By Shaun Fagan
Just because a student gets an A on an assignment doesn’t mean they fully understand the material. Evaluations, parent/teacher conferences, and report cards capture a snapshot of how well students are digesting classroom assignments, but none of these really show a true, detailed image of students’ performance and how they learn based on their individual styles. Here’s a trio of techniques that educators can use to further their knowledge of how their students learn.
By David Solomon
Did you know that 15% of school-age children have some degree of hearing loss? To better accommodate students’ needs, teachers need to understand and evaluate their physical challenges from the start. They’re easy to overlook, especially if the child tends to be quiet in the classroom. Every student deserves access to life-enriching education, but to build their knowledge, they first need to be able to hear what the teacher is saying.
by Shaun Fagan
A new school year is a great time to set realistic and attainable goals for ourselves and reflect on last year’s lessons learned. One important aspect of starting the year off right is getting to know your students: did you know that on average, teachers affect more than 3,000 students during their career? And when teachers spend time to get to know their students, it can have a positive effect on their performance, engagement, and even test scores.
Don’t gloss over getting to know your new students as unique individuals this year. Try using these icebreaker ideas to support a collaborative and meaningful learning environment for your classroom.
By Gerard Dawson
“Classroom culture” is one of those vague terms that can send shivers down a teacher’s spine. One mention by an administrator or thought leader, and it’s easy for your eyes to glaze over and your ears to shut. But the truth is, improving classroom culture consists of concrete steps that teachers can take to ensure a better learning environment for their students. While the results may not be easy to collect data about, they can certainly be felt. Here are some of the first steps I recommend.
By Gerard Dawson
It’s a truth universally acknowledged that school gets crazy before a break.
It may be the shopping- and baking-filled days before winter holidays. Or that long “no man’s land” leading up to spring break. And don’t forget that last month, slow as molasses, on the approach to summer vacation. Students and teachers both feel it, but not in the same way.
