Ideas for Teachers Set B2

CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT SKILLS by ASWATHY MARIA SAJU

Back to school time each of us have witnessed to be a part of noisy classroom, and the teacher in charge rushing to the classroom and scolding us as well as punishing the entire class. This is the common scenario that happens during the school time. But have you ever thought the reason for why the teacher march to the class with a cane and scold us? The is answer is to manage the classroom. All that is required is the skill called as Classroom management skills. One looks back with appreciation to the brilliant teachers, but with gratitude to those who touched our human feelings. Classroom management skills include all the skills and techniques used by the teacher to keep the students disciplined, attentive, organised, obedient, attentive and more over to be academically fruitful during the class. This is vital as it paves a way for the teacher to execute the curriculum development and contribute to the students learning process.

The educational psychologist Lev Vygotsky said that classrooms should be noisy. It doesn’t mean that the students must wander here and there and shout in the class. Noisy classroom in a sense that the students interact with each other and engages in the classroom activities. The teacher will put all her efforts to keep the classroom organised and will try all ways for the active engage of the students in the class. Poor classroom management will result in anger and stress burn outs for the teacher. The teacher come up with strategies to manage the class it can be in the form of incentives, praises, students framed rules and regulations, encourage initiatives, maintain a good relationship with the students and their parents as well. To implement the strategies in the full-fledged manner the teacher should be aware of the behaviour of students, should possess ample patience, good timing and a strong relationship with the students. I believe that it is our duty to ensure that learning takes place in a safe, open, and supportive environment, so that students learn the important aspects of developing and fostering positive relationship with others. The classroom culture can affect the emotional and social development of the child.

Innovation in Teaching by Mohamed Ayub

As a pre-service teacher, when I throw light on what makes an individual step up to the next level in his/her progress, various words light up such as knowledge, skills and applying these both in various ways to make an experience. Innovative classrooms are defined in various perspectives where some say fostering creative thinking in students, few say innovative approach in teaching by teachers and while others claim it is about innovative environments. In fact, an innovative classroom is a combination of all three. In other words I can say foster innovation through creative thinking, providing opportunities through teaching approaches as well as creating an environment where students and teachers can be innovative thinkers and practitioners.

I remember my Social Science teacher in grade 6 entered class and started with a question “what is money? Let us give 10 different answers”. Back then 40 students competed to answer various answers for appreciation. Now that I think back how innovative thinking was surfacing where students were thinking diversely to understand or approach a concept or problem. Innovative thinking itself means thinking differently for a given problem or given concept. One question put my thoughts in place “Would there be any inventions or discoveries if that one individuals or group of individuals had not thought differently than all others?

Pomodoro technique by Anne Swetha Nancy

 When you read about successful people, the one thing you find in common is their ability to manage their time. Time, does not wait, for anyone and anything; time once gone shall remain gone. Teachers shape the future of the society, instilling in students time management skill will make the society efficient. Time management is the skill that makes us successful.

The Pomodoro technique is a simple technique for time management. Invented by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s.

Pomodoro is Italian for tomatoes; the technique is called Pomodoro because the kitchen alarm that Mr. Cirillo, which was in the shape of a tomato. This trains your brain to focus for short periods and helps you stay on top of deadlines or constantly-refilling inboxes. With time it can even help improve an individual's attention span. This technique mainly uses interval learning, where the task at hand is divided into intervals, called pomodoro.

There are six steps in the original technique:

1. Decide on the task to be done.

2. Set the pomodoro timer (traditionally to 25 minutes).

3. Work on the task.

4. End work when the timer rings and put a checkmark on a piece of paper.

5. If you have fewer than four checkmarks, take a short break (3–5 minutes) and then return to step 2; otherwise continue to step 6.

6. After four pomodoros, take a longer break (15–30 minutes), reset your checkmark count to zero, then go to step 1.

During this technique the brain is in Focus mode for 25 minutes and is in Diffuse mode. The brain learners in the focused mode using the conscious mind, by shifting to the diffuse mode the subconscious mind processes the information and helps in better idea generation and higher retention.

Multiple learning styles by Rebecca S

Multiple learning styles Using multiple learning styles and multiple intelligences for learning is a relatively new approach. This technique is one that has only recently begun to be understood by educators. Traditional education used (and continues to use) predominantly linguistic and logical methods of teaching. It also uses a small variety of methods for learning and teaching. Many schools also focus on teaching based on classrooms and books, a lot of repetition, and pressurised reinforcement and review tests. As a consequence, we also class those who use these forms and techniques of learning as light. Many that use less preferred types of learning sometimes find themselves in lower grades, with different not-so-complimentary labels and instruction of lower quality often. This can cause positive and negative spirals that enhance the illusion that "smart" or "dumb" is one.

Many people understand that various learning styles and strategies are preferred by each person. Learning styles bring together different forms people learn. Everybody has a mixture of types of learning. Some individuals can find that they have a dominant learning style, with the other styles being used much less. In various situations, some can find that they use different types. The right combination doesn't exist. Your types are not set either. In less dominant styles, you can build ability, as well as further develop styles that you already use well.

There are seven different learning styles based on Howard Gardners’ multiple intelligence

The Seven Learning Styles

 Visual (spatial): They prefer using pictures, images, and spatial understanding.

 Aural (auditory-musical): They prefer using sound and music.

 Verbal (linguistic): They prefer using words, both in speech and writing.

 Physical (kinaesthetic): They prefer using your body, hands and sense of touch.

 Logical (mathematical): They prefer using logic, reasoning and systems.

 Social (interpersonal): They prefer to learn in groups or with other people.

 Solitary (intrapersonal): They prefer to work alone and use self-study.

Teacher’s knowledge about First aid in Schools by Joji Mathew

Children’s are our future promises for a bright future. So their care is that much important for a bright tomorrow.

First aid services in schools is an important concern for the safety of our children. Emergency situations will occur at any time because students are least conscious about their care but teachers should more conscious and always needs to open up their eyes on children.  Accidents will happen at any time in schools, in those situations teachers should eligible to take necessary first aid services for their children and more than that they are the main caregivers or protectors at school.  The knowledge about first aid services among teachers is a mandatory precaution to reduce the intensity or impact of accidents and reduce the risk of unintentional injuries after all the proper timely interference is an important aspect.  Teachers that is first care givers can utilize their knowledge in delivering first aid services until the arrival of health instructors. In this regard teachers should much aware and trained about ensuring the first aid support to their students at proper time. But majority of the situations are crucial because teachers are not properly trained about handling emergency situations in schools and they will be stuck in how to handle it.

Even in this 21st century we have almost all health facilities and a genius health instructors but we don’t have proper training or awareness programmes to our teaching community about the first aid services in schools. Here,   government needs to ensure a proper training system for their teaching community for creating a safer and healthier environment to their students for nourishing their future from the schools.

In USA the reputed schools provide a coursework on first aid services for their teachers before entering into service. They can join as a teacher only after the completion of coursework with 50 percent pass mark along with the practical sessions. Majority of the developed countries are practicing it. In this regard it is important to implement this kind of awareness programmes in every schools in worldwide because our children’s are our nation’s strength.