Do not expect people helping you rake to read your mind and automatically do the job the way you want it. Unless you explain your ideas, they will not take shape the way you want them to and this holds true in the class. If you do not explain what you want your students to do with an assignment or a lesson, you cannot be angry or disappointed with the results.

4. Stick to the task and do not get sidetracked. Focus on your plan and things will get done. When you start to multi-task, whether it be in your yard or classroom, things tend to blow up on you. Instead of making a point in the class or having the yard finished, you have a half ass product.

5. Take into account the differences you may have with others in your yard or class and make adjustments. I find you can catch more flies with honey rather than vinegar. The more flexible you are, the better the results.

So there you have it, raking and the classroom have many connections. You can learn a lot when you are outside the classroom!

What Teachers Can Learn From America's Past Military Leaders

"By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest.” –Confucius

Sometimes I like to do random searches for help with my teaching. Past searches have included: "connections between monkeys and education," "mistakes made by teachers," and "how to create a lesson that makes sense." As a person who loves military history, I wondered if there is anything on the web in terms of our military that could help me as an educator?

Teachers are not only in the classroom but they are constantly filing paperwork, keeping records, dealing with discipline issues, and learning new skills. Not only do we have to do those tasks but we also have to interact with colleagues, students, and parents (for better or for worse). Along those lines, teachers should be looking to learn and get advice from people outside the profession. In this case an educator can learn lessons from our past military leaders. 

Here are ten military leaders who had a knack for getting the most out of their troops. Please focus on the lesson you can learn and think about how it fits in your career. The common thing among all these dudes is a sense of selflessness and doing what is right for others. Does this theme sound familiar? Aren't we teaching because of the students? Isn't that what education is about rather than buzz words, committees, and data collection? In any event, your comments are appreciated.

George Washington

1732-1799

Rank: General

Military branch: Continental Army

Lesson: Trust your core team.

The Continental Army never numbered more than 35,000 men, and Washington never had more than a third of it under his personal command, yet he and his men managed to subdue Great Britain’s professional army.

Quote: “Be courteous to all, but intimate with few; and let those few be well-tried before you give them your confidence.”  

Winfield Scott

1786-1866

Rank: General-in-Chief

Military branch: U.S. Army

Lesson: Never compromise.

Scott's insistence on military appearance and discipline earned him the nickname “Old Fuss and Feathers.” During the Civil War, his Anaconda Plan for strangling the South by keeping it from its sources of supply was first sneered at by Union generals. But the plan was later adopted by Lincoln and turned out to be the overriding strategy that eventually won the war.

Even if some people don’t believe in your vision, it’s important to keep focused on the long-term goal. If you’re confident, don’t be derailed by naysayers.

Quote: “Peace won by compromise is usually a short-lived achievement.” 

Robert E. Lee

1807-1870

Rank: General

Military branch: U.S. Army

Lesson: Respect your team.

Lee was widely adored by his men. In victory and defeat, they witnessed his great strength of character, his high sense of duty, his humility and selflessness. Even Northerners accepted Lee as the greatest general of the Civil War.

When you respect your students and colleagues, they will respect you. A happy team is a productive team, and when people believe in their teacher, they’ll do anything for that individual.

Quote: “The forbearing use of power does not only form a touchstone, but the manner in which an individual enjoys certain advantages over others is a test of a true gentleman.”

Ulysses S. Grant

1822-1885

Rank: General

Military branch: U.S. Army

Lesson: Don’t give up.

Grant made mistakes and learned from them. His drive and resolution made him a first-class general. During the Civil War, President Lincoln rewarded Grant with a promotion to lieutenant general and made him general-in-chief of the armies. Instead of establishing an office in Washington, he took the field with the struggling Army of the Potomac.

As a teacher, you will make mistakes, but it’s how you learn from them that will define your success as an educator.

Quote: "One of my superstitions has always been when I start to go anywhere or do anything, not to turn back, or stop until the thing intended was accomplished.” 

