Would you like the opportunity to appear in my next book?
After the unprecedented success of The Quick Guide to Classroom Management, I’m asking teachers all over the world to write a few paragraphs that would help out a total teaching newbie.
You’ll be helping new teachers, you’ll receive full acknowledgement in my book and I’ll even give away five free books to five lucky contributors!
This is something super cool that you would be able to show to your colleagues and future employers too!
I want to know what advice you would give to a new teacher who’s getting stressed out because they’re marking too much work. What advice would you give to help them reduce their workload, improve their marking efficiency and reduce stress when marking? Do you have a story from your own experience that you would like to share?
Final deadline for submissions is June 20th, thank you! Book will be published on June 30th.
Please e-mail your advice to richard_science@hotmail.co.uk, along with your name and any other info you’d like to share about yourself (especially the country you’re writing from). Alternatively, you can comment on this blog post too (please write at least two paragraphs).
I look forward to receiving your replies!
Click on the picture below to find out about this great new book
When I was new in teaching, I was appointed In juniors. In first week of my appointment, I received a message from my head Mistress to go and substitute in a play group class. Three teachers left the class in two weeks. All kids were chasing each other, touching each other and every class material. It was terrible view.
I had a Montessori Primary teaching diploma, but I thought it was of no use in such situation. The kids went home with painted uniform as I could not make them all wear aprons.
Next morning I slightly touched all on their head or patted their shoulders. I seated in class like I belong here. The students were playing as usual I holded their hands and started singing ringa ringa roses. They all came to join. That was my first circle time.
In my free periods I use to take my tea and roam around to hear and learn how other teachers do. I use to ask questions from my mentors and observe my students. I taught them in the way they learn. I have 4 years of teaching experience and an international Honor for Primary teaching. I still didn’t know what is my way of teaching all I know is the way my students are. Best of luck to new Teachers.
WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO TEACH MATHEMATICS?
Philip Lloyd, I have taught Mathematics for over 47 years and mentored many teachers.
My personal guiding principle has always been:
To Teach Mathematics Using Reasons And Not Just Rules.
It takes longer but it lasts longer!
There is a big difference between Knowing a thing and Understanding it.
Even when teachers spend considerable time introducing new concepts from first principles, many students just wait until a rule or a formula appears then they happily proceed to apply the rule or formula with no actual understanding whatsoever!
Consider this common scenario: The teacher has taught “area of triangles” but a student was absent and missed the explanation. Because of time restraints the teacher just says “You just multiply the base and the height then divide by 2”
The student then could happily do the next 10 questions following this rule but the student has no actual understanding at all.
To further illustrate this is an important point: The teacher could well have said,
“You just multiply the base and the height then divide by 3”!
The student again would happily do the next 10 questions blindly following this rule merely because the teacher said so!
The point is, a student can know what to do without any actual understanding of why it works!
I have written an extensive website on this topic. I hope you will find the time to visit it.
http://www.knowingisnotunderstanding.weebly.com
You will find lots of very valuable information. The PowerPoint is particularly good and you will get a lot of very useful ideas.
The key to success in teaching is enthusiasm and a positive attitude.
I constantly try to show enthusiasm about every topic I teach, (even on those rare days when I don’t really feel it). Students often comment on how passionate and enthusiastic I sound in lessons, and they obviously enjoy being taught by an enthusiastic teacher!
I encourage beginning teachers to find a positive role model to act as mentor.
Take their advice on everything from how to control a class to what teaching techniques work best.
Be enthusiastic and your students will want to be taught by you!
Put motivational signs up in your classroom.
My personal favourite is:
Enthusiasm is the key to success in every activity.
Another I really like and refer to often is:
It is not stupid to ask
It is stupid not to ask.
(Then students never feel bad about asking for help or giving wrong answers!)
A few years ago, a student gave me an end-of-year present.
It was a little desk calendar with a different saying for each day.
The actual saying on November 13th (the day she gave it to me) was this:
I enter my classroom every day looking for some way
to make every student feel good about something.
She said “That’s what you do Mr Lloyd”.
Another idea I really like is:
Students don’t CARE how much you KNOW
until they KNOW how much you CARE.
A quote from the Dalai Lama had a huge effect on me:
Sharing your knowledge is one way a teacher can achieve immortality.
I will finish off with two more favourites:
There is nothing we need so much as nourishment for our self-esteem.
Everyone needs encouragement. (even teachers!)
I have a collection of motivational sayings collected over the last 30 years or so on this website:
http://www.motivational-and-inspirational-sayings.weebly.com
Another of my websites covers motivation and self-image:
http://motivation-and-self-esteem-cycles.weebly.com