Yearly Archives: 2017
Textbooks vs iPads
Posted on November 9, 2017 at 4:16 pm
UK schools spend a significant amount of their budgets on top quality gadgets that can facilitate the teaching process, and it’s not uncommon to walk into a classroom nowadays to see 30 odd students using iPads.
That said, there is some debate over how useful these are, as they can be rather distracting. As an example, with a textbook, all the students can focus on is the text in front of them, they’re then more likely to absorb that information and process it. Whilst iPads may also be used for other apps, games and websites, so it could be a little easier for a student to go off topic. Of course, teachers can set up the iPads in ways that keep them focused, perhaps using passwords to keep the children in the app, but are costs going to waste on tech our kids don’t need, and should students just use textbooks most of the time instead? Let us know what you think about this one.
Posted in Classroom Management
Making it through your first week in a new school
Posted on October 5, 2017 at 2:43 pm
As a teacher, it can be quite nerve-wracking to move to a new school. You have so many names to remember, and not just the students but teachers too. It does take some time to settle in, and you will probably feel like everyone is staring at you at times, but that’s exactly why confidence is needed, and it will prevail. If you are relatively new to teaching, it’s important you understand that the way things worked in your last school may not be the same this time around. Moving to a new school takes time to adapt, so be willing to change your approach, be open to making friends and learning who everyone, is, but most important keep your cool and after a few weeks, everything will start falling nicely into place. You can then begin to flourish in your new school and you’ll then be showing someone else the ropes.
Posted in Teacher's Best Practices
3 signs that say you’re not cut out to be a teacher
Posted on September 21, 2017 at 1:24 pm
There are certain traits that people need if they want to have a successful career as a teacher, and if you don’t possess these qualities, you may want to consider another career.
Patience
Without patience, you may struggle to adapt in a classroom. There will be such a diverse range of students and you have to have the patience to really get the best out of each individual.
Attention to detail
You have to know your course material inside and out, but you also have to have a keen eye to see which pupils are doing well and which pupils need more of your time to see better results. It’s all about being on the ball at all times, which isn’t easy.
Confidence
If you lack confidence in the classroom the students will sense it, and that can be a major problem. They need to respect you, and the only way they will is if you really own that classroom and ensure they know who is in charge.
Posted in Classroom Management, Teaching Careers
Last minute preparations before the new academic year
Posted on August 25, 2017 at 7:10 am
As the new academic year approaches, are you ready for your next year teaching in a school? As the new year starts, being organised can help you get back into the flow of teaching much easier. The 6-week break is coming to an end so making sure you have all the essentials is, well, essential.
Making sure you have the basics such as an organiser, stationery, notepads and lesson plans is the place to start. After having a break from work, getting back into the swing of things can be difficult, from preparing each lesson, setting homework and of course the dreaded marking. Make sure you manage your time wisely to help you stay on top of your workload and provide yourself enough time to detach yourself away from school life.
Stress can often show in lessons and student pick up on this easily, if you feel like you are struggling with your workload, speak up early and it will become easier to manage with help and support from the rest of the team.
Good luck and happy teaching.
Posted in Classroom Management, Teacher's Best Practices
End of Year Tips for preparing your class for Their Next Academic Year
Posted on July 20, 2017 at 10:29 am
It can take a good amount of planning and energy to prepare your class for their next academic year. However, if you follow these tips, you should have a smooth running throughout the year.
Tidy up your books and notes- If you want to a have a clear mind, then you must clean your desk. This will allow you be productive and get to work once classes resume.
Create your schedule- If you don’t have a planner yet, you should be looking for one. Create your own scheme and mark out some of the most important dates.
Check if you have everything that you need for the year- It’s important to have a list and check whether you have everything that you need. This will allow you to get organized for the next academic year.
Set your goals- You need to set your next academic year’s goals so that you can work towards achieving them. Have something that can constantly remind you of your goals.
Posted in Classroom Management
End of year lesson planning advice
Posted on June 27, 2017 at 8:23 am
As the school year comes to an end, it is important to keep your students engaged with their work. Students can become easily distracted as the eagerly anticipate the summer holidays away from school.
