Tag: teachers

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A Method to the Madness

Imagine for a minute that you are in a chemistry class. You’re learning about endothermic and exothermic reactions, and your assignment is to conduct an experiment with the end result being one of those two reactions. Rather than showing you how to do it, your teacher stands at the front of the room and delivers a lecture to the class about which elements will react when combined. Not really that exciting and engaging, right? 

There are so many things to learn about, and so many ways to teach them. Sure, a chemistry teacher could lecture about reactions, but actually showing the class how to perform the experiments would be much more effective. Similarly, a history teacher could go through a slide show of information about the Civil War, but there might be other ways to teach that same material that would create a longer lasting impact on the students. 

Students learn in so many different ways, so it makes sense that teachers need to teach material using many different methods. The methods used will vary from subject to subject, and even will vary within each subject depending on what exactly is being taught, as some topics lend themselves to one particular method over another. 

With so many methods to choose from, how is a teacher supposed to pick which one(s) to use?! In order to choose the best one, it might be helpful to know what exactly each method is, and what kinds of content it might be best suited for. 

Lecture Based

In this method, the teacher provides a large amount of information by delivering a lecture to the class. While not always engaging, it can be an effective way to get a lot of information out. This method is often used to introduce a new topic or provide background knowledge before taking a deeper dive into a topic. The use of visual aids, stories, jokes, and questions can help keep students engaged. 

Inquiry Based

Inquiry based teaching is the practice of allowing students to come up with questions, then explore various resources to find the answers to those questions. Students can conduct research, collect data, and gather evidence to support their inquiries. This type of teaching is typically most effective in science classes as well as history classes.

Technology Based

Technology based teaching is just as it sounds– teaching using technology, and allowing students to use technology to learn and explore topics. This can be incorporated into nearly any subject, and can be very beneficial to students. Devices such as computers, tablets, online programs, or even smart phones can provide students with a wide base of resources with which to learn.

Group Based

In group based teaching, the teacher provides the background knowledge, then has students work together in groups to learn more, conduct research, conduct experiments, gather data, and so on. This approach promotes cooperation and communication among students. Teachers become facilitators in this method. They are there to help students as needed, but a large portion of what is learned is done as students work together. 

Game Based

Gamification has recently become quite a popular way to teach. It’s engaging, fun, and can be used for nearly any subject. Students usually associate games with fun, so when teachers turn learning into a game type format, the brain automatically sees the activity as more enticing. There are so many online options for game based teaching. In addition to creating their own educational games, teachers can pick from several online gamification platforms to create fun, educational games for their students. Websites like Kahoot!, Quizizz, Blooket, Gimkit, and Quizlet Live are all excellent resources available to teachers. 

Individual Based

In this method, the teacher provides the content, but students become the main facilitator in their own learning. They become responsible for how and where they learn, which creates a sense of ownership. This can lead to greater confidence and deeper learning. 

Hands-On Learning

This method gives students a chance to really get into the content and experience it with their senses. Hands-on learning experiences have been shown to make a more lasting impact on student brains than lectures alone. When a student can experiment, ask questions, and form a physical product based on what has been learned, the information is much more likely to be retained. 

There are many methods teachers can use to deliver information to their students, and there truly isn’t a right or wrong way to teach material. There are certainly some methods that are more effective for some subjects than they are for others, but any teacher can use any of these teaching methods and still get results. Good teachers also don’t just stick to one type of teaching; they change their method based on what is best for the information they are going to teach, and what is best for their students. Don’t be afraid to try new teaching methods– you might be pleasantly surprised that you really enjoy one you haven’t tried. However you decide to teach though, make sure you do it with your students’ best interests in mind, and you will see your students succeed!

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Teachers Aren’t Superheroes

While scrolling social media I came across a static photo of school-aged kids holding up a letter board that said, “Teachers aren’t superheroes.” 

Obviously, this is classic clickbait. I didn’t end up reading the caption, but it got me thinking… If I were writing the caption, it would sound something like this, 

Teachers aren’t superheroes. It’s true, they aren’t. They are living, breathing human beings with thoughts, feelings, to-do lists, and worries just like everyone else. 

We as a society are constantly talking about the superhuman abilities of teachers. And truly, they are incredible and giving human beings. But teachers are people that deserve to be respected and treated like.. Human beings. Not like superheroes. 

We shouldn’t expect them to swoop in and save the day every time a small problem arises. We shouldn’t think that they’ll have all of the answers to every single issue. Those are unrealistic expectations for anyone. 

Teachers are going home at the end of their contracted time and grading papers, putting together art projects, planning field trips, and more for our kids. They are working above and beyond what they are expected to do, and it takes a toll on them. 

So instead of treating them like superheroes, let’s treat them with respect. 

