In the article, “How to Motivate Students: Top 12 Ways,” by Annie Condron, give classroom management tips. It can be hard to motivate students especially in the first year of teaching. Students tend to have short attention spans. The first tip, to grab their attention is to praise the students in big and small ways. Students like to know when they are doing well. The next step is to set the expectations for the class high. After that is to spread make excitement contagious.
Even though a classroom should be well managed, it is okay to change it up from time to time. Going along changing things up, give the students jobs and rotate the students through each job. Students can even be given the opportunity to choose their own jobs. Let the students have some control in the class. They like to feel like they are incharge. Taking it to the next level, you can allow your students to decide what you do on Fridays. The students can pick between lecture, discussion, study time, or what will work in your class. Another important thing to do is to relate the lessons to the students’ lives. Students tend to care more about what they are learning when they apply it to their lives. Don’t be afraid to show them the improvement that they have made. There are several more tips as well, but I thought that the ones that I listed were the most important from the list in helping the students who do not want to be in the class to participate in the class. A lot of these tips we have already talked about. I think that the best thing to do to help the kid that does not want to be there is to give them a responsibility. When students have a job to do, they feel like they are important and needed in the class. It may not work will all cases. Also changing how you do things and making sure that your class if fun and informative at the same time. How to Motivate Students: Top 12 Ways. (n.d.). Retrieved March 29, 2018, from http://www.teachhub.com/top-12-ways-motivate-students
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In the article, “Sewing Room Safety: Needles and Pins and Blades – Oh My,” by Liz Johnson, published on October 7th, 2011 talks about ways to keep your sewing room safe. Pins and needles are a common thing found in sewing rooms. They can sometimes be found in unexpected places, especially, the floor. Needles and pins are often discovered on the floor with our feet. That is why it is always a good idea to wear shoes when working in a sewing room. It is always a good idea to keep the sharp objects in as safe place near the sewing machine. It is also good to have a system for what you do when you need to through sharp objects away. The article suggests using an old spice container with the shaker holes at the top. All that needs to be done is to through the pins and needles in the container. When the container if full, then you throw it away. This prevents needles slipping out of the bag or getting lost.
When it comes to the iron, make sure that it turns off every time you leave the sewing room. It is really easy for small children or animals to knock irons over causing fires. Going along with children an animals, expect them to do the unexpected. They are unpredictable and it is better to keep them out of the room all together. The last tip is to put everything away when you are done with it and before leaving the classroom. This helps to keep track of where things are and keeping others safe when they enter the room. I thought that this article was extremely useful for not just home use but classroom use. There are a lot of things that can be considered dangerous in a sewing room. As a teacher, it is important to have the policies in place so that the students do not harm themselves or others. Having a policy to do with needles and pins is a good idea to keep them off the floor. It is not fun to find a needle in your foot. Sew4Home. (n.d.). Retrieved March 28, 2018, from https://sew4home.com/tips-resources/interviews-inspirations/sewing-room-safety-needles-and-pins-and-blades-oh-my “New Food Science Lab, food management sequence making future sweeter,” an article by Rachel Hatch, published on September 29, 2015 gives ways that family and consumer sciences labs are evolving. Having just renovated the food science classroom at Illinois State University, Rachel Vollmer is glad for the change in the room. Originally the room was set up to, “prepare women to be homemakers…”(para. 3). The room mimicked that of what you would find in a home. However, the family consumer science industry is heading in a different way. It is heading toward commercial use. This means that the labs have to be geared more toward restaurant and hospitality. The labs at Illinois State University are now equipped with commercial appliances.
