Teaching MethodsThe termTeaching methodrefers to the general principles, pedagogy and management strategies used for classroom instruction. Your choice of teaching method depends on what fits you your educational philosophy, classroom demographic, subject area(s) and school mission statement. Teaching theories primarily fall into two categories or approaches teacher-centered and student-centered:

Teacher-Centered Approach to LearningTeachers are the main authority figure in this model. Students are viewed as empty vessels whose primary role is to passively receive information (via lectures and direct instruction) with an end goal of testing and assessment. It is the primary role of teachers to pass knowledge and information onto their students. In this model, teaching and assessment are viewed as two separate entities. Student learning is measured through objectively scored tests and assessments.Student-Centered Approach to LearningWhile teachers are an authority figure in this model, teachers and students play an equally active role in the learning process. The teachers primary role is to coach and facilitate student learning and overall comprehension of material. Student learning is measured through both formal and informal forms of assessment, including group projects, student portfolios, and class participation. Teaching and assessment are connected; student learning is continuously measured during teacher instruction.To better understand these approaches, it is important to discuss what is generally understood as the three main teaching styles in educational pedagogy: direct instruction, inquiry-based learning and cooperative learning. Through these three teaching methods, teachers can gain a better understanding of how to govern their classroom, implement instruction and connect with their students. Within each of these three main teaching styles are teaching roles or models. Theorist A.F. Grasha explains the five main teaching models in her publication Teaching with Style (1996): Expert, Formal Authority, Personal Model, Facilitator and Delegator. To gain a better understanding of the fundamentals of each teaching style, its best to view them through the lens of direct instruction, inquiry-based learning, and cooperative teaching.DIRECT INSTRUCTIONDirect instruction is the general term that refers to the traditional teaching strategy that relies on explicit teaching through lectures and teacher-led demonstrations. Direct instruction is the primary teaching strategy under theteacher-centered approach, in that teachers and professors are the sole supplier of knowledge and information. Direct instruction is effective in teaching basic and fundamental skills across all content areas.

INQUIRY-BASED LEARNINGInquiry-based learning is a teaching method that focuses on student investigation and hands-on learning. In this method, the teachers primary role is that of a facilitator, providing guidance and support for students through the learning process. Inquiry-based learning falls under thestudent-centered approach, in that students play an active and participatory role in their own learning process.

COOPERATIVE LEARNINGCooperative Learning refers to a method of teaching and classroom management that emphasizes group work and a strong sense of community. This model fosters students academic and social growth and includes teaching techniques such asThink-Pair-Shareand reciprocal teaching. Cooperative learning falls under thestudent-centered approachbecause learners are placed in responsibility of their learning and development. This method focuses on the belief that students learn best when working with and learning from their peers.

In order to identify your personal teaching style, it is important to acknowledge your personal values toward education andhow your students learn. Understanding your teaching style early on will prove effective for both you and your students, creating and maintaining a balance between your teaching preferences and your students learning preferences.Techniques for Creative Teachinghttp://www.celt.iastate.edu/teaching-resources/classroom-practice/teaching-techniques-strategies/creativity/techniques-creative-teaching/Creative teachingIn order to teach creativity, onemustteach creatively; that is, it will take a great deal of creative effort to bring out the most creative thinking in your classes. Of course, creativity is not the only required element for creative instructors. They must also know their fields and know how to create an appropriate learning environment. When will it be most important for you to offer direct instruction? When is discovery most important? What are your expectations and how can you best communicate them?Because answers to these questions are so diverse even for individual instructors teaching different courses or at various times of the semester no one technique will fit all needs. Here are several approaches or techniques for teaching creatively, both general and specific tocertain fields. More examples of field-specific approaches or techniques appear in theCreative teacherssection.General TechniquesThese creative thinking techniques were culled from the Internet and summarized by Yao Lu, a graduate student in AESHM (Apparel, Educational Studies, and hospitality Management). Some of the techniques listed below are used in business training or in K-12 settings but can easily be adapted for college students.Assumption BustingWhat:An assumption is an unquestioned, assumed truth. Assumption busting is particularly effective when one is stuck in current thinking paradigms or has run out of ideas.Benefits:Everyone makes assumptions about how the world around us, which in creative situations, can prevent seeing or generating possibilities. Deliberately seeking out and addressing previously unquestioned assumptions stimulates creative thinking.How:List assumptions associated with a task or problem, for example, that a solution is impossible due to time and cost constraints; something works because certain rules or conditions; and people believe, need or think of certain things. Then ask under what conditions these assumptions are not true, continue the process of examination as old assumptions are challenged and new ones are created. An alternative way of proceeding is to find ways to force assumptions to be true. This is the opposite of challenging assumptions in the previous step.BrainstormingWhat:Brainstorming, a useful tool to develop creative solutions to a problem, is a lateral thinking process by which students are asked to develop ideas or thoughts that may seem crazy or shocking at first. Participants can then change and improve them into original and useful ideas. Brainstorming can help define an issue, diagnose a problem, or possible solutions and resistance to proposed solutions.How:Define the problem clearly lay out any criteria to be met. Keep the session focused on the problem, but be sure that no one criticizes or evaluates ideas during the session, even if they are clearly impractical. Criticism dampens creativity in the initial stages of a brainstorming session. Ideas should be listed, rather than developed deeply on the spot; the idea is to generate possibilities. Accordingly, participants should be encouraged to pick up on ideas offered to create new ones. One person should be appointed as note-taker, and ideas should be studied and evaluated after the session.Negative (or Reverse) BrainstormingWhat:Negative brainstorming involves analyzing a short list of existing ideas, rather than the initial massing of ideas as in conventional brainstorming. Examining potential failures is relevant when an idea is new or complex or when there is little margin for error. Negative brainstorming raises such questions as: What could go wrong with this project?Benefits:Reverse brain-storming is valuable when it is difficult to identify direct solutions to a problem.How:After clearly defining a problem or challenge, ask How could I cause this problem? or How could I make things worse? As with brainstorming, allow ideas to flow freely without rejecting any. Evaluating these negative ideas can lead to possible positive solutions. See alsoNegative Brainstorming.Concept MappingWhat:Concept maps represent knowledge graphic form. Networks consist of nods, which represent concepts, and links, which represent relationships between concepts.Benefits:Concept maps can aid in generating ideas, designing complex structures, or communicating complex ideas. Because they make explicit the integration of old and new knowledge concept maps can help instructors assess students understanding.How:Create a focus question specifying the problem or issue the map should help resolve. List the key concepts (roughly 20-25) that apply to the area of knowledge. Put the most general, inclusive concepts at the top of the list, and most specific at the bottom.Build a hierarchical organization of the concepts, using post-its on a wall or whiteboard, large sheets of paper, etc. Revision is a key element in concept mapping, so participants need to be able to move concepts and reconstruct the map. Seek cross links between concepts, adding linking words to the lines between concepts.

Adapted from Novak, J. & Caas, A. (2006). The theory underlying concept maps and how to construct and use them.Role-playingWhat:In most role-playing exercises, each student takes the role of a person affected by an issue and studies an issue or events from the perspective of that person.How:Role plays should give the students an opportunity to practice what they have learned and should interest the students. Provide concrete information and clear role descriptions so that students can play their roles with confidence. Once the role play is finished, spend some time on debriefing. See alsoRole-Playing Games: An Overview.StoryboardingWhat:Story-boarding can be compared to spreading students thoughts out on a wall as they work on a project or solve a problem. Story boards can help with planning, ideas, communications and organization.Benefits:This method allows students to see the interconnections, how one idea relates to another, and how pieces come together. Once the ideas flow, students become immersed in the problem and hitch-hike other ideas.How:Use a cork board or similar surface to pin up index cards or use Post-it notes on a whiteboard. Begin with a set of topic cards, and under each place header cards for general points, categories, etc. Under these, place sub-heading cards that will be contain ideas and details generated that support the headers.During a story board session, consider all ideas relevant, no matter how impractical they appear.DO ITWhat:DO IT stands for Define problems, be Open to many possible solutions, Identify the best solution and then Transform it into effective action. Ten catalysts or prompts are designed to help students with each of these steps.Benefits: DO IT accelerates and strengthens ones natural creative problem-solving ability and to stimulate a large number of good, diverse ideas. When time allows, students can take advantage of incubation (unconscious thinking) and research processes (find out what ideas have already been tried).Random InputWhat:Random input, a lateral thinking tool, is useful for generating fresh ideas or new perspectives during problem solving.Benefits: It offers new perspectives on a problem, fosters creative leaps, and permits escape from restrictive thinking patterns.How:Select a random noun, whether from a prepared set, from the dictionary, or ones own list of 60 words. It is helpful to get new insight by selecting a word from outside the field being studied. List the words attributions or associations, then apply each to the problem at hand. With persistence, at least one of these may catalyze a creative leap.Example: Students thinking about reducing car pollution have so far considered all the conventional solutions, e.g. catalytic conversion and clean fuels. Selecting a random noun from the titles of books in a bookcase, a student may see Plants. Brainstorming from this, the class could generate a number of new ideas, such as planting trees on the side of roads or passing exhaust gases through a soup of algae, to reduce carbon dioxide.Decision TreeWhat:A decision tree is a visual and analytical decision support tool, often taught to undergraduate students in schools of business, health economics, and public health.Benefits:They are simple to understand and interpret, have value even in the absence of hard data, and can be combined with other decision techniques.Example:A decision tree used in a finance class for deciding the better investment strategy.