Planning fun and interactive lessons during the end of term can work well for keeping students engaged and learning. Setting out creative projects to be completed within lesson time, such as model building can help keep them focused. Following this create a presentation session where they can present the teach the class about the project they created.
As the final days draw in, the lessons tend to get lighter and it can be a great way to end a school year on a positive note. This can include a film and popcorn session in between classes.
As teachers the end of year is great way to reflect upon the previous terms and start your preparations for the next school year, after your well-deserved break that is.
Posted in Classroom Management, Teacher's Best Practices
Benefits of end of year school summaries
Posted on May 30, 2017 at 2:21 pm
If you are a teacher, you may want to start writing your students end of year reports. The end of year summaries is a great way to show the students how they have developed over the year. It can also help point out any areas that require further improvements and those areas they are excelling in.
These reports allow the students to understand exactly how they have improved, and they can then write new goals or targets to meet in the next school year. Writing school reports can be a time consuming task, as it will need to be complete during ‘out of hours’ in addition to the lesson planning and work marking. Split your time wisely, and start making a time management schedule to assist with meeting particular deadlines.
A great way to get personal feedback is by asking the students to write you an end of year teaching summary, asking them to write any ways lessons could be improved.
Posted in Teacher's Best Practices
Benefits of teaching students in an outdoor environment
Posted on April 15, 2017 at 1:13 pm
Children today spend less time than ever outdoors. They are so busy playing with their computer games, surfing the internet and texting that they simply do not spend any quality time outside. Children are missing out on the wonders of nature and the world around them. This is why the teaching student’s outdoors is a good idea for teachers.
Outdoor classrooms allow pupils to spend some quality time outdoors away from the classroom environment. Many people wrongly assume that outdoor classrooms are only of use when teaching about the environment or natural science subjects but, this could not be further from the truth. Outdoor teaching can be used to teach all manner of subjects. For example, children could take art classes in their outdoor classroom; this would allow them to draw landscapes and environments that they see. It can also be used in English classes as children can be asked to write about their environment and so on.
Posted in Classroom Management, Teacher's Best Practices
Writing Your Personal Statement for University
Posted on February 16, 2017 at 12:18 am
Writing your personal statement can be stressing, we all know that. Therefore, we are going to assist you with a few tips on how to go about it.
When writing your personal statement of course you want to stand out and emerge as the best. First, log into the university’s website and learn about their core values, from there, align them to your strengths, skills and qualities. Be sure not to over do it so try to be natural and witty, not exaggerating when in comes to abilities – as one day these may be tested and no one likes a fraud!
Try to stand out. We are all different and special in our own ways, so in your statement show them that, as they are always looking for something different everyday. Make sure to proofread your statement, as the last thing you want is to hand it in with 5th grade grammatical errors.
Posted in Education News
Benefits of interactive teaching
Posted on January 16, 2017 at 7:45 am
There are many Benefits of interactive teaching resources and they provide teachers with a compelling and simple approach to instructing anything to a class. PC programs and more can be all the more efficiently and effectively taught with the assistance of interactive teaching. It makes it simple for specific skills to be demonstrated before the entire class so teachers don’t spend as much time showing everything to every individual kid. This permits teachers to provide better lessons and has more opportunity to provide extra help to students who may require some extra direction and support.
Before, if one student had an extraordinary bit of work, all together for everyone else to see it, they’d have to all get on one PC. With this new technology, it’s easy to show the work on the screen so everyone can easily observe it. This reinforces things that students are learning since students can take what they realize, place it into practice, and after that demonstrate it to their peers.
As teaching resources, interactive teaching techniques open up many new opportunities inside the classroom. They open up correspondence, presentation, and even representation opportunities. By using the technology, information can now be presented to substantial groups of students in ways that are engaging and energizing, which leads to better outcomes for learners.
Many types of various materials can be used seamlessly together when using the new technology available with interactive technology. Teachers can bring together many materials and resources in all forms. Information and information can be presented in various organizations and after that saved for using again or for students who need to go over the material at the end of the day.
When interactive technology is used effectively as teaching resources, they can take many distinctive teaching techniques and bring them together. This supports an assortment of various learning styles, making it simpler for students who learn in various approaches to learning effectively.
Posted in Teacher's Best Practices