Month: April 2020

Teaching: What I Didn\’t Learn in College

I was an adult student, attending college in all of my seriousness, so eager to learn everything there was to know on how to be a teacher. I wanted to be good, great even, and I studied, and I planned, and I reflected my little heart out. And then I graduated, got my first teaching job and realized that I had very little idea of what it meant to really be a teacher.

So what I didn\’t learn in college is really quite a lot. I didn\’t learn how to gain my students\’ trust, interest or even attention. Instead I learned systems of control, management, and planning that would force students to listen. I didn\’t learn how to teach a child that consistently gets 5 hours of sleep every night because of parent job situation and therefore puts his head down on his desk every day. I learned that each child better pay attention to me because that is what children are supposed to do.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCzOJDJZHoBttdHAjJsnN9w?sub_confirmation=1

Grading Overload: 12 Time-Saving Assessment Strategies

There’s a faculty meeting tomorrow, a parent-teacher conference the next day, you have to prep your materials for that project next week, and – almost forgot – you still haven’t graded the assignments from two weeks ago, plus a new stack of papers walks in with today’s students. And somewhere in all of this you might actually want to see your family or catch a movie while it’s still in the theater.

Sound familiar? Don’t despair – try these tips to avoid grading 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCzOJDJZHoBttdHAjJsnN9w?sub_confirmation=1

Using Improvisation for Differentiated Instruction

It was almost 20 years ago that I attended a National Endowment for the Humanities program for teaching Shakespeare through performance as an inner city high school teacher. It was at this institute that I learned how critically important it was for students to learn creatively and kinesthetically.

We are all familiar with Howard Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences, but as a teacher I struggled with the implementation of this theory into teaching and learning activities. I decided to try out the many techniques that I learned at the Shakespeare institute with my students.

I soon realized that it was essential for me to ditch the “one size fits all” study guides. My classroom was made up of diverse learners and I knew that I needed to differentiate the teaching and learning strategies in my classroom.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCzOJDJZHoBttdHAjJsnN9w?sub_confirmation=1

BYOD, BYOA AND THE FUTURE OF WORK

The other day I was with a team from a large multinational company. The team was preparing a presentation for the executive committee, and one of the team members proposed using a presentation tool he liked and was good with. But the other team members pointed out that the tool was an online application, and not formally approved by IT, and so it would be unwise to use it for the executive briefing.
This incident is something seemingly normal that occurs every day in the workplace – yet it is the perfect example of employees’ desires to bring their own device (BYOD), bring their own applications (BYOA) and bring their own tech (BYOT) to work to help with their productivity. The willingness of employees to do this was confirmed in the recent study of American workers conducted by Cornerstone OnDemand. The survey found that 37 percent of employees who currently use apps for work would be likely to spend their own money on work-related apps in the next twelve months if they felt the app would help them with their job. Even among employees who do not currently use apps for work, 20 percent expected to spend their own money for apps to increase their productivity.
In a world with thousands and thousands of apps available and new ones appearing each day, it is important for organizations to develop a policy on the use of apps and devices by individual employees. Generally, the advice is to make this policy one of openness to employee devices and apps. But the Cornerstone study reveals that many companies have yet to address this pressing issue.
When asked if their employers had policies on using applications for work purposes that are not provided by the employer, 43 percent said no, and 21 percent said they did not know.
When asked about company policies regarding the use of personal devices (smartphones, tablets and the like) for work purposes, 45 percent said their companies had no policies, and 15 percent said they did not know whether any policies were in place.
What kinds of applications are employees interested in? Here are the numbers:
Now, an IT department could try to provide all of this, but they will never keep up with the flood of apps developed by entrepreneurs. So what is an IT department to do? I’d suggest that they begin the difficult process of redefining their role to providing a basic information access infrastructure, security standards and applications, and then, like the maestro of an orchestra, letting the individual artists show their stuff.
There are, in fact, companies who are allotting each employee a budget to buying technology and then not dictating what the specific tech should be. This is radical I know, but consider the dominant trends shaping the future of work.

BYOD + BYOA + BYOT = BYOM

Internet anthropologist and futurist Stowe Boyd, for example, suggests that first, every job is digital, second that every company is digital, and third that more and more functions can be performed by third parties. But the most important trend that Boyd cites is this: what is really happening with BYOD, BYOA and BYOT is that people want to bring their own mind to work. He calls it BYOM. Think about this. Our personal devices and the apps we favor have become a part of how we live, how we produce, how we think. Perhaps your essential app is one that keeps track of your travel, or tracks your exercise and diet in concert with your wristband, or enables you to conduct your banking anywhere, anytime. And this is not to mention the obvious apps that keep you in touch with your network and up to date, all the time.  What the Cornerstone OnDemand study is saying, I believe, is that people want to bring not just their tech to work, but themselves.

