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Answer the Survey on Teaching ELLs: Get Your Free Tip Booklet on Teaching ELLs

admin — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 22:28:09 +0000

In promoting my new tip booklet Yes! You Can Have a Successful Teaching Career and Integrate K-12 English Language Learners , I’m offering readers of the New Teacher Resource Center for a very limited time only, a FREE copy of this content-rich and informative booklet containing classroom tested tips based on my last 15 years of teaching ELLs.

All you have to do is answer the questions of the survey “Teaching K-12 English language learners successfully.” Please answer all questions to get your own special tips booklet and then share the tips with your fellow teachers and principals. When you are done, leave your name and email in the comment box or email me privately at: sassondorit@gmail.com and you’ll receive your special tips booklet sometime in the coming week.

Click here for the link to the survey.

Thanks so much for participating!

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First Year Classroom Visits: Support, Tips and Guidelines for Teachers

admin — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 21:56:26 +0000

That first classroom visit can be very scary but it doesn’t have to be a test of survival. How prepared are you? Here are some tips to get through it all.

How do you feel about a visitor coming to your classroom for the first time? Are you self-conscious when there is a visitor and breathe a sigh of relief when the visit is over or do you look at it as a learning opportunity to make you think about what you’re doing and to get comfort and support as a new teacher.

Classroom visits can be anyone from inspectors, tutors, counselors, heads of departments and colleagues. Whether it is a formal observation for tenure or part of your in-service training, classroom visits are a necessary part of routine in a student’s first year of teaching.Even if you prefer not to be visited, the system doesn’t give you much choice. Here are some ways, tips, suggestions to make the visits, especially the first year, less stressful and more helpful.

Guidelines

The following guidelines are based on my own preferences and experiences as a visited teacher: they may not hold for others but I hope they will.

Before the Visit

Plan carefully. Read How and What to Plan, Using the Blackboard, and Lesson Plans: Some Tips. A visitor is not looking for a well set up lesson with tons of visual aids and elaborate teaching methods and set ups. She or he is looking for a clearly planned, well-varied and orderly lesson where you hold the centerfold. The students need to be on-task, busy, motivated, clearly learning. Just try and show a fairly routine lesson. Do the activities that work for you, don’t over-do it.

Upon Arrival

When a visitor comes to the school, I always try and greet him/her, and take the opportunity to explain a bit about the school, the class, the students. Don’t neglect your visitor. Try to do all your lesson planning way in advance, so you do not appear rushed.

During the Lesson

You might want to introduce your visitor to your class, but this is entirely your call. I always told my class who the ‘stranger’ was. Offer the visitor the handouts of your lesson and your lesson plan so that he or she feels involved. I think it is quite okay for students to ask the visitor questions but the visitor should not interfere in any way during the lesson, unless you want her to. Also, it’s okay to ask for a bit of advice on something during the lesson, providing that it doesn’t interfere with the flow. Remember, the visitor is really on your side. S/he will hopefully enjoy the lesson and suggest helpful points to improve.

After the lesson

Leave time to chat - 20-25 minutes should be enough. Remember, you don’t have to accept everything that is said. Listen wholeheartedly, make a note of what you don’t agree with. A visitor is a lot more objective and usually is right on. Perhaps s/he is a teacher and can sympathize with a particular classroom situation that was difficult. Hopefully, most of the things s/he says will helpful and give you the feedback that you need.

Think of an experience you have had (first year and beyond) of being visited. Did any of the guidelines work for you? Join the discussion and share. I would really love to hear your experiences…

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Building Positive Parent-Teacher Relationships

admin — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 19:29:05 +0000

There are many reasons for contacting parents. The teacher contacts the parents due to ongoing problems with the child, (example not doing homework, misbehaving, absences) to say good things about the child such as outstanding progress or contribution or to discuss one-off problem, event.

The parent likewise may contact you to express his/her concern about the child, to deliver a complaint or to simply congratulate you on your child’s progress. Believe me, these small compliments do happen! Then there is the ‘parent’s day’ that is all about an ongoing state of child’s progress and general contact.

Which is most common in your experience?

It is up to the teacher to build the relationship positively. It’s important to build up a feeling of “we are in this together”; “we both want the best for Johnny, how can we cooperate to get what we want?”

Look at the recommendations below and consider them in light of meetings with parents you have had yourself. See what you might change or add from your own experience.

* Listen! Although you may have initiated the discussion, your part should be receptive rather than active during the meeting. Read my tips on how to become a more effective listener. Talking a lot may give the impression of trying to dominate, which will produce defensive and negative reactions.

