Edutopia. Often, that starts with us as teachers. Developing an environment where students can experiment and gain entry into the language of math starts with having a person who can facilitate what Stephen Krashen termed a low affective filter environment. While his study was applied to English Language Learners, his hypotheses should apply to all subject areas, math highest among them. In my classroom, I have five principles for assuring that all students can enter into the math, and also for creating the conditions for math success. 1) Allow More Mistakes I would suggest this to just about every teacher, but specifically math teachers, especially those of us who use the word "wrong" a lot. 2) Support Their Struggle At first, most of us get nervous when children struggle with mathematics, as if they need to get the math as soon as they receive the instruction. 3) Let the Kids Teach, Too During the class period, I prefer the students speak more than I do. 4) Answer a Question with More Questions.
Teacher Tips for Successful Parent-Teacher Conferences. Always begin with something positive about the child, then work your way into what needs to be improved upon. –Janice Allen, Vincennes, IN To prepare myself and the parents for conferences, I send home a form with the conference invitation that asks the parents to write down their concerns and questions about their child or school policies, and return it to me before conferences.
I also include a list of major topics we have covered and what I expect each child to be able to do. That way, parents can review what their child has done from papers sent home, and it won't be a surprise if their child isn't doing well. Then, I spend conference time working with parents on a plan to help their child. Don't talk down to parents. As an administrator, I encourage my staff to "Be Prepared". It is extremely important to start with a positive statement about the student and to point out any positive experiences that child has had to date. Simple things...I always include the student.
Remind. ClassDojo. 27 Attention-Getters For Quieting A Noisy Classroom. 10 tips for creating a class agreement. Icebreaker Questions and Speaking Activities. First day of class? Students too shy? Students don’t feel comfortable speaking English? We have you covered! Just choose whichever icebreaker questions or speaking activities you think will work best! Icebreaker Speaking Games/Activities Who Am I? Bingo Icebreaker Use this bingo board to get your students to ask each other questions. Icebreaker Conversation Questions Small Talk Completely random questions, so random in fact, that every student can find at least a couple of questions that will pique their interest. Have you ever… Questions about students experiences using the present perfect (i.e. have you ever…).
Comparatives / Superlatives Questions based on comparatives (i.e. bigger, smaller, more interesting) and superlatives (i.e. the biggest, the smallest, the most interesting). Get the School Year Off to a Good Start. Every teacher has a different approach to the first few days of school. Whatever your approach, Education World has an activity for you! Included: Thirteen activities to help teachers get to know student strengths, set the classroom tone, observe student interaction, or just provide a little fun! What are your goals for the first days of school? Some teachers use the time for informal activities designed to help students get to know one another. Other teachers introduce class rules or establish new routines.
Whatever your goals for the first days of school, the 13 activities in today's Education World article will help get the year off to a great start! The 13 activities are divided into four categories: Getting to Know Student Strengths and Skills Setting the Tone Discovering How They Work Together Having Fun! Following directions. Learning styles survey. A world of change. Time capsule. A video keepsake. Sticks and stones ... Illustrated student reflections. Surveys and graphs.