Tag: english teaching

The 7 Golden Rules of Communication for Online Meetings

Posted on by richardjamesrogers

An article by Richard James Rogers (Award-Winning Author of The Quick Guide to Classroom Management and The Power of Praise: Empowering Students Through Positive Feedback). This blog post has been beautifully illustrated by Pop Sutthiya Lertyongphati.

Accompanying podcast episode:

Even as far back as 2020, during the height of the pandemic, research was being conducted on the effectiveness of video conferencing in education, and some such research concluded that online meetings would remain popular long-after the pandemic was over. My personal experiences have certainly mirrored these predictions – tutoring has moved mostly online, online meetings are still being used by many schools for parent-teacher conferences and schools still find that an online meeting is the most convenient way to bring everyone together efficiently, even if everyone is in the same building! Some schools are still using online meetings for assemblies too – an efficient approach as all of the students can remain in their classrooms and simply ‘enjoy the show’ on the classroom smart board or projector.

The corporate world has likewise seen a dramatic shift towards online conferencing, and as a part of a recent Powerful Public Speaker Workshop I delivered to a team of insurance professionals here in Bangkok, I was asked to speak about the rules/etiquette people should follow for online meetings. The following seven rules are the result of my deliberations, and if you wish to download and use the slides I delivered to this corporate client, then you can find it linked as a pdf file at the end of this blog post. Please note that I have put a ‘teaching spin’ on each of the following rules to make them as relevant as possible to educators (which you will not find in the pdf file).

An overview

I was thinking about putting this summary at the end, but I think it’s relevant here. When it comes to ALL online meetings, remember the acronym MEET UP R:

Rule #1: Know your platform

Are using Google Meets? Maybe it’s the dreaded Cisco Webex (dreaded because I have such little experience with this platform). Perhaps it’s Zoom? Maybe you’re using Microsoft Teams for the first time?

Whatever platform it is that you’ll be required to use, the first Golden Rule is that you become familiar with the software. Spend at least 15 minutes before the meeting starts just getting used to the controls and settings, if you’re a newbie. Also, if you haven’t used a platform in over a month, then carry out the due diligence of checking its functionality first – it may well have changed since you last used it!

Rule #2: Be there early!

The reasons for the inclusion of this rule are not so obvious upon first inspection. Here’s why you need to try logging-in early:

  • Unexpected system updates can slow down your start (this has happened to me multiple times over the last several years)
  • WIFI may take time to set up. Don’t assume that that you’ll always be able to get online in the same way every time, using the same WIFI (especially if it’s public WIFI, such as that you would find in a coffee shop). Again – updates to systems and protocols do happen!
  • Bluetooth (e.g. For mics and headphones) may take time to set up (and setup protocols can change after system updates)
  • You may need an alternative device if there’s a technical problem (e.g. a smartphone connected to a 4 or 5G network)

Familiarity can often be the enemy of online meeting etiquette. On many occasions I have, for example, turned up at the same coffee shop multiple times in a row to use the same WIFI, only to find that the login procedure has changed. This unexpected hurdle clearly slows down my login time.

Getting to your online meeting destination early, and attempting to log-in early, allows you time to fix any issues that may come up.

Rule 3: Switch on your camera

The visual element of meetings is important. When you show yourself to the online audience via the camera, there’s no doubt in anyone’s mind that you are present and attentive. Those who leave their cameras switched off do, unfortunately, arouse suspicion. If you absolutely must leave you camera switched off (e.g. so as to reduce your network traffic and allow for an audible meeting), then at least tell the host in advance (if you can).

If you are the meeting host, then don’t be afraid to ask people to switch on their cameras too – facial expressions, nods, mannerisms and other visual information forms part of the effective communication ‘dance’ that must play out in an online meeting.

Rule 4: Mute your microphone when you are not speaking

Background noise can interfere with the meeting (especially via sensitive tech, like expensive earphones). Also, experiment with different mics (e.g. wired or wireless – which microphones provide clearer sound to your audience?).

Last year I purchased a very expensive set of AirPods Pro for use in online tutoring meetings. They’re beautiful – but not every student I teach likes them. They are so sensitive to background noise, that in some locations in which I am sitting the students find that they cannot hear me clearly, and I have to use wired earphones/mics (even when I turn on noise reduction).

It’s good practice to have at least three modes of voice input to your online meeting available, if possible:

  • The computer’s built-in microphone and speaker system (probably not the best if you’re in a public setting)
  • Wired earphones with integrated microphone (if you have an earphone jack on your PC)
  • Bluetooth headset/earphones

Having three systems, such as these, will enable you to join the meeting and communicate even if one system fails (and this, again, has happened to me multiple times!).

Rule 5: Raise your hand if you want to say something

This can be done visually (on camera), or through a hand-raise tool. Raising your hand on camera is usually better for smaller meets.

Check out my award-winning book for high-school teachers, available on Amazon.

Rule 6: Watch the chat window!

Requests and questions may come up at any time, so make sure you keep your eyes on the video conferencing software’s integrated chat feature window (and make sure you know where it is located too). At the very least, whether you are the meeting host or not, check the chat window before going for a break or leaving/closing the meeting – there could be some vital information in there!

The chat window can also be a good place to receive/ask questions and to leave contact information (e.g. if you are meeting with outside stakeholders, such as parents, teacher-training providers or ECA services).

Rule 7: Leave at the appropriate time, and in the appropriate way

  • If you need to leave early, then let the host know in-advance.
  • You can slip out unnoticed, but please leave a message in the chat window to say goodbye to the participants.
  • Respect people’s time, just as you would in a physical meeting (e.g. try not to make the meeting too long)

My slides (feel free to download):

Online-meetings-and-conductDownload

Recommended further reading

Check out the following blog posts for more content related to the topic of online meetings:

Hybrid Teaching Apps, Ideas and Strategies – Richard James Rogers

Cognitive Challenges of Language Learners in the Digital Age – Richard James Rogers

Online Learning: A Risk-Assessment List for Teachers – Richard James Rogers

We welcome you to join the Richard Rogers online community. Like our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter for daily updates.

The Top Five Mistakes That Trainee High School Teachers Are Making

Posted on by richardjamesrogers

An article by Richard James Rogers (Award-Winning Author of The Quick Guide to Classroom Management and The Power of Praise: Empowering Students Through Positive Feedback). This blog post has been beautifully illustrated by Pop Sutthiya Lertyongphati.

Accompanying podcast episode:

Anyone who is new to the teaching profession is bound to make mistakes. There’s so much to learn and so much is at stake: the future careers of young people are literally in your hands. The pressure can be overwhelming at times, and this can cause trainees to panic.

Relax! This blog post was made for you!

I will go through the top five mistakes that trainee high school teachers are making all over the world as I write this – and please do not be embarrassed if this article reads like a self-summary of what you are doing wrong at the moment. We’ve ALL been there. We’ve ALL made mistakes, and I’ve personally made every mistake in this list too (so I’m a real expert on this subject matter).

Let’s get started!