* Make it clear you are ‘only’ the teacher, it is the parent who is the major influence on the child.

* Suggest positive ideas about what they might do in the future, basing these on what is happening now.

* Don’t let their criticisms ‘get to’ you, don’t get defensive. Listen courteously to complaints, attend, make it clear you understand what they are saying, without necessarily agreeing. Try to make them understand your point of view, without presenting it as an opposition to theirs.

* Make it clear you respect them

Can you add any more to the list?

Look at what you need to work on and take it from there. Contacting parents doesn’t have to be a win all situation. In fact, it can be an eye opening experience from both sides.

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The Life of a Teacher Writer: Writing Tip Booklets for Teachers

admin — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 19:09:09 +0000

Happy November everybody!

After hearing the Meet the Authors series about writing tip booklets as one way to share important information, I figured the best way to begin was to write my own booklet for teachers.

I’m thrilled to announce that my tip booklet on teaching ELLs will be available for download this week!

Because integrating English language learners (ELLs) has become increasingly challenging for K-12 teachers worldwide, I decided to narrow the categories to those areas that are of particular interest to teachers including differentiation, integrating ELLs, teaching vocabulary, improving instruction, lesson planning, checking comprehension and assessment.

Here’s a sample tip:

Watch for slow/apathetic/potentially disruptive students. Have a “reaction” plan at the first sign of inattention. Call on them personally to participate. Make sure they understand. Add a few extra words of explanation, or another repetition, aimed specifically at them. Since they are the ones who need the extra teaching, let them get it.

Look for next week’s link to purchase my new tip booklet, Tips for Integrating K-12 English Language Learners which provides teaching tips, techniques, and strategies to integrate and teach these learners successfully in a general education setting, an ESL(English as a Second Language) or EFL (English as a foreign language) support group. You’ll be able to automatically download the booklet and get the support you need right away!

Quite a few people are successfully participating in collaborative tips booklets. You can get a free downloadable sample at http://www.CollectionOfExperts.com

That’s it for now!

Have a good week!

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Parent-Teacher Conference Advice and Tips

admin — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 18:01:13 +0000

from Prof. Howard Seeman at:www.ClassroomManagementOnline.com

First: only do these suggestions below only if you feel congruent with them. Generally, we have less constructive impact on our students if we are not authentically ourselves as we teach.

As I say at: www.ClassroomManagementOnline.com : “Don’t try to be the TEACHER. Instead, try to be YOURSELF while you teach.” More tips about classroom management at my site. However, for now, regarding these Parent/Teacher Conferences:

A. In order to get as many parents as possible to attend these conferences, you or your school might try to:
1- ask the parents when they are available and schedule the conferences accordingly;
2- schedule any siblings into back-to-back appointments;
3- have translators available;
4- schedule the appointment and send two reminders;
5- call and re-schedule a no-show as soon as possible.

B. Have a system for how parents see you, e.g., a sign up sheet outside your door: with your name, class, your child is:…, parent’s name, phone no. ?, please print, etc. And a table and some chairs for waiting parents.

C. Since many parents may not speak English well, if you can, try to have someone with you who can translate for you and them, e.g., Spanish. [Do not use another student; such will violate privacy.] Usually non-native language parents can listen much better than they can speak, and also can read better than they can speak. So, speak slowly; they can listen/understand better when you do that. And, try to write out things for them. Then, be very patient about their ability to tell you their side of the story.

D. Have on the walls or black board some helpful information.

E. You may want to have your students write their parents a short letter in the class - just before parents-day. Then, you can start off your conference with: the parent reading this letter. You can ask them to write about, e.g., things they’ve liked, favorite subject, something that is hard, tell their parents they love them and appreciate their coming, etc. Such is often a great start to the conference with the parent.

F. You probably need to open with: “Hi, your son/daughter is:…?”

G. “Thank you for taking the time to come here.” “How can we I best use this time for you?”

H. It is always best to listen to these parents first, before you talk. Parents may be coming in with upsets/angers; if they are allowed to vent first and you show understanding, the meeting goes much better.

I. Do not interrupt, even if you disagree, for now. Say: “I understand how
you feel….” You can make input after they feel more understood.

J. If they do not start first, come prepared with some questions, e.g., “Are you concerned about any particular area for your daughter/son?”

K. You may want to review with them what you have already or recently been teaching in your classes, and what is coming up next, maybe on a hand-out sheet that you can give them, or on the black board.

L. Be prepared and organized to easily access any grades, work, or evaluations about each student; some that you can actually show the parents. You may want to go over these the night before, especially regarding students who are in “trouble”.