Let’s ask how we can support and help. Let’s ask what supplies we can bring in or how we can give time if it’s within our means. 

Let’s encourage and thank our teachers as much as possible. 

Let’s stop calling teachers superheroes. 

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Five Ways to Help You Pick the Right Book

When it’s time to pick a book, how do you know what’s good for you? Here are a few ideas: 

  1. Ask a trusted friend: It’s tried and true! If you have friends with the same book interests as you, they may have a good title up their sleeve to suggest. 
  2. Look for books with awards: Caldecott, Newberry, etc. If they have an award on their cover, it means it’s a good choice! 
  3. If you’re in a library, look for books that have multiple copies: If a library has multiple copies on hand, it means they have a lot of interest in the book and it’s in high demand. 
  4. Ask a teacher: Teachers are really good at a lot of things, but recommending books is a talent high up on their list. 
  5. Ask a librarian: If there’s anyone more qualified to recommend a book, it’s a librarian. Even if they don’t know you personally.

Bonus: Read many of the book lists that we’ve curated here on our blog! Books are a big part of our lives and sharing them with you brings us joy.

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A Life-Changing Professor Teaching All Of Us

In college, I had this professor. You know the one that changes your life and puts you right on course for where you need to be? Yep, she’s the one. 

Dr. Mecham was my professor for my level two practicum (level four is student teaching, for perspective). On the very first day of class, she stood up in front of the roughly 150 students currently in the practicum and said, “This semester is going to be really hard. It will push you to a lot of limits and we will expect a lot from you. So if you feel like you need to switch to an easier major, perhaps engineering, then go ahead and talk to us and we can direct you to the correct advisors to help you make this switch.” 

I was blown away that she had the audacity to state that majoring in engineering would be an easier route than an education degree. I’ve never taken any engineering classes, so I cannot confirm or deny that her statements were true, but I will say that we were worked very hard by our professors and we were expected to perform to the highest standard that semester. 

During my practicum, it not only required 14 hours of classes a week but also being in an elementary school classroom every day of the semester working with a teacher to provide classroom experience. This time in the classroom was focused on working with students in small groups and one-on-one to slowly introduce us to eventually student teaching.

My practicum experience in the classroom was less than ideal, with a teacher that often sent me to the copy room to do mindless copy work and rarely let me work with students. There were multiple other problems I ran into, most of which I wish I would have been bold enough to stand up for myself, but at the time I wasn’t. 

After a semester of feeling discouraged and not very adequate as a teacher, I had my final interview with my professor, Dr. Mecham. I accomplished all of my school work, had a 4.0 GPA, and according to the books, it looked like I was the perfect candidate to continue my education degree.  However, my mental state said otherwise. Dr. Mecham was ready to pass me off and tell me I was ready to continue, but before so, she asked her final question that went something like, “Do you feel ready to move on and that you passed your level two practicum?” 

With tears in my eyes, I told her I couldn’t. I said that being a teacher must not be what I am supposed to do as a career, because I felt so inadequate in the classroom, and that I possibly needed to consider a new degree. 

She comforted me with compassion, asked details on why I was feeling this way, and reassured me that I wasn’t the problem, my situation was the problem. 

I left her classroom with a warm hug and felt better and more confident than ever before. She truly had just changed my life and kept me on the path as a teacher, one that I am still so happy to be on, even if I’m not actively teaching at the moment! 

A handful of times I ran into Dr. Mecham in grocery stores and other places throughout town. Every time she saw me she always stopped to say hello with a warm, welcoming smile. She always was ready to take the time to acknowledge an old student, which made me feel like a million bucks! 

About a year after being in her class, I was walking through campus with a new haircut. I happened to pass Dr. Mecham on my walk and the first thing she said was, “Oh cute new haircut! I like that style on you!” 

I want you to realize that Dr. Mecham hadn’t had me as a student in a full year. I had only seen her very briefly in passing a handful of times. And still, she recognized that I changed my hair! If you want to know the true definition of personal teaching, she is the icon for it. She also asked about my experience at college how far along I was in my program. I was happy to tell her that I would be student teaching soon, ready to take my final step in the program to reach graduation. She was elated for me! She knew how hard it was for me to get through my level two practicum and I knew she was the only reason I continued on. 

I thanked her again for telling me how truly hard it would be and preparing me to work hard. And for knowing me and my struggles through it all. I wasn’t just another student walking the halls of the Emma Eccles Jones College of Education at Utah State University, I was a student of Dr. Mecham, someone she knew and cared about. And that made all the difference for me. 

I try to remember Dr. Mecham in my teaching experience. I try to get to know each of my students personally and pay attention to them as a human, not just someone to teach the curriculum to. 

And I strongly suggest you teach like Dr. Mecham too. 

You can read an interview I did with her earlier this year. Read her advice to pre-service teachers, it’s so good! 