George S. Patton

1885-1945

Rank: General

Military branch: U.S. Army

Lesson: Help your team achieve greatness.

Patton earned the reputation of having a uniquely gifted military mind, immense energy and a penchant for being blunt. During the Battle of the Bulge in World War II, when the German Ardennes Offensive threatened to swallow up a surrounded American division at Bastogne, Patton pushed his men through mud and snow and relieved Bastogne on Dec. 26, 1944.

Good educators help their students achieve greatness, even during hardships. It’s important to push your students to meet their goals and advance their career.

Quote: "Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity." 

Lewis B. 'Chesty' Puller

1898-1971

Rank: Lieutenant General

Military branch: U.S. Marine Corps

Lesson: Stay positive.

The most decorated marine in history, Puller’s service spanned four decades. He led marines in 19 campaigns and some of the most critical battles of the 20th century. Puller is most remembered by his fellow marines for his quick-witted encouragement in the midst of combat.

In the face of adversity, you have to stay calm and positive. If you lose it, your class will follow suit -- tenfold.

Quote: "All right, they're on our left, they're on our right, they're in front of us, they're behind us...they can't get away this time."

Dwight D. Eisenhower

1890-1969

Rank: General

Military branch: U.S. Army

Lesson: Create a cooperative culture.

Eisenhower had a way of saying the right thing to gain people’s cooperation, and his strong personality and good nature inspired trust, according to the U.S. Army of Military History. He was regarded as a natural leader who looked for ways to smooth over disputes and organize his men’s efforts toward a common goal.

When your colleagues are all on the same page, working together, your school's students will reap the benefits.

Quote: “Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it.”

Dudley 'Mush' Morton

1907-1943

Rank: Lieutenant Commander

Military branch: U.S. Navy

Lesson: Keep everyone motivated.

Morton’s feisty and daring nature led him to command one the U.S. Navy’s most fierce war ships of all time, the USS Wahoo. Former Wahoo sailor, Chief Yeoman Forrest Sterling said, “When I first met Commander Morton it only took me one minute to realize that I would follow that man to the bottom of the ocean if necessary. Mush was a true leader of men and knew his business inside and out.”

If your students don’t believe in you and your vision, you’ll have a tough road ahead. Make sure everyone knows what’s in it for him or her in the long run.

Quote: “Tenacity, Dick, stay with the bastard ‘til he's on the bottom.” --Mush Morton to fellow sub commander Dick O'Kane

Eugene B. Fluckey

1913-2007

Rank: Rear Admiral

Military branch: U.S. Navy

Lesson: Recognize your hard workers.

Fluckey thought very highly of his men and was known as one of America’s most daring submarine commanders of World War II. As the skipper of the submarine Barb in the Pacific from April 1944 to August 1945, he was known for inventive tactics. He was awarded the Medal of Honor and the Navy Cross four times for his heroism.

Once you find a good team, be sure to dole out credit and tout their achievements. A little recognition goes a long way.

Quote: “What wordy praise can one give such men as these; men who…follow unhesitatingly when in the vicinity of minefields so long as there is the possibility of targets…Men who will fight to the last bullet and then start throwing the empty shell cases. These are submariners.”  

H. Norman Schwarzkopf

1934-

Rank: General

Military branch: U.S. Army

Lesson: Get in the trenches.

Schwarzkopf had a reputation as an officer who would risk anything for the soldiers under his command. When he heard word that some of his men had encountered a minefield in Vietnam, Schwarzkopf rushed to the scene in his helicopter. After being wounded himself by an explosion, he eventually led his surviving soldiers to safety.

As an educator you have to dig in on the front lines, right alongside your students. You will get the best work from your kids if you’re willing to stick out your neck for them.

Quote: “It doesn't take a hero to order men into battle. It takes a hero to be one of those men who goes into battle.” 

Things You Learn Watching Students Work on Computers

I had my U.S. History classes in the LRC today to work on a simple research and report activity. The research was conducted today and the reporting out will be tomorrow. Throughout the periods I walked around, answered questions, and kept students on task (for the most part). I also discovered via peripherals that my students look at some cool sites, have great conversations, and play games that many teachers can enjoy as much as their students!