Questioning activityWhat:In this exercise in questioning, students create a list of 100 questions. There are no directions regarding what questions to ask and no judgments or criticism of questions.Benefits:Students will ask a wide range of questions, increasing student productivity and motivation. As students focus on what they want to discover and generate their own questions, they pursue answers without prodding. Questions can be general or based on a particular topic or reading; instructors can give several examples from their own lists.Slip writingWhat:This method can gather ideas from large groups, numbering from the dozens to the hundreds. Participants are given slips of paper and asked to write down ideas which are discussed or evaluated.Benefits:This method collects a large number of ideas swiftly and creates a sense of participation or ownership at the same time.How:Each student is given a stack or note-pad of at least 25 small slips of paper. The pads can contain idea-jogging graphics or be designed so that ideas can be sorted and separated easily. A question or problem is read to the group (e.g., How do we? or What would it take to?). Students write down one idea per sheet, in any order. When writing begins to slow down, collect pads from students and offer quick feedback in the form of examples. If the group is very large, present examples from a limited sample of booklets. After the early feedback, analysis and evaluation can continue at a steadier pace to identify the most useful ideas and develop them into practicable proposals.LadderingWhat:Laddering or the why method involves toggling between two abstractions to create ideas. Laddering techniques involve the creation, reviewing and modification of hierarchical knowledge. In a ladder containing abstract ideas or concepts, the items lower down are members or sub-sets of the ones higher up, so one moves between the abstract and concrete.Benefits:Laddering can help students understand how an expert categorizes concepts into classes, and can help clarify concepts and their relationships.How:Beginning with an existing idea, ladder up by asking, of what wider category is this an example? Ladder down by finding more examples. Then ladder up again by seeking an even wider category from the new examples obtained from step 2.Generally, laddering up toward the general allows expansion into new areas while laddering down focuses on specific aspects of these areas. Why questions are ladders up; so-what questions are ladders down.See alsoLaddering Techniques.ExaggerationWhat:Exaggeration includes the two forms of magnify (or stretch) and minimize (or compress), part of the SCAMPER heuristic.Forms of ExaggerationTypeExamples

Exaggerate upwardsMagnifyI have a million photocopiers standing idle

Exaggerate downwardsMinifyMy photocopiers are barely used at all

Exaggerate scopeInvade contextThe whole organization is underused

Exaggerate significanceAggrandizeOur over-capacity is a nation scandal

Exaggerate selectivelyCaricatureReprographics Rest Home!

Benefits:This method helps in building ideas for solutions. It is useful to illustrate a problem, by testing unspoken assumptions about its scale. It helps one think about what would be appropriate if the problem were of a different order of magnitude.How:After defining a problem to be addressed or idea to develop, list all the component parts of the idea or if a problem, its objectives and constraints. Choosing one component, develop ways of exaggerating it and note them on a separate sheet.Brain-sketchingWhat:To solve a specific problem, students make sketches and then pass evolving sketches to their neighbors.How:Students sit in a group of 6-8 around a table or in a circle. Questions or problems should be well explained and understood by each student. Each participant privately makes one or more sketches and passes the sketch to the person on the right when it is finished or when a brief set time has passed. Participants develop or annotate the sketches passed to them, or use them to inspire new sketches which are also passed in turn. For effective learning, sketches could be posted are discussed by students.ReversalWhat:The reversal method takes a given situation and turns it around, inside out, backwards, or upside down. Any situation can be reversed in several ways.Benefits:Looking at a familiar problem or situation in a fresh way can suggest new solutions or approaches. It doesnt matter whether the reversal makes sense or not.Example:In a marketing class, instead of asking how can management improve the store? reversal questions can ask: How can the store improve management? How can the store improve itself? How can management make the store worse?FishboneWhat:The fishbone technique uses a visual organizer to identify the possible causes of a problem.Benefits:This technique discourages partial or premature solutions and demonstrates the relative importance of, and interactions between, different parts of a problem.How:On a broad sheet of paper, draw a long arrow horizontally across the middle of the page pointing to the right. Label the arrowhead with the title of the issue to be explained. This is the backbone of the fish. Draw spurs from this backbone at about 45 degrees, one for every likely cause of the problem that the group can think of; and label each. Sub-spurs can represent subsidiary causes. The group considers each spur/sub-spur, taking the simplest first, partly for clarity but also because a simple explanation may make more complex ones unnecessary. Ideally, the fishbone is redrawn so that position along the backbone reflects the relative importance of the different parts of the problem, with the most important at the head.

Fishbone ExampleAdapted fromMycoted wiki.The Mystery SpotWhat:Instructors set up a mystery story (videos, animations) that evolves a key concept such as DNA. Students try to solve the mystery by applying their knowledge. Meanwhile, the story evolves as students investigate on the problem, allowing the instructor to incorporate different knowledge/concepts, and different knowledge depths.Benefits:The mystery integrates science learning within an exciting narrative. The narratives have wide appeal and involve students in learning. It is also a very flexible tool with which instructors can invent stories based on their lesson purposes/ targeted key points.Example: The Blackout SyndromeIn this exercise, students are medical investigators. And as a blackout paralyzes the city, they are called in to investigate outbreak of a new disease. They need to take steps to identify how its transmitted, characterize it, and figure out how to treat it.The mystery tests literacy, problem solving skills and deductive reasoning. Students investigate why people have fallen ill, do lab tests in order to decide what kind of pathogen is involved, and work on solutions and how to best counter the disease. A conclusion offers further research readings.Field-Specific TechniquesCreativity Based Information Resourcesis a searchable database which includes items on creativity in many disciplines. In addition, you may try Agriculture(but useful for everyone) Business(a commercial site, but useful, especially the Techniques and Thought Experiments sections) Entrepreneurship Education Innovation Tools for Business Language Learning Problem-Based Learning in Science

6 Teaching Techniques You Should Know!Posted onSeptember 17, 2013bypatrick

Education, like almost every other area of our society, has evolved in leaps and bounds in recent years. Traditional teaching techniques, based mainly on a teacher explaining a topic and studentstaking notes,may still be useful on occasion, but education today revolves more aroundencouraging the studentto awaken their curiosity and desire to learn.A number of different teaching techniques have emerged due to this change in education.Many of theseteaching techniquesare not actually new however! Theuse of technology in the classroomhas simply given education a new lease of life allowing us to approach old ideas in new ways.Outlined below are some popular teaching techniques that have arisen from the integration of technology in education.6 Teaching Techniques You Should Know:1.Flipped Classroom (Inverting your class):The Flipped Classroom Modelbasically involvesencouraging students to prepare for the lesson before class.Thus, the class becomes a dynamic environment in which students elaborate on what they have already studied.Students prepare a topic at home so that the class the next day can be devoted to answering any questions they have about the topic. This allows students to go beyond their normal boundaries and explore their natural curiosity.ExamTimes free online learning toolscan be integrated into the Flipped Classroom teaching model.Using ExamTime, you can easily share resources with a group, in this case a class, allowing students to study these resources from home and prepare for the next class.2.Design Thinking (Case Method):This technique is based on resolving real-life cases throughgroup analysis, brainstorming, innovation and creative ideas.Although Design Thinking is a structured method, in practice it can be quite messy as some cases may have no possible solution.However, the Case Method prepares students for the real world and arouses their curiosity, analytical skills and creativity.This technique is often used in popular MBA or Masters classes to analyze real cases experienced by companies in the past.Ewan McIntosh, an advocate of Design Thinking, createdThe Design Thinking Schoolas part of his No Tosh consulting group. No Tosh harnesses the creative practices of some of the best media and tech companies in the world to coach educators methods to implement the concept.Design Thinking for Educatorsalso provides teachers with an online toolkit with instructions to explore Design Thinking in any classroom. Clickhereto download the free toolkit now.3.Self-learning:Curiosity is the main driver of learning.As a basic principle of learning, it makes little sense to force students to memorize large reams of text that they will eitherbegrudginglyrecall or instantly forget.The key is to let students focus on exploring an area which interests them and learn about it for themselves.A perfect example of a teaching technique based on self-learning is outlined bySugata Mitra at the TED conference.In a series of experiments in New Delhi, South Africa and Italy, the educational researcher Sugata Mitra gave children self-supervised access to the web.The results obtained could revolutionize how we think about teaching.The children, who until then did not even know what the internet was, were capable oftrainingthemselves in multiple subjects with unexpected ease.A common technique for exploring self-learning is the use ofMind Maps. Teachers can create a central node on a Mind Map andallow students the freedom to expand and develop ideas.For example, if the focus is the Human Body, some students may create Mind Maps on the organs, Bones or Diseases that affect the human body.Later the students would be evaluated according to the Mind Maps they have created and could collaborate with each other to improve each others Mind Maps and come to a more comprehensive understanding of the Human Body.Want toimplement these teaching techniquesin your classroom?Sign up nowto use ExamTimes Mind Maps, Flashcards, Study Planner & otherfree online study toolshere:Get Started now. Its Free!4.Gamification:

