TheApple

Drama: a word that used to terrify me, but in the past week has inspired me! Until completing a research project for one of my graduate courses, the thought of me having anything to do with drama beyond mere appreciation was unheard of. I was an extremely quiet and shy child and the thought of even speaking out in class was ...

1. You Aren't Their Favorite Teacher Students will tell you that you are in fact their favorite teacher. They want to make good grades and stay off your bad list. But the truth is, student opinions change with the wind. Don't put a lot of stock into what students think about you or how popular a teacher you seem to be. ...

In this month's Wired magazine, Daniel Roth wrote an article entitled Making Geeks Cool Could Reform Education, in which BetterLesson founder Alex Grodd takes center stage. A venture capital firm in New York recently hosted an education conference (why is not explained) that started out with discussion of tech innovations, but took on a different tone when Grodd explained why most ...

1. Grammar instruction is most naturally integrated during the revising, editing, and proofreading phases of the writing process. During writing conferences, use various strategies to teach the concept(s) or skill(s) that would enhance the piece that the student is working on right then. Don't overwhelm them with too many errors; focus on the most the corrections that will do the most ...

Do you really want to know what you're students are holding back? Whether you're a new teacher or an experienced veteran, these 10 things serve as strong reminders for how to connect with students and make the most of learning experiences. The is the first in a series of articles exploring communication (or lack of) within a school. Begin Reading:#1 Thing ...

I am not ashamed to admit that The Golden Girls is one of my favorite all-time shows. It still stands as one of the funniest, sharpest sitcoms ever, and was successful with a cast and premise you would never see on today's shows. As I do with everything, I have been watching this show through the eyes of a teacher. Not ...

Congratulations! First of all, I want to congratulate you on taking the first step of this journey toward becoming a great teacher! I can’t even begin to describe for you the exciting possibilities that await you as you move through these lessons and begin to come over to the other side. If your experiences are anything like mine as I ...

One of the most helpful activities you can do with your students this month is to make a Word Wall. Although this is a popular activity with young students, it can be easily adapted to the needs of older ones. First, determine the terms in a unit of study that you want your students to know. Then, display them in a ...

I get so tired of hearing teachers complaining about No Child Left Behind. I get so tired of hearing teachers complain about administration. I get so tired of hearing teachers complain about parents. Shut up and teach! It’s a simple concept, but some teachers seem to derive greater joy from feeling victimized than they do from feeling victorious. After all, it’s ...

It is hard for me to believe this and feel like a good teacher at the same time, but I do. Of course, I did feel better after reading there are worse things than dropping out of school from siobhan curious: classroom as microcosm, Siobhan Curious states, “I also think there needs to be a shift in social attitudes supported by ...

I am now a “consulting teacher” in my school district. So far my understanding is that a consulting teacher works with another tenured teacher who is in danger of losing their teaching position. Sounds to me like a teacher coach. Could you imagine marching into a colleagues classroom dressed in gray sweats and blowing a whistle? But I digress. All teachers ...

In the article Wisdom of the Wave, Laird Hamilton says that in every new experience he applies lessons he has learned on the water. I thought I would use his lessons and apply them to the classroom. 1. KNOW THAT YOU ARE A SPECK ON THE WATER. As a teacher, I sometimes think things should revolve around my classroom and my ...

I teach an advanced production course to high school students. It’s a brutally difficult class, and I don’t try to make it easy for my students. Two groups of ten students each have two weeks or 10 class sessions (less than 10 hours) to create their own 10 minute television program. Their work is viewed by the entire school of 3500 ...

Great lessons for educators can be found in the most unlikely of places. One such example can be found on Comedy Central's The Colbert Report, in a reoccurring segment called "The Word". In "The Word," host Stephen Colbert uses one word or phrase as a jumping off point for his unique editorial commentary. Now, some might dismiss "The Word" on it's ...

“Students learn and achieve more when they work with professional teachers who are fundamentally committed to each and every child’s success and willing to not just deliver effective instruction but also to share and connect with the students at a personal level.” That needs some unpacking. “Students learn and achieve more” This should be the primary goal of education in general ...

By Dr. Rebecca Brent & Dr. Richard Felder h4. INTRODUCTION In the traditional approach to higher education, the burden of communicating course material resides primarily with the instructor. In student-centered instruction (SCI), some of this burden is shifted to the students. SCI is a broad approach that includes such techniques as substituting active learning experiences for lectures, holding students responsible for ...

First-year teachers had a lot of it to offer to new teachers who follow them. Their tips ran the gamut—from memorizing students' names right away to making peace with the realization that some children cannot be reached. Teachers also offered practical advice on classroom management, working with parents, and more. Broader themes were the need for clear, high expectations for students' ...

Do your students understand your assignments? Do they know exactly how they are evaluated? Is your grading system clear and clean? Are you sick of students asking, “How much is this project worth?” Do you use a rubric for evaluation of student work? Do you give your pupils the evaluation grading rubric ahead of time? Do you issue regular progress reports ...

I have heard so many teachers tell me during my career that they are not entertainers and they shouldn’t be expected to entertain. These are the same teachers that I’ve observed teaching page by page out of the book and speaking in monotone for the entire class period. I agree that we shouldn’t be entertainers but I don’t think that it ...

I was thinking recently about how much have I shared with others over the years and how much I have gained from professional exchange. I have worked in schools were educators keep their good “stuff” like lessons and strategies all to themselves because they don’t want anyone else using their “stuff.” They hoard all this like Midas and hope it will ...