untitled Solving the Hand Raising Problem Advice from Real Teachers Every Wednesday at 8:30 pm EST, I'll post a call for teacher questions on my Facebook page. I'll review the questions and choose a few to feature on Facebook each day, and you'll be invited to chime in with your advice. When I see a post that receives a large number of responses, I'll compile the best answers to create a helpful blog post. That way your great ideas won't get lost in Facebook land! Today's Question D'Anna asked for advice about how to handle students who raise their hands constantly while she's giving instructions. There were so many great responses to D'Anna's question - 175 in all! Peggy Seals: I have 2 very anxious seventh grade students that used to do this. Thank you to everyone who took time to answer this question. I am so grateful for this question. And Melissa:
Four neuromyths that are still prevalent in schools – debunked | Teacher Network It is no surprise that many teachers have an interest in neuroscience and psychology since areas such as memory, motivation, curiosity, intelligence and determination are highly important in education. But neuroscience and psychology are complex, nuanced subjects that come with many caveats. Although progress is being made towards understanding what helps and hinders students, there is still a disconnect between the research in labs and what happens in many schools. Many “neuromyths” are rampant in our classrooms, and research suggests that people are often seduced by neuroscientific explanations, even if these are not accurate or even relevant. Research also shows that explanations accompanied by images of the brain also persuade people to believe in their validity, however random the illustration. Such myths are a drain on time and money, and it is important to explore and expose them. Learning styles Where next for learning styles? You only use 10% of your brain Right brain v left brain
Classroom Management: The Intervention Two-Step All of us have had major classroom disruptions that try our patience and push our limits. These incidents can threaten our sense of control and generate fear of looking weak to other students. We fear that other students might do the same thing if we don't take a strong stance. Couple these feelings with the possibility of taking the disruption personally, and we have a recipe for disaster. It's important that we divide our response into two parts: Immediate stabilization Intervention to resolve these issues Crisis Management If you go to the emergency room, the goal is not to make you better (unless the required treatment is minor). The same is true in the classroom. Calming down requires time for both the student and teacher to depersonalize the incident. Common wisdom tells us to intervene as fast as possible, that waiting is a bad thing. Do's, Don'ts and 5 Examples Understand that stabilizing is not excusing, letting the student get away with anything or ignoring. Things to avoid:
UK supermarkets ban sales of energy drinks to under-16s | Life and style Sales of energy drinks to children under 16 will be banned by most major UK supermarkets from Monday, following concerns about their high levels of sugar and caffeine and impact on health and behaviour. Customers buying drinks containing more than 150mg of caffeine per litre in branches of Asda, Aldi, the Co-op, Lidl, Morrisons, Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Waitrose will be asked to prove they are over 16. The high street chemist Boots is the latest retailer – and the only non-supermarket – to announce a ban, following the lead of a voluntary restriction taken by Waitrose in January. Drinks such as Red Bull, Relentless, Monster Energy and Rockstar have become increasingly popular. The compulsory health warnings read: “High caffeine content. The teachers’ union NASUWT called last year for the sale of the drinks to under-16s to be banned by all retailers. Also seeking a ban are medical experts, including the charity Action on Sugar, as well as the TV chef and food campaigner Jamie Oliver.
25 Attention-Grabbing Tips for the Classroom Posted 03/13/2014 11:55AM | Last Commented 03/06/2015 8:04PM Whether you're a new or experienced teacher, strategies for getting student attention are an important part of your classroom-management toolkit. In this presentation you’ll find 25 tips for quieting a noisy class. You can view the presentation here: 25 Attention-Grabbing Tips for the Classroom These attention getters were contributed by educators from Edutopia’s community in response to a plea for help from a student teacher. One important point highlighted in the discussion and the guide is that what works for one teacher, might not work for another. Be playful.
What to Do About ... Students Who Seek Attention Advice from Real Teachers Each Wednesday at 8:30 pm EST, I post a call for teacher questions on my Facebook page. I review the questions and choose a few to feature on Facebook each day, where you're invited to chime in with your advice. When I see a post that receives a large number of responses, I compile the best answers to create a helpful blog post. Doing that means your great advice doesn't get lost in Facebook land! Today's QuestionToday's question comes from Anne, who asks, “I have a second grade student who at this point in the year still interrupts class. He has the need to always be right and be heard constantly. Many of you weighed in with really great answers, and I'm sharing some of the best below. Sonya Callaway Adamson: I have a few students in my class that are always eager to be the first to speak, answer, interrupt. Shimona Moloney: I had a pupil who constantly interrupted my lessons with off topic questions.
