20 ways to teach for excellence how to make your classroom an environment that promotes learning
TRANSCRIPT
20 Ways to Teach for Excellence
How To Make Your Classroom An Environment That Promotes Learning
Create rules with your class on the first day. Be consistent and follow through. Make sure that the contract created serves all members of the class, students and
teachers alike.
Make practical connections from the subject content to your students’ lives.
They will learn and retain information this way.
Give kinesthetic learners small tasks or stretch breaks that get them up and moving if you can’t incorporate
physical activity in your lesson.
Use music during group work to help students recognize transitions.
Use music during group work to help students recognize transitions.
Have students completea “getting to know you”
note card to help make meaningful connections.
Keep plenty
of sharpened
pencils handy.
Know the environment and neighborhood your
students are coming from.
Ask students what they
would like to learn about
a subject. Then, do your
best to incorporate these
things.
Give students the first few minutes to settle in, vent, and finish previously begun conversations.
This will limit distractions during the lesson.
Hide the clock.
Take the focus
away from time
and put it onto
learning.
Get on the students’ level. Don’t stand over them. Get down and work with them.
Provide lots of literature for
students to read and explore. They may not
have those opportunities at home.
Teach and model organization in your classroom. This is a skill your
students will need and use for life.
Once a week, give students a “soap box moment” by allowing them to present something of their
choice to the class.
Ask each student to write something nice to the presenter in response. This builds self-esteem and
brings the class together as a whole.
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Don’t try to intimidate or
frighten students to earn respect or
demand their obedience. It
won’t work in your favor. Besides, school is scary
enough.
Have students
change seats each class. This way they get to know each other and avoid cliques,
which can be distracting.
Let students have food and drink in the classroom. Remember that students can only learn when their basic needs are met.
Do your best to leave your job at the door when you arrive home. This way, you won’t burn out as quickly as you might if you had no boundaries between work and your
personal life.
Listen and be patient. Have compassion and respect for students and be
honest. They will do the same for you.
Above all, do not abandon hope. After all the struggle it took to become a teacher, would you really want it to be easy?
* Picture Credits *3.) http://www.sundancedesigns.net/Teach%20apple%20smA.jpg4.) Unknown author and source.5.) http://www.pbase.com/image/282247246.) http://www.wdvl.com/Authoring/DHTML/CB/Cards/Card.jpg7.) http://www.fell2earth.com/puzzles/colored_pencils.jpg8.) Personal photo. Brigham’s Cove, Maine.9.) http://www.grist.org/comments/soapbox/2005/06/22/hands_sun.jpg10.)
http://www.tengrrl.com/books/technolit-children/kid-comp-picts/notepassing.jpg
11.) http://www.a1classicclocks.com.au/images/box_main/cogs.jpg12.) http://www.filmreference.com/images/sjff_03_img1264.jpg13.) http://www.southalabama.edu/univlib/sauer/eh102/magazines.jpg and
www.amazon.com14.) http://static.flickr.com/78/171477975_a95670ac94.jpg15.) Personal collection. Unknown author.16.) http://courses.washington.edu/hypertxt/cgi-bin/12.228.185.206/html/
pmontage/dfenster/hazing.jpg17.) http://www.billemory.com/IMAGES/BUTT&SHOES.JPG18.) www.rebelhome.net/veggie2.jpg19.) Personal photo. Sand dunes at Popham Beach State Park, Maine.20.) Personal photo. Winter surf at Popham Beach State Park, Maine.21.) Personal photo. Beach front at Popham Beach State Park, Maine.