M. Always start out with what the student is doing well; the more the parents here these, the more they will be able to take in what s/he needs to work on. Then:

1. Focus your comments on things that can be changed.
2. Limit the number of suggestions so that parents are not overwhelmed.
3. Avoid jargon. *

N. Explain your grading system or reward/punishment system. [Hopefully, this went out in a hand-out early in the marking period. Have it available to review with the parents, if necessary.]

O. If you are meeting because of a student’s academic progress or lack of progress, you can recommend that the student be placed on a behavior sheet/homework tracker, either via your computer. [See: http://classroom-management-tips.suite101.com/article.cfm/class_homework_assignments ]

or a sheet you design. This helps the student [and parent] organize him or herself while holding them accountable for his or her behavior. The sheet goes home to the parents often and they have to sign it and send it back to school with their son or daughter. Explain that this form of communication will make an ongoing communication between the student/teachers and his/her parents.

P. Try to form a working-together contract with the parent. “We can work as a team here. This is what I will be doing. Can you support and reinforce some of these at home?” “Perhaps, we can write this out and show him/her, and have him/her even sign it?”

Q. Keep in mind that every parent is worried: “Am I being a good parent?” Try to reassure them here, that parenting is very difficult. [Share with them, if you have been or are a parent]. Reassure them that: I am sure you are doing the best that you can.

R. Your main guideline should be to listen a lot. Your talking often helps less than they feeling that you listen, do not interrupt or judge them and that they walk away feeling understood, and got a chance to vent.

S. Also, watch the time: too much time with one parent, makes all the other waiting parents angry, who may not have been.

T. At the end, again: “Thank them again for coming.”

U. More tips:
http://content.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=4194

http://www.teachingheart.net/parentteacherconference.html

http://www.atozteacherstuff.com/Tips/Parent_Teacher_Conferences/

http://content.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=4195

Unfortunately, the parents that usually show up to these conferences are usually the parents of the students doing well; too often the parents of the students who need the most help – sadly do not show up. This is a tell-tale symptom: a child who has a parent with little time or resources to parent well – is usually a child struggling. And, it is very hard for a teacher to make up for all these deficiencies. [But, some of you do save some students.Then, you deserve great awards! - instead of the insufficient appreciation you often get.]

More at: www.ClassroomManagementOnline.com
The next sharing seminar starts on Nov. 30. Join us?

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Fun and Creative Projects for Kids

admin — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 22:59:14 +0000

The Creative Park Web site offers ideas and templates for any lesson plan with projects ranging from 3D Paper Crafts, to scrapbooks and calendars and even tips on digital photography! It is a simple and interactive way to help teach students about geography, history, social studies, sciences and more. These smart ideas are both an easy and affordable way to turn your classroom into a creative environment. To learn more, please visit http://www.learningtocreate.com.

For years Canon has been bringing you its cutting edge technology into your home, now let us help you in the classroom. We have a range of products and projects that can make learning fun and interactive. Learning to think creatively is an essential part of a child’s development and can be integrated into your everyday lessons at http://cp.c-ij.com/en/, whether you are printing up photos to get to know your students or working on a Creative Park project.

Have fun!

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Teaching Abroad With a TESOL or TEFL Certification

admin — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 22:51:37 +0000

AU Coupon Code: 139270

TEFL and TESOL are acronyms for teaching English as a foreign language and teaching English to speakers of other languages. If you plan to teach English overseas then getting a TEFL or TESOL Certificate is a prime requirement.

Nowadays there is huge demand for TEFL and TESOL certified teachers around the world owing to vast usage of English as a second language. The TEFL qualification can get you an English teaching job in non-native English-speaking countries like China, Japan, Mexico and United Arab Emirates. The TEFL certification is the easiest way to start a new life overseas; TEFL is also a great option for travelers looking forward to earning money on their trips abroad. The TEFL certification is offered across the Australia in Adelaide, Brisbane and Sydney. However if you aim to teach English to immigrant students in Australia, USA or New Zealand then you may be required to possess a TESOL certification. TESOL certification is provided by Australia and USA. Those who have a TESOL certificate enjoy an edge above the TEFL certified teacher as the former imparts a better technical knowledge.

Now after going through the reasons as to why you need to acquire the certifications a major question that comes to the mind is where to does one get the TEFL or TESOL certifications? As already mentioned the certifications are offered by Australia and USA but one can also get the certifications online. Many websites offer resources to find a comprehensive course to train students for teaching English in non-native English-speaking countries. The online courses can be completed in one to six months depending upon the student and the sites also boast placing its students abroad. Acquiring an online TEFL or TESOL Certification will be an added value to a person’s profile as compared to the non-certified teacher courses, owing to the reason that certification is becoming the standard requirement when applying for an esl job. There are a few websites that offer online certification for $295.00 that have excellent material quality consisting of 140+ pages, and constant touch with its certified students working abroad and good classroom modular programs.

