A couple of days ago I was on the computer using StumbleUpon, and I came across a blog that was titled 33 Teaching Hacks: A Cheat Sheet for Improving Your Teaching Now! It is a good blog post. Quite frankly many of the "hacks" should be done on daily basis in life outside of classrooms. After reading it, I took about five minutes to think about my nearly 20 years of classroom experience. I concluded that as the years passed I incorporated many of the suggestions into my teaching style. Through my experience each year, I was able to implement strategies that proved to be most effective.


The following is my list of suggestions regarding the most important things to be accomplished (on a daily and yearly basis) to become a better teacher.

1. Greet students as they enter the classroom and the school- Don't underestimate the effect of a simple "good morning" or "good afternoon" greeting in addition to saying the student's name (students like hearing their name).

2. Exercise patience- This can be difficult at times, but if you do students will pick up on this and trust that you have everything under control.

3. Always admit when you make a mistake- Everyone makes mistakes, and being willing to admit when you do will show students that you don’t think you’re perfect.

4. Understand that you can learn from your students- Always allow students to explain how they solved a problem or what thought process they used when thinking about a question. It will enable other students to hear a different approach (people think differently), and it may be something that you have not thought of.

5.Teaching the way you were taught will only reach one learning style- Differentiate...educational jargon for providing students with avenues to learn in order to take advantage of their learning style. There are three modalities of learning: auditory, visual and kinesthetic. Most people learn by way of some combination of them, but there are individuals that learn extremely well using only one modality.

6. Show students that there are more aspects to your life than teaching- Make sure to interact with your students in ways other than formal lessons. I used to regularly go outside during my students' playground time and play 4 Square, Tether Ball, basketball or just throw the football. From my experience, most kids enjoyed me participating and would sometimes ask when I would play again.

7. Recognize when students are having difficulty understanding the lesson- If a lesson is not going as smoothly as planned and students seem bewildered, stop the lesson. This happened to me several times. Don't force it. Swallow your pride and give the class a short break. Then transition to something else. You can revisit the lesson the next day when students are fresh and after you have had time to think about a better way to present the material so they will understand.

8. Shake things up. Let your students teach a lesson- When I taught 4th grade, every Friday afternoon (for most of the year) from 1pm-1:30pm I would have a "Student Teacher" lesson.This was mandatory for each student.Their only requirements were to tell me what they would be teaching, submit a copy of their lesson plan (a basic one I printed out) the morning of the lesson, and they had to fill the 30 minute time frame. Some kids really enjoyed it and some not so much, but they had a chance to work on public speaking AND the gained first hand experience regarding being a teacher. After each Student Teacher lesson, I had a 5 minute follow up with the student to get feedback on their experience. It is not a coincidence that there was a common thread...each student always said "They wouldn't listen."

9. Don’t be afraid to invest in your job- Don't just go through the motions. Spice up lessons with engaging and interactive activities. Always think of how you can make a lesson really come to life and resonate with each student. Be willing to give maximum effort when educating your students.

Do any teachers, parents or students have comments about this list? Teachers: what do/did you do to become a better teacher?

Saturday will be March 15th. For people in most parts of the United States, the anticipation of warmer temperatures is in the forefront of their minds. In addition, Mother's Day will arrive before we know it! Are you trying to think of something unique or will you decide to go with the predictable bouquet of flowers and lunch/dinner? I have a very cool and personal gift you can give that you can give to that special lady on May 11, 2014 or perhaps next year :-) 

I used the following with a third grade class I taught years ago, and it was a smashing success! We incorporated Haiku poems from their poetry unit. each student wrote a Haiku and drew a picture to go along with it. We then put the poems together to create a  Mother's Day Book of Haiku Poetry. Be creative with respect to how you design the book and how many poems you include. I had a class of 13 students at the time, so there were 15 poems including mine and my intern.

It is very simple, and one can create wonderful, original poems. Here are the instructions for writing a Haiku:


Directions: Haiku is a Japanese verse in three lines. Line one has 5 syllables, line two has 7, and line three has 5. 

Basic Materials: plain white paper, pencil, colored pencils


Tip: The best Haiku poems come from observing nature.  I would suggest spending some time outside (e.g. in the backyard, at a park, botanical garden) and writing down what you hear and see. Even if you feel you are not good at poetry, you will be amazed at the results!


If you try this, please share your experience by commenting on this post!

Each year, middle school students across the country apply to independent schools. Most of these schools are extremely competitive and often times have hundreds of applicants vying for less than one hundred available spaces. The entire process is intense, and lot of criteria is considered including the interview.

The thought of having to interview for anything can wreak havoc with one's nerves. There is so much to think about when preparing for the day of the interview. Here are a few tips that can help calm one's nerves and approach the interview with supreme confidence.


Before The Interview

• Sleep & Eat - Get plenty of sleep the night before, so you will be fresh and alert. Eat a healthy breakfast as well.
  
• Arrive Early - There is no reason to be late. If you live in a city with large volumes of traffic (e.g. Los Angeles), be sure to leave early enough to allow for an early arrival (about 15 minutes early)
  
• Dress Neatly - Dress according to the dress code of the school you are interviewing with.
  
• Greeting - Upon meeting your interviewer, give a firm hand shake, make eye contact and greet accordingly (e.g. "Good morning Ms. _______.")
  

During The Interview

• Sit Tall - Don't slouch. Slouching is bad body language. If sends a message that you are bored and/or dispassionate about what is being said
  
• Be Your Best Self - Be confident and willing to talk. Avoid answering questions with "yes" or "no".
  
• Share - Know something unique about the school (e.g. a celebrity that graduated from the school) in addition to pertinent facts (e.g. classes offered for your grade level)
  
• Enunciate - Think before you speak. Speak clearly when answering questions and avoid using slang expressions. Also avoid using verbal tics (e.g. "I'm just saying" "To tell you the truth") as well as "vocal pauses (uh, um, uh-huh, hmm). Also be genuine/honest when answering questions.
  
• Ask Questions - Don't be afraid to ask the interviewer any questions you may have about the school. It shows that you are genuinely interested in attending.
  
• Show Enthusiasm -  Be enthusiastic about the school you are interviewing with (you are there because you would like to attend)

Don't (During The Interview)

• chew gum or eat candy
  
• fiddle (e.g with hair, jewelry, ink pen)
  
• bring a cell phone or other electronic gadgets into the interview. There is no use for them.
  
• lose eye contact with the interviewer
  
• interrupt unnecessarily

After The Interview

• Thank the interviewer
  
• Give a firm handshake
  
• make eye contact

*Often times a campus tour follows the interview. During the tour, be sure to ask any questions that may come to mind.