On the Horizon

What is next? On the horizon and just coming into the marketplace are wearable devices. Google Glass is perhaps best known, as an example of augmented reality in which you wear a device that keeps you constantly imbedded in the virtual world even as you interact with the physical world. Joining Glass will be smartwatches that connect you to the Web, clothing, and, before long, smart jewelry and buttons that enable you to live in a world where the virtual and the physical are fully merged. The recent hiring of Burberry’s CEO by Apple is further demonstration of the intersection of fashion and tech. Why would you use such things? To see company information on demand, to access repair manuals, to connect to team members, to do things we do now with the devices we carry. The Cornerstone OnDemand study found that 66 percent of Millennial workers and 58 percent of all employees would use wearable technology if it enabled them to do their job better. If they saw a co-worker using wearable technology, 67 percent would feel curious and 12 percent would feel at a disadvantage.
I remember being at a conference this year of companies in a service-providing industry. A member of the Millennial generation gave a short presentation showing how he imagined their service professionals would use wearable technology in the near future, and he challenged the more traditional thinkers to open their minds to a new way of working. He was living proof of someone who wanted to BYOM to work. Smart companies will be moving in this direction.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCzOJDJZHoBttdHAjJsnN9w?sub_confirmation=1

Teaching Strategies: We’re All In This Together

Today on TeachHUB.com, frequent contributor Jordan Catapano pens an inspirational piece on how perfect strangers can inspire and help each other in tricky situations.
By using Twitter, Jordan not only learned the answer to his specific educational question, he was reminded of an important academic tenet amongst teachers: “We’re all in this together.”
The more teachers adopt “We’re all in this together” teaching strategies, the more we (and our students) will grow.
Throughout the article, Jordan encourages teachers to expand their communities, and to give as well as take.
Learn more teaching strategies about banding together philosophically as educators>>
Thanksgiving Websites for Your Students
Elsewhere on TeachHUB.com this week, we’ve been offering up ideas on how to celebrate and commemorate that most American of holidays, Thanksgiving!
Well-known educational writer Jacqui Murray took to the Internet to recommend several websites that your kids will enjoy, with the subject matter varying from turkey reading themes to the first Thanksgiving to learning holiday-themed vocabulary words.
“If you\’re one of those that will be spending hours preparing menus, activities, travel arrangements and entertainment for out-of-town guests, I have help for you. Here are eighteen digital resources that will keep children happy and entertained while you take care of all that other stuff,” Jacqui says.
Discover some fun Thanksgiving websites your students will enjoy>>
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!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCzOJDJZHoBttdHAjJsnN9w?sub_confirmation=1

Teaching Strategies to Become a Memorable Educator

Think back to your days as a student. Which educators inspired you to do your best? Chances are that that individual was caring, passionate, encouraging, and bestowing and espousing values that will stand the test of time.
Those traits and qualities are good to revisit in your career as an educator, it turns out. Today on TeachHUB.com, frequent contributing writer Janelle Cox looks at some teaching strategies that can help you make a good and long-lasting impression on your students.
Janelle should know: She’s also a seasoned elementary school educator based in Upstate New York.
Janelle’s ideas include:
  • Be Passionate about Your Job
  • Be an Inspiration
  • Always Be Approachable
  • And More!

In a paragraph entitled “Make a Connection with Your Students,” Janelle notes:  “Making a connection with your students is one of the best ways to form a solid relationship with them. Find a way to understand your students so you can build a deeper connection with them.”
Janelle sums up her article in this manner: “Teachers are often the people that inspire us the most. They are the ones that assist us on the path to a successful education and life. And sometimes, the teachers that make the biggest impression on us during our schooling are the ones that push us to do our best. The teachers that we once thought were so hard on us turned out to be the one that made us who are today. You may have not known it then, but looking back, you can see the impact that teacher had on you, and how it affected your future. Be that memorable teacher for your students.”
What qualities do you think a memorable teacher must possess? Share your thoughts and teaching strategies in the comment section below, we would love to hear what you have to say.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCzOJDJZHoBttdHAjJsnN9w?sub_confirmation=1

Super Bowl Classroom Activities

Arguably professional sports’ biggest day, Super Sunday has become a near holiday in the U.S., with both television ratings and advertising costs skyrocketing each year.
The game’s popularity makes it a perfect event around which to plan all kinds of classroom activities that revolve around just about any subject, from social studies to language arts to history to even nutrition.
Today, frequent TeachHUB.com contributing writer Janelle Cox walks us through several different classroom activities pertaining to the Super Bowl, including Super Bowl activities for the following subjects:
  • Art
  • Science
  • Math
  • And more!