Learning through the use of games is a method that has already been explored by some teachers, especially in elementary and preschool education.By using games, students learn without even realizing.Therefore,learning through playor Gamification is a learning technique that can be very effective at any age. It is also a very useful technique to keep students motivated.The teacher should design projects that are appropriate for their students, taking into account their age and knowledge, while making them attractive enough to provide extra motivation. Oneidea may be to encourage students tocreate quizzes onlineon a certain topic. Students can challenge their peers to test themselves and see who gets a higher score.In this way, students can enjoy the competition with peers while also having fun and learning.5.Social Media:A variant of the previous section is to utilizesocial media in the classroom.Students today are always connected to their social network and sowill need little motivationto get them engaged with social media in the classroom.The ways you can use this method of teaching are quite varied as there are hundreds of social networks and possibilities.A good example is the initiative carried out by the Brazilian Academy of Languages Red Ballon, which encouraged students toreview the tweets of theirfavoriteartistsand correct grammatical errors that they committed in an effort to improve their English language skills!6. Free Online Learning Tools:There is an array of free online learning tools available which teachers can use to encourage engagement, participation and a sense of fun into the classroom. Teachers can create an interactive and dynamic classroom environment using, for example,online quizzesto test students knowledge.

If you havent usedExamTimes free online learning toolsyet, sign up now to createMind Maps,Flashcards,Quizzes&Notes. Encourage your students tosign up to ExamTimetoo so you cancreate a Groupand invite each of your students to become a member. This means you can share study resources directly with each student online and even apply the Flipped Classroom Model to your method of teaching.

Strategies to Check Student Learning in the Classroom (Classroom Assessment Techniques)Lee Haugen[Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching] Iowa State UniversityFebruary, 1999What are CATs?Classroom Assessment Techniques are formative evaluation methods that serve two purposes. They can help you to assess the degree to which your students understand the course content and they can provide you with information about the effectiveness of your teaching methods. Most are designed to be quick and easy to use and each CAT provides different kinds of information.Formative EvaluationsFormative evaluations provide information that can be used to improve course content, methods of teaching, and, ultimately, student learning. Formative evaluations are most effective when they are done frequently and the information is used to effect immediate adjustments in the day-to-day operations of the course. Some faculty incorporate a CAT into every class session.How do CATs improve teaching and learning?When CATS are used frequently, they can have the following impacts: For faculty, CATs can: provide day-to-day feedback that can be applied immediately; provide useful information about what students have learned without the amount of time required for preparing tests, reading papers, etc.; allow you to address student misconceptions or lack of understanding in a timely way; help to foster good working relationships with students and encourage them to understand that teaching and learning are on-going processes that require full participation.For students, CATs can: help develop self-assessment and learning management skills; reduce feelings of isolation and impotence, especially in large classes; increase understanding and ability to think critically about the course content; foster an attitude that values understanding and long-term retention; show your interest and caring about their success in your classroom.What kinds of evaluations are CATs designed to perform? Course-related knowledge and skills (including prior knowledge, recall and understanding; analysis and critical thinking skills; synthesis and creative thinking skills; problem solving skills; and application and performance skills) Student attitudes, values, and self-awareness (including students awareness of their own values and attitudes; students awareness of their own learning processes; and course-related learning and study skills awareness) Reactions to instruction methods (including student and peer reactions to teachers and teaching, class activities, assignments, and materials)Following is a partial chart of CAT exercises, indicating the kind of evaluation for which each is intended, what each is called, how each is conducted, what to do with the information you collect, and an approximation of the relative amount of time each requires.Kind of EvaluationNameHow Its DoneHow to UseTime Needs

Course Knowledge and SkillsOne-Minute Paper*During last few minutes of class period, ask students to use a half-sheet of paper and write Most important thing I learned today and what I understood least.Review before next class meeting and use to clarify, correct, or elaborate.Low

Muddiest Point*Similar to One-Minute Paper but only ask students to describe what they didnt understand and what they think might help.Same as One-Minute Paper. If many had the same problem, try another approach.Low

Chain Notes*Pass around a large envelope with a question about the class content. Each student writes a short answer, puts it in the envelope, and passes it on.Sort answers by type of answer. At next class meeting, use to discuss ways of understanding.Low

Application ArticleDuring last 15 minutes of class, ask students to write a short news article about how a major point applies to a real-world situation. An alternative is to have students write a short article about how the point applies to their major.Sort articles and pick several to read at next class, illustrating range of applications, depth of understanding, and creativity.Medium

Student-generated test questions*Divide the class into groups and assign each group a topic on which they are each to write a question and answer for the next test. Each student should be assured of getting at least one question right on the test.Use as many of the questions as possible, combining those that aresimilar.Medium

Attitudes, Values, and Self-AwarenessJournalsAsk students to keep journals that detail their thoughts about the class. May ask them to be specific, recording only attitudes, values, or self-awareness.Have students turn in the journals several times during the semester so you can chart changes and development.Medium

Reactions to Instruction MethodsExam Evaluations*Select a test that you use regularly and add a few questions at the end which ask students to evaluate how well the test measures their knowledge or skills.rnalsMake changes to the test that are reasonable. Track student responses over time.rnalsMedium

Student Rep GroupAsk students to volunteer to meet as a small group with you on a regular basis to discuss how the course is progressing, what they are learning, and suggestions for improving the course.Some issues will be for your information, some to be addressed in class.High

Suggestion BoxPut a box near the classroom door and ask students to leave notes about any class issue.Review and respond at the next class session.Low to Medium

Peer ReviewWork with a willing colleague, pick a representative class session to be observed, and ask the colleague to take notes about his/her impression of the class, your interactions with students, and your teaching methods.Decide method with the colleague. Discussion is best, but a written report may be more useful in the long term.High

CELT Classroom ObservationCELT staff will observe a class session you choose and/or video record a class session.CELT staff will meet with you to review observations and suggest ways of improving your teaching effectiveness.Medium to High

Small Group Instructional Diagnosis (SGID)Trained facilitators, such as CELT staff, spend a class session eliciting responses from your students about what is effective and what is not so effective in helping them learn. You are not present during the session.Facilitators meet with you to explain the data they have collected and give you a written report.High

*Some material in this report is adapted from:Angelo, Thomas A. and K. Patricia Cross, 1993,Classroom Assessment Techniques: A Handbook for College Teachers, Second Edition, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.

7 Habits of Highly Effective TeachersEducation,Education Technologies,Effective Teachers,Fedena,Learning,Online Education,TeachingOctober 3, 2013byFedena

Prominent management guru, Dr. Stephen Covey in his highly acclaimed book, 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People stresses some principles for personal growth, which are meant for life in general, a life that is beyond those monotonous office desks and business graphs. The seven habits mentioned in the book including being proactive, putting first things first, think win-win are some from the lot, are surely the standards to a complete, successful life. Now, this makes us wonder what can be the habits that make a great and effective teacher and after much research, we bring to you some habits that are surely the traits of an effective teacher. Read on to find out what are those habits that can make you a good teacher.

