Day: April 10, 2020

Holy Week and Easter in the time of pandemic

Last April, Holy Week and Easter were marred by the fire in the cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris and by terrorist attacks upon churches in Sri Lanka. This month, Holy Week and Easter seem overshadowed by the COVIN-19 pandemic. Good stewardship of our own health, and love for our neighbors prompting concern for their health, keeps most Christians from gathering for services during these very special days. Neither violence nor disease can mar or overshadow the meaning of these days. Christ has redeemed us from sin and death. Christ has rescued us from all evil. Christ has risen from the dead; he lives and reigns to all eternity.

Sin resembles a communicable disease. It spreads throughout the world, and none of us are immune from its infection. Sin separates us from one another. Sin builds barriers that keep us from loving each other as we should love. Sin isolates us. Sin even separates us from the God who created us. The wages of sin is death, and this death comes in a variety of forms, each of which is a separation. Separation from God is spiritual death. The soul’s separation from the body is physical death. Combined, they result in eternal death. Every sinful separation is a kind of death. Sin can separate members of families. Sin can sever friendships. Because of sin, each of us is divided internally; none of us is in touch with the holy person God meant us to be.

Jesus, the Son of God, came into this wilderness of sin and death. Like a shepherd, Jesus came to seek and to save what was lost. In the wilderness he battled the devil, overcoming Satan’s temptations. In all his days, Jesus led a sinless life, obeying all his Father’s commands, fulfilling perfect righteousness. Jesus then faced the ugliness of sin and death in their fullness. He was betrayed, denied, accused, convicted, mocked, tortured, and killed. He deserved none of these things. Because evil is unfair, good people suffer in this world. Because evil is unfair, the one perfect Person suffered and died. Because evil is unfair, God himself became unfair, granting us the rewards earned by his Son’s righteousness and placing the burden of our guilt upon Him.

Good stewardship of our health and love for our neighbors will keep us in our homes this Good Friday and this Easter. We still live in a sin-polluted world, a world infected by evil and the separations evil causes. But our isolation is not permanent. Many Christians enjoy the benefit of Internet services, which allow us to join our voices in worship even though we are physically apart. All Christians have access to the Word of God, which proclaims his love and mercy and assures us of our place in his kingdom. All of us are guaranteed the love of God, which we will know in its fullness in the new creation, but which we enjoy already today. We know that nothing in all creation can separate us from the love of God which is in Jesus Christ, our Redeemer. J.

THE STORY OF THE CORPORATE APPLICANT TRACKING SYSTEM

Which came first; the job board or the e-recruitment system?  The Monster Board was first created in 1994 with most of the early ATS vendors not appearing until 1998/9.
Since those exciting late 20th century days the market has ducked and weaved all over the place. I still remember Recruitsoft, Recruitmax, Brassring and many others that have since renamed, acquired or simply disappeared.
Some of the older products that still exist today are now in their 14th year. Imagine pulling a 14 year old mobile phone out of your pocket; assuming you could fit it in your pocket! Yet some organisations are still using an ATS that is of this ilk.
Back then it was all very much the Wild West and vendors had to pitch a missionary sales message as recruiters were not convinced that the Internet would ever become relevant for mainstream recruiting. IT jobs maybe, but your average shop worker or plumber would never apply for a job online.
Job boards continued to explode rapidly destroying the print media industry who clung on as long as they could but as recruitment advertising moved online it created a global platform for job advertising. This in turn forced the recruiter to look to the e-recruitment system to help automate the processing of all the (irrelevant) candidates. Many companies adopted a “screening out” approach to their online job application forms with branched screening questions becoming the de rigueur from 2005 onwards. 
Whilst all the vendors continued to change their names the e-recuitment system also became known as an Applicant Tracking System or ATS which suited it well. Applicants were forced through a bureaucratic online process, inherited from an old paper based process that just didn’t work online. Candidate experience was hardly considered and ATS vendors provided a clunky experience that did nothing but frustrate everyone.

