Posts by techsupport
Changing Word Meanings
Words that have changed their meanings over time can make for an interesting class activity or discussion. Here are some of these words with their older meanings shown in parentheses. You can present each word and have your students try to identify its older meaning. sophisticated (corrupted) nice (unaware) counterfeit (a legitimate copy) guess (take…
Read MoreWriting Concisely
Encourage your students to make their words count when writing. Good writing is concise writing. Here are three things you can do to help your students write concisely. Have your students avoid redundancy. For example,a student might write “I was thinking to myself the other day.” To whom else could the student be thinking? The…
Read MoreWriting Topics
When teachers ask students to write a report, a complaint they frequently hear from students is, “I don’t know what to write about.” Here are some ideas you can share with students to stimulate their writing. Write about things such as computers or cars. Students can write about how things came about such as sneakers…
Read MoreCoin Denominations Quiz
Your students probably use coins every day. But do they know whose portrait is currently on each coin denomination? Give your students the following quiz. Whose portrait is on the penny? (Abraham Lincoln) Whose portrait is on the nickel? (Thomas Jefferson) Whose portrait is on the dime? (Franklin D. Roosevelt) Whose portrait is on the…
Read MoreHelping Students Organize
As high school students work through their various classes, they will have many assignments and tests and will accumulate a lot of papers. Being organized becomes very important. Here is an organizational system that your students can easily use. Students should color-code their classes. Math might be blue, science green, and so on. They should…
Read MoreBroken Record Technique
The “broken record” technique is a simple yet effective classroom management technique you can use with students at any level. All you have to do is assertively, yet calmly, repeat a message or a command that must be complied with by the student. For example, if a student leaves his or her seat without permission,…
Read MoreTime Savers
We all know that teaching is a demanding profession. One of the common problems raised by teachers is that they never seem to have enough time to do everything they have to do. Here are some simple ideas for saving time. Organize your teaching materials and keep them handy. This will help you to avoid…
Read MoreMisplaced Prepositional Phrases
It is not uncommon for students to misplace a prepositional phrase when they write a sentence. Emphasize to your students that a prepositional phrase must clearly indicate the word in the sentence that it modifies (the word that is modified is typically a noun). A misplaced prepositional phrase often results in a sentence that is…
Read MorePolitically Correct Gender Language
We live in a time of increasing political correctness. It is important for your students to be aware of the need to use language that will not offend anyone on the basis of gender, race, ethnicity, age, and disability. Here are some examples to help your students avoid the use of discriminatory gender references. humanity…
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…
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 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 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 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 MoreNonverbal Communication
Nonverbal communication can be a very effective tool in the classroom. Here are some ways you can use nonverbal communication effectively. Use facial expressions that signal warmth, liking, happiness, and friendliness. Above all, smile. The composition of your class makes no difference since all students smile in the same language. Try to be animated as…
Read MoreActive Versus Passive Voice
Your students should know the difference between active and passive voice when writing. Tell students that in a sentence using the active voice, the subject of the sentence performs the action expressed in the verb. Example: The boy hit the ball. Explain that this sentence is written in the active voice because the subject (boy)…
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