 

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Is Handpicking Your Children’s Teachers Really Benefitting Them?

How often do you hear as a teacher or a parent in a school, “Oh, Sally Sue is in Mrs. Smith’s class because her mom requested her to be there.” Or, “I would never let my child be in that teacher’s classroom, the principal knows this.” 

Is there a benefit to choosing your children’s teachers? There could be because you know your kid best, you know how they work, if they can handle disorganization or not, their interests, and how those line up with the teacher.  

But, could you be doing a disservice to your child by handpicking their teachers? Someday, your kids may not have the opportunity to pick and choose their employers and especially those they work with, they will have to know how to handle different personality types. 

One excuse I hear often from teachers is that their kids do not do well in disorganized classrooms, they are too Type A to handle it and their grades would be affected. But here is a question we all need to consider. Is it better for your child to struggle and learn coping skills in 5th grade, or in college with their professors? Or roommates? What about their first boss? 

Also, let’s dive into the teacher’s perspective. First, it can be slightly offensive to them when they hear a student cannot be in their classroom because their parents had a hand in who educates their child, it can make the teacher feel inadequate or unappreciated. Maybe an unorganized teacher has had a Type A student in the classroom before and they know what tools to use to help these students. 

Maybe you’d be surprised at what students can accomplish in circumstances that are less than ideal for them. Maybe they will struggle for a time, but then know how to learn in various ways, a tool they will need for the rest of their lives.

So maybe we shouldn’t handpick teachers for our kids. Maybe we should let our kids grow and learn outside of their comfort zones. 

 Do you choose your children’s teachers? Teachers, how does it affect you when you find out parents choose their kid’s teachers?   

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I Am Not a Crafty Teacher and I Accept That

During my long term substitute teaching job, the first-grade team I was working with had started Fun Fridays. This is becoming a more and more common practice in schools, where the students who are caught up on work can participate in fun activities on Fridays, while other students take that time to work on assignments they may be missing. 

The four classes were intertwined and mixed into four different groups from all of first grade, allowing everyone to be with friends and peers from other classes. The doors to our rooms were opened up, and every Friday, chaos ensued. However, no matter how chaotic it seemed, it truly was a fun Friday to switch everything up just a bit and have a change of schedule. 

Each teacher had a responsibility to come up with a game or activity for the students in their classrooms for that week. We would repeat this every week with a different group until we made our way through the four groups, then move on to the next activity of teacher choice. 

On my first Friday I took over the class, the teacher had left me with the moving fish craft she had done the last two weeks prior, leaving me with two more groups to finish it with. 

Moving Fish


They are cute crafts and fun for kids to make! However, from a teacher’s standpoint, it’s actually a nightmare to conduct this craft with 30 first-graders, each needing individual help with 80% of the steps. Maybe I’m just not a crafty enough person, but this was not working out for me. I needed a change. I tried the fish craft for one week before I gave up and switched to a new craft for the last week of the month. This is what I chose: 

Origami Flowers


Why did I think for one second that I could pull off an origami craft with 30 students when I couldn’t pull off the moving fish craft, to begin with? That’s a very good question, because needless to say, I failed yet again. 

There are probably countless teachers that exist in schools all over the world that are great at crafting and teaching students cute origami and paper making crafts. I am not one of those teachers. I tried to be, I gave it my best effort, and I even felt obligated to because teachers are supposed to be crafty, aren’t they? I felt like they were known for that, and I was failing if I wasn’t crafty as well. However, at the end of the day, it wasn’t me. 

The biggest takeaway from my long term sub job was that being genuine as a teacher is the key to success. I had to fully accept that I was not a teacher that provided fun paper folding activities but instead prompted creativity in other ways. 

I found success in my Fun Friday activity the day I handed out a two-foot piece of yarn to every student and left a bowl of fruit loops on each table. I left no instructions beyond that, turned on classical music, and watched the magic happen. 

Many students walked away with fruit loop necklaces. Others with multiple bracelets because they cut the string into smaller pieces. I saw different weaves with the string and cereal pieces from kids, as well as some who simply just played with the string in their fingers and munched on dry cereal while they talked with friends. No one did it the right way, no one did it the wrong way, they simply just did it their way. 

This is the teacher that I am, and as soon as I learned and embraced it, it made the rest of my teaching experiences much smoother for myself and the students. All it took was a little life lesson from a simple cereal and string activity. 

How did you find yourself as a teacher? What helped you to create the culture in your classroom that flows and works for you and your students? 