1. Never stop learning:A very important sign of a good teacher is the urge to learn. An effective teacher must never stop from gaining knowledge. Learning from time to time is a good idea not only to improve your knowledge base, but also know a students perspective. Being on the other side will help you get good understanding of the learning process of your students.2. Bring some fun into the classroom:A little fun added in the class acts as rejuvenation from tedious class work and this is like stress-reliever for students. Moreover, a lively teacher is always loved and admired by students. So, dont miss the chance of being a favorite teacher to your students.3. Sense of purpose:Everyday routine might be mundane, not just for you, but for all. Whatever happens, dont lose your sense of purpose that will make your road smoother in future. When you have that purpose right in front of you, those difficult boring days will be easily passed by.4.Regular communication with parents:A good and successful teacher will never duck from the idea of proper communication with parents. A parent has every right to get information about the ward and it is the duty of teachers to make communion with them and throw light on the students activities. So, regular communication with parents is a must-do.5. Go beyond regular curriculum:Go out from the regular routine of class work and homework. For an altogether good and completely new experience, let your students think and act differently. Like, after giving your class, some lectures about the World Wars, you can definitely let them go through some war-related movies or talk to ex-servicemen. These extra-curricular activities will engage more attention and excitement from students.6. Be open to new technologies:With the present environment where technology has completely influenced education in all possible ways, there may be new tools introduced in school curriculum. Be open to changes as these new innovations such asFedenawhich is a popular school management software is something thats going to make roads smoother for young students in future.7. Believe in students:Believe in your students. Yes, you need to believe that they will succeed and just see the high motivation in them to do it. Create an environment where your students wont be afraid to fail and set them a bar to let them work hard and achieve it.

Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teachers, Part 1Richard HoshinoIn this talk, we will examine Stephen R. Coveys best-selling motivational book"The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People"and explore how we can apply each of these seven habits to improve our teaching.Dependenceis the paradigm ofyouyoutake care of me;youcome through for me;youdidnt come through; I blameyoufor the results.Independenceis the paradigm ofIIcan do it;Iam responsible;Iam self-reliant,Ican choose.Interdependenceis the paradigm ofwewecan do it;wecan cooperate;wecan combine our talents and abilities and create something greater together.In this talk, we will discuss how we can becomeinterdependent educators.This is the true joy of life that being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one. That being a force of nature, instead of a feverish, selfish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy. I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community and as long as I live it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can. I want to be thoroughly used up when I die. For the harder I work, the more I live. I rejoice in life for its own sake. Life is no brief candle to me. Its a sort of splendid torch which Ive got to hold up for the moment and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations.- George Bernard ShawIntroduction Seeing Things from the Inside-OutVisualization Exercise from the Harvard MBA program.Key lesson: two people can see the same thing, disagree, and yet both be right. We must try to see each picture from another frame of reference. Conditioning affects our perceptions and our paradigms. We see things not as they are, we see things asweare. "What wearecommunicates far more eloquently than anything wesayordo" (Covey, p. 22) "Good teaching cannot be reduced to technique; good teaching comes from the identity and integrity of the teacher." (From the bookThe Courage to Teach, by Parker Palmer).Habit 1 Be Proactive "Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice". Proactivity is the realization that as human beings, we are responsible for our own lives. Its the realization that our behaviour is a function of ourdecisions, not ourconditions. Two inspiring examples of proactive behaviour from Hollywood: Robert Benignis portrayal of Guido inLife is Beautiful. Russell Crowes portrayal of John Nash inA Beautiful Mind. The opposite ofproactiveisreactive. Reactive people are driven by their feelings, circumstances, conditions, and environment. Proactive people are driven by theirvalues. In your teaching practices, take your values and exercise the initiative to transform your classes into the type of learning environmentyouwant. "The difference between people who exercise initiative and those who dont is literally the difference between night and day. Im not talking about a 25 to 50 percent difference in effectiveness; Im talking about a 5000-plus percent difference." (Covey, p. 76)A key part of being proactive is to listen to our language, and modify it if necessary.Reactive Language Proactive LanguageThats just the type of teacher I am. I can use a different approach.That student makes me so mad. I control my own feelings.Theres nothing I can do about this. Lets look at our alternatives. Reactive language becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. High Expectations + Hard Work = Outstanding Results.Questions for Discussion: As educators, is it our job/duty to get our students to become more proactive in their learning? If so, what specific things can we do to get our students to become more proactive? As educators, what can we do to become more proactive?Habit 2 Begin with the End in MindAll things are created twice: theres a mental creation, then theres a physical creation. Habit 2 is the mental creation. Visualize success: see it, feel it, experience it then do it. Remember, whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve. The most effective way to begin with the end in mind is to create a personalmission statement. It is your constitution, the solid expression of your vision and your values. It is the criterion by which you measure everything else in your life. For your teaching practices, you would do this by creating a personal teaching dossier. To use a computer science analogy, Habit 1 says, "I am the programmer". Habit 2 says, "Write the program".Questions for Discussion What is your personal mission statement for teaching? Who can help me put together a teaching dossier? Should we get our students to construct their own mission statement for their learning? Should we work with our students to construct a mission statement for the class, together? Should there be a mission statement for the department? If so, what will it look like?Habit 3 Put First Things FirstAll things are created twice: theres a mental creation, then theres a physical creation. Habit 3 is the physical creation. Habit 3 is the exercise ofindependent willtoward becoming principle-centered, doing it day-in, day-out, moment-by-moment. To use our computer science analogy again: Habit 1 says, "I am the programmer". Habit 2 says, "Write the program". Habit 3 says, "Run the program". "The human will is an amazing thing. Time after time, it has triumphed against unbelievable odds. The Helen Kellers of this world give dramatic evidence to the value, the power of independent will." (Covey, p. 148) "The successful person has the habit of doing the things failures dont like to do. They dont like doing them either necessarily. But their disliking is subordinated to the strength of their purpose." (Covey, p. 149). Notes on effective time management: organize and execute around priorities. challenge is not to manage time, but to manage ourselves. dont focus onthingsandtime, focus on preserving and enhancingrelationshipsand on accomplishingresults. sometimes, we must learn to say no. The key is not to prioritize what is on your schedule, but toschedule your priorities. Effective people are not problem-minded; they are opportunity-minded.The Time Management MatrixUrgentNot Urgent

ImportantQUADRANT ICrisesPressing problemsDeadline-driven projectsQUADRANT IIProduction-capability activitiesRelationship buildingRecognizing new opportunitiesLong-range planning, exercising

Not ImportantQUADRANT IIIInterruptions, some phone callsSome mail, some reportsSome meetingsProximate, pressing mattersPopular activitiesQUADRANT IVTrivia, busy workSome mailSome phone callsTime wastersPleasant activities