With all of these new changes to the labs, it allows for more flexibility in the room arrangement. The tables are on wheels so that the room can be fixed to fit every class. The new equipment also gives students the opportunity to get a little experience with the equipment that they will be using in a restaurant. They are also taking in to consideration that there are a lot more dietary concerns now then their use to be. Students now have the task of trying to create foods that fit different dietary limits as well as learning the proper techniques for cooking. Even though this article did not give any tips for running a lab, I thought that it was very applicable to what we are as FCS teachers are going into. When I was in high school, we had the traditional labs that looked like our kitchens at home. When I stopped by the school just three years later, there was more commercial appliances. There was a commercial three compartment sink, and a commercial fridge and freezer. The school also had started the “Pro Start” program. This program helps prepare students to work in a restaurant. I think that it is important to know the way that our classes are headed because we will have to adapt what we teach to what is expected of us to teach. It also changes how we run our labs. A lab set up like residential kitchens are run slightly different than a lab set up like a restaurant. Hatch, R. (2015, October 13). New Food Science Lab, food management sequence making future sweeter. Retrieved March 23, 2018, from https://news.illinoisstate.edu/2015/09/new-food-science-lab-food-management-sequence-making-future-sweeter/ Jennifer Gonzalez wrote an article called, “5 Powerful Ways to Save Time as a Teacher,” on December 26, 2015. The article starts out by saying how teacher do not seem to have enough time to do all the work that they have. This can sometimes lead to an unbalanced life while trying to juggle home life and work life. Jennifer than notes the “40-hour Teacher Workweek Club,” a club that helps give out tips on how teachers can save time. The club was started by Angela Watson. Jennifer than goes on to list Angela’s five tips for saving time as a teacher.
The first one is to eliminate unintentional breaks such as, checking social media, drifting to the TV, or stopping for a second to talk to another teacher who popped in for a quick second. When focusing when at work, people tend to find more free time later. The second thing is to figure out what the main thing is a do it first. Often time teacher get caught up with all of the small things and put off the big thing. However, when the big thing is done first, we have more time to do the smaller things. Next is to do like activates in batches and avoid multi-tasking. Multi-tasking does not help accomplish anything and lead to poor work. It is suggested that instead of checking our email every 20 minutes that we set two times a day to check emails and respond to them. If we need to photocopy somethings, photocopy the whole weeks’ worth at the same time. This may take longer in the moment, but save time in the long run. The fourth thing is to look for ways that you can relax standards that are creating unnecessary work. Teachers tend to be perfectionist and want everything done right. However, trying to get everything done right is a lot of work. The last tip given is to use boundaries to set your time. Set a specific time for doing lesson plans and then stick to it. When teachers do this, they realize how long it takes to do a task. With this, it is important to stick to the schedule you created. People tend to work more effective if they have a time limit on what they are doing. I thought that this article was extremely helpful. The second tip reminded me of the rock, pebble, and sand demonstration for time use. When we do the big things first, we still have time to do the smaller things, but if we do the smaller things first, we do not have time for the large things. I also had never thought about working in batches. Personally check my email roughly ten times a day if not more. I could save a lot of time if I just checked it twice. The last tip makes a lot of sense to me. When I have an hour that I need to get something done in, I usually get it done. However, if I have the whole day, I don’t tend to get it done. It is interesting how that works. Gonzalez, J. (2015, December 26). 5 Powerful Ways to Save Time as a Teacher. Retrieved March 21, 2018, from https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/40hour/ The Food and Health website has an article called, “5 Fast and Easy Cooking Demonstration Ideas” give out tips on giving demonstrations. Most of tips come from Judy Doherty, the founder of Food and Health Communications. The article starts out by saying how hard demonstrations can be. Demonstrations should be engaging and informative. The recipes should be delicious and worth making. Sometimes, there is difficulty with the demonstration space.
The first tip given is to read the recipe all the way through a couple days before you have to give the demonstration. The next is to buy the ingredients two days before as well. Go through the lesson plan and make sure the information was correct. A couple hours before, make sure that you have all the equipment that you need and get it ready. Measure out the ingredients that you need and lay them out in order from the first one needed. The ingredient that you need first should be the closest to you. Review the safety information and all equipment to make sure that it is safe. While giving the demonstration, make sure that you introduce yourself. Also make sure you explain all the ingredients that you need for the demonstration. Give a quick outline of what you are going to do, then fallow the recipe. Once you are done, make sure you allow those observing the demonstration to test the food. If you are not making a batch big enough for everyone that will be there, prepare a couple batches a head of time so that everyone can taste it. Even though Judy’s tips are for a one time demonstration, her tips are helpful for even teachers. It is wise to make sure you can read a recipe because if you can’t read it, your students can’t read it. As FCS teachers, we will have a good idea of the equipment in our classroom works, but it is still a good idea to make sure that the equipment that is not used regularly will still work. I really like how she gives advice on when to give more information, or mini lessons during the demonstration. Doherty, J. (2018, February 26). 5 Fast and Easy Cooking Demonstration Ideas. Retrieved March 18, 2018, from http://foodandhealth.com/5-cooking-demonstrations/ In the article, “The Teacher’s Guide to Keeping Students Safe Online,” found on the Edudemic website give teachers advise on how to keep students safe on the web. It starts out by stating that the students have grown up with technology and they use it constantly. It is extremely easy for students to send inappropriate comments or sext. However, there is only so much that a teacher can do. The school can block some websites that the students use in school, but they can not do much else.