Here are the top 10 things I observed today and some have links for you to enjoy!

1. Is Tupac Dead or Alive? This one had the student researching (even if it was not about U.S. sectionalism, it is still research). 
2. Although there are many sites, pictures work best! This site is a step by step"how to" on surviving a zombie apocalypse.
3. Pandora, Spotify, or Snapchat which are all easily accessible by phone. Although access to these features are not by computer they are still a distraction that students enjoy as much as sugar laden food.
4. Urban Dictionary was a popular one today. I do not know if what I was saying was being translated or what I may have been thinking but a few students were using this valuable tool as much as our school administrators do!
5. As always, yoga pants fashion is always a must see! The most popular one today was Abercrombie and Fitch. By the way, is there such a thing as male yoga pants?
6. Living the hip hop life is tough, especially in an affluent suburb, so this site was a popular one for some students today!
7. Simple e-mail messages like "Help, I have no food! PLZ order Jimmy Johns for me!" or my personal favorite "Mom, I don't feel too good- please order me a BMT from Subway!" 
8. Games with cartoon characters were en vogue today! Although these are high school kids, Cartoon Network classics like "Regular Show" and "Pokemon" were on the minds of a few children in American Studies this afternoon.  This link is just a small sampling of what some male students were trying to play today.
9. Line of the day, "I'm telling you dude, McDonald's is either controlled by or is a part of the Illuminati! My step-uncle gave me a book to read (unintelligible title) and that is in chapter 1." Remember, the key is research skills, even if it is a conspiracy theory, there is value in questioning.
10. Last but not least is a link to a site that not only has a funny web address (http://iloveyoulikeafatladylovesapples.com/)but challenges your hand-eye coordination skills! I personally like this site and will use it for a future lesson plan about 19th Century Victorian manners and culture.

Blogging!?

I have found blogging to not only be fun but also very rewarding. It is a time when I can be introspective and reflect on things before posting my thoughts (it is very therapeutic). As I continue to work on this blog site, I thought it might be cool to explain how to find and create your own blog.

1. Decide on what to use as a host site for your blog. I sought advice from people who know a lot and also did searches on the internet. I sought advice from others (fellow teachers) and through various websites before starting a site. I chose Blogger since it was through GOOGLE and it seemed pretty easy to set up.
2. Here is a great link to a site that helps explain how blogs work and places that are good for hosting http://www.dearblogger.org/blogger-or-wordpress-better What is nice about the page is that it explains all the different sites and is very easy to understand. Also, the author of the blog is pretty funny and very helpful.
3. Complete the form that requires various amounts of required information in order to have a site.
4. Establishing a page is pretty easy but before you start blogging there are three keys: 1.) have a great title; 2.) the first post needs to explain why you have a blog; and 3.) have a nice "about the author" page.
5. Please note the advice from point 4 because I did not do any of those things. A very important point is to know what the focus is for your blog.
6. Make sure you realize that your blog is public and all you have to do is send a link to your posts. Unfortunately, I did not realize that and sent an excessive amount of messages to people to look at the site. (Sorry about that!)
7. Begin blogging on whatever you want whenever you want but make sure your posts remain in the realm of good taste, reason, and legality. This is not only because it makes sense but because your blog can be shut down.
8. Lastly, have fun with your site. There are a lot of colorful and fun sites https://drbillstepien.wordpress.com/ that you can get ideas from for your blog. I like my site to be plain and bland like my personality. 