Quadrant II is the heart of effective personal management. It deals with things that are not urgent, but important. Benefits of spending most of your time in Quadrant II: vision, perspective, balance, discipline, control, and very few crises. Stressed-out, burned-out people spend 90% of their time in Quadrant I, and 10% of their time in Quadrant IV. For them, there is notimeto do Quadrant II activities! Quadrant I people have little time to do anything other than crisis management.Questions for Discussion: As teachers, researchers, and administrators, we spend so much of our time in Quadrant I. What specific things can we do to spend more of our time in Quadrant II? What are some Quadrant II activities that are directly relevant to our teaching practices?The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teachers, Part 2Richard HoshinoLast time, we looked at the first three habits in Stephen R. Coveys motivational book, "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People", and discussed how we can apply them to improve our teaching practices.Before we look at the last four habits, lets review where this is all leading:Originally, we all start off dependent. The focus ofdependenceisyou.Youtake care of me;youcome through for me;youdidnt come through; I blameyoufor the results. We need the first three habits to lift us towards independence. Independenceis the paradigm ofIIcan do it;Iam responsible;Iam self-reliant,Ican choose. That is different frominterdependence, which is the paradigm ofwewecan do it;wecan cooperate;wecan combine our talents and abilities and create something greater together. These next four habits will lift us from independence to interdependence. "As we become independent proactive, centered in correct principles, value driven and able to organize and execute around the priorities in our life with integrity we then can choose to become interdependent capable of building rich, enduring, highly productive relationships with other people." (Covey, p. 187)Introduction The Emotional Bank AccountIn a financial bank account, we can make deposits and build up a reserve, and we can make withdrawals which does the exact opposite. AnEmotional Bank Accountis a metaphor that describes the amount of trust that has been built up in a relationship. Its the feeling of safeness you have with another human being. When we build up a reserve in an individuals Emotional Bank Account, communication becomes easy, instant, respectful, and effective. If there are no reserves, then communication becomes hostile and defensive. Two examples of withdrawing from the Emotional Bank Account: Father to son: "Go clean your room. Button your shirt. Turn down the radio. And dont forget to take out the garbage!" Teacher to student: "Write down this formula. Memorize it since Im going to test you on it. This is what you need to know, so make sure you learn it." Six ways to make a deposit in someones Emotional Bank Account: Understanding the individual Attending to the little things (e.g. office hours) Keeping commitments Clarifying expectations Showing personal integrity Apologizing sincerely when you make a withdrawal When students want to see us for help, let us look at this as a positive opportunity to build a relationship with that student, rather than a negative and burdensome chore. Instead of thinking, "oh no, not another student wanting my help", lets say, "here is a great opportunity for me to really help this student and have that person develop trust and confidence in me as an educator." Attitude is everything.Habit 4 Think Win/WinThere are always four types of outcomes to an interaction between two people, or two parties. Lets specifically look at the interaction between a teacher and a student. Win/Win(Nash Equilibrium) Agreements and solutions are mutually beneficial and mutually satisfying. The teacher and the student come up with the solutiontogether. Its not my way or your way, its abetterway. Win/Lose This is the idea that if I win, then you must lose. So I must strive to win, regardless of how that would make you feel. As teachers, often we have this mentality with our students: we use our position, power, and credentials to get our way. Most of us view assessment as a Win/Lose paradigm, by measuring students relative to their peers. Competition, not cooperation, lies at the core of the educational process. (Cooperation is often associated with cheating). Lose/Win This can be summarized by the following attitude: "Go ahead, have your way with me. Ill conform to make you happy. I just want to make sure that you like me." Some teachers seek strength from popularity or acceptance, and feel that their effectiveness is based on how well they are liked by their students. Inexperienced teachers, in particular, forget that being an effective teacher and being well-liked by their students are two very different things. Lose/Lose What happens when two people with Win/Lose attitudes get together to resolve a conflict. Both parties lose.The Dalhousie strike was an excellent example of Lose/Lose. Life is aninterdependentreality, not anindependentreality. We must strive for Win/Win. Lets create Win/Win performance agreements with each of our students: "I am always amazed at the results that happen, both to individuals and to organizations, when responsible, proactive, self-directing individuals are turned loose on a task". (Covey, p. 226) "My best experiences in teaching university classes have come when I have created a Win/Win shared understanding of the goal up front. Id say, This is what were trying to accomplish. Here are the basic requirements for an A, B, or C grade. My goal is to help every one of you get an A. Now you take what weve talked about and analyze it and come up with your own understanding of what you want to accomplish that is unique to you. Then lets get together and agree on the grade you want and what you plan to do to get it. " (Covey, p. 227) "Teachers can set up grading systems based on an individuals performance in the context of agreed upon criteria and can encourage students to cooperate in productive ways to help each other learn and achieve." (Covey, p. 232).Note: in educational circles, this is known as a rubric. Often students work with the teacher in designing this rubric. In order to create a Win/Win Performance Agreement with our students, we need to make the following five things explicitly clear: Desired Results Guidelines Resources Accountability ConsequencesQuestions for Discussion: What are somespecificWin/Win Performance Agreements we can make with our students in our classes? Whats effective about the way we currently assess our students? What can be done better?Habit 5 Seek First to Understand, then to be Understood"If I were to summarize in one sentence the single most important principle I have learned in the field of interpersonal relations, it would be this:seek first to understand, then to be understood. This principle is the key to effective interpersonal communication." (Covey, p. 237) Communication is the most important skill in life. We are all good at reading, writing, and speaking. But how good are we atlistening? Especially with our own students, how often do wetrulylisten to them? Emphatic listening: listening with intent tounderstand. We are trying to get inside another persons frame of reference, to see the worldtheysee the world, to understandtheirparadigm. Communication experts estimate that only 10% of our communication is expressed by words. About 30% is represented by our sounds, and the other 60% is expressed by our body language. In emphatic listening, we listen with our ears, but also, and more importantly, we listen with our eyes and with our heart. You listen for feeling, for meaning. Note: emphatic listening is not the same as sympathetic listening. "The essence of emphatic listening is not that you agree with someone; its that you fully, deeply, understand that person, emotionally as well as intellectually." (Covey, p. 240). Once we truly understand the other person,thenwe can seek to be understood. We definematurityas thebalance between courage and consideration. Seeking to understand requires consideration; seeking to be understood takes courage. Win/Win agreements require a high degree of both.Questions for Discussion: Do you feel that emphatic listening skills are important with your students, or do you feel that it is more important to establish your authority?I am positive we will have very diverse opinions on this. As educators, what can we do to develop our emphatic listening skills?Habit 6 SynergizeSynergyis the principle that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. It is the realization that 1 plus 1 can equal 3. "When you communicate synergistically, you are opening your mind and heart and expressions to new possibilities, new alternatives, new options." (Covey, p. 264). It is creative problem-solving at its finest. We need to develop trust by making deposits in the Emotional Bank Account. If we dont have trust and cooperation, we cant have synergy. Thats why we first need Habits 4 and 5.Questions for Discussion: When we meet to brainstorm for ideas on improving our Math 1000/1010 and Stat 1060 courses, think about how we can use the motive of Habit 4, the skill of Habit 5, and the interaction of Habit 6:Habit 4: aim for a Win/Win situation, a mission statement, curriculum and pedagogy that will be satisfying to all of us, as well as meaningful to our students.Habit 5: understand one another first, then seek to be understood.Habit 6: once we become very open to each others influence, we will be able to generate new insights and options together. We will release our creative synergy potential. What specific things can we do to achieve synergy in our classes?Habit 7 Sharpening the SawThis habit involves developing your personal PC (production capability). It is preserving and enhancing the greatest asset in your life:you. There are four dimensions to our nature: physical, spiritual, mental, and social / emotional.Sharpening the Sawbasically means expressing all four dimensions of our nature, regularly, and consistently in wise and balanced ways. Personally, I feel that effective teaching comes from a balance in all four dimensions of our nature. Physical Dimension: this dimension includes exercise, nutrition, managing stress, and getting enough R&R. Exercise is a classic Quadrant II activity because we realize it is important but because it is not urgent, most of us dont do it regularly. Sooner or later, it catches up to us. Exercise is a great way for all of us to develop proactivity. Spiritual Dimension: this dimension is our core, our centre, our commitment to our value system. How can we renew our spirit every single day? We can do this in a multitude of ways. You can achieve this through prayer or meditation. You can immerse yourself in great literature or great music. You can spend time with nature. This can all have an incredible effect of spiritual renewal. Martin Luther once said "I have so much to do today, Ill need to spend another hour on my knees". For him, prayer was not a mechanical duty, but a source of power in releasing and multiplying his energy. We all need to spend enough time with our spirit, renewing it daily. Let us all create our own personal mission statement so that we can have a deep understanding of our centre and our unique purpose, and spend the time to recommit to it every day. Mental Dimension: this dimension involves developing our own learning, and striving for continuous improvement. For our own teaching practices, this could include going to conferences, workshops, and discussion groups on education, such as this study group of ours. We can read books on educational theories. We can write journals of our thoughts and learning experiences from the classroom, and reflect on how we can become better teachers. All of these are excellent examples of Quadrant II activities. "Sharpening the Saw in the first three dimensions the physical, the spiritual, and the mental is a practice I call the Daily Private Victory. And I commend to you the simple practice of spending one hour a day every day doing it one hour a day for the rest of your life. Theres no other way you could spend an hour that would begin to compare with the Daily Private Victory in terms of value and results. It will affect every decision, every relationship. It will greatly improve the quality, the effectiveness, of every other hour of the day it will build the long-term physical, spiritual, and mental strength to enable you to handle [the most] difficult challenges in life." (Covey, p. 296) Social / Emotional Dimension: while the first three dimensions are closely related to Habits 1, 2, and 3, the social / emotional dimension focuses on Habits 4, 5, and 6. This dimension is centered on the principles of interpersonal leadership, empathic communication, and creative cooperation. Applying these three principles to our daily lives, we achieve effective interdependent living. If we can apply these three principles to our teaching, we will become effective interdependent educators. We develop intrinsic security and confidence from helping other people in a meaningful way.Influence, not recognition, becomes the motive. In the words of Hans Selye, "a long, healthy, and happy life is the result of making contributions, of having meaningful projects that are personally exciting and contribute to and bless the lives of others".