This article states that the first thing that we can do as teachers to protect our students is to set boundaries. Teachers can help students set their own personal boundaries for internet use. One good way to do this is by sharing your boundaries and share concerns with the students. Also, have a “no-judgment policy.” The next thing to beaware that students sext. Pay attention to the conversations and report if you hear students talking about sexts. Warn students of the danger of sexting. Having your picture out their can be used as a weapon if the relationship ends bad. The other tip with sexting is to teach students how to text. Knowing how texts are sent, received, and stored can help student realize that even after that picture is deleted, it still can be accessed. Share with your students the laws regarding sexting. Then help them come up with better ways to communicate to people. Also encourage the parents to be involved. It thought that this article was extremely useful. It gave out a lot of tips and suggestions on keeping students safe online. There is even more information that the article gives that i did not summarize. I think that the most important thing is to teach students what is considered appropriate and useful to a class and what things can end up harming them in the end. I really liked the idea of showing them the laws. The Teacher's Guide To Keeping Students Safe Online. (n.d.). Retrieved March 16, 2018, from http://www.edudemic.com/guides/the-teachers-guide-to-keeping-students-safe-online/ The article, “Creating a WebQuest It’s Easier Than You Think,” gives teachers great advice about creating web quests. It starts out by defining what a web quest is. “”A WebQuest,” according to Bernie Dodge, the originator of the WebQuest concept, “is an inquiry-oriented activity in which most or all of the information used cy learners is drawn from the Web”” (Creating a WebQuest para. 3). Web quests are great for getting students involved in their own learning. The student takes charge and finds information for themselves. It also gives students opportunities to work in groups or by themselves based on how the teacher wants to run the quest. Web quests also allow teachers to adapt their lessons to fit the needs of the students.
There is a formula for good web quests. It is, to have an introduction that engages the students, followed by a task that you want the students to complete. Next the teacher explains the process that explains to the students how it should be done. Evaluation, to see how successful the activity is, is the next thing to do. The last is a conclusion that sums up what the students learned and reflects on how the students got their answers and what they learned. To start, you need to have an outline of what you want the students to do and a question or questions you want them to answer. Once you have the outline, then you can start planning the rest of the quest starting with the topic and going down then list of steps. I thought that this article was very helpful. I did not really do any web quest myself while in high school because we did not have many computers yet. The web quest that I have seen tended to be more of a time waster near holidays than useful for the students. After reading this article, I see how beneficial web quests can be. However, I do not think that they are for everyone. I do like how web quest give students more of a say in what they are learning and leaves the learning up to them. It is better than giving the students a worksheet but not as good as project base learning. Although you can have your students do the web quests in groups so they can work on group cooperation. Creating a WebQuest | It's Easier Than You Think. (n.d.). Retrieved March 13, 2018, from http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/tech/tech011.shtml “Ideas for effective small-group learning and teaching,” a hand out from Learning and Teaching at UNSW, give out a lot of good tips on working with small groups and teaching small groups. It starts out by setting ground rules. Some of these rules include, preparing for class, arriving on time, participating, and more. Then it goes over what should happen in the first meeting. Ask the students what experience they have with small groups and playing an icebreaker game are just two examples of things to do in the first meeting. The hand out also suggest to try different structures for groups and activities. Also, ask the students how the project is going throughout the projects and how their group is working together. At the end of each class, there should be a teaching session. This is for the students to report what they had worked on during the class and what they had learned.