Arrival of Web 2.0

Then Web 2.0 came along followed shortly by social media and now mobile. Some industry commentators still like to proclaim that recruitment is (now) broken although I would argue it was never fixed. The basic premise of moving a paper based process online is not a fix; far from it. Yet some of the older ATS’s still follow this clunky route hence it is still broken for many organisations.
Candidate experience is on the agenda of most HR Directors. Social is a conversation piece at every recruitment conference and mobile is catching up fast. The candidate is more active online now than ever before due to the likes of Facebook (albeit not actively looking for a job on these channels). Social media has created a new way of using the Internet and most people involved in any business process is comfortable with sharing, commenting, liking etc. The market is way beyond the “end of the beginning” yet many of the ATS vendors are still peddling systems that may as well have been built 100 years ago as far as recruiters are concerned.
Meanwhile recruiters have been waiting patiently for social functionality to be added to their existing ATS yet still they wait. Posting a job to Twitter or adding share code to a job description is so far from what social really means. Social and mobile have placed a new imperative on the recruiter and they cannot and will not wait for the ATS vendor to catch-up. Why should they and what should they do now?
The next post in this short series “What is a social ATS” will cover how social is being weaved into the ATS.
In the meantime and in case you didn’t recognise the names:
  • Recruitsoft ~> Taleo ~> Oracle
  • Recruitmax ~> Vurv ~> Taleo
  • Brassring ~> Kenexa ~> IBM
Or if you remember any other ATS names from yesteryear please tell us. 

Get a Teaching Job: Common Interview Mistakes

For a while now, we’ve focused considerable effort on TeachHUB.com toward helping current and potential teachers to get a teaching job. It’s never easy, and in these days of budget cutbacks and leaner staffing trends, it can seem near impossible to get a teaching job. And if you do land that coveted interview, you can bet that those doing the hiring will be looking to pounce upon any mistake, perceived or real, to eliminate those they deem unworthy from the process.
So today on TeachHUB.com, frequent contributing writer Janelle Cox, herself a seasoned educator based on the East Coast (specifically, New York state) tells our audience about common interview mistakes that job candidates need to avoid.
Specifically, Janelle mentions that during an interview, potential teachers should not:
Be Arrogant
Talk Excessively
Dress Inapprpriately
And More!
In summation, Janelle’s words ring true: “You never get a second chance to make a first impression. In order to land that teaching job of your dreams make sure that you dress to impress, arrive early and shake hands with each person on the interview panel, utilize your teaching portfolio when answering questions, be confident, and don’t be afraid to ask questions. You have done your homework and you know that you are qualified for the job, now all you have to do is make sure that you avoid these common interview mistakes, and you will ace that interview. You’ve got this!”
What do you think are some common interview mistakes that teachers make? Do you agree with the ones that are listed above?
Get our guide to the most common teaching interview mistakes>>
Multimedia Podcast: Mastering the iPad
Here are the five essential skills you should know when mastering the iPad. For instance, with the help of an iPad, kids can discover more easily the information that is most meaningful to them.
Learn more in this week’s podcast, from the always-free TeachHUB Magazine.

Professional Development: Why Do Teachers Quit?

Why do teachers quit? It’s a perennial perplexing question that has plagues administrators since the onset of education, and it’s particularly thorny in that teachers have a 4 percent higher turnover rate than any other profession.

Today on TeachHUB.com, frequent contributing writer Janelle Cox, herself a seasoned educator based on the East Coast, explores many of the reasons why educators quit the profession in droves, whether for reasons of professional development or otherwise.
Janelle looks at the myriad of facts supporting resignations, and states that salaries indeed do play a part when it comes to low teacher retention rates.

Janelle sums upper her article wondering, “What does this all mean?”: “Based upon other educational statistics, there is a range of factors that influences teacher retention, with teacher satisfaction being on the top of that list. Schools that know how to manage and respond to student behavior have far better teacher retention rates. Along with schools that give value to their teachers by really listening to them and allowing them a voice in all matters. Parent involvement and student achievement are among other factors. Overall, teachers who receive these elements are more satisfied with their job, and will stay at it.”

What is your view on teacher retention? Why do you think teachers quit the profession, and why do some stay?