5 Ways To Be A Calmer, More Effective TeacherbyMichael LinsinonMarch 10, 2012Your temperament has a strong impact on student behavior.If you have a tendency to become tense, stressed, or uptight around your students, then theyre far more likely to misbehave.Because a tightly wound teacher translates to a tension-filled classroomthe kind of tension visitors can feel tingling in their sensory receptors the moment they enter your classroom.And make no mistake. Tension is bad for classroom management, causing students to become excitable, unfocused, and primed to cause trouble.The good news is that it isnt difficult to change.It isnt difficult to approach each new day of teaching with a calm, unruffled sense of purposedissipating tension like a lifting fog reveals a sunny day.Heres how:Decide.Maintaining a calm attitude throughout your teaching day is a choice you makebeforeyour students arrive. So every day, sometime prior to the morning bell, give yourself a moment of peace to sit quietly at your desk. Take a few deep breaths and relax into your chair.Now decide that no matter what happens that day, no matter how crazy or how alarming,you will notlose your composure. And guess what? You wont.This technique, employed by scores of professional athletes, seems almost too easy. But its remarkably, inexplicably effective.Slow down.By slowing your movements to an easier-going, more graceful pace, your mind will slow down as wellbecoming less distracted, more observant, and better able to respond to your students.You dont have to move like a Tai Chi master or in any way dampen your enthusiasm. Its more of a reminder not to get caught up frenetically shuffling papers, pacing a groove in the floor, orracing mindlessly from one task to anotheras so many teachers are wont to do.Speak calmly.When giving directions, providing information, and responding to your students, it pays to speak calmly. It soothes nervous energy, helps students focus on you and your message, and gives them confidence that what you say is important and worth listening to.During lessons, however, all bets are off.You might find yourself whispering with wide-eyed fascination one moment and giving an oration like James Earl Jones the next. Calmness on inside doesnt mean passionless or moribund on the outside.Breathe.Its remarkable what a few long, slow breaths can do. Almost immediately, blood pressure drops, your expression softens, and tension drains from your body. By taking a couple of deep breaths every hour, youll exhale the tension and excitability right out of your classroom.Oxygen provides vital energy and brainpower. And when you become aware of your breathing, youll not only calm your own nerves, sharpen your mental acuity, and brighten your state of mind, but youll become a calming, centering influence on your students.Prepare.You may have heard it said that its physically impossible to be nervous if your body remains relaxed. This may be true, but far its easier said than done. Relax the mind, however, and the body is sure to follow.A simple, real-world way to do this is to be mentally prepared. Take a couple minutes to review your lesson plans. Visualize how the day will proceed. See yourself responding to your students with poise, dignity, and calm assuredness.Calming WatersExcitability in students is a major source of misbehavior, and in nearly every circumstance, teachers are to blame.Perpetually busy, racing thoughts, under the gun, unsure, unprepared, stressed-out. These common teacher behaviors create tension in the classroom and push students buttons like almost nothing else.It makes them feel like theyre forever clicking to the top of a roller coaster, anticipating a drop that never comes. They cant sit still. They cant pay attention. And all they want to do is squirm, chat, play, and roughhouse . . . anything but listen to you.But you have the power to fix it. You have the power to calm the stirred waters of your classroom. It takes nothing more than a new way of thinkinga simple turn of the wheel, a change of direction.And its smooth sailing ahead.If you havent done so already, please join us. Its free!Click hereand begin receiving classroom management articles like this one in your email box every week.

How To Teach Without Getting Stressed-Out; Arghhh!byMichael LinsinonApril 10, 2010I have a technique you can start using tomorrow that will eliminate stress from your teaching life.This no-stress method is so effective, in fact, that many professional athletes use it before a competition.For them, keeping their composure can mean the difference between winning and losing, success and failure.For teachers the stakes are equally high.Its the difference between having a pleasant day and a miserable one, between loving your job and counting the days to retirement. Plus, teachers who are able to keep their cool have fewer behavior problems.The technique is easy to use, takes just a couple of minutes, and works surprisingly well.

The Decide-First MethodIts called the decide-first method of stress relief. I stumbled upon it many years ago while still a wet-behind-the-ears student teacher.My first student teaching assignment was with an unruly group of fifth graders.As is often the case, the teacher in charge of the class was looking for a way to take a break from her responsibilities. The students were bouncing off the walls, and she was pulling her hair out. Soon after I arrived she handed the class over to me.I couldnt have been happier.Dirty Little Secret:teachers who frequently volunteer to host student teachers often need mentoring themselves.When I made the decision to become a teacher, I decided that I was going to love my job no matter the circumstances. I wasnt going to sit back andseeif I was going to be fulfilled, happy, or having fun.I was going to make it happen for myself.So when I was thrown to the wolves as a new teacher, this attitude led me to start using the decide-first method.Every day before walking into the chaos of my first teaching experience, I sat in my car, closed my eyes, and decided that no matter what happened that day, I wasnt going to let it affect me emotionally.A herd of elephants could come crashing through the door, but I committed myself to being as calm as a Tibetan monk.At the time I didnt have experienced classroom management skills. I knew few of the strategies and techniques that are now second nature to me.But a funny thing happened.The students began to feed off of my calm energy. And every day I gained greater control and respect. Within a couple of weeks I was indeed enjoyinglovingwhat I was doing.A Lesson From Sports PsychologyI was watching the Tennis Channel recently, and during a segment called Fit To Hit, sports psychologist Dr. Allen Fox was asked how tennis players can best control their emotions on the court.He said that, before a match, if they will make a conscience decision to keep their composuredespite the adversity they may facethen remarkably, they will.Its that simple.Being stress free in the classroom, as well as on the tennis court, is a decision you make. Stress doesnt happen to you; you let it happen to you.But you cant wait until youre feeling stressed. By then its too late. The key is to decide beforehand.How To Use The Decide-First MethodThe following is a three-step plan for eliminating stress from teaching. Do it every day before your students arrive in the morning, and you will be happy with the results.Step #1Close your classroom door, sit down in a comfortable chair, and allow yourself a minute or two of silence.Step #2Close your eyes, take a few deep breaths, and relax your body.Step #3Decide that you will stay calm and relaxed no matter what happens that day. Commit yourself to handling every situation, every unforeseen circumstance, and every behavior with poise and confidence.And you will.The BenefitsThe most obvious benefit of using the decide-first method is that youre going to like your job a lot better. Here are a few more benefits: Your calm, confident demeanor will sweep the negative and excitable energy out of your classroom. Your students will respond to you differently. Youll appear more in control, more confident, and more like a leader theyll want to follow. Your students will become calmer. Your state of mind has more effect on students than you realize. What youre feeling on the inside reveals itself clearly on the outside. Behavior will improve. Youll begin relying on your classroom management plan instead of trying to force or convince students to behavewhich is ineffective and stressful.Try the decide-first method tomorrow. It could be the best day of teaching youve had in a long time.

How To Teach Your Classroom Management PlanbyMichael LinsinonAugust 13, 2011Of all the responsibilities you have on the first day of school, teaching yourclassroom management planis nmero uno in importance. After all, your success as a teacher hinges on your ability to manage your classroom.Thats just the way it is.Teachers who are nonchalant about classroom management, or who see it as a nuisance, wont be nearly as effective as those who place it at the top of their list.To put it more plainly,experts in classroom managementare better teachershands down. Theyre also happier, more confident, and have healthier relationships with students.So right out of the gate, after a few opening remarks, youll do well to dive right in and show your new class exactly what is expected of themby teaching your classroom management plan in a way theyll never forget.Heres how:Be ClearBring your classroom management plan into high-def focus for your students, making it clear and comprehensiblebecause ambiguity and confusion are the enemies of effective classroom management. Leave no doubt as to what constitutes following and breaking your rules by shining a light on even the most nuanced misbehavior.Be PassionateIts rarely subject matter that motivates students. Its the teacher and the passion she brings to the lesson. Given its importance, teaching classroom management isthetime to let it out. Allow your students to see the real you, the one determined to create a classroom experience beyond the norm, the mundane, and the colorlesswhile reaching toward the extraordinary.Be DynamicTeaching classroom management is a physical experience. To make it real for your students, to make it unforgettable, you must dramatize, model, and perform your way through your plan, vividly showing them what both following rules and breaking them looks and feels like. Walk them through each progressive step a misbehaving student would take.Be ContrarianUse thehow-not strategyto demonstrate the most common rule-breaking behaviors students engage in. Sit at a students desk and show themhow notto get your attention,how notto ask a question, orhow notto behave during lessons. They must see and experience what isnt okay in order to fully understand what is.Be InteractiveInvolve your students physically in teaching your plan. Let them role-play scenarios. Allow them be the teacher while you play the part of a student. Gather them around you, encourage questions, let them take an active role. After all, they have more at stake and more to gain from quality classroom management than even you do.