The environment should be one that does not keep students behind as desk. With that being said, the teacher should not sit behind a desk as well. Keep moving and sitting in different locations everyday. Encourage the students to do the same. When groups seem to big, it is possible to break them down. The teacher should not fill every silent moment with sound. It is okay for students to work in silence every now and again. Emphasize the importance of good communication and teach good communication. When responding to questions, make sure you answer the question for the situation. Avoid loaded questions that make it look like you are favoring your opinion. Open-ended questions should be used to get students to think. Respond positively when students answer your questions. Even though this was not technically an article, I thought that it was a very good article. I do think that the advice that it gave would be helpful for any group and not just small groups. I really liked how it told the teachers that they should be moving around just as much as the students. It also seemed more like the teacher was guiding more than teaching. Another part of the hand out that I liked was giving students time to report back to you what they learned and ask questions. Ideas for Small-Group Teaching. (n.d.). Retrieved March 09, 2018, from https://teaching.unsw.edu.au/small-group-ideas https://teaching.unsw.edu.au/sites/default/files/upload-files/small_group_ideas.pdf Jane Shimon, wrote an article titled, “Effective Strategies to Group Students in Physical Education Classes,” where she gave out good tips on how to group students. Grouping students is something that is done quickly as to not lose instructional time, however it is important to know how to group the students before the class. Numbering the students works to a point, but students can rig the system by placing themselves so that they are with their friends. It is also possible for students to forget their number. The first grouping strategy that is listed is to preassigned the groups. This way the teacher can decide if they want friends to work together or if the students need to work together based on their abilities. To make it easier for the students to know what group they are in, the teacher might post the grouping on the wall for students to check as they are entering the room. The second way to group students is to let the students chose. This has the tendency to improve motivation. When the teacher tells the students to get into groups of two or three, it allows room for the students that could not find a partner to join a group. If students are told just to get in even groups, it allows for the students that have a harder time to finding friends to feel left out. When giving students the chose, it is also a good idea to give them a time limit to get in their groups and start working. Objects can also be used to put students into groups. Teachers can use a deck of cards. They can also have the student pick something out of a basket. There is a great many objects that a teacher can use to group students. The last technique for grouping is random characteristic. This is when the teacher decides to group the students by something they are wearing, or hair color. It could be just about anything. It is random. I know that this article is talking about P.E. classes specifically, but I think that the information applies to all and any teacher. In fact some of these methods were used while I was in school. I like the idea of posting the groups in the classroom for the students to look at themselves. However, that would have to be set up in your policies at the beginning of the course/semester. I like the idea of the cards because it is really random and there are many different ways that you can split of the class if you need to quickly arrange things differently. I also like the tip about giving the students the opportunity to be in groups of three instead of partnerships. I was always the student that had a hard time finding a partner so being able to join a group was nice for me. Shimon, J. (n.d.). Effective strategies to group students in physical education classes. Retrieved March 06, 2018, from http://www.humankinetics.com/excerpts/excerpts/Effective-strategies-to-group-students-in-physical-education-classes http://www.humankinetics.com/excerpts/excerpts/Effective-strategies-to-group-students-in-physical-education-classes This is a link to another article about improving group work. https://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/effective-teaching-strategies/10-recommendations-improving-group-work/ “Teaching Students to Work Well in Groups,” is an article written by Krista D. Forrest that gives out tips on how to great groups that are called effective groups. There are three types of groups. The first is called pseudogroups. Pseudogroups are groups that are doing a project that the teacher assigns and the students have no interest in. The second group is the traditional work group. Traditional work groups are groups that are doing something that the students want to do. They are more motivated in the project. The last group is the effective group. This is where the group focuses more on learning. Teachers are to help all their students get into the category of effective groups. However, very few groups start out in the effective group category.
There are some things that a teacher can do to help groups go from being in pseudogroups and traditional group into effective groups. The first tip is to reduce social loafing. This basically means that you are trying to prevent students from slacking off or taking a free grade from their groupmates that have been working hard. The second tip to effective groups is to improve the Social skills. Most of the problems that groups have deal with communication. The next tip, and last tip, is to give out clear guidelines for all aspects of the project. This allows students to know exactly what is expected of them. One thing that was suggested in the article was to give out anonymous example of both good and bad student work. I learned from reading this article that it is not easy to have effective groups, but that the students learn more and have fewer issues with the project if they are working in effective groups. It takes a lot of work on the part of the teacher to get all students into effective groups. One of the best tips, that I think was in there, was for the teacher to check in on the students at every stage of the project. By doing this the students feel that the teacher cares about their projects and they are more likely to come to the teacher if they need help or there are problems in the group. It also allows the teacher to know what is going on in each group and find the students that are not pulling their own weight. Forrest, K. D. (2008, February). Teaching Students to Wrok Well in Groups. Retrieved March 4, 2018, from https://www.psychologicalscience.org/observer/teaching-students-to-work-well-in-groups https://www.psychologicalscience.org/observer/teaching-students-to-work-well-in-groups |
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