By Samantha Smith
It’s critical for students to see you setting a healthy, emotionally regulated example. As education systems continue to push social–emotional learning, teachers must be cognizant of the real-time examples they are demonstrating. Imagine a student has disrupted your class numerous times and, although you have called for support, no one is available. We’ve all been there, right? Suppose the disruptive student begins to hurl insults. What are your next steps? How do you react? Remember, you must set the tone.
By Brian Golwitzer
Student engagement is a concern for all teachers, at all levels and across all disciplines. Teachers are often managing curriculum, planning, and instruction, while also assessing student need and student performance. No two students are the same, which makes for a constantly changing classroom environment and a need for teachers to evaluate and adapt their teaching methods to meet student needs. Since the early 20th century, multisensory teaching methods have provided a framework to address student engagement, differentiation, and student need.
By Julia Wilkins
Whether or not you have taken a course in how to build relationships and communicate with parents, you might find yourself feeling completely unprepared. Because parental involvement in school is positively associated with student achievement, it is important to know how to build relationships with parents to facilitate their involvement. An important point to remember is that “parents” can mean grandparents, stepparents, foster parents, and more.
By Gina Blackburn
Poet Maya Angelou once said, “My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style” (2014). As a middle or high school teacher, sticking to a simple, well-considered routine can keep you from becoming overwhelmed and over-stressed during your first year of teaching. Follow these simple tips to minimize busywork, bring balance to your life, and focus on the priorities in your work. Let’s make that first year one of thriving, not just surviving!
By Cindy Campbell
As a student teacher, you are not just evaluated on lesson planning and presentation. Your professionalism is also noted by those in a position to recommend you for a future job (Bigham et al., 2014; Ziebarth-Bovill et al., 2012). Throughout your student teaching, consider yourself to be on stage with three different audiences observing you:
The Students: They will be watching you like a hawk, seeing what you’re made of. “Is this one a pushover?” “Will this person call my parents if I misbehave?”
Your Cooperating Teacher: He or she is responsible for what happens in the classroom and must ensure the students are safe and learning. Your CT will be watching you to determine what you’re ready to do and when.
The Public: This group is the easiest to overlook. You don’t know who knows you out in public, like parents or educators at other schools; this is especially important if you live near your school.
By Virginia Resta and Leslie Huling
Let’s be clear. Learning to teach is a career-long process, and building a successful teaching career in a rapidly changing society means devoting deliberate attention to your own professional development (PD) while keeping your students’ needs foremost in mind. Teaching is about preparing our students for success in the future. Looking to the future, many workplace demands will likely involve considerable knowledge in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), so preparing students effectively is critical. Therefore, even if STEM is not your strong suit, you owe it to your students to prepare to be a proactive STEM teacher regardless of your grade level or discipline.