#1: Getting the marking balance wrong

We are eager to impress when we are trainees, but there’s no need for that eagerness to translate into late evenings, busy weekends and overloaded school holidays in which we are covering every piece of student work with lengthy written feedback. I’ve been there, and I can tell you from first-hand experience – it’s not worth it!

Grading every single piece of student work by hand is not the most effective, or efficient, means to provide feedback anyway. Consider utilising the following techniques:

  • ‘Live’ Marking: This is a personal favorite of mine, as ardent followers of this blog and my podcast will know. The reason I love ‘live’ marking so much is because it is the ultimate feedback strategy – it’s efficient, personal and effective. It’s also simple to do – either walk around the class with a marking pen in your hand and mark student work in real-time, as they are doing a task, or call each student to your desk one at a time. Make sure you have a short conversation with each student as you write feedback on their work.
  • Verbal Feedback: This needs to be done properly, but it can be just as efficient and effective as ‘live’ marking. Have conversations with your students and either write/stamp ‘VF’ or ‘Verbal Feedback Given’ on the students’ work or (even better) ask the student to write down what you said in a different colour (e.g. “Mr Rogers said that I should label my diagrams using a ruler”). Since the students must process what you said in order to write down the feedback you have given, it acts as a great tool for building long-term memory.
  • Peer and self-assessment: Get your students to swap their work and mark each other’s or allow them the opportunity to assess their own work. Just make sure that the students have the official mark scheme/set of answers (otherwise this whole technique won’t work as efficiently as it should – and, before someone says it, no – I don’t think students should be spending time thinking about what the answer ‘should be’ and trying to upgrade answers without a mark scheme – unless you have a surplus of time in which to carry out this very exhaustive activity). Students should be encouraged to make corrections to wrong questions rather than just putting a cross or a zero next to answers, and they should be using a different coloured pen/text than the original answer was written in.
  • Automated assessment: There’s so much software available today that will set student work and grade it all for you. If your school has such systems available, then use them! Live quiz apps, such as Blooket, Kahoot!, Rolljak and others can be used for this purpose (set them in ‘assignment’ mode) as well as bespoke software such as MyMaths (for maths), Educake (for various subjects), Lexia Learning (for English) and others.
  • Learning Journals – as a recurring method of reflection, summarizing and revision, it really doesn’t get better than this. Used digitally (e.g., through Google Docs) or manually (e.g. through physical notebooks) learning journals offer stduents a creative and personal way to record their learning journeys. Make sure that you collect them in on the same day every week (or two weeks) and return them as per an agreed schedule too. In terms of satisfying a homework timetable, learning journals offer an interesting and feasible solution too – students are very unlikely to forget this ‘recurring’ homework due to its regularity and, due to their personable nature, learning journals can be really fun tools to work with. The students can fill them with whatever they like – mind maps, flash cards, past-paper questions, lists, etc.

The essential message here is to increase the range of assessment methods you are using – focusing heavily on efficiency and quality rather than how many scribbles you are able to pen onto student assignments during your weekends (which, by the way, is time that you should be spending relaxing).

I’ve written at length about efficient and effective marking strategies in the past. If you are interested in learning more about the various techniques available (and how to implement them), then check out these blog posts of mine:

My second book, entitled The Power of Praise: Empowering Students Through Positive Feedback, is also a great read if you are serious about exploring a range of feedback methods that that have a positive impact on your students’ learning experiences. Click on the image below to be taken to its Amazon page:

#2: Trying to be friends with the students

There’s a concept in education that has, unfortunately, become somewhat forgotten these days: Professional Distance.

The best description I could find on the concept of Professional Distance comes from an article by James Barron at start-teaching.com:

In the context of education, the concept of “professional distance” plays a vital role in maintaining clear boundaries between teachers and students. As emphasised by Gould and Roffey-Barentsen (2014), teachers must be mindful of preserving a degree of professional distance to prevent any blurring of lines between their personal lives and their roles as educators.

James Barron (2023), The Relationships and Boundaries Between the Teaching Role and Other Professional Roles’ [Online]. Available at https://start-teaching.com/the-relationships-and-boundaries-between-the-teaching-role-and-other-professional-roles/

In today’s world of social media, IG influencers and digital side-hustles, maintaining Professional Distance between us and the students we teach has become more challenging than ever before. In essence, however, the fundamental concept is the same as it always was: whether you are a 22-year-old trainee or a 52-year-old seasoned educator, you are seen as an authority figure in the classroom. The students are NOT your friends. They are young people that we help, support and educate, and that’s where our professional relationship with them ends. We do not add them as friends on social media. We do not accept their follow requests. We do not chat with them on any non-school approved channel.

I’ve written a separate blog post on the issue of Professional Distance in the digital realm, which you can read here: How Should Teachers Behave on Social Media? – Richard James Rogers

#3: Failing to consult with colleagues or line-managers

As a trainee teacher, or even a seasoned educator with twenty years under your belt, you are not expected to know everything. No question is too stupid to ask, so please ask!

I remember feeling really anxious one day as a relatively new 29-year-old teacher at an international school in Thailand. I had a question about the next topic to teach in a program of study, and I THOUGHT THAT MY HEAD OF DEPARTMENT WOULD THINK I WAS INCOMPETENT IF I ASKED ABOUT IT. Sure enough, after fretting over the issue for a day or two, I had to go and see him and ask about this – I needed the information.

I’ll never forget what he said at the end of the conversation: “Richard, I just want to say thank you for asking about this. Because when people don’t ask, they mess things up.”

Wow! That wasn’t what I had expected. My nervousness over asking questions, no matter how silly I thought they were, vanished that instant.

Your colleagues and line-managers will ALWAYS be your best resources at school. They will know how you should deal with certain students, back stories to issues, which printer to use and for what purpose, and who the key people are in school who can help you with other issues. This is why it is SO IMPORTANT for teachers to be cordial and collegiate with all staff at school.

If you’re interested in learning more about how to utilize the ‘colleague domain’ to work productively with your coworkers at school, then this blog post of mine that I wrote some time ago is a great place to start: Seeking Help from Colleagues: Tips for Teachers (Secret no. 11) – Richard James Rogers

#4: Engaging in gossip or inappropriate staffroom talk

Gossip is ALWAYS toxic. It generates distrust, adds to an overall atmosphere of negativity in a school and, worse: it can even get you fired. Gossip has this juicy allure to it that is very attractive – it reels people in and can often make one lower their normal professional defenses – causing people to add their ‘two cents’ worth without seriously considering their words beforehand.

Do not engage in gossip and stay away from people who gossip (if you can). Just your physical association with known gossipers can be a red flag for senior management – and, as a trainee teacher, you don’t want that!

I once remember sitting in the staffroom at a North Wales school during my PGCE (teacher training year) back in 2005. Two colleagues in my department had an altercation over something curriculum based and one teacher told the other to “F…. off”, in front of everyone!

The gossip soon followed the next day. Even the science technicians were in on it: “He should have received a slap for saying that” chirped one individual in the prep room that day. My Head of Department was there too, and I was being quiet and minding my own business (i.e. doing what you should do in this situation). Finally, he asked me, “What do you think about this whole thing, Richard”.