Letting Go of the Reins to Allow for Student Self-Advocacy -Originally ran on Finding Common Ground on 12/31/2013 Very young, children learn to include everyone in some way when they play, education should be no different. Kids need to be in control of how and what they learn – how they work out challenges, you get the point Control, the false sense of knowing the outcome as the plan is put into action. Tightly holding the reins, manipulating the space to achieve a perceived understanding of success, all to maintain the illusion. Does this sound familiar? This is how I’d characterize my early teaching experience and I thought it worked pretty well. After 12 years of teaching, and a loosening of my grip over time, this year I landed on gold. The best gift we can offer students is the ability to know what they need, to articulate what they know and how best to ask for help. As we begin to teach students to be the masters of their own learning, teachers need to understand that kids may not be so willing to want to control. If they don’t come willingly, give them a nudge.
A Collection of Quiet Cues, Attention Getters The best-kept secret a teacher has in his/her back pocket is a variety of ways to quiet their classroom down, grab their students’ attention, and keep it. Once a teacher can do that, it’s smooth sailing from there. It is essential that you have a verbal or non-verbal signal that will grab your students’ attention quickly. Verbal Attention Signals Here are a variety of verbal attention getters. To kick off this holiday weekend, we want to spread a little patriotic pride... With more and more technology in the classroom affecting learning, though,... Here are a few of the best children’s magazines, along with a few classroom... Here are some ideas, including writing activities, you can share with parents... Here are a few classroom management ideas to help your introverted students... Teacher says, “Clap your hands, stomp your feet, I want your bottoms in your seat!” Non-Verbal Attention Signals Teacher raises her hand to signal, “Give me five.” Tips for Getting and Keeping Students’ Attention
Top 10 Classroom Management Tips for Teachers - AmpliVox Sound Systems Blog What is classroom management? Wikipedia gives a classroom management definition as: “A term used by teachers to describe the process of ensuring that classroom lessons run smoothly despite disruptive behavior by students.” Listed below are several techniques, ideas, resources, and tips for teachers to hone the right skills to conquer their classroom: 1. Start the year tough. Many teachers make the mistake of starting the school year with a poor discipline plan or without any classroom management plan at all. 2. Students are the first to recognize a teacher’s favorites or biases. 3. Students often amplify their teacher’s reaction to disruptions—be ready for them and be ready to calmly and quickly pick up where you left off. Taking the time to structure your lessons and units around specific objectives will keep students focused and prevent them from drifting off topic. 4. Expect that your students will behave, not that they will disrupt. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Classroom Management Theorists and Theories/William Glasser Theory Overview[edit] Who is Glasser?[edit] Dr. William Glasser is an American psychiatrist and the developer of the Reality Theory and Choice Theory. Born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1925, he was educated at Case Western Reserve University, where he received a B.S. and M.A. in clinical psychiatry. Dr. The Control Theory, later named Choice Theory, states that a person’s behavior is inspired by what that person wants or needs at that particular time, not an outside stimulus. What do you want? Choice Theory At A Glance[edit] The Choice Theory - Found at the William Glasser Institute website: Reflective Journal Entry No. 1 1. To provide an answer to this question would fall next to impossible if Classroom Management and Classroom Management Indicator hang undefined. 3. Journal 1- p. 14 Journal 2 – p. 8 Journal 3 – p. 9 Journal 4 – p. 16 Choice Theory® is the basis for all programs taught by the Institute. Relationships and Our Habits The Ten Axioms of Choice Theory Implementation[edit] Elementary[edit]
5 Common Mistakes that Will Lead to an Out-of-Control Classroom Guest post by Linda Kardamis at Teach 4 the Heart My first year teaching was not very pretty. I thought I knew how to manage a class, but I made some critical errors that left me in the situation every teacher dreads – standing in front of an out-of-control classroom. While I certainly don’t want to go back and repeat that first year, I’m very thankful for the lessons I learned. And once I learned from my mistakes and corrected them, the next year went much more smoothly. Effective classroom management can be challenging, but the key is to keep learning and growing. 5 Common Classroom Management Mistakes 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. What other mistakes have you made and how did you correct them?
8 Classroom Management Tips--From Google? by Jennifer Rita Nichols, TeachThought Intern One of the biggest struggles facing new teachers is figuring out how to effectively manage a classroom. This is very different from teaching–make no mistake about it! Most of us learn how to teach in our teacher education programs. We learn about the curriculum and standards that must be followed. We also learn about fun and interesting activities for different subjects and how to plan cross-curricular units to make the most out of the time we have in class. While there may be a class or two where classroom management strategies are discussed, what is taught during those lessons focuses on strategies that can be applied rather easily in an ideal classroom. Beyond the fact that most new teachers start with far less than an ideal classroom, these strategies are taught to them by teachers with years of experience–teachers who have already figured out the role of ‘classroom manager’. 1) Be a good coach. 4) Be productive and results-oriented.