Posts by techsupport
Teaching Social Studies
Here are some things you will have to do when teaching social studies. Balance breadth versus depth in order to cover all required material within the school year. Create assignments and tests that go beyond simple recall of names, places, and dates. Deal with controversial topics such as religion, abortion, and the death penalty. Connect…
Read MoreUsing a Newspaper
A newspaper can be an inexpensive and valuable teaching tool. Here are some examples of how newspapers can be used across the curriculum. Language Arts. Have your students read an article and circle all singular nouns and pronouns in red and all plural nouns and pronouns in green. Social Studies. Have your students read an…
Read MoreGuest Speakers
The use of guest speakers can provide your students with unique learning experiences. Guest speakers can provide special expertise, stimulate interest, and connect classroom learning to the real world. There are numerous sources of guest speakers such as people in different careers, local business owners, and people with unusual hobbies. When using a guest speaker,…
Read MoreInstructional Pace
Instructional pace is the speed with which you cover content during the time allotted to a content area. It is no simple matter to maintain an appropriate instructional pace. If your pace is too fast, too many students will be left behind. You will then be moving on to new material for which these students…
Read MoreProfessional Records
With the increasing emphasis on teacher evaluation, it is more important than ever to maintain your professional records. Here are some things you should save and organize. College transcripts Certificates of completion of training Performance evaluations by administrators Letters of recommendation Samples of your best lesson plans Samples of outstanding student work Photos of your…
Read MoreOpen House
The school in which you teach may schedule an open house for parents. An open house provides a great opportunity to get parents more involved in their children’s education. Here are some ideas for making an open house a success. Create an inviting atmosphere so that parents will feel welcome. You can even post a…
Read MoreClass Meeting
When a baseball team is going through a rough stretch, the manager will often call a team meeting to address a problem. As the manager of your class, you can call a class meeting to address a problem. Here are some guidelines for a class meeting. Everyone can contribute their views. It is up to…
Read MoreInteresting Homework
There is no question that homework is important. Good homework assignments provide synthesis of skills and concepts learned in class as well as practice. Homework doesn’t have to be dull. Here are some ideas for interesting homework assignments. Write new endings to stories. Conduct experiments. Observe and record weather. Construct a web page. Collect specimens…
Read MoreProject Approach
The project approach is an instructional approach which emphasizes student choice and involvement. A project is an in-depth investigation of a topic worth learning more about. Projects can be for individual students, small groups, or an entire class. However, the project approach is best used with an entire class. In the first stage of a…
Read MoreMusic in the Classroom
Introducing music to your students has many benefits. Songs can be used to teach new concepts and vocabulary. Movement to music helps students develop motor coordination. Counting songs can be used to reinforce math concepts. Music provides students with the opportunity to express their feelings and relieve tension. Music stimulates creativity. Music helps students develop…
Read MoreOut-of-Control Student
At any time during the school day, it is possible that a student may become out of control and demonstrate irrational behavior. Such an occurrence represents a crisis which you cannot ignore. Your response to this crisis must be immediate. Here are some things you should do. The student is certainly not calm, but you…
Read MoreEvaluating Oral Presentations
Here are criteria you can use when evaluating a student’s oral presentation. The extent to which the student demonstrates understanding of the topic. The extent to which the student is prepared and has appeared to rehearse the presentation. The extent to which the student speaks clearly and distinctly with no mispronunciations of words. The extent…
Read MoreParts of Speech Review
Grammar is not fun for most students. Here is a way you can turn a review of parts of speech into a fun activity. Have your students identify the part of speech of the underlined word in each of the following book titles. The Cat in the Hat (preposition) Brave New World (noun) Pride and…
Read MoreStudent Proximity
Proximity to students is one way to increase student attention and inhibit disruptive behaviors. Here are ways to use this tool. Move about the classroom as you teach. Do not always teach from one place in the classroom (e.g., in front), and certainly do not teach sitting at your desk. Arrange the desks in your…
Read MoreGiving Written Directions
Here are some ideas to incorporate when providing written directions for assignments. Write directions as logical steps that students should follow to complete an assignment. Separate each step. Make your directions very specific. Be as brief as possible. Provide examples where appropriate. Go over the direction orally with your students. Have students restate the directions…
Read MoreCounseling Referral
It is never easy to identify the point at which you should refer a student to the school counselor. You can sense that the time has arrived to do so when the student’s problems exceed you ability to help. Here are some signs that the time for referral has come. You see a significant change…
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