Teacher to Teacher

Tip 13 Promote a Positive Environment It is fundamental for teachers to promote a positive environment where all students are welcome, feel safe, protected and cared for. An optimistic classroom atmosphere joyfully enables educators to teach and students to learn. The classroom climate or the “mood” involves children in the learning process, enhance self-confidence in seeking academic opportunities and improve sense of community and belonging in the classroom. Students must take ownership of their classroom and their own learning.

Tip 12   Data Driven Decisions Researches have shown the benefits of using data to make instructional decisions that lead to improve students’ academic performance. One of the best strategies to improve our school achievement is the utilization of a variety of assessments and multiple data to support well-informed instructional decisions. Data driven teaching and learning processes must be broaden and should include: attendance, teacher-student discourse, interactions, students’ emotional discipline, portfolio, different activities records and traditional assignments and grades. Student data and data-based recommendation should be readily available to every teacher involved in the student education process, including Resource teachers and Fine Arts teachers. Data collection demonstrates the measure of knowledge students have mastered and must be the driving force for staff planning instructions and interventions.

Tip 11 Encouraging Reading Tips ·          Increment independent reading. Students should be encouraged to read for pleasure. ·          Provide reading options. A variety of reading opportunities and selection would be offered to all children, from books, magazines, newspapers, brochures, posters to web sites. Students should also visit the School Library every day to select a book to read. ·          Effective monitoring of students’ independent reading. They should be accountable for reading. ·          Ask students question about what they are reading. ·          Reward children that keep consistency in reading and are progressing academically.

Tip 10 Nurture a Love for Reading One of the greatest areas of need among our students is indeed a love for reading. Many students read because they are told to read and for fear of failing in test scores. There is a great need to create a culture of readers that read because they enjoy reading; reading for the love of reading. One way to nurture a love for reading is by having students selecting books that relate to their culture and literature that relates to their curiosities and interests. It is also important that students read books according to their reading levels. Once students get to the habit of reading, then reading becomes fun and a very exciting activity.

Tip 9  Individualized Instructions Accommodations and modifications should always be in place during instruction and during assessments. Whether the student has a special need or a different learning style, we need to consider the benefits of making modifications to reach for the student in all dimensions. For example, awesome teacher can present directions orally and visually. Students are constantly checked for understanding and comprehension. Assignments and assessments are presented with plenty of examples of right and wrong. Teacher uses visuals, graphics, images, music, sounds and gestures to convey information and expectations effectively.

Tip 8  Assessments for Leaning It is very important to use teaching strategies to help students before, during and after assessments. Scaffolding, peer tutoring and small group assessment are scientifically proven to be effective strategies to assist students. Scaffolding teaching provides individualized support based on the level of ability of every student. Awesome teachers scaffold through a lesson and assessments. We call it in my classes: “I do, We do, You do”. Peer mentoring and small group assessments encourage students to learn from each other. It enhances motivation and increases sense of responsibility for one’s own learning.

Tip 7  Portfolio Assessment Portfolios serve as meaningful sources of information for students, teachers, and parents. These assessments reflect participation, mastering of concepts and skills that was emphasized during classes. Student portfolio is a collection of student work that includes preparatory, in-progress, and finished working sheets, quizzes and reflections. There are many advantages of portfolio assessment. It provides authenticity, originality and is the best capable way of evaluating qualities unique to the students. It provides information and insight into student’s abilities, which cannot be done using conventional assessment methods. Portfolios makes the act of assessment itself a learning opportunity for students as they attain great self-awareness, confidence and reflectivity.

Tip 6  Assessments for Learning Classroom assessments and portfolios serve as meaningful data sources for students, teachers, and parents. These assessments must reflect participation and   mastering of concepts and skills that was emphasized during classes. All ongoing assessment of student learning provides continuous feedback on the effectiveness of instruction and indicates areas where a change is needed. Such assessment may range from planned tests (such as quizzes, reflection writing or work samples). Effective teachers assure that all content taught and all instructional activities are connected together and aligned to state standards.

Tip 5  Differentiate Instruction Our mission as educators is to help students to develop their full potential. Reading and writing has strong connections with visual arts. Graphic arts allow pictorial representations that benefit students who are struggling to find the correct words or language to express their ideas, emotions and knowledge. Differentiated instructions provide students with unique literacy connections that are essential to their complete development cognitive. Differentiated instruction will foster emotional, cognitive and creative development that will assist students to understand instruction. and achieve higher scores during assessments.

Tip 4  Strengthening Literacy It is crucial for educators to apply researched-based strategies to promote and advance literacy in our school. Teachers must consider our purposes for reading; we must involve students, parents and teachers in the debate: why should we read? It is imperative that we as an awesome school offer abundant and a variety of material for students to read. From paper print to electronic ways, children should find exactly what they enjoy reading available to them. All content literature needs to be purposefully aligned with the aspirations of our students’ population and our reading standards.

Tip 3  Value Diversity Every person is different from another. Not all students have the same talent, ability, or motivation. Children have different background, family connections, cultural and socio- economic status. Diversity is not only limited on skin colors, place of origin or Languages. We can find diversity when we are concerned to learning styles, learning preferences and background knowledge. There comes the challenge for the classroom teacher. As teachers we all have a unique way to prepare and deliver a lesson that relate to our students in the personal level. In order to meet the needs of different children, educators must diversify their approaches to teaching. Diverse population may bring different perspectives into the class and collaborate with a variety of knowledge to improve students’ higher level thinking. High level thinking can be translated into higher academic achievement.

Tip 2  Engaging Students Effective educators establish a positive, safe and secure student-centered learning environment by demonstrating to students that they are important and accountable for their personal education.   Using a survey and engaging in dialogue with learners can assist teachers to learn about the students, their families and culture.   As a teacher, in control of the lesson plan, I can tailor my lessons to their needs and draw them in by making it relevant and interesting to their life. Honoring students’ diverse background and understanding them as an individual person can promote self-esteem, engagement and motivation to become lifelong learners. Moreover, students feel comfortable in an environment where they feel safe and secure to express their thoughts and explore new knowledge.

Tip 1  Creating an Inviting Learning Community Right at the beginning of the school year teachers have the goal of creating a classroom environment that is favorable for helping all students work cooperatively in order to learn. Effective teachers create an atmosphere of mutual respect, where students feel relaxed in asking questions and expressing their thoughts and feelings. It is important that educators establish a positive, safe and secure student-centered learning environment. This environment can be created by instituting classroom rules where students received consequences and reward for their behavior. Many behavioral problems can be avoided by establishing a solid classroom management plan at the beginning of the school year and by systematically reviewing it throughout the year or whenever necessary. Classroom management contents need to be incorporated into daily curriculum. Classroom behavior, rules, procedures and routines need to be taught, modeled, reviewe...

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