I replied with “I’m staying out of it. I have enough to focus on with my day-to-day work as it is.” (or something like that). My Head of Department was clearly impressed and responded with “That’s the best way to be, Richard”.

I later found out that he wrote a glowing review of my performance to my university.

In line with the subject of gossip is that of inappropriate information. You DO NOT need to share all of the details regarding your personal life with your colleagues – in fact, the less you share, the better!

One of my favourite quotes regarding this subject matter is as follows:

Never talk about your salary, your love life or your next move”

Unknown

If anyone can help me cite that quote (or its derivative), then please let me know. Whilst it is a little tongue-in-cheek, it does point to a very important concept in the workplace: your colleagues are not your friends – they are the people you work with. Whilst you can, of course, have very positive professional relationships with your colleagues (and they should be willing to help you out when you need it too, and you should help them when they need it), you must remember that egos are involved at the workplace, competition anxiety is real thing and that your colleagues are always capable of reporting you to senior management at any time.

In short – keep every interaction with your colleagues professional. Keep personal information to yourself.

#5: Planning day-by-day and not taking a long-term view

This is a common mistake that trainee teachers make but, thankfully, it’s usually an easy one to solve.

As trainees, we are often very new to the lesson planning process, and it can be difficult to think in the long and medium term as we are often so fixated with just planning lesson-by-lesson, or week-by-week.

It is crucial, however, that you know what the overall plans are for the academic year as a whole. This is called ‘curriculum mapping’, and the best teachers are also the best curriculum mappers.

In essence, it means that you must know when topics are supposed to be taught and what the key milestones are during the academic year, such as:

  • End of unit tests
  • Half-termly/mid-semester tests
  • End of term/semester tests
  • End of year exams
  • Coursework deadlines for students

Having a long-term view like this will allow you maintain an appropriate pace and will also ensure that you maintain consistency of instruction with some of your more experienced colleagues in the department – you certainly don’t want to be behind them in the teaching schedule, unless there’s a good reason (e.g. you are teaching a bottom set at a slower pace).

Summary

These are the top five mistakes that I have witnessed trainee teachers making over the past 17 years of my career, and I have also been guilty of all of these on occasion:

  • Marking inefficiently
  • Trying to be ‘friends’ with the students
  • Failing to seek help from colleagues when in doubt (remember, no question is too stupid to ask)
  • Engaging in gossip and/or revealing too much personal information about yourself to your colleagues
  • Planning in the short-term rather than the long-term

Review your own practices and daily behavior against the five points above to see if there are things that you could do differently.

We welcome you to join the Richard Rogers online community. Like our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter for daily updates.

How to Handle Frustration as a Teacher

Posted on by richardjamesrogers

An article by Richard James Rogers (Award-Winning Author of The Quick Guide to Classroom Management and The Power of Praise: Empowering Students Through Positive Feedback). This blog post has been beautifully illustrated by Pop Sutthiya Lertyongphati.

Teaching is one of the most stressful professions on Earth. From behaviour management issues, to meeting deadlines and working on projects in small teams: teaching, as a job, requires very high levels of competency, lots of patience and bucket loads of resilience. Take these recent, shocking revelations, for example:

In such a complex and dynamic environment as a school, in which in our ‘product’ is the gradual and positive development of children (i.e. the most complex beings in existence), it is only natural that we will make mistakes along the way and be involved in a wide variety of professional ‘incidents’ that may cause us some frustration.

It is at these times that we MUST remember the ‘Four S’s’:

  • Stop
  • Smile
  • Sleep
  • Send

Here’s a handy graphic to remember the process (feel free to share this with colleagues):

Let’s go through these steps one-by-one:

#1: Stop

I once witnessed a former colleague shout at a fellow language teacher in the staff room, calling him ‘unprofessional’ and saying that his actions were ‘unacceptable’. Of course, the issue causing the altercation was a trivial matter, but by her getting emotional and berating him in front of everyone she achieved nothing, and actually did a lot of harm to her reputation. Everyone was talking about that exchange afterwards, and guess who came out as the ‘good guy’ in people’s minds? – The polite language teacher who just stood there and listened and didn’t respond or get emotional, of course.

It’s so tempting to respond by reflex-action in a moment of frustration, venting our anger in an email, a verbal exchange or other action. It’s so crucial to be mindful of our emotions when we feel frustration bubbling up inside of us and remember to STOP!

#2: Smile

Numerous studies have shown that a simple smile can immediately improve our mood. Take a moment to reflect upon what you are grateful for in life. If nothing comes up, then ask yourself “What COULD I be grateful for right now?”. This act of ‘reframing’ the moment will act to alleviate any feelings of dread, anxiety or frustration – even if it’s only by a small amount.

#3: ‘Sleep on it’

If you find yourself becoming angry, anxious, enraged or frustrated by any situation at school, then pause for a while and calm down before you respond. If possible, respond to the issue the next day after a good night’s sleep – you’ll be in a better mood and will be more emotionally balanced to handle the issue rationally.

In my experience, almost every incident that causes a teacher frustration can be dealt with the next day, when we are in a better mood. If this is not the case for whatever you happen to be dealing with right now, then at least Stop and Smile, and wait a while before responding.

#4: Send

Have you been guilty of sending a quick response email out of frustration? I know I have. For one former coworker of mine, this had catastrophic consequences.

The head of our secondary school had emailed a colleague of mine in a former school I worked at to discuss some behaviour management issues that some children in his classes were having. This colleague then replied out of anger and frustration, justifying himself in every which way possible, but he inadvertently cc’d the entire secondary school in his response!

My award-winning book for high-school teachers.

He didn’t last long at that school. His reputation in the eyes of his colleagues had soured, and his position became somewhat untenable. He was let go at the end of that academic year.

Please – be the person who responds when your emotions are stable. We ALL get frustrated at times. We ALL get angry a times. We ALL panic at times. Please – Stop, Smile. Sleep THEN Send/Respond.

Extra advice for dealing with frustration at school

Speak to someone

Speak up about any issues you are having, in a positive and non-complaining way. The trick to executing this is to be ‘solution focussed’. When talking with your line manager about the issue, or whomever the other parties are, adopt the mindset of ‘This is the problem, so how can we work together to find the solution?’.

Only click ‘send’ when you are in an emotionally positive state

E-mails last forever, and once they are sent, they can be fully utilised in any litigation that may follow. Silence is always the best option at first, if possible, then only send a written response/summary of the issue after very careful consideration. In some extreme situations you may wish to speak with a lawyer before responding.

Learn new skills

If behavior management is causing frustration, then seek to learn new strategies or ask colleagues for help. Resources like this blog can be very useful for acquiring new tips, as can professional development courses. If your issue is skills-related, then you may find that a professional development course, such as my Powerful Public Speaker Certificate Course, may be of use to you.