Read our think piece on why teachers quit>>

Classroom Management During Reading Groups

A big hurdle for all elementary teachers to overcome is how to manage class during reading groups. It can be difficult for an educator to maintain control of her students while some are being pulled to attend those reading groups.
Today on TeachHUB.com, frequent contributing writer Janelle Cox, who has a deep educational background, offers up 10 classroom management tips for teachers looking for ways to keep students busy while teaching reading groups. These tips include:
•  Literacy Games
•  Manipulatives
•  Buddy Reading
•  Technology Time
•  And More!
The goal of keeping students busy is to ensure that you won’t be interrupted during the important time of reading groups.
How do you manage students during reading groups? Do you have any tricks or tips that work for your classroom?

Teaching Strategies to Get Students Listening

It’s never been easy to get a classroom full of youngsters to listen to you, and maintaining control of a class is always tricky. One of the worst things that can happen to an educator is having a principal, parent, or administrator saunter in to a roomful of chaotic, misbehaving kids. It’s a nightmare scenario!
But getting kids to listen doesn’t have to be a frustrating situation. Today on TeachHUB.com, frequent contributing writer Janelle Cox, herself a seasoned educator, examines some ways that teachers can use to get a noisy class to listen.
Janelle’s ideas include:
  • Use hand signals
  • Be a role model
  • Hold students accountable
  • And more!

In summary, Janelle writes: “Getting and keeping the attention of students these days is not easy, thanks to all of the new technology and the media that there is today. Use the above tactics to help you learn the shortest route to getting your students to actively listen to you.”
What are some ways you encourage active listening in your classroom?
Get our tips on how to get your class to listen>>
Classroom Management: Procedures
Procedures are a part of life that helps promote stability. For instance, a procedure is always followed for any kind of doctor appointment – that procedure almost always entails the monitoring of blood pressure, the measuring of patient’s body temperature, and quick overall glance at the patient’s physical stature. Procedures are also followed for driving, cooking, and just about every other facet of daily life.
Today on TeachHUB.com, frequent contributing writer Janelle Cox looks at classroom management procedures designed to foster a sense of community and culture, and why it’s important to teach and implement them.
Janelle’s procedural tips include those aimed at addressing even the most basic classroom topics:
  • Entering the classroom
  • Leaving the classroom
  • Asking a question
  • And more!

In closing, Janelle notes that effective teachers spend lots of time emphasizing their procedures, and that efficient classrooms are usually due in part to the strict following of procedures.
Do you have any tips on implementing procedures in your classroom?

Classroom Management: How to End the School Day

Somehow, the end of the school day almost always brings about classroom chaos. Even the best educators fail to use classroom management to ensure that the end of the day is smotth, which can bring about strewn backpacks, yelling kids, running, and other elements of loss of control.

But with a little classroom management in the form of planning, you can make the day’s end as uneventful as the rest of your well-oiled day. Today on TeachHUB.com, frequent contributing writer Janelle Cox, who is a seasoned elementary school educator based on the East Coast, takes a look at how to use classroom management to make the day’s end a pleasant time.

Janelle’s ideas include:

  • Create a “Closing Routine”
  • Take Time to Clean Up
  • And More!

Janelle sums up her article thusly: “By taking the last 15 to 30 minutes of class time to have a set routine, you are eliminating all of the unwanted behavior and chaos that comes with the winding down of the end of the day. Make sure to keep your routine simple and to do the same thing each day. Children thrive on routine, and it’s important to keep it the same up until the very last minute of your day.”

How do you end your classroom day? Do you have any tips or tricks that make ending the day productive? Please share your ideas, we would love to hear your thoughts.

