Posts by techsupport
Weekly Progress Report
Report cards are a valuable means of providing feedback to both students and their parents. For some students, it is important to provide formal feedback on a more frequent basis (i.e., weekly). Weekly Progress Reports can meet this need. Grades for the week should be provided for effort, achievement, and behavior. The student is required to…
Read MoreMath Sequences
Math is a difficult subject for many students as exemplified by the term “math anxiety”. This is a little surprising since math is a highly logical and sequential subject. You can help your students succeed and and reduce their anxiety by adhering to the correct sequencing of math topics. Here are some of the sequences…
Read MoreStudent Responsibilities
Adults recognize that they have many responsibilities. Students don`t always realize that they too have responsibilities. Make certain that your students realize that they have the following responsibilities. Attend class regularly and punctually. Complete assignments. Perform assigned tasks to the best of their ability. Demonstrate appropriate work habits. Work productively. Stay on task.
Read MoreMetacognition
Metacognitive thinking involves one`s reflecting upon their own thinking and learning. Your students will learn more effectively if they use the following metacognitive strategies as they seek to accomplish a task. Organize and plan. Students should set goals for the task and plan how to meet them. Manage. Students should set their pace for accomplishing…
Read MoreKnowing a Word
There is more to knowing a word than just knowing one or two definitions for the word. To know a word, your students must be able to: pronounce the word correctly. spell the word correctly. use the word in a sentence. know some words that have similar roots. For example, in the word rupture, the…
Read MoreSustained Silent Reading
Sustained Silent Reading is an independent reading technique that has been around since 1970. Students are provided with a block of time during the day during which they read high quality literature that has been approved by their teacher. What is novel about this technique is that during this time teachers and staff also read. There are no required…
Read MoreClass Routine
Students like and need consistency. You can provide consistency by establishing a routine for your classes. By sticking to the routine your students will be comfortable in knowing what to expect throughout the class. Your class routine should have a beginning, a middle, and an end. A good way to begin your class is to…
Read MoreImproving Writing
Here are some things you can do to improve your students’ writing skills. Encourage your students to use a dictionary and thesaurus when writing. Have these available for students to use. Point out students’ errors in written work. Have your students make the corrections themselves, providing any guidance needed. Correct errors in students’ spoken language.…
Read MoreAnimal Differences
Many life forms seem similar, but differ in some way. Have your students use reference sources to identify a difference between each of the following pairs of animals. Alligator – Crocodile. (The head of an alligator is shorter and flatter than the head of a crocodile.) Turtle – Tortoise. (A turtle can live in the…
Read MoreStrengths of Dyslexics
Approximately 15 percent of Americans are affected by dyslexia. Dyslexics have great difficulty mastering reading. Recent research, however, has shown that dyslexics often have skills that are superior to those of typical readers. Dyslexics have been shown to have sharper peripheral vision. They often have a heightened ability to grasp the gist of visual fields…
Read MoreLanguage Experience Approach
Students with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) spend much of their school day in regular classes. The Language Experience Approach is an effective approach to use with LEP students. Follow these steps to implement the Language Experience Approach. Have the student select an experiencesomething he or she would like to write about. Have the student dictate…
Read MoreForms of Writing
The more your students write, the more they will learn. Many students resist writing. Try to vary the types of writing you have your students do to break down their resistance. Here are some types of writing you can have your students do. Narrative Writing. Have your students write a story or a personal account…
Read MoreCritical Thinking
It is important for your students to be good critical thinkers. Critical thinking can help your students to avoid making bad decisions, focus on what is most important, and generate new ideas. You can help your students be good critical thinkers by encouraging them to: rely more on reason than emotion. recognize their own assumptions…
Read MoreCold Calling
Cold Calling is a simple technique in which you call on specific students regardless of whether they have raised their hands to answer a question you ask. It is not unusual to find that it is the same small group of students who raise their hands while the rest of the students disengage. The cold…
Read MoreDescriptive Writing
Students are often reluctant to write because they find writing to be a boring task. One way you can counter this is to give your students descriptive writing assignments. Descriptive writing requires a student to “paint” a word picture so that the reader “sees,” “feels,” and “hears” something the student has seen, felt, and heard.…
Read MoreMaking Lectures Effective
A variety of instructional techniques are available to teachers, but the traditional lecture remains a widely used technique. This is particularly true in high school and college classes. Here are some ideas for making your lectures as effective as possible: Present ideas in a logical order. It helps to prepare an outline in advance. Stay…
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