Find a good lawyer, and build a good relationship with them, regardless of your situation

It has been my experience via the many hundreds of online coaching calls I have done with teachers over the years that extremely few educators understand their legal rights. Employers can sometimes pray on this naivety – few teachers will approach a lawyer when their employment is terminated, or when contractual changes arise, or when they are asked to sign a sudden ‘official school document’, for example. Get used to consulting with lawyers. Yes, they’re expensive, but the investment is worth it in the long run. If you are lucky enough to teach in a country where teacher unions exist, then make sure you are an active member – they will be able to offer legal advice when the need arises, too.

We welcome you to join the Richard James Rogers online community. Check out our official Facebook Page, Instagram and Podcast for regular updates.

5 Top Tips for Marking Work by Hand

Posted on by richardjamesrogers

An article by Richard James Rogers (Award-Winning Author of The Quick Guide to Classroom Management and The Power of Praise: Empowering Students Through Positive Feedback). This blog post has been beautifully illustrated by Pop Sutthiya Lertyongphati.

Accompanying podcast episode:

Whether it’s high-stakes assessments, end-of-unit tests, coursework, homework or classwork, it’s inevitable that every teacher will have to mark some assignments the old-fashioned way from time-to-time – i.e. by hand.

This can be a daunting task for many of us who, in today’s EdTech age, are so used to marking things digitally (or allowing software to do the work for us!). I’ve written at length, for example, about how automated systems like MyMaths and Educake, and live-quiz apps that have ‘assignment’ options, can mark classwork, homework and other assignments within seconds and provide detailed analytics within summary reports.

Thankfully, I’ve been in the position where there’s no other option but to mark assignments by hand more than a few times in my 17 years as a high school teacher, and I’ve made every blunder possible – wasting countless hours of my life in the process!

At least I now have enough experience of doing marking the wrong way to pass on my knowledge to my readers – I guess every cloud does have a silver lining, after all!

So, get your red pen ready (or whichever color you wish to use) and let’s learn how to efficiently mark assignments by hand!

#1: Mark every script one question at a time, or one page at a time

What this means is that if you have, say, thirty exam papers to mark, then ONLY mark question 1 for each paper (or page 1). Then, when you’ve finished marking question 1 (or page 1) for each paper, ONLY mark question 2 for each paper (or page 2), and so on.

The reason this works so well to improve your marking efficiency is that:

  1. You will get quicker at marking the same question the more times you do it in succession.
  2. It becomes easier to compare one student’s answer to another, which is great for choosing model answers to showcase and to ensure fairness.

Marking our papers this way is MUCH quicker than marking, say, one whole exam paper/assignment, followed by another, then another.

#2: ALWAYS have a mark scheme available for the assignment you are marking

Never set an exam paper or assignment if it doesn’t come with a mark scheme. If you don’t have one, then create one. This ensures fairness and efficiency during the marking process.

During my early years of teaching, I would find myself quickly creating exam papers and assignments due to my poor time-management skills. I would often forget to source the mark schemes for those documents.

Have you ever tried to mark a stack of exam papers without having the model answers to hand? It’s a nightmare scenario! You’ll find yourself spending tons of time attempting to apply marking consistency across multiple answer types. This is almost impossible to do without a mark scheme.

Another behavior to avoid is quickly sourcing worksheets or assignments from the internet, without making sure there’s model answers that go along with them. This is a particularly toxic action for the busy/stressed teacher, as time is limited. It seems like a great short-term fix to quickly source those questions from a particular web link you’ve found. However, in the long term, you’ll pay for it with frustration and more wasted time since it will become very difficult to mark that work in the absence of proper marking schemes.

#3: Keep your papers organized

Don’t lose them – and that’s easier said than done! I find that it’s often best to keep all of my papers at school and do all of my marking at school, because:

  1. Papers don’t get lost in transit (e.g. if I were to take papers home to mark).
  2. It’s good for my work-life balance – schoolwork stays at school.

Consider creating a special area of your room to keep the work that you are marking by hand. Perhaps a special drawer in your teacher’s desk is appropriate, or a shelf on your classroom wall.

My award-winning book for high school teachers.

#4 Utilize live marking where possible

One-to-one conversations with students offer the best possible feedback out there – because those conversations are personal and should involve some metacognition. Students will have to process information and think about their responses deeply during the live-marking process, which should always involve some type of conversation (even if it’s a short one).

If possible, walk around the class and mark work in real-time as the students are doing it, or call them to your desk one at a time for a conversation and to add some hand-written comments to their work.

I’ve written an entirely separate blog post about efficient marking strategies, which includes a detailed section on ‘live’ marking, here: The ‘Four Pillars’ of Time-Saving Marking – Richard James Rogers

#5 Do NOT give the work back to the students until the data has been inputted into your school’s tracking system

This is sounds so obvious, yet, to my embarrassment, this is a mistake I have made in the past.

This really is the epitome of stupidity because once the graded work has been given back to the students, you’re going to have quite a job on your hands to get it all back again so that you can input the assessment data.

Mark it, input the data, then give it back to the students. If that means that the students have to wait a little longer to get their work back, then so be it. Due diligence is more important than quick turnaround.

Summary

I really hope this blog post was helpful. Life is precious, and short, and too valuable to be marking work inefficiently in my opinion.

Speed up your marking time by….

  • Marking one question at a time, or one page at a time
  • Sourcing mark schemes for EVERY piece of work that is to be marked by hand
  • Demonstrating good housekeeping by organizing your papers – don’t lose any!
  • Marking work in real-time, if possible
  • Input the assessment data into your school’s system before giving the work back to the students

In addition to the above points, I would also advise teachers to seek help from colleagues when you are unsure about how many marks to award for a student’s answer. You may find that a fresh perspective will confirm, or refute, your initial thinking on the matter. Also, get efficient with free periods/non-contact time, too. If you plan what you will mark in those ‘frees’ carefully, you’ll find that minimal weekend and evening time is taken up with marking (which is what the status quo should be).

We welcome you to join the Richard James Rogers online community. Check out our official Facebook Page, Instagram and Podcast for regular updates.

Introducing The P.O.W.E.R. Method of Retrieval Practice

Posted on by richardjamesrogers

An article by Richard James Rogers (Award-Winning Author of The Quick Guide to Classroom Management and The Power of Praise: Empowering Students Through Positive Feedback). This blog post has been beautifully illustrated by Pop Sutthiya Lertyongphati.

Accompanying podcast episode:

Unless you’ve been hiding in a cave for the past five years, it’s highly likely that you have heard the phrase ‘retrieval practice’ being bandied about multiple times at educational seminars, Professional Development workshops and even in the departmental meetings you’ve attended at school. It’s one of those areas of pedagogy that has gotten educators excited due it’s evidence-based effectiveness, as well it’s inclusion, affirmation and promotion of metacognitive strategies (another hot topic in education).

It is my observation, however, that the majority of teachers are not 100% clear about what retrieval practice actually is – in part because some of the professional literature on the issue is conflicting, and also because as a concept it complexifies something rather simple (something that teachers have being doing for decades): getting students to reflect upon and use what they know.