Get our classroom management tips on ending the school day>>

School Attendance Teaching Strategies
School attendance is absolutely important if education is to be effective. Think about it: If kids aren’t in class, then learning cannot be achieved. It’s simple, and it’s the reason that so many schools have incentive programs attached to things like perfect attendance.
Today on TeachHUB.com, frequent contributing writer Janelle Cox, herself a seasoned educator on the East Coast, addresses the importance of the school attendance, and offers up some teaching strategies for educators to beef up their attendance records.
Janelle’s ideas include:
•   Educate Parents on the Value of Attendance
•   Have a Strict School Attendance Policy
•   Prepare Student Contracts
•   And more!
In summation, Janelle notes: “School attendance matters, that’s a fact. Schools need to implement preventive programs and policies that ensure students are attending each and every day.  These policies, when effective can be a lifesaver for the students who normally miss a lot of school. Schools need to form a partnership with parents where together they can develop a plan that will improve school attendance so that all students will have a chance a bright future.”

What are some things you do to get students to come to your classroom? Do you have any special tips or tricks that you use?

Classroom Management: Teambuilding Tips

Creating a caring, nurturing classroom begins at the top: With you, the teacher. It’s imperative to use classroom management to foster a warm atmosphere. One way to do this is through teambuilding amongst your students.

Today on TeachHUB.com, frequent contributing writer Janelle Cox, herself a seasoned educator on the East Coast, takes a look at some ways that teachers can use teambuilding techniques to bring about a warm and caring classroom atmosphere.
Janelle’s ideas (and descriptions of those ideas) include:

  • Team Talk
  • Beat the Clock
  • Team Challenge
  • And More!

Janelle sums up her article thusly: “Taking the time to have students complete these teambuilding activities will go a long way in creating a caring classroom environment. While it’s best to start these exercises the first week of school, it is also a good idea to continue to have students partake in these activities throughout the school year.”

Do you have your students partake in teambuilding activities? Which activities are your favorite? Please share your thoughts.

    THE STORY OF THE CORPORATE APPLICANT TRACKING SYSTEM

    Which came first; the job board or the e-recruitment system?  The Monster Board was first created in 1994 with most of the early ATS vendors not appearing until 1998/9.
    Since those exciting late 20th century days the market has ducked and weaved all over the place. I still remember Recruitsoft, Recruitmax, Brassring and many others that have since renamed, acquired or simply disappeared.
    Some of the older products that still exist today are now in their 14th year. Imagine pulling a 14 year old mobile phone out of your pocket; assuming you could fit it in your pocket! Yet some organisations are still using an ATS that is of this ilk.
    Back then it was all very much the Wild West and vendors had to pitch a missionary sales message as recruiters were not convinced that the Internet would ever become relevant for mainstream recruiting. IT jobs maybe, but your average shop worker or plumber would never apply for a job online.
    Job boards continued to explode rapidly destroying the print media industry who clung on as long as they could but as recruitment advertising moved online it created a global platform for job advertising. This in turn forced the recruiter to look to the e-recruitment system to help automate the processing of all the (irrelevant) candidates. Many companies adopted a “screening out” approach to their online job application forms with branched screening questions becoming the de rigueur from 2005 onwards. 
    Whilst all the vendors continued to change their names the e-recuitment system also became known as an Applicant Tracking System or ATS which suited it well. Applicants were forced through a bureaucratic online process, inherited from an old paper based process that just didn’t work online. Candidate experience was hardly considered and ATS vendors provided a clunky experience that did nothing but frustrate everyone.

    Arrival of Web 2.0

    Then Web 2.0 came along followed shortly by social media and now mobile. Some industry commentators still like to proclaim that recruitment is (now) broken although I would argue it was never fixed. The basic premise of moving a paper based process online is not a fix; far from it. Yet some of the older ATS’s still follow this clunky route hence it is still broken for many organisations.
    Candidate experience is on the agenda of most HR Directors. Social is a conversation piece at every recruitment conference and mobile is catching up fast. The candidate is more active online now than ever before due to the likes of Facebook (albeit not actively looking for a job on these channels). Social media has created a new way of using the Internet and most people involved in any business process is comfortable with sharing, commenting, liking etc. The market is way beyond the “end of the beginning” yet many of the ATS vendors are still peddling systems that may as well have been built 100 years ago as far as recruiters are concerned.
    Meanwhile recruiters have been waiting patiently for social functionality to be added to their existing ATS yet still they wait. Posting a job to Twitter or adding share code to a job description is so far from what social really means. Social and mobile have placed a new imperative on the recruiter and they cannot and will not wait for the ATS vendor to catch-up. Why should they and what should they do now?
    The next post in this short series “What is a social ATS” will cover how social is being weaved into the ATS.
    In the meantime and in case you didn’t recognise the names:
    • Recruitsoft ~> Taleo ~> Oracle
    • Recruitmax ~> Vurv ~> Taleo
    • Brassring ~> Kenexa ~> IBM
    Or if you remember any other ATS names from yesteryear please tell us. 
    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCzOJDJZHoBttdHAjJsnN9w?sub_confirmation=1