Featured Image: pexels.com

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How Vulnerability Lead To My Greatest Breakthrough

Graduating with a teaching degree in December can be a tricky thing. For me, I was in an area with too many teachers and not enough classrooms. While it may be an ideal situation for a school district, it was hard on me for finding work, so my solution was to sign up as a substitute teacher. Within the first few weeks, a principal from a nearby school called offering me a job as a long term sub for a first-grade classroom while their teacher was on maternity leave. I was overjoyed! The job wouldn’t start for a few months, but the teacher requested me to come in a few times to get a feel for the classroom and learn their daily schedule. 

I spent the next two months visiting the classroom about once a week, helping here and there, and getting to know the students. Right away, I could tell they all really loved their teacher, and even though they were excited for her to have her baby, they were sad to see her leave. 

I didn’t know it at the time, but immediately, I was intimidated. I felt like these kids already knew I was less of a teacher and that they would resent me for taking her place. Without even realizing, I started promoting myself to them, trying to prove that I would be a sufficient replacement. 

Every time I visited the classroom I promised them new things. “Guys, when I come to teach you we will do fun things!” My list grew and grew with promises. 

You love legos? Great! I’ll bring legos!

We can color ALL OF THE TIME. 

I have some super fun books that I can read to you guys! We can do read alouds all day long! 

Do you play the violin? We should find a day for you to play it for us! 

This was me showing them that I could be a fun teacher too. I was doubting my abilities, so obviously they had to be doubting them as well. 

It didn’t take long for me to realize that this would backfire. In fact, it only took one day. 

I walked in on my first day with the highest hopes and walked out at the end of the day in tears. Four kids had been shuttled to the principal’s office before lunch. During reading time we didn’t even make it through the text because there was too much side talking for anyone to concentrate. And walking through the hallways was a joke. I could not keep enough order to keep them in line, let alone quiet enough to not disrupt other classrooms. In fact, another teacher stepped into the hallway and yelled at the kids as we walked by because they were losing control. I was losing control. I knew I was failing. 

I had a 25-minute drive home to think about what went wrong and how I needed to fix it. As I pulled into my driveway, it all dawned on me. I never tried to be their teacher, I only tried to be their friend. And even though I truly believe in having a good relationship with your students and teaching to their needs, I also know that my prime role in the classroom is a teacher. 

Continuing on in my reflecting, I also came to realize that I actually didn’t have to prove myself to them. All of these inadequacies I was feeling came only from me, not from them. That night I sat down and made myself a plan for day two. Something needed to change in order for us to make it through the next 9 weeks together. 

Tuesday morning I started off different than their teacher ever had. I stood by the door, which immediately caught them off guard. I instructed each student as they entered to head to the rug for a meeting, to which most students gave me weird looks or protested because it was so out of the norm for them. 

Once we were all seated, I apologized to them for how the day had run previously. I apologized that I didn’t have better control of the class, that we were not able to learn much from the lack of management, and for the disruptions that hindered our day. I felt vulnerable in front of these first-graders apologizing for my mistakes, but it was a great learning moment for all of us. 

After apologizing to them, I laid out my expectations clear and simple for them. Talking while I am talking would not be tolerated. Walking through the hallways would look like quiet, respectful students who walked, not ran. Further expectations followed but ended with a powerful statement that I repeated to them for the remainder of my time there. I told them that they were the BEST class in the whole entire school and that they only sent me to be their teacher because of their exceptional behavior, and that I expected them to uphold this. 

Most of them did not believe me at first, they were known as a hard class throughout the school and they knew that. But I can promise you, I changed their minds by the time I left them. 

By the end of day two, I cannot say that we had a miraculous change. But I can say that there was an improvement. I took on the role of a teacher and it made a big difference. Little by little, we had better and better days. They were quietly walking through the hallways and raising their hands to speak more often. We still had our struggles and I still worked hard to maintain their confidence that they were the best class in the entire school, even when I was doubting it myself. 

I finally realized I had corrected my mistake a few weeks in as I walked my class to the library. They quietly filed in and followed the instructions of the librarian. Our school librarian looked at me in amazement and congratulated me. I asked what for and she said, “I have never seen this class behave so well, you are doing an incredible job with them! You must have been exactly what this class needed.” 

I had a little smile on my face as I walked back to the classroom. Little did she know, our first days together were chaotic and we hadn’t learned a thing, and it wasn’t necessarily the student’s fault, it was mine. 

I learned so many things from my long term sub job. One big takeaway that has helped me in my teaching is that classroom management is key and that relationships with students thrive after expectations are set. I couldn’t connect with them because I couldn’t gain control long enough to know them. 

I ended my 9 weeks of teaching with some of the greatest student relationships I have ever made. I may have taught them phonics and how to add two-digit numbers, but they taught me how to be the best teacher. And the most satisfying moment was when another teacher commented on how my class was one of the best in the whole school. I knew the potential was there all along, we just all needed to believe it a little more. 

What does your classroom management look like? How do you establish it with each new class? 

Cover Photo: deathtothestockphoto.com