In today’s blog post, I aim to provide my readers with the following:

  • A simple, understandable description of what retrieval practice is
  • A handy acronym (P.O.W.E.R.) that we can all use to remember the stages we need to follow as teachers when carrying out retrieval practice with our students
  • Some ideas on techniques and activities we can use in the classroom to facilitate good retrieval practice

Think ‘expression’ as opposed to ‘ingestion‘

I was most impressed with this great video by Unleash Learning which described retrieval practice as focusing on getting information out of students’ heads, rather than into students’ heads. This implies that retrieval practice only works if information has been put into the students’ heads in the first place – and this is true – retrieval practice is used as a follow-up when students have already been taught the information they need to know.

Retrieval practice is used as a follow-up at some point after a topic/unit has been taught.

Students should be encouraged to articulate what they have learned in some way, and then use what they have learned in some way (e.g., to answer an exam-style question). Retrieval practice places heavy emphasis on learning rather than assessing, although low-stakes assessments can be used as part of the retrieval process (see this blog post of mine on assessment ‘for’, ‘of’ and ‘as’ learning for more info on that!).

Give your students the P.O.W.E.R. they need to succeed!

So, let’s look at an easy-to-remember step-by-step process for facilitating retrieval practice in the classroom – the P.O.W.E.R. technique.

Prime (P): Prime the Mind

Start by priming the mind. Review essential concepts, key points, or summaries to prepare your students for the learning experience ahead. A great activity for this is Mind Map Mayhem: Encourage students to create colourful mind maps summarizing key concepts from the previous lesson. They can use doodles, arrows, and even emojis to make it visually appealing. This primes their minds for what’s to come!

At this stage, summaries do not need to be organized – they can be scattered and random, and do not necessarily need to be handwritten – a group discussion, quick verbal presentation to the class or even a bulleted list will suffice.

Organize (O): Organize Thoughts Actively

Encourage active organization of thoughts. Have your students organize information in their own words, creating meaningful connections and enhancing comprehension through an engaged approach. There are many tools that can be used for this, but my favorites are:

  • Mnemonics
  • Acronyms
  • Infographics
  • Graphic organizers
  • Google Slides, Docs, Sheets and Sites
  • Flow charts
  • Audio notes

It’s quite important at this stage that information follows the required pattern in which it needs to be retrieved in the final exams – e.g. the stages of cell division (in order), a timeline of King Henry VIII’s reign (in order), the points to raise in a written response to a language question (in order), etc.

Wrestle (W): Wrestle with Challenges

Yes! – we finally have a teaching acronym with ‘Wrestle’ in it (cue the giggles in teacher workshops all across the world from this point onwards). If nothing else, this wise choice of a word will help us all to remember that in this stage the students should tackle thought-provoking questions that demand active recall.

This step engages the mind in a mental wrestling match, strengthening memory and reinforcing the learning process.

The questions do not necessarily need to be provided in a mini-test or handout format (although you can go with that too), live quiz apps, verbal questioning, exam-style questions, past-papers, flash cards, quick writing exercises, worksheets and learning journals can all be used as tools to facilitate this process. At this stage, the questions should be low stakes, so that making mistakes is encouraged.

Evaluate (E): Evaluate Understanding

Promote self-evaluation to gauge understanding. Guide your students to reflect on their comprehension, identifying areas of strength and pinpointing topics that may require additional attention.

Check out my award-winning book for high-school teachers on Amazon. Purchases support the creation of my blog posts and podcast episodes.

A great technique that teachers have been using for decades for this is Traffic Lights. Provide students with red, yellow, and green cards. Ask them to hold up the corresponding card to indicate their understanding. Red for unclear, yellow for partial, and green for solid comprehension. It’s a quick and visual way to evaluate understanding.

Again, live quiz apps can be used for student self-evaluation, as well as self-reflection rubrics. Metacognitive tools, such as self-regulation checklists, are also great for this.

In my current practice, I like creating Google Sheets in which students can type in their reflections as they do them – essentially creating a long-term digital journal/record of their progress. The sheets are very simple – usually asking which questions the students got wrong, why they got them wrong, and what they should do next to improve further. When created on a Google Classroom assignment, one sheet is enough, as a copy will be made for each student if you select the correct option from the drop-down menu.

Reinforce (R): Reinforce Through Practice

Transition to reinforcement through practice. Engage your students in hands-on activities, be it additional past-paper questions, problem-solving scenarios, experiments, or real-world applications. This step solidifies knowledge and encourages practical application.

Practice makes perfect!

One activity you might want to try (if you’re looking for something unusual) is Escape Room Extravaganza. Create a virtual or physical escape room with challenges related to the lesson. Students work in teams to solve problems, unlock clues, and apply their knowledge. A QR-code treasure hunt may work well for this, for example. It’s a fantastic way to reinforce learning through collaboration and critical thinking.

Conclusion

Retrieval practice is essentially a way to build long-term memory of concepts, skills, ideas, key vocabulary, techniques and knowledge. At some point after a topic or unit has been taught to your class, use the P.O.W.E.R. strategy to get your students retrieving that prior knowledge – you’ll soon find that concepts will be generally better understood, performance in future assessments will increase and students will feel more confident articulating, processing and recalling the material they have covered.

Recommended further reading

Head over to retrievalpractice.org where you will find lots of free, downloadable pdfs containing tons of advice on how to implement retrieval practice in your lessons.

We welcome you to join the Richard James Rogers online community. Check out our official Facebook Page, Instagram and Podcast for regular updates.

What Is Design Thinking, and How Can It Be Used in Classroom Teaching?

Posted on by richardjamesrogers

An article by Richard James Rogers (Award-Winning Author of The Quick Guide to Classroom Management and The Power of Praise: Empowering Students Through Positive Feedback). This blog post has been beautifully illustrated by Pop Sutthiya Lertyongphati.

In the rapidly evolving landscape of education, traditional teaching methods are being reshaped by innovative approaches that prioritize creativity, problem-solving, and collaboration. One such methodology gaining traction is Design Thinking. Originally conceived in the realm of product design, Design Thinking has found its way into education, offering a dynamic framework for educators to foster critical thinking and innovation among students. In this blog post, we will explore what Design Thinking is and how it can be effectively applied in classroom teaching.

What is Design Thinking?

Design Thinking is a human-centered problem-solving approach that places empathy for the end-user at the core of the creative process. Coined by David Kelley and Tim Brown of IDEO, this methodology has since transcended its origins in design and has been embraced across various fields, including education. The key stages of Design Thinking typically involve empathizing, defining the problem, ideating, prototyping, and testing.

How can Design Thinking be used in classroom teaching?

Here’s a handy acronym to help remember the stages of Design Thinking:

E.D.I.P.T.

  • Empathize
  • Define
  • Ideate
  • Prototype
  • Test

Let’s go through each stage one-by-one:

Empathize

Design Thinking encourages educators to understand their students on a deeper level by empathizing with their needs, challenges, and perspectives. By gaining insights into students’ lives, educators can tailor their teaching methods to address individual learning styles and needs.

Define

The second stage of Design Thinking involves clearly defining the problem at hand. In a classroom setting, this translates to identifying the learning objectives and challenges faced by students. This step sets the foundation for targeted and effective teaching strategies.