    Professional Development: Reasons to Love Being a Teacher

    The holiday season is upon us, and for many teachers, this time of year brings about a sense of malaise – and teacher burnout.

    All of us might need a reminder of why we’ve embarked upon the education profession, and today, frequent TeachHUB.com contributor Janelle Cox offers up just that with an article that stirs us to remember why we became teachers.
    Some of Janelle’s reasons to remember why to love being a teacher:

    • You Are Making a Difference
    • You Can Express Your Creative Side
    • You are an Inspiration
    • It Keeps You on Your Toes



    Overall, this article serves as a pleasant reminder of why we became teachers in the first place.

    What are your top reasons for loving teaching? Is there anything we should add to the list?

    Read more professional development ideas about how you can love being a teacher>>

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    In this month’s issue of TeachHUB magazine, we instruct readers on how to use YouTube in the classroom productively, and feature a helpful organization called Marchbook Learning.
    Did you know TeachHUB magazine is FREE? It is, and it’s a terrific resource designed to help you become a better educator.
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    Bring Play into the Common Core State Standards

    The Common Core State Standards have been tagged as being complicated, overly dogmatic, and inconsequential, among other things. The Common Core State Standards have never, to our knowledge, been lumped in with anything “fun.”
    But today on TeachHUB.com, regular writer Janelle Cox asserts that despite the Standards’ stodgy reputation, elements of “play” can still make their way into a Common Core State Standards-based classroom.
    Some ideas:
    • Create Learning Stations
    • Have a Fun Friday
    • Create Choice Boards

    How do you incorporate play into your Common Core Classroom? Do you have any fun ideas that you would like to share? 
    Learn how to incorporate “play” elements into the Common Core State Standards classroom>>
    Teaching Strategies: 4 Fun Winter Recess Ideas
    Elsewhere on TeachHUB.com today, writer David Reeves notes that even with winterlike conditions currently blanketing much of the country, kids still need to get out and enjoy an outdoor recess break.
    Are you stumped as to how to pull that off? Rest easy! David offers up some great ideas for getting the children outside during school hours, including:
    • Find an Indoor Space for Active Play
    • Bring Recess into the Classroom
    • Take a Winter Nature Walk

    Learn more teaching strategies that can keep your kids learning outside during the winter months>>
    Download TeachHUB Magazine for FREE Today!
    In the December issue of TeachHUB magazine, learn some GREAT gift ideas for your teaching colleagues for under $5 – but our ideas are NOT the typical coffee mug fare.
    Likewise, we take a look at three smart boards you may want to incorporate into your classroom, and offer up some tasty holiday treats guaranteed to bring a smile to the faces of your guests.
    Did you know TeachHUB magazine is FREE? It is, and it’s a wonderful resource designed to help you become a better educator.

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    Teaching Strategies: Making a Difference

    Many teachers are considered inspirational – their teaching strategies are well-honed and they make learning fun, for example. But how can teachers be sure that they are making a difference in the academic lives of their students?
    Today on TeachHUB.com, frequent contributor Janelle Cox takes a look at the ways that can know if they are making a difference or not in the lives of their students.
    Some of these ways include:
    You are Encouraging
    Your Students Can Relate Your Subject Matter to Their Lives
    Your Students Ask a lot of Questions
    How do you know that your teaching strategies are making a difference in your classroom?

