What Would You Do Differently?

Often when I am in the company of non-educators and I reveal to them that I am a teacher, people will ask if I am a good teacher.  I always respond that I am a better teacher today than I was yesterday.  None of us are perfect.  We have good days and bad days.  But as long as we strive to make different mistakes than we did in the past, we will be better at what we do.

Reflect on this year.  Identify a situation you could have handled better or something you could have been better prepared for.  Tell what you will do differently in your classroom to ensure that you handle that situation or how you will prepare differently in the future.

Time to Teach?

I became a teacher to make a difference in kids' lives by inspiring them and making them see their worth.  I thought about how to make school more fun and interesting than most of my teachers made it for me.  What I did not sign up for is the endless mounds of paperwork and administrative duties that come with this profession.  I remember the endless weekends of grading, averaging, and calling parents.  I had to find a way to proactively get the work done.  I had to get off of my heels and end the back-peddling that would eventually interfere with what I needed to accomplish in my classroom.

I also had to find time to REFLECT - one of the most important parts of teaching, learning, and growing.  Without the time to reflect on what went well and what didn't, on what was learned or what was not understood, or how to correct mistakes made, I can not be better.

Take time to reflect on ways you have made good use of your time and respond to this post.  If you have no answer, then reflect on what you don't have time for so that we can provide feedback on your situation.  The link below contains articles that may assist you with organizing your days and prioritizing to become a more productive educator.

Articles on time saving strategies for teachers (http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/collection.jsp?id=330)

Taylor Mali on "What teachers make" (written version)

Taylor Mali on "What teachers make" (video version)

Student Managers

There are some kids in our classes who come in looking for something to get into.  As soon as they walk into the door, they are playing and running around.  Teachers get frustrated and the student never gets fully engaged into what is going on in the classroom.  One way to channel that negative energy is to give students jobs in the classroom.  Instead of looking for something to do when they enter the classroom, challenging students should be given a job or responsibility to focus on at the start of the class.  If you have some good ideas of jobs or classroom responsibilities for our boys, please share them with us.  To post a response, click on the title of this post or the word comments below.

Resources and Links

This post is an opportunity for teachers to participate in reasonable online courses for personal or professional development.

http://www.teachereducation.com

This post is for teachers who would like to join a community of science and math based inquiry teachers.  it has resources and an interactive blog to get advice and tips from experts in your field.

http://iteachinquiryblog.com/

Teacher Rapport: How Do You Create It?

As I walk in and out of classrooms, I notice the various teaching styles and relationships that teachers have with their students.  The teachers who tend to get the most out of their students use best practices (consciously or subconsciously) and have a fairly good relationship with the majority of their students.  I found an article about teacher rapport that I would like to share with you here.  Let me know if teacher rapport is essential in being a happy successful teacher.  If so, please share some steps you take to build rapport in your classroom community.  To post a comment, please click on the word comments next to the envelope each post.

Article link: Student and Teacher Rapport: An Essential Element for Effective Teaching