Be ThoroughSurprises lead to confusion, resentment, and ultimately more misbehavior. Make sure there is no misunderstanding. Make sure your students know precisely where your boundary lines are. Otherwise, theyll be forever uncomfortable, unsure of themselves, and unable to relax and enjoy the freedom within your boundaries.Note:The idea of allowing freedom within boundaries is a critical element of exceptional classroom management (a trade secret). To read more, see the first chapter ofDream Class.Be SkepticalFor review, ask your students to show you how to ask a question or how to get up to turn in work or how to attend during lessons. Make them prove they understand. Have them demonstrate what following rules does and doesnt look like. If you like, depending on the grade level, you can even devise a written test.How Often, How Long

One of the most common questions I get is how long should it take to teach your classroom management plan. An hour or so a day forthe first week of schoolshould be enough for initial learning.After that youll want to review every day for the next three or four weeks. Sometimes this review will only take a few minutesor as long as it takes to read aloud your plan.Other days you may want to review entire sections in detail. After three or four weeks, if youve been thorough with your teaching, chances are youll revisit your plan only occasionally throughout the year. Once per week being a good rule of thumb.Make It ImportantStudents are quick to buy into and follow whatever the teacher deems is important. And so whenclassroom management is shown to be a priority, even if it feels like a complete cultural shift from what theyre used to, your students will go right along in agreement.Theyll be on board, supporting your desire to make your classroom a special place, bereft of bad attitudes, negativity, rudeness, disruption, and disrespect.Every student, deep down, when shown the way, wants to do well. They all want to experience the feeling of being more than what they thought they could be. They all want a chance to be a part of something unique and meaningful and remarkable. We all do.So on that first day, and throughout the first week, when you paint for your students a vigorous and vibrant picture of what a dream class looks like

Mathematics Through Problem Solvingby Margaret TaplinInstitute of Sathya Sai Education, Hong Kong

What Is A 'Problem-Solving Approach'?

As the emphasis has shifted from teaching problem solving to teachingviaproblem solving (Lester, Masingila, Mau, Lambdin, dos Santon and Raymond, 1994), many writers have attempted to clarify what is meant by a problem-solving approach to teaching mathematics. The focus is on teaching mathematical topics through problem-solving contexts and enquiry-oriented environments which are characterised by the teacher 'helping students construct a deep understanding of mathematical ideas and processes by engaging them in doing mathematics: creating, conjecturing, exploring, testing, and verifying' (Lester et al., 1994, p.154). Specific characteristics of a problem-solving approach include:

interactions between students/students and teacher/students (Van Zoest et al., 1994) mathematical dialogue and consensus between students (Van Zoest et al., 1994) teachers providing just enough information to establish background/intent of the problem, and students clarifing, interpreting, and attempting to construct one or more solution processes (Cobb et al., 1991) teachers accepting right/wrong answers in a non-evaluative way (Cobb et al., 1991) teachers guiding, coaching, asking insightful questions and sharing in the process of solving problems (Lester et al., 1994) teachers knowing when it is appropriate to intervene, and when to step back and let the pupils make their own way (Lester et al., 1994) A further characteristic is that a problem-solving approach can be used to encourage students to make generalisations about rules and concepts, a process which is central to mathematics (Evan and Lappin, 1994).

Schoenfeld (in Olkin and Schoenfeld, 1994, p.43) described the way in which the use of problem solving in his teaching has changed since the 1970s:My early problem-solving courses focused on problems amenable to solutions by Polya-type heuristics: draw a diagram, examine special cases or analogies, specialize, generalize, and so on. Over the years the courses evolved to the point where they focused less on heuristics per se and more on introducing students to fundamental ideas: the importance of mathematical reasoning and proof..., for example, and of sustained mathematical investigations (where my problems served as starting points for serious explorations, rather than tasks to be completed).

Schoenfeld also suggested that a good problem should be one which can be extended to lead to mathematical explorations and generalisations. He described three characteristics of mathematical thinking:1. valuing the processes of mathematization and abstraction and having the predilection to apply them2. developing competence with the tools of the trade and using those tools in the service of the goal of understanding structure - mathematical sense-making (Schoenfeld, 1994, p.60).3. As Cobb et al. (1991) suggested, the purpose for engaging in problem solving is not just to solve specific problems, but to 'encourage the interiorization and reorganization of the involved schemes as a result of the activity' (p.187). Not only does this approach develop students' confidence in their own ability to think mathematically (Schifter and Fosnot, 1993), it is a vehicle for students to construct, evaluate and refine their own theories about mathematics and the theories of others (NCTM, 1989). Because it has become so predominant a requirement of teaching, it is important to consider the processes themselves in more detail.

The Role of Problem Solving in Teaching Mathematics as a Process

Problem solving is an important component of mathematics education because it is the single vehicle which seems to be able to achieve at school level all three of the values of mathematics listed at the outset of this article: functional, logical and aesthetic. Let us consider how problem solving is a useful medium for each of these.

It has already been pointed out that mathematics is an essential discipline because of its practical role to the individual and society. Through a problem-solving approach, this aspect of mathematics can be developed. Presenting a problem and developing the skills needed to solve that problem is more motivational than teaching the skills without a context. Such motivation gives problem solving special value as a vehicle for learning new concepts and skills or the reinforcement of skills already acquired (Stanic and Kilpatrick, 1989, NCTM, 1989). Approaching mathematics through problem solving can create a context which simulates real life and therefore justifies the mathematics rather than treating it as an end in itself. The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM, 1980) recommended that problem solving be the focus of mathematics teaching because, they say, it encompasses skills and functions which are an important part of everyday life. Furthermore it can help people to adapt to changes and unexpected problems in their careers and other aspects of their lives. More recently the Council endorsed this recommendation (NCTM, 1989) with the statement that problem solving should underly all aspects of mathematics teaching in order to give students experience of the power of mathematics in the world around them. They see problem solving as a vehicle for students to construct, evaluate and refine their own theories about mathematics and the theories of others.

According to Resnick (1987) a problem-solving approach contributes to the practical use of mathematics by helping people to develop the facility to be adaptable when, for instance, technology breaks down. It can thus also help people to transfer into new work environments at this time when most are likely to be faced with several career changes during a working lifetime (NCTM, 1989). Resnick expressed the belief that 'school should focus its efforts on preparing people to be good adaptive learners, so that they can perform effectively when situations are unpredictable and task demands change' (p.18). Cockcroft (1982) also advocated problem solving as a means of developing mathematical thinking as a tool for daily living, saying that problem-solving ability lies 'at the heart of mathematics' (p.73) because it is the means by which mathematics can be applied to a variety of unfamiliar situations.

Problem solving is, however, more than a vehicle for teaching and reinforcing mathematical knowledge and helping to meet everyday challenges. It is also a skill which can enhance logical reasoning. Individuals can no longer function optimally in society by just knowing the rules to follow to obtain a correct answer. They also need to be able to decide through a process of logical deduction what algorithm, if any, a situation requires, and sometimes need to be able to develop their own rules in a situation where an algorithm cannot be directly applied. For these reasons problem solving can be developed as a valuable skill in itself, a way of thinking (NCTM, 1989), rather than just as the means to an end of finding the correct answer.

Many writers have emphasised the importance of problem solving as a means of developing the logical thinking aspect of mathematics. 'If education fails to contribute to the development of the intelligence, it is obviously incomplete. Yet intelligence is essentially the ability to solve problems: everyday problems, personal problems ... '(Polya, 1980, p.1). Modern definitions of intelligence (Gardner, 1985) talk about practical intelligence which enables 'the individual to resolve genuine problems or difficulties that he or she encounters' (p.60) and also encourages the individual to find or create problems 'thereby laying the groundwork for the acquisition of new knowledge' (p.85). As was pointed out earlier, standard mathematics, with the emphasis on the acquisition of knowledge, does not necessarily cater for these needs. Resnick (1987) described the discrepancies which exist between the algorithmic approaches taught in schools and the 'invented' strategies which most people use in the workforce in order to solve practical problems which do not always fit neatly into a taught algorithm. As she says, most people have developed 'rules of thumb' for calculating, for example, quantities, discounts or the amount of change they should give, and these rarely involve standard algorithms. Training in problem-solving techniques equips people more readily with the ability to adapt to such situations.