    Realize if your teaching strategies are making a difference>>

    Classroom Games for Students of All Ages
    Everyone from kids to teachers to visiting parents loves an engaging classroom game, and TeachHUB.com is a great resource for learning about this remarkable way to educate.
    Classroom games add flair and student engagement to more tedious, yet necessary tasks like teaching math facts, grammar rules and vocabulary, reviewing for tests or even completing lab experiments. Adding an element of competition motivates and energizes students.
    One for our most consistently popular articles has been Engaging Classroom Games for All Grades, an article that includes how to carry out great ideas like Educational Bingo, Hangman, and Scavenger Hunts.
    Learn about how to successfully integrate classroom games into your curriculum >>
    What to Do When Technology in the Classroom Fails
    You spend hours and hours creating that perfect technology in the classroom exercise, one using all the bells and whistles that a well-equipped tech teacher can pull out to design the perfect lesson.
    But when it’s time for you to execute that lesson, none of the computers work. Maybe it’s a system-wide virus, or an upgrade gone horribly wrong. Regardless of what caused it, now it’s time for you to tapdance. What do you do when the computers are down?
    Today, tech teacher Jacqui Murray, a frequent TeachHUB.com contributor, guides us through a couple classroom management ideas for what to do in this kind of catastrophic situation, including:
    •    Discuss Digital Citizenship
    •    Build a Digital Citizen
    •    Take the Tech Challenge
    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCzOJDJZHoBttdHAjJsnN9w?sub_confirmation=1

    6 New Technology in the Classroom Tricks

    Modern educators have seen some serious classroom revolutions since the dawn of the 21st century. New technology in the classroom has made the sharing of ideas and academic communications very commonplace in most schools, and teachers today have laid the groundwork for innovative new ways to interact with students, while allowing them to create products all their own amongst a global network of peers.
    Today on TeachHUB.com, frequent contributor Jordan Catapano takes a look at some new tricks that educators will want to employ to make their classrooms hum with technological sophistication, including:
    • Create an Infographic
    • App Smash
    • Go Paperless
    • And more!

    How will you turn your classroom into a 21st century learning environment? Tell us if you have done any of the ideas above, or if you’ve got your own ideas to add to our list!
    Learn about 6 new technology in the classroom tricks that will transform your classroom>>
    TeachHUB Magazine Holiday Issue Now Available
    The December issue of TeachHUB magazine, our flagship publication that’s available FREE to educators, is available fro download now!
    Thematically, this issue is packed with what you should be doing over holiday break, including:
    • STEM Learning with iFly
    • Classroom Management Ideas
    • 15+ YouTube Resources
    • Simple Holiday Recipes

    And more!
    We\’ve always been dedicated to giving teachers what they need to do their best work as educators, and this magazine is an emblem of that commitment. Not only will we give you the best original articles on teachers and teaching, but we\’ll provide you with another daily necessity—the awesome apps, jokes, and reviews that remind you what makes teaching so much fun.
    Download TeachHUB magazine now>>
    We Can Help You Earn a Graduate Degree
    Let TeachHUB be your turnkey resource to earn that graduate degree, the one that will propel your career into the academic stratosphere!
    With our help, you can find a convenient, affordable graduate program designed for a busy, working teacher just like you. There are local and online options for master’s and doctoral program available for educators throughout the country.
    If you’re looking for an online degree, meanwhile, our selections for online master’s programs offer the same high-quality education you\’d receive on campus with the convenience to work at home when it best fits your schedule.
    Our solutions have helped thousands of teachers already, and you could be next!
    Lean More About TeachHUB’s Solutions >>
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    Restorative Justice in School Discipline