12 Reasons To Use Google Classroom

For those of you who are not familiar with google Classroom, here are some of the things you can do with this platform:

1- Teachers can use Google Classroom to create and collect assignments paperlessly.
2- Automatically make copies of Google documents for each student
3- Create Drive folders for each assignment and for each student to help everyone keep organized
4- Provide direct and real-time feedback and grades
5- Keep track of who has turned in assignments
6- Quickly review assignments
7- Send announcements and start class discussions instantly
8- Students can see all of their assignments on an assignments page
9- Students can share resources with each other or provide answers to questions on the stream.
10- Students can open their assignments and work on them right from their phone or tablet.
11- Students and teachers can view their classes and communicate with their classmates in real time
12- Students can keep track of what’s due on the Assignments page and begin working with just a click

Google Classroom is being widely endorsed within the education community especially in the United States. With the increasing popularity of  this application, Google keeps adding updates to enhance its performance and make it more mobile friendly especially through the iPad and Android. 

Here is a video to further explain why it can be a powerful tool for your classroom!

Finding a Balance Between Teaching and Technology

The right balance between teachers and educational technology benefits everyone.

Some people may feel that new technology is signalling that teachers will be replaced by computers. However, in many articles relating to this subject, the theme is the opposite. The theme seems to be "Technology in education doesn't replace teachers," according to many of the authors. 

Technology offers teachers a unique advantage to further develop hybrid and blended learning models which will allow educators and technology the opportunity to complement each other. Technology allows educators a chance to not only enhance and develop their style, but a way to make their classroom more accessible for the student. When the right balance is struck between teacher instruction and educational technology, everyone benefits, resulting in more effective instruction, personalized learning and student retention.

Traditional classrooms may involve a diverse student group with varying learning styles which can make teaching difficult. This can result in teaching to the "middle" due to classroom and time pressures. Inevitably this situation leaves some students out. Even when a teacher answers a struggling student's question, he or she can only allocate so much attention and time to that particular student. Meanwhile, the other students must patiently wait for the student to catch up, sometimes preventing them from progressing in the lesson. 

A hybrid or blended learning classroom, however, has the ability to fix this problem. The best educational technology can meet different students' needs. These tools also improve student retention since users can repeat a lesson as many times as necessary without requiring the other students to wait.

Vice versa, teachers play an active and critical role in hybrid and blended learning classrooms. They continue to set standards and benchmarks for the classroom's overall mastery of concepts and ensure that students are making progress. At the same time, they no longer have to teach to the "middle," and instead can guide students with different learning styles. They can work individually with students to develop personalized learning plans, establish goals and offer encouragement. If the balance between teachers and technology is properly struck, students truly can get the best of both worlds. 

Making Connections With Students Outside of the Classroom

One of the best pieces of advice I received from my sister (a teacher herself) is to be there for your students and make connections. What better way to accomplish this than to be a part of the school culture! Being a teacher does not mean you check in and out according to your contract, but that you make yourself available outside of school. For me it is being at most school events but for others it may mean tutoring, working with a club, or just making a student's day!

I found this video on Facebook. It is of four teachers at Metea Valley who found out a certain student wanted to meet the Wiggles. This is their way of "connecting" with him on Halloween!

This video is why many of us got into education. We get to do this on a daily basis, maybe not like the video, but everyday we say or do something that makes a young person's day. 

Alabama Teacher of the Year told she's unqualified, resigns

Please read this article and answer the following questions.

What would you do if you were this teacher? 

Is she acting selfishly or is she right?

2014 Manchester Guardian Article about Effective Teaching

Since I started this blog I have been doing a lot of reflecting on what makes an effective teacher. Unfortunately, it is something that I think about a lot and yet I am not very good at expressing my opinions in writing. Originally I posted questions on this site (in the hopes of people responding with their thoughts and opinions) but putting my thoughts and ideas in a clear, cogent manner is really tough.

It seems that I am not the only one who has been thinking about this topic, as evidenced by the numerous articles on the internet. There are a lot of people out there who are willing to express their ideas in ways that make sense.  Although this article is from October 2014, it makes a lot of good points but it also has some provocative ideas. Please read it and tell me what you think. There is also a link to the site.

This is the link to the article if you want to look for more information.

The question of what makes a great teacher has been around for a long time. It’s an enquiry that poses many problems because there’s simply no set recipe for success, and different approaches work for different professionals and students.