A further reason why a problem-solving approach is valuable is as an aesthetic form. Problem solving allows the student to experience a range of emotions associated with various stages in the solution process. Mathematicians who successfully solve problems say that the experience of having done so contributes to an appreciation for the 'power and beauty of mathematics' (NCTM, 1989, p.77), the "joy of banging your head against a mathematical wall, and then discovering that there might be ways of either going around or over that wall" (Olkin and Schoenfeld, 1994, p.43). They also speak of the willingness or even desire to engage with a task for a length of time which causes the task to cease being a 'puzzle' and allows it to become a problem. However, although it is this engagement which initially motivates the solver to pursue a problem, it is still necessary for certain techniques to be available for the involvement to continue successfully. Hence more needs to be understood about what these techniques are and how they can best be made available.

In the past decade it has been suggested that problem-solving techniques can be made available most effectively through making problem solving the focus of the mathematics curriculum. Although mathematical problems have traditionally been a part of the mathematics curriculum, it has been only comparatively recently that problem solving has come to be regarded as an important medium for teaching and learning mathematics (Stanic and Kilpatrick, 1989). In the past problem solving had a place in the mathematics classroom, but it was usually used in a token way as a starting point to obtain a single correct answer, usually by following a single 'correct' procedure. More recently, however, professional organisations such as the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM, 1980 and 1989) have recommended that the mathematics curriculum should be organized around problem solving, focusing on:

(i)developing skills and the ability to apply these skills to unfamiliar situations

(ii)gathering, organising, interpreting and communicating information

(iii)formulating key questions, analyzing and conceptualizing problems, defining problems and goals, discovering patterns and similarities, seeking out appropriate data, experimenting, transferring skills and strategies to new situations

(iv)developing curiosity, confidence and open-mindedness (NCTM, 1980, pp.2-3).

One of the aims of teaching through problem solving is to encourage students to refine and build onto their own processes over a period of time as their experiences allow them to discard some ideas and become aware of further possibilities (Carpenter, 1989). As well as developing knowledge, the students are also developing an understanding of when it is appropriate to use particular strategies. Through using this approach the emphasis is on making the students more responsible for their own learning rather than letting them feel that the algorithms they use are the inventions of some external and unknown 'expert'. There is considerable importance placed on exploratory activities, observation and discovery, and trial and error. Students need to develop their own theories, test them, test the theories of others, discard them if they are not consistent, and try something else (NCTM, 1989). Students can become even more involved in problem solving by formulating and solving their own problems, or by rewriting problems in their own words in order to facilitate understanding. It is of particular importance to note that they are encouraged to discuss the processes which they are undertaking, in order to improve understanding, gain new insights into the problem and communicate their ideas (Thompson, 1985, Stacey and Groves, 1985).

Conclusion

It has been suggested in this chapter that there are many reasons why a problem-solving approach can contribute significantly to the outcomes of a mathematics education. Not only is it a vehicle for developing logical thinking, it can provide students with a context for learning mathematical knowledge, it can enhance transfer of skills to unfamiliar situations and it is an aesthetic form in itself. A problem-solving approach can provide a vehicle for students to construct their own ideas about mathematics and to take responsibility for their own learning. There is little doubt that the mathematics program can be enhanced by the establishment of an environment in which students are exposed to teaching via problem solving, as opposed to more traditional models of teaching about problem solving. The challenge for teachers, at all levels, is to develop the process of mathematical thinking alongside the knowledge and to seek opportunities to present even routine mathematics tasks in problem-solving contexts.

References

Carpenter, T. P. (1989). 'Teaching as problem solving'. In R.I.Charles and E.A. Silver (Eds),The Teaching and Assessing of Mathematical Problem Solving,(pp.187-202). USA: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.

Four principles of deeply effective math teachingIf you were asked what were the most important principles in mathematics teaching, what would you say? I wasn't really asked, but I started thinking, and came up with these basic habits that can keep your math teaching on the right track.Principle 1: Let It Make SensePrinciple 2: Remember the GoalsPrinciple 3: Know Your ToolsPrinciple 4: Living and Loving Math

Principle 1: Let It Make SenseLet us strive to teach for understanding of mathematical concepts and procedures, the"why"something works, and not only the "how".This understanding, as I'm sure you realize, doesn't always come immediately. It may take even several years to grasp a concept. For example, place value is something children understand partially at first, and then that deepens over a few years.This is why many math curricula use spiraling: they come back to a concept the next year, the next year, and the next. This can be very good if not done excessively (for 5-6 years is probably excessive).However, spiraling has pitfalls also: if your child doesn't get a concept,don't blindly "trust" the spiralingand think, "Well, she gets it the next year when the book comes back around to it."The next year's schoolbook won't necessarily present the concept at the same level - the presentation might be too difficult. If a child doesn't "get it", they might need very basic instruction for the concept again.The"how"something works is often calledprocedural understanding: the child knows how to work long division or knows the procedure for fraction addition. It is often possible to learn the "how" mechanically without understanding why something works. Procedures learned this way are often forgotten very easily.The relationship between the "how" and the "why" - or between procedures and concepts - is complex.One doesn't always come totally before the other, and it also varies from child to child. And, conceptual and procedural understanding actually help each other: conceptual knowledge (understanding the "why") is important for the development of procedural fluency, while fluent procedural knowledge supports the development of further understanding and learning.Try alternating the instruction: teach how to add fractions, and let the student practice. Then explain why it works. Go back to some practice. Back and forth. Sooner or later it should 'stick' - but it might be next year instead of this one, or after 6 months instead of this month.As a rule of thumb, don't totally leave a topic until the student both knows "how" and understands the "why".Tip: you can often test a student's understanding of a topic by asking him toproduce an example, preferably with a picture or other illustration: "Tell me an example of multiplying a fraction by a whole number, and draw a picture of it." Whatever gets produced can tell the teacher a lot about what has been understood.

Principle 2: Remember the GoalsWhat are the goals of your math teaching? Are they... to finish the book by the end of school year make sure the kids pass the test ...?Or do you have goals such as: My student can add, simplify, and multiply fractions My student can divide by 10, 100, and 1000.These are all just "subgoals". Butwhat is the ultimate goalof learning school mathematics?Consider these goals: Students need to be able to navigate their lives in this ever-so-complex modern world.This involves dealing with taxes, loans, credit cards, purchases, budgeting, and shopping. Our youngsters need to be able to handle money wisely. All that requires good understanding of parts, proportions, and percents. Another very important goal of mathematics education as a whole is toenable the students to understand information aroud us. In today's world, this includes quite a bit of scientific information. Being able to read through it and make sense of it requires knowing big and small numbers, statistics, probability, and percents. And then one more. We need toprepare our students for further studies in math and science. Not everyone ultimately needs algebra, but many do, and teens don't always know what profession they might choose or end up with. I'd like to add one more broad goal of math education:teaching deductive reasoning. Of course high school geometry is a good example of this, but when taught properly, other areas of school math can be as well. Then one more goal that Ipersonallyfeel fairly strongly about:let students see some beauty of mathematicsandto learn to like it, or at the very least, make sure they don't feel negatively about mathematics.The more you can keep these bigrealgoals in mind, the better you can connect your subgoals to them. And the more you can keep the goals and the subgoals in mind, the better teacher you will be.For example, adding, simplifying, and multiplying fractions all connect with the broader goal of understanding part-and-whole relationships. It will soon lead to ratios, proportions, and percent. Also, all fraction operations are a necessary basis for solving rational equations and for the operations with rational expressions (in algebra).Tying in with the goals, remember that the BOOK or CURRICULUM is just a tool to achieve the goals not a goal in itself. Don't ever be a slave to any math book.

Principle 3: Know Your ToolsA math teacher's tools are quite numerous nowadays.First of all of course comes a black or white board or paper something to write on, then we have pencils, compass, protractor, ruler, eraser....And the book you're using.Then we have computer software, interactive activities, animated lessons and such.

There are workbooks, fun books, worktexts, books, and online tutorials.

Then we have manipulatives,abacus, measuring cups, scales, algebra tiles, and so on. And then there are games,games, games.The choices are so numerous it's daunting. What's a teacher to do?Well, you just have to start somewhere, probably wi