Ideate

Design Thinking encourages a culture of brainstorming and creative thinking. In the classroom, this means fostering an environment where students feel free to express their ideas without fear of judgment. Educators can facilitate brainstorming sessions to generate diverse solutions to educational challenges.

Prototype

Just as designers create prototypes to test their ideas, students can develop prototypes of their learning solutions. This might involve creating projects, presentations, or interactive activities that demonstrate their understanding of a concept. Prototyping allows for hands-on learning and experimentation.

Testing

Design Thinking emphasizes an iterative process. In education, this means encouraging students to gracefully receive feedback on their work, reflect on their learning experiences, and make improvements. The iterative cycle fosters a growth mindset and resilience in the face of challenges.

A real classroom example of E.D.I.P.T.

Let’s see how E.D.I.PT. can be used in the planning and execution of a real high-school lesson.

Subject: High School Biology

Lesson Title: “Adapting to a Changing Environment: A Design Thinking Exploration”

Objective: Students will use the Design Thinking process (E.D.I.P.T.) to propose and prototype innovative solutions for an organism’s adaptation to a changing environment.

1. Empathize (E):

Activity: Begin the lesson with a short video or reading about a species facing environmental challenges (e.g., climate change, habitat loss). Engage students in a discussion about the impact on the species, their ecosystem, and the challenges they might face.

Outcome: Students develop empathy for the organisms and understand the need for adaptations in response to environmental changes.

2. Define (D):

Activity: Guide students in identifying specific challenges faced by the chosen species due to the changing environment. Encourage them to narrow down their focus to one key problem that they want to address.

Outcome: Students articulate a clear definition of the problem, such as the impact of temperature changes on the species’ reproduction or food sources.

3. Ideate (I):

Activity: Conduct a brainstorming session where students generate various ideas for how the species could adapt to the identified challenge. Encourage creative thinking and diverse solutions.

Outcome: Students compile a list of potential adaptations, considering biological, behavioral, or physiological changes the species might undergo.

4. Prototype (P):

Activity: In small groups, students choose one of the adaptation ideas and create a prototype or model showcasing how the species might implement this adaptation. This could include drawings, diagrams, or even physical representations.

Outcome: Each group produces a prototype that visually represents their chosen adaptation solution.

5. Test (T):

Activity: Groups present their prototypes to the class, explaining the rationale behind their chosen adaptations. Facilitate a class discussion where students provide constructive feedback and ask questions.

Outcome: Students refine their prototypes based on feedback, considering the practicality and effectiveness of their proposed adaptations.

Can you think of a suitable topic that would lend itself well to an E.D.I.P.T. lesson in your subject area?

Conclusion

Design Thinking in classroom teaching is a powerful tool for cultivating a generation of creative, adaptable, and empathetic individuals. By integrating this methodology, we can transform traditional classrooms into dynamic spaces where students are not just recipients of knowledge but active participants in their own learning journey. Embracing Design Thinking in education is not just about preparing students for the future; it’s about empowering them to shape it!

Recommended further reading

  • Lee, D. (2018). Design thinking in the classroom: easy-to-use teaching tools to foster creativity, encourage innovation and unleash potential in every student. Berkeley, California: Ulysses Press.
  • Jakes, D. (2022). The Design Thinking Classroom.
  • D.M. Arvind Mallik (2019). Design Thinking for Educators. Notion Press.

We welcome you to join the Richard James Rogers online community. Check out our official Facebook Page, Instagram and Podcast for regular updates.

5 Mistakes Teachers Are Making With Slide Presentations

Posted on by richardjamesrogers

An article by Richard James Rogers (Award-Winning Author of The Quick Guide to Classroom Management and The Power of Praise: Empowering Students Through Positive Feedback). This blog post has been beautifully illustrated by Pop Sutthiya Lertyongphati.

Accompanying podcast episode:

Slides are a staple of effective teaching, corporate presentations and workshops. They’re so ubiquitous, in fact, that many of us don’t realize just how much of a legendary, legacy technology they are. I was surprised to learn during my research for this blog post, for example, that MS PowerPoint was released way back in 1987! PowerPoint and other slide-based information delivery systems have stood the test of time because they are, essentially, extremely effective content presentation tools.

Slides are here to stay – that’s undeniable, so let’s discover the common mistakes teachers are making when utilizing them (note to reader – I have made ALL of the mistakes I’m about to mention at some point or another in my career, so I’m a real expert on this topic!).

#1: Putting too much text on each slide

The content needs to be readable, and not overwhelming. When we fill our slides with text, we tend to not only make our sentences too small for learners at the back of the class to read, but we also present too much information at once.

Whilst we often have a lot of stuff to get through in a lesson (especially if you are teaching exam-level students), consider spreading the information out over more slides. 3 sentences per slide on 3 slides, for example, is better than 9 sentences all crammed together on one slide.

#2: Making students copy from slides

Here are the problems this causes:

  • Children have different writing speeds, and you’ll always find that the majority of the class are sat around waiting for the slow students to finish copying.
  • It dramatically slows down the pace of your lessons, making it difficult to keep to a curriculum map schedule (if done repeatedly).
  • Copying notes from slides is one of the most ineffective ways to learn new content. According to Make It Stick (a book I highly recommend) when no effort is required in the learning process, learning doesn’t last very long. The book’s authors cited one study where students were allowed to copy notes word-for-word on some material but were made to rephrase other material in their own words. When tested afterwards, students did a much better job of recalling the material they had to put into their own words.

So, how do we solve this problem, especially when we have so much content to get through?:

  • Consider providing printouts of slides with blank spaces for the children to fill in along the way. I remember one of my Biochemistry lecturers doing this at Bangor University when I was an undergrad there and I loved it – not least because I was getting accurate notes to take home, but also because I had to focus on the lesson in order to fill in the blanks correctly. Whilst this is perhaps not the most effective way to learn content out of all the methods available, it does solve the problem of pace (i.e., you won’t go too slow using this method).
  • Consider differentiating texts by using the methods outlined in this blog post, in order to make large paragraphs more digestible for your learners.

#3: Not making slides interactive

Include some exam-style questions along the way during your slide presentation to break up the lesson a bit. Consider word-matching activities, fill-in-the-blanks, or even just questions with allotted time for the students to answer. Perhaps you could embed a link to a live-quiz app (such as Blooket, Quizlet Live or Kahoot!) into your slides to get your students competing in a healthy way.

#4: Not sharing the slides with the students

It’s so important to make the slides available to your students once the lesson is over, and for some classes it may even be appropriate to share them before the lesson begins.

VLE and LMS platforms, such as Google Classroom, Moodle, Firefly and others are perfect for this.

With pre-university students, such as IBDP or ‘A’ – Level learners, I often find that it’s helpful to share the slides ahead of time, as the students can then read ahead before the lesson begins.

Whichever method you choose, just make sure the materials are available to your students. That way you cannot be criticized for not providing the resources that your students need to revise for their tests and assessments.

