Jun 27, 2016
Teaching 2175 Views
As an education specialist for 30 years, a parent for 29 and a former student for 17 years, one thing I've learned if nothing else, is that we need to walk in someone else's shoes before we can really judge an issue. Here are some ideas (recommendations) from everyone's perspective on ensuring a successful school year for our children.
From a Parent's Perspective:
1. Treat my child like you'd like your own child treated. 2. When I ask questions please don't be so defensive. 3. Talk in an educational language the average parent can understand. 4. Allow me to help in the classroom. 5. Allow me to observe your classroom. 6. Provide me with your classroom expectations. 7. Believe that I know my child better than anyone else. 8. Please don't wait until a few days before report cards to tell me about poor grades or behavior. 9. Don't talk about your political views. Try to stay neutral. 10. Try not to show favoritism.
From a Teacher's Perspective:
1. Please don't make excuses for your ...
In this article instructors learn how to improve students’ reading and writing skills using news stories and the 5 W's of journalism. Students in return write one-page summaries of news stories as a part of their writing assignments.Overview
Reading for EFL students, in general, increases vocabulary, advances writing, and boosts general language proficiency (Nagy & Herman, 1987; Krashen, 1984; Grabe, 1991, respectively). Basically there are two types of reading in teaching EFL, extensive and intensive. Extensive reading involves students reading texts for pleasure and to develop general reading skills. It can be compared with intensive reading, which means reading in detail with definite learning aims and tasks. The significance of reading in the ESL classroom is well known.
Despite the benefits of reading, it is challenging for many students to move from short, intensive passages to longer texts. This is especially true in countries where the grammar-translation method is still ...
Jun 18, 2016
Classroom Management 3203 Views
Actually, is it possible to modify anyone's behavior if that person is not willing to listen to input and advice and eager to make some changes. Little kids may need modeling and practice to achieve acceptable behavior simply because they have not performed certain tasks before or because they have not had positive role models. When children have only witnessed misbehavior and poor manners, they replicate them unaware that other expectations exist. If Mom slouches and Dad swears and Grandpa hits and Grandma throws cups and forks to solve issues, it is no wonder that a child mimics these behavior. People tend to copy what they see, behave according to what they have witnessed and lived through, and push buttons as necessary to get what the need.
Many schools are implementing a behavior plan that includes five positive interventions by a teacher before s/he directly reprimands a student. So if Susie does not bring her book, a clear and necessary expectation for learning, I have the idea ...
Jun 18, 2016
Writing 2284 Views
For the purpose of this article, integrating writing and differentiation into your classroom, I have designed techniques that meet most writing needs most of the time. Teaching writing and differentiation fluctuate with the student and the assignment, the moment and the timing, but the information that follows provides some insight for you.
Differentiation focuses on what students need to know and be able to do
Just as it focuses on what students already know and are able to do. Differentiation also recognizes that there may be gaps in past learning and so materials and techniques are combined to fill those gaps. Think of this as rebar and cement re-enforcement, not sand and a dab of paste. Differentiation accepts that some students already know what they need to know and be able to do at their current level of education and then creates scaffolding, challenges, and adventures to let that learning soar while also accepting that students learn at different paces and that sometimes "One ...
Jun 18, 2016
Teacher Training 2404 Views
As a teacher I am well aware that many students do not hear what is said but what they want or expect to hear, and many times they hear nothing at all. This is particularly true when it comes to graded assignments. Students have expectations about what assignments will be given and how they will be graded; they continue to hold these expectations regardless of what is actually assigned.
To improve your results, you need to be clear about what is expected. This clarity is needed for several aspects of the assignment. If it is missing, your chances of doing well are severely limited, if not entirely gone.
Getting the Assignment
The first place clarity is needed is when the assignment is given. You need to understand three different aspects of the assignment: content, format, and timing. Content clarity is when you make sure that you understand what the assignment is about. The instructor expects you to ask questions, either when the assignment is given or afterwards, to make sure you ...