All in all, Janelle’s recommendations will take advantage of the excitement surrounding the game and get your students revved up to learn.
How will you celebrate this year’s Super Bowl in your classroom? Do you have any fun activities planned?
Get our Super Bowl classroom activities>>
Should American Schools Go Year Round?
It’s the perennial debate, and it’s one that will affect families, government agencies, the day care industry and just about every other occupation imaginable: Should American schools go year-round?
A trending, recently published article on TeachHUB.com addressed the debate exhaustively, spelling out the pros and cons and the ways the change will affect lifestyles and industries.
Would the benefits of year-round schooling be worth it? Would it solve the problems currently affecting education? Read our article and formulate your opinions!
Where do you stand in the year-round education debate?
Weigh in on the year-round school debate, and learn more about the issue>>
Subscribe to the TeachHUB.com Newsletter
One of the best ways to keep up with all the goings-on at TeachHUB.com is to subscribe to the TeachHUB.com weekly e-newsletter. Every week, you’ll get an overview of the best educational articles, tips, free lesson plans, and more – delivered straight to your inbox! Best of all, it’s FREE!
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCzOJDJZHoBttdHAjJsnN9w?sub_confirmation=1

Dyscalculia and Other Uncommon Learning Disabilities

Almost 2.5 million American students suffer through what can be diagnosed as a learning disability like dyslexia. These disabilities can hinder a student’s abilities to read, write, spell and speak – and often go undiagnosed.
But dyslexia isn’t the only learning disability from which kids suffer. Two other  examples are dysgraphia and dyspraxia. 
Learn more about the rare learning disability dyscalculia, and other afflictions that could be affecting your students >>

9/11 Teaching Resources

With the 11-year anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks approaching, now is the time for you and your students to commemorate that infamous day in American history.

We’ve collected some thought-provoking activities, writing prompts, teacher-recommended resources and lesson plan sites to help you out.

Classroom Management: 9 Free Virtual Field Trips

Virtual field trips have become an excellent classroom management idea for teachers and schools that don’t have the budget to take real field trips, or who can’t hit the road with their class for other reasons like insufficient staffing.
To pull off taking a virtual field trip, you class only needs a set of computers (or iPads).
In today’s article, we explore how enterprising teachers can employ classroom management skills to take students around the world, from a forest to the Sistine Chapel to the White House.
Other virtual destinations explored include a cockroach, a human body, and an imaginary zoo.
This article will be helpful for all educators looking to expand their academic horizons by creating an outside-the-box lesson plan.

Back to School: Top 5 Grammar Tips

No one can dispute the importance of grammar, and at this important back to school juncture, it’s a good time to revisit the rules of the written word. A clear link can be drawn from grammar to professionalism, becoming an intellectual, and attention to detail – all of which will help students in future academic endeavors as well as when they enter the workforce.

From spelling to verbs to punctuation (including sections on commas and semicolons), you’ll be reminded of which grammatical tenets to emphasize in your class this year– and you might be inspired to utilize the grammar-strengthening classroom activities we mention!

But lest you think that only students need a grammatical tuneup, it’s important to note that teachers and administrators also may be lacking a fundamental knowledge of grammar. This article can serve as a friendly reminder to educators who may need a back-to-basics lesson of their own.

As always with all subjects, practicing grammar is a fabulous way to learn it, and this article notes that as well – we spell out helpful, fun ways for you to teach your class the bedrocks of it.

How Parents Can Prepare for Back to School Time

In our ongoing series about planning for going back to school, today we examine the ways in which all moms and dads can get ready for the inevitable – the first day of school.
It’s a stressful time for kids and parents alike, but with our guide on how to prepare, teachers and family members alike can get themselves ready for the yearly ritual. Going back to school can be rough, but with our tips, you’ll be a little more prepared for what’s coming.

Teaching Strategies: 9 Telltale Signs of a Good EducatorTeaching Strategies: 9 Telltale Signs of a Good Educator

Are you a good teacher? You must be if you’re reading this blog – if you’re an educator concerned about improving your own performance, that’s one of the signs of being a great educator.
All told, today we outline nine classroom qualities of a good teacher – teaching strategies that all decent educators will recognize in themselves and in others.
From being reflective to being imitated by your students to being an expert, you’ll want to read up on the qualities that good teachers embody – and figure out which ones you need to work on.