#5: Reading the slides to the class

This is an absolute no-no for teachers and is an obvious behavior to avoid to those who are more experienced in the profession. For new and trainee teachers, however, it can be a challenge to present slides without reading from them.

Teachers tend to read from slides for two main reasons:

  • Lack of subject knowledge/lack of reading ahead
  • Nervousness

Consider the following solutions:

  • Freeze your slide and move to the next slide on your computer. Quickly glance at, and read, the slide on your computer screen before presenting it to your class. This will help you to re-phrase the content into your own words.
  • Print out a copy of the slides for yourself and have it in your hand during the presentation. Again, this will allow you to read-ahead in ‘real-time’.
  • This sounds obvious but READ AHEAD. Never present a slideshow without reading over it first (avoid sourcing a slideshow from a third party on the internet immediately before a lesson begins).
  • Practice pronouncing key vocabulary and technical language before the lesson begins.
My Award-Winning book for high-school teachers.

Other mistakes teachers are making with slide presentations

  • Getting the visuals wrong – include nice pictures, charts and graphics where possible, and make them big enough for the class to read. If you’re stuck for time, then SlidesGPT can use AI to make a visually appealing slide presentation for you with just a few prompts (FYI – always CHECK the slides once generated). In addition to this, MS PowerPoint now comes with visual suggestions and can make slides visually appealing by using its AI Copilot feature.
  • Not annotating slides – if you have the technology (e.g., a smartboard), then annotate your slides as you present them. Circle key words, underline key phrases, add extra information and even re-phrase things. This will serve to make the content clearer for your students.
  • Conflicting colors – Are your slides readable? Always check the color balance before you present (red text on a black background, for example, is notoriously difficult to read!)
  • Unclear fonts – avoid Brushscript! Calibri, Comic Sans and Arial tend to work really well for presentations.

Shameless plug – check out my Powerful Public Speaker Certificate Course

If you are interested in some excellent Professional Development for you or your team, which focuses on making your slide presentations as perfect as possible, then check out my Powerful Public Speaker Certificate Course. This can be delivered online or on-site. Feel free to e-mail me at info@richardjamesrogers.com if you’d like to book me for this training.

We welcome you to join the Richard Rogers online community. Like our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter for daily updates.

Empowering Hope: How Teachers Can Make a Difference for Children Living in Poverty

Posted on by richardjamesrogers

An article by Richard James Rogers (Award-Winning Author of The Quick Guide to Classroom Management and The Power of Praise: Empowering Students Through Positive Feedback)

Illustrated by Pop Sutthiya Lertyongphati 

Accompanying podcast episode:

Every child deserves a fair shot at a bright future, regardless of their socioeconomic background. Yet, the harsh reality is that billions of children around the world are living in poverty, facing numerous challenges that can hinder their educational journey:

  • There were 4.2 million children living in poverty in the UK in 2021-22. That’s 29 per cent of children, or nine in a classroom of 30 [Source: Child Poverty Action Group]
  • In the United States, the poverty rate among children saw a sizeable increase, more than doubling from 5.2% in 2021 to 12.4% last year [Source: United States Census Bureau]
  • Globally, the numbers are even more sobering: 1.2 billion children worldwide are living in poverty [Source: Save The Children]

Teachers, as the unsung heroes we are, play a pivotal role in helping these children overcome adversity and reach their full potential. This is supported by the fact that the number one way to get children out of poverty is via good education. Nearly 60 million people could escape poverty if all adults had just two more years of schooling, and 420 million people could be lifted out of poverty if all adults completed secondary education, according to UNESCO.

In this blog post, we’ll explore how teachers can make a significant difference in the lives of children living in poverty, along with some practical strategies that can be implemented in the classroom.

#1: Build Relationships

Take the time to get to know your students individually. Learn about their interests, backgrounds, and challenges. Building strong teacher-student relationships can make a significant difference in the lives of students living in poverty. They need to feel like someone cares about their well-being and success.

#2: Flexible and Differentiated Instruction

Recognize that students in poverty may come to class with varying levels of preparedness due to circumstances beyond their control. Embrace differentiated instruction to cater to diverse learning needs. Offer additional support, extra time, or alternative assignments as needed. Flexibility in your teaching approach can help students catch up and stay engaged.

#3: Provide Access to Resources

Some students may not have access to textbooks, school supplies, or a quiet place to study at home. To bridge this gap, provide necessary resources in the classroom. Create a lending library, offer extra copies of textbooks, and keep a stash of school supplies for students who may need them.

#4: Encourage a Growth Mindset

Instill a growth mindset in your students, emphasizing that their abilities and intelligence can be developed with effort and determination. Teach them to embrace challenges as opportunities for growth rather than seeing setbacks as failures. This mindset can empower them to overcome obstacles they face. One my favourite techniques for implementing a growth mindset is Subtle Reinforcement.

#5: Breakfast and Snack Programs

Advocate for and participate in school breakfast and snack programs if they are available. A nutritious meal can make a significant difference in a student’s ability to concentrate and learn. These programs can help ensure that all students start their day with a full stomach. When implementing such programs, it’s important that poorer students are not singled out via a voucher system, or some kind of list for free meals that they must sign. Go for a campus card system instead and make it available to every student. Load credit onto the cards of poorer students and secure funding through scholarships, charities and community schemes.

#6: Connect with Community Resources

Reach out to local community organizations and social services that can support students in need. These organizations may offer tutoring, mentoring, or even access to free or low-cost extracurricular activities. Collaborate with these resources to provide additional support to your students.

#7: Teach Financial Literacy

Include financial literacy in your curriculum to equip students with essential life skills. Understanding how to budget, save, and make informed financial decisions can empower them to break the cycle of poverty in the long run.

Conclusion

Teachers play a crucial role in the lives of students living in poverty. By creating a supportive and inclusive classroom environment and implementing practical strategies, we can help these students overcome obstacles and succeed academically and beyond. Remember that every small effort can make a big difference in a student’s life, and together, we can create a brighter future for all our students.

We welcome you to join the Richard James Rogers online community. Like our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter for daily updates.

Unleash Your Students’ Brilliance: Exploring Genius Hour in High School Teaching

Posted on by richardjamesrogers

An article by Richard James Rogers (Award-Winning Author of The Quick Guide to Classroom Management and The Power of Praise: Empowering Students Through Positive Feedback).

Illustrated by Pop Sutthiya Lertyongphati.

Accompanying podcast episode:

Hey there, fellow educators and curious minds! Have you ever wished there was a way to ignite your students’ passion for learning, encourage creativity, and foster independent thinking, all while adhering to the curriculum? Well, look no further than “Genius Hour”! In this blog post, we’ll dive deep into what Genius Hour is and explore how it can be applied to high school teaching to create a dynamic and engaging learning environment.

What Exactly is Genius Hour?

Genius Hour, also known as 20% Time or Passion Projects, is an educational concept that grants students a dedicated block of time (typically one hour a week) to explore a topic of their choice. During this time, students are encouraged to pursue their passions, conduct independent research, and create projects that reflect their interests and talents. It’s a simple yet powerful idea: when students are given the autonomy to learn about what excites them, they become more motivated, engaged, and invested in their education.

