Two words that often cause teachers to cringe are “cooperative learning” because it means students will likely sit in pairs or groups of three or more and then proceed to discuss everything except the topic or assignment in front of them. There may be a student or two who do nothing and a couple of…
Effective classroom teaching is not simply a job taken on by someone with a college degree — it is an art that cannot fully be taught by attending classes and receiving a bachelor’s or master’s degree in education. Of course, college students can and should be instructed in the theories, strategies, and other aspects related…
It happens every year: the end of the school year is around the corner and some teachers will be considering a change in their career and move to another school district or perhaps a private school. You may no longer feel satisfied with your current position, are seeking a higher salary, or simply want a…
The substitute teacher: Sometimes respected by other teachers, less so by students, but always in demand by principals trying to fill in for absent instructors. Substitute teaching can be challenging and rewarding at the same time. A classroom teacher may define the substitute teacher’s success based on how well controlled his or her students were…
You do not need to become best friends with your students to build rapport with them. Just seeing your students every day gives you a special type of relationship with them. Some of your students may see you as a caring parent, others may view you as an overbearing mother or father, and some may…
Is it truly possible to have a bully-free classroom environment? There are numerous resources out there that say they can help you achieve a bully-free classroom, but do they work? While some of them do, every day you will read about or see a student being relentlessly bullied. There are blogs, websites, programs, and pamphlets…
Two favorite words of nearly every student are Field Trip, and for teachers, the words can bring a smile to faces or cause anxiety. Either way, field trips are an interesting and exciting way for students to learn something new or to enhance the curriculum. A field trip should be the extension of the classroom,…
One of the best strategies to help students learn in the classroom is to use effective questioning techniques. A question of any kind immediately sparks the thought process in people of all ages, especially children. Even if a student initially believes they do not how to respond to the question, you can be sure they…
A classroom newsletter may not be something you have time to create each week or month, but a newsletter can be an effective communication tool that parents will look forward to. The newsletter can be housed on your classroom or school’s website, sent as a PDF to parents’ email addresses, or distributed to your students…
Clarendon Learning Lessons include many creative ideas for classroom instruction and student learning. Students are asked to work independently or with their peers, fostering their collaboration skills. Of course, the lessons also include many traditional learning exercises such as multiple-choice questions, matching, fill in the blank responses, and others. And since every school and classroom…