    Since the invention of schools, teachers and administrators everywhere have employed the same procedures for all classroom infractions: A kid who threatened a teacher or got into a fight would basically receive the same discipline as a student with multiple tardies, for example (detentions, in-school suspensions, ultimately expulsion).
    But a newer approach to school discipline called restorative justice could is revolutionizing the way teachers and administrators handle punishment. Rather than only administering punishment, restorative justice is based more on talking and listening than on delivering consequences. The technique brings together those who have caused and experienced harm and providing all parties with equal attention.
    Frequent TeachHUB.com contributor Jordan Catapano enlightens readers on restorative justice, in a must-read guaranteed to make you rethink your disciplinary approach.
    What is your school’s approach to restorative justice? What are the impacts that a restorative justice mentality has had on your school?
    Learn more about this groundbreaking approach to school discipline>>
    Top 10 Holiday Learning Activities
    With the holiday season already upon us, many teachers might be searching for appropriate classroom holiday activities – festive, fun things to do with one for firmly planted in learning.
    Here are some ideas to enhance the celebratory atmosphere in your room this year. To get the complete idea of what each of thee entails, simply follow the ink below!
    • Explore the Many December Holidays
    • Research Holiday Traditions
    • Write Your Own Holiday Story

    What are your favorite holiday and winter activities you use in your classroom?
    Learn about our top 10 holiday learning activities>>
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    Top 5 Teaching Strategies

    The best teachers are always looking to employ the latest teaching strategies – but some of those tactics are classics that have worked effectively in the classroom for years.
    Janelle Cox, one of TeachHUB.com’s go-to writing resources for teaching strategies, today outlines her top 5 educational methods to keep students motivated and engaged. A sampling:
    • Inquiry-based instruction
    • Graphic organizers
    • Using technology in the classroom

    Janelle notes that not all of her tried-and-true methods will work perfectly for every educator, but she encourages teachers to seek out the ones that work best.
    What are your top 5 teaching strategies to use in the classroom? Do you have a favorite that works well in your classroom?
    Read Janelle’s top 5 teaching strategies>>
    Activities to Develop Students\’ Spelling Skills
    In this era of spellcheck, it’s easy to gloss over the importance of spelling in the classroom. But all teachers know the importance of accurate spelling acumen and how it affects the mastery of the English language.
    Earlier this year writer Janelle Cox outlined some new spelling mastery activities that will help your kids enrich their phonemic awareness skills, which will in turn help them learn to spell. These tactics included:
    • Go on a word hunt
    • Roll the dice
    • Create a story

    Janelle also noted that practicing spelling in the for of repetition is a key to mastering the art of that skill.
    Do you have any tips or activities to help students develop their spelling skills?
    Read about some activities that will surely enhance your students’ spelling acumen>>
    Use TeachHUB’s In-Service Professional 
Development Speakers
    Did you know we have ready-made speakers to assist you with your next in-service day? Wed do! With our assistance you can:
      • Get tailored professional development training to fit any budget
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    10 Teaching Strategies to Improve Writing

    Written communication is perhaps the important cornerstone of contemporary education. Teachers cannot emphasize enough the importance of students being able to demonstrate what they have learned via the written word.
    Yet oftentimes, teachers her the common refrain of, “I can’t think of anything to write!”
    Today on TeachHUB.com, writer, educator and frequent TeachHUB.com contributor Janelle Cox offers up some helpful teaching strategies to make writing interesting and fun for all ages of learners, including:
    • Peer talks
    • Audio transcription
    • Story starters
    • And more

    How do you get your students writing? Do you have any tips or tricks that you would like to share?
    Get our teaching strategies to improve writing>>
    50 Ways to Use Twitter in the Classroom
    In this day and age, it’s imperative that teachers use every tool at their disposal to educate their classes. And Twitter is the perfect technology in the classroom tool for educators to keep their students engaged.
    Some examples:
    • Track a #hasthtag
    • Live Tweet field trips
    • Role play
    • And more

    Do you know how to use twitter in the classroom?
    Learn 50 ways to use Twitter in the classroom>>
    4 Fun Outdoor Winter Recess Ideas
    Although the cold winds of winter have probably swept into your area by now, and your students are feeling landlocked because they are stuck inside much of the day, there are ways that educators can use the wintery atmosphere to create outdoor recess activities.
    Remember that kids need time away from books, and a good outdoor recess activity in the winter can offer up a needed break.
    Some examples:
    • Take a Winter Nature Walk
    • Find an Indoor Space for Active Play

    Getour winter recess ideas>>
    Laws, Policies for Using Social Media in the Classroom

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