The Benefits of Genius Hour

Now that we know what Genius Hour is, let’s explore the myriad of benefits it offers to both students and educators:

1. Fosters Intrinsic Motivation

Genius Hour taps into students’ natural curiosity and passions, helping them find personal meaning in their learning. This intrinsic motivation can lead to increased focus, enthusiasm, and a genuine love for acquiring knowledge.

2. Encourages Critical Thinking

When students embark on a self-directed learning journey, they must think critically, set goals, and manage their time effectively. These skills are not only valuable in school but also in real-life situations.

3. Promotes Ownership of Learning

Genius Hour empowers students to take control of their education. They become active participants in shaping their learning experiences, which can boost their confidence and self-esteem.

4. Supports Diverse Learning Needs

Every student is unique, and Genius Hour allows for personalized learning experiences. Whether a student excels in writing, coding, painting, or researching, they can harness their strengths to explore their chosen topic.

5. Sparks Creativity

By encouraging students to explore their passions, Genius Hour nurtures creativity. It’s a platform for them to dream big, experiment, and develop innovative ideas.

6. Develops Research and Presentation Skills

Students must research and compile information about their chosen topics. Furthermore, they often have the opportunity to present their findings to their peers, honing their research and presentation skills in the process.

How to Implement Genius Hour in High School Teaching

Now that we’ve established why Genius Hour is such a fantastic approach to education, let’s discuss how you can integrate it into your high school classroom:

1. Introduction and Goal Setting

Start by introducing the concept of Genius Hour to your students. Explain the purpose and potential benefits. Encourage them to brainstorm their interests and passions and set clear goals for what they want to achieve during this dedicated time.

Check out my award-winning book on Amazon!

2. Time Management

Help students manage their time effectively. They should have a schedule that allocates time for research, creation, and reflection. Regular check-ins can help them stay on track.

3. Resources and Guidance

Provide access to resources such as books, online databases, and experts who can assist students in their research. Offer guidance when needed but try not to steer them too much. Remember, it’s their project, and they should have ownership of it.

4. Sharing and Celebration

Create opportunities for students to share their Genius Hour projects with their peers. This could be through presentations, exhibitions, or even a virtual showcase. Celebrate their achievements and encourage constructive feedback.

5. Reflection and Assessment

Encourage students to reflect on their Genius Hour experiences. What did they learn about themselves? What challenges did they overcome? How can they apply their newfound skills and knowledge in other areas of their lives? Assessment can be based on their process, effort, and presentation, rather than just the final product.

Wrapping Up

Genius Hour is a game-changer in high school teaching, offering a fresh and exciting approach to learning. By embracing this concept, you’ll not only see your students flourish academically but also witness their personal growth and self-discovery.

So, go ahead and unleash the genius within your students. Who knows what incredible discoveries and innovations might arise when they have the freedom to explore their passions and interests? It’s time to make learning more engaging, meaningful, and, above all, fun!

We welcome you to join the Richard James Rogers online community. Like our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter for daily updates.

Creating Safe Schools: Local, National, and International Considerations

Posted on by richardjamesrogers

An article by Richard James Rogers (Award-Winning Author of The Quick Guide to Classroom Management and The Power of Praise: Empowering Students Through Positive Feedback).

Illustrated by Pop Sutthiya Lertyongphati.

A quick Google search of the top ten hot topics in education right now yield’s mixed results. From government funding to project-based learning and ‘Genius Hour’: the lists are as varied and as interesting as the great people who author them.

None of the pedagogical practices we all love to implement in the classroom can happen, however, if the schools we work in aren’t safe places. Safety has to be every school’s number one priority, and everyday teachers have a pivotal role to play in creating secure learning environments for children:

Teachers are crucial for creating psychologically and physically safe school and classroom environments, and their relationship with the learners entrusted to them is key in preventing and responding to all kinds of school violence.

UNESCO Bangkok

Despite this pivotal role that teachers play in safeguarding children, however, a multifaceted approach is required to create safe schools: one that covers considerations at the local, national, and international levels. This blog post aims to delve into these key paradigms.

Local Level: Building a Foundation of Safety

At the local level, school safety starts with a strong foundation of communication, prevention, and collaboration:

  1. Security Measures: Implement physical security measures such as controlled access points, surveillance cameras, and well-defined emergency evacuation plans. Conduct regular drills to ensure that students and staff are familiar with these protocols.
  2. Bullying Prevention: Foster a culture of inclusivity and respect by implementing comprehensive anti-bullying programs. Encourage open dialogue and establish a reporting system to address incidents promptly.
  3. Mental Health Support: Provide students with access to trained counselors and mental health professionals. Create a stigma-free environment that encourages students to seek help when needed.
  4. Community Engagement: Involve parents, local law enforcement, and community organizations in the school safety conversation. Collaboration enhances the overall safety network.
  5. Technology: Leverage technology for instant communication during emergencies. Implement notification systems that can reach parents, staff, and students rapidly.

National Level: Policy and Standards

Ensuring school safety at the national level involves the formulation and enforcement of comprehensive policies and standards:

  1. Legislation: Develop and enact laws that mandate safety measures in schools. This could include regulations on school infrastructure, background checks for staff, and protocols for responding to emergencies.
  2. Training and Professional Development: Require regular training for teachers, administrators, and staff on topics like emergency response, conflict resolution, and identifying signs of mental distress.
  3. Data Collection: Establish a national database to track incidents related to school safety, including bullying, violence, and mental health issues. This data can inform policy decisions and preventive measures.
  4. Funding: Allocate funds to support the implementation of safety measures in schools, especially in underserved areas. This can include hiring additional security personnel, upgrading facilities, and providing mental health resources.
  5. Collaboration with International Bodies: Exchange best practices with other countries and international organizations. Collaborative efforts can lead to the development of innovative safety strategies.

International Level: Global Exchange of Ideas

Safety in schools is a universal concern, and international collaboration can provide a broader perspective and valuable insights:

  1. Sharing Best Practices: Participate in international conferences and forums focused on school safety. Learn from successful initiatives in other countries and adapt them to local contexts.
  2. Global Standards: Work with international organizations to establish global standards for school safety. This can include guidelines for safe school design, teacher training, and crisis management.
  3. Crisis Response Coordination: In an interconnected world, crises can have far-reaching implications. Collaborate with neighboring countries to establish protocols for handling emergencies that may impact multiple schools.
  4. Cultural Sensitivity: Recognize and respect cultural differences that might influence perceptions of safety and security. Solutions must be adaptable to various cultural contexts.
  5. Digital Safety: Address the growing concern of online threats to students. International cooperation can lead to the development of strategies to protect students from cyberbullying, online predators, and misinformation.

In conclusion, creating safe schools requires a comprehensive approach that considers factors at the local, national, and international levels. It’s a collective effort that involves the entire community, from students and parents to policymakers and international organizations. By working together, we can build environments where students can learn, grow, and thrive without compromising their safety and well-being.

Recommended further reading

We welcome you to join the Richard James Rogers online community. Like our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter for daily updates.