The Sutton Trust has published a report that reviews the research into effective teaching, finding that popular practices, such as lavishing praise on students or allowing them to discover key things for themselves, actually have no grounding in research.

The author of the report, professor Robert Coe from Durham University, says this is a “starter kit” for thinking about what makes good teaching. So, what does the report recommend? Here are 10 salient points to take away:

1. Know your subject

The report, which looked at more than 200 pieces of research, found that there were six main elements to great teaching and one of the most important ones was subject knowledge. It may seem obvious, but the report found that the best teachers have a deep knowledge of their subject, and if that falls below a certain point it has a “significant impact” on students’ learning. Targeted help for teachers, giving them an understanding of particular areas where their knowledge is weak, could be effective.

2. Praise can do more harm than good

The wrong kind of praise can be harmful for students, the report found. A number of studies conducted by education experts, including Carol Dweck professor of psychology at Stanford University and Auckland University professors John Hattie and Helen Timperley, have observed this.

Deborah Stipek, the dean of the Stanford Graduate School of Education, said that praise is meant to be encouraging but it can actually “convey a teacher’s low expectations”. Stipek said that if a pupil’s failure was met with sympathy rather than anger then they were more likely to think they had done badly due to a lack of ability.

The report adds the caveat that the findings are open to interpretation, however, as teachers can do things well or badly, and some methods are not appropriate in all circumstances.

3. Instruction matters

The quality of teaching has a big impact on the achievement of students’ from poorer backgrounds, and effective questioning and assessment are at the heart of great teaching. This involves giving enough time for children to practise new skills and introducing learning progressively. Defining effective teaching isn’t easy, the report conceded, but research always returns to the fact that student progress is the yardstick by which teacher quality should be assessed.

4. Teacher beliefs count

Evidence to support this is not conclusive, however. A study by professor Steve Higgins of Durham University and the University of Newcastle upon Tyne’s David Moseley about teacher beliefs in ICT did not find a convincing relationships between beliefs and pupil progress.The reasons why teachers do certain things in the classroom and what they hope to achieve has an effect on student progress. Mike Askew, the author of Effective Teachers of Numeracy, found that beliefs about the nature of maths and what it means to understand it, along with teachers’ ideas about how children learn and their role in that process, was an important factor in how effective they were.

5. Think about teacher-student relationships

This may also seem obvious, but the interactions teachers have with students has a big impact on learning – as well as the “classroom climate”. The report said that it was important to create a classroom environment that was “constantly demanding more” while affirming students’ self-worth. A student’s success should be atributed to effort rather than ability.

6. Manage behaviour

Interestingly, this wasn’t as significant as subject knowledge and classroom instruction as a factor contributing to teacher success. But classroom management – including how well a teacher makes use of lesson time, coordinates classroom resources and manages the behaviour of students – was noted as important.

7. There’s no evidence that setting works

Putting students in groups depending on their ability makes little difference to their learning. Although setting can in theory let teachers work at a pace that suits all pupils and tailor content, it can also create an exaggerated sense of all pupils being alike in the teacher’s mind. This can result in teachers not accomodating to the various different needs within one group and in some instances going too fast with high-ability groups and too slow with low ones.

8. Don’t worry about learning styles

A survey showed that more than 90% of teachers think individuals learn better when they get information in their preferred learning style. But despite the popularity of this approach psychological evidence shows that there is no evidence this actually works. You can read more about the evidence on learning styles here.

9. Learning should be hard at first

One finding that may surprise you is that approaches that appear to make learning harder in the short term can actually lead to students retaining more information in the long term. Elizabeth Ligon Bjork, professor at the University of Michigan and Robert Bjork, professor at the University of California, said that varying the type of tasks you ask pupils to do improves retention even though it makes learning harder initially.

10. Build relationships with colleagues and parents

A teacher’s professional behaviour, including supporting colleagues and talking with parents, also had a moderate impact on students’ learning. The report said that there may not be a direct link with these practices and student achievement, but to capture a broad definition of good teaching they should be included.