There is a general misconception among the students that TESOL and TEFL certification courses are really tough to master. These two certifications can be easily achieved by a person who is willing to speak English and can be confident in delivering their knowledge in front of thirty eager to learn individuals. As a matter of fact, TEFL requires no prerequisite and the course itself starts from a basic knowledge of grammar, and the curriculum is designed so that by the end of the course the student is comfortable in English speaking and writing. The certifications of TESOL and TEFL are signed by the IATQUO (International Association of TESOL Qualifying Organizations) making it accountable worldwide.

The IATQUO certifies that the course undertaken meets the basic British criteria of 100+ hours of classroom time and 6+ hours of practical teaching practice. So if you want to teach English as a foreign language then becoming certified in TEFL and/or TESOL is a must.

Article source: Frank Collins

What Are You Doing to Collaborate More Effectively?

admin — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 23:12:39 +0000

I’ve been noticing more and more in teacher forums on how little time teachers have time to collaborate. Many teachers express the desire to collaborate but simply work under difficult time and curriculum constraints to do this effectively.

Even if you don’t work in teams, or have little planning hours, there are many ways you can maximize the little time you do have to collaborate more effectively either in an online or offline framework. Here are a few ideas to help get you started -

Suggestions for facilitating collaboration:

* Make effective use of personal planning time.

* Allow for team planning time (grade level teams) to focus on subject areas.

* Discuss student needs, lesson planning, and assessment issues.

* Decide on agenda in advance.

* Discuss any issues related to the team or individual students.

* Avoid spontaneous planning. Stay on task with topics at hand.

* Incorporate concerns about struggling students including ELLs in a separate discussion. Keep focus broad yet practical.

* Keep a record of minutes.

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Tips on Motivating Students to Learn

admin — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 23:08:51 +0000

This past weekend I took my four year old son to hear the Pittsburgh Symphony. It was his first “live” concert where he finally heard the string instruments come to life. As the violinists lifted their bows, he said, “Vin,Vin, Vin…Violin!”

At that moment, my son said a catchy phrase from a well-known story we had read together that had suddenly come to life. While munching on a pickle, (he suddenly became hungry) he listened to the quick rhythms and low tones of the base and cellos. He said, “Mommy, that sounds like a monster roaring!”

Being the teacher that I am, I turned this kid-parent scenario into a teachable moment. Then we heard frolicky melodies and I asked him, “Does that sound like a monster, too?” He replied, “No, that sounds like a princess!”

From this short teachable moment, I realized that there are so many ways we as teachers have the ability to motivate our students to learn more about any subject in any authentic way. For example, if students are reading about the history of jazz in their textbooks, they can first listen to a live jazz sample as a pre-reading activity. As a follow-up, they can reflect on how they feel by writing an expressing line (i.e. a zig-zag, a wiggly line, whatever they are feeling at the moment) and then explain it to their neighbor. They can compare two short music excerpts and explain how they are different and the same. They can also respond to a writing prompt.
The list is truly endless!

All it really takes is a bit of thinking outside the box!

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The Life of a Teacher Writer: Working with Educational Standards

admin — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 23:02:20 +0000

Today, right after my last class, I started organizing the ESL and Language Arts standards section for my book - the last resource material remaining. Since there are so many standards to choose from, it’s important to focus on only those standards that help teachers target and improve specific skills sets of reading, listening, speaking and writing.

I’ve prepared a standards table for my book so teachers can quickly refer to the activity page with its corresponding standard. Since many of these pages are designed for teacher to use on the “fly”, it is also helpful for them to know how these activities correspond to the standards they are already addressing.

When preparing my lessons, I don’t worry so much if my lessons address the necessary standards. Instead I make sure I am teaching strategically and presenting interesting content that I know for a fact, that all my students can do successfully. Once I’m satisfied with my plan, I then check to see how well I’ve addressed the standards. And I can always readjust the lesson activity to correspond with the required standard!

I know that for many of us, we teach in a world where high stakes testing is the norm and standarization seems to go hand in hand with lesson planning. But with that said, content is king when it comes to engaging and motivating students. Remember, we don’t teach the standards…we teach a wide variety of students with many different background, learning abilities and styles.

So when it comes to addressing the standards, are you more like me? How do you work with educational standards?

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