Jun 18, 2016
TOEFL/TOEIC/IELTS 2037 Views
The action of utilizing English language assessments for a professional or academic career path is as simple as two acronyms.
As a psychometric assessment, English language proficiency testing customarily consists of either TOEIC or TOEFL.
Professional Career English Assessment - International Business English:
The 'Test of English for International Communication' ("TOEIC") is an English language test designed specifically to measure the everyday English skills of people working in an international environment.
On the other hand, the 'Test of English as a Foreign Language' ("TOEFL") is a standardized test of English language proficiency for non-native English language speakers wishing to enroll in U.S. universities.
Academic English Assessment for college admissions:
Enhance your TOEFL score with a TOEFL Sample Test
Similarly as with TOEFL, the TOEFL sample test, (Test of English as a Foreign Language), is utilized to gauge English dialect capability.
The utilization of English as the ...
Jun 18, 2016
Grammar 2781 Views
If a sentence has a singular subject, it is followed by a singular verb and if it has a plural subject, it is followed by a plural verb;that is, the verb agrees with the subject. Compare:
• She lives in Thailand.
• Most people live in Asian than in any other continent.
Some nouns with a singular form can be treated either as singular (with a singular verb) or (with a plural verb):
• The council has (or have)postponed a decision on the new road.
Other words like this include association, audience, class, committee, department, electorate, family, government, orchestra, population, staff, university, and the names of specific organisations such as the Bank of England, the BBC, IBM, Sony. We use a singular verb if we see the institution or organisation as a whole unit and a plural verb if we see it as a collection of individuals. Often you can use either with very little difference in meaning, although in formal writing (such as academic writing), it is more common to use a singular verb. ...
Jun 9, 2016
Career Development 2162 Views
Online education has gained quite a significant traction in recent times. It has been hailed as a fair representation of what the educational system appears to be in an emerging society. There are several reasons for which many candidates prefer undergoing business programs online, as their mode of continuing education. There are several costs that are attached to learning. Many proponents of online education find it feasible as it saves their time, cost, and many such issues that cannot be tackled while undergoing traditional educational form.
Since the past decade, studying online has come into the limelight and has been chosen as a formal mode by several professionals and graduate students, who desire to pursue continuing education with prestigious business schools. Continuing education through this mode has reiterated the opportunity which once seemed to be lost for several candidates that could not pursue traditional on-campus studies for some reason or the other. The process of ...
May 30, 2016
E-Learning/CALL 2428 Views
Online teaching can be exciting, rewarding, frustrating, demanding, and challenging all at the same time. The opportunities for new online teaching opportunities are becoming limited now because of the number of schools that offer online classes, and the process of landing a quality adjunct position has become very competitive. For example, it is not uncommon for someone who is highly experienced and educated to receive the dreaded no thank you email from a human resources department, without anyone ever having taken the time to contact them to discuss their background. So what do you do while you wait for your first (or next) online teaching opportunity? The answer can be summed up as becoming prepared for the role and continuing your professional self-development. There are essentials or best practices that every online instructor needs, which will allow you to become prepared once you are familiar with and understand how to apply them.
The work of an online instructor is measured ...
May 30, 2016
Other 2127 Views
Well, so much for summer break. The teaching grind is just around the corner. Yeah, yeah, two months off isn't long enough, but hey, it's pretty good.
So, now it's time to start getting in gear to go back to the professional attire and mindset, early morning rising, and don't forget to get your bladder in shape so that one daily visit to the rest room will be enough.
Okay, let's go down the checklist for the things you'll need to get prepared for the inevitable day:
1. Don't forget to wait until the last minute to get your teacher supplies at the teacher store so you'll have time to make an hour worth of phone calls while you're waiting in line, because all the other teachers waited for the last minute also.
2. Get started writing your lesson plans for the first couple of weeks, but don't get too attached to them, because you know they'll change once you get in the swing of things.
3. Remember to agonize over picking that first day's book that you'll read to your class. Of course, ...