PG's Ponderings

It’s the end of 2014 – time to think about what we are, what we do and why we do it in this crazy, awe-inspiring profession of ours... standing in front of young minds every day: entertaining, leading, suggesting, facilitating, questioning, supporting...the list goes on. So here are some possible answers to the question – What do you do? 11 Habits of an Effective Teacher to consider for 2015 ENJOYS TEACHING. Teaching is meant to be a very enjoyable and rewarding career field (although demanding and exhausting at times!). You should only become a teacher if you love children and intend on caring for them with your heart. Let your passion for teaching shine through each and everyday. Enjoy every teaching moment to the fullest. MAKES A DIFFERENCE. There is a saying, "With great power, comes great responsibility". As a teacher, you need to be aware and remember the great responsibility that comes with your profession. One of your goals ought to be: Make a difference in their liv...

Seven Keys to Effective Feedback Grant Wiggins Advice, evaluation, grades—none of these provide the descriptive information that students need to reach their goals. What is true feedback—and how can it improve learning? Who would dispute the idea that feedback is a good thing? Both common sense and research make it clear: Formative assessment, consisting of lots of feedback and opportunities to use that feedback, enhances performance and achievement. Yet even John Hattie (2008), whose decades of research revealed that feedback was among the most powerful influences on achievement, acknowledges that he has "struggled to understand the concept" (p. 173). And many writings on the subject don't even attempt to define the term. To improve formative assessment practices among both teachers and assessment designers, we need to look more closely at just what feedback is—and isn't. What Is Feedback, Anyway? The term feedback is often used to describe all kinds of comments mad...

by Michael Michalko for Think Jar Collective (2013) . We learn about great ideas and we learn the names of the creative geniuses who created them, but we are seldom taught about how they got the ideas. Following are twelve things about creative thinking: YOU ARE CREATIVE. The artist is not a special person, each one of us is a special kind of artist. Every one of us is born a creative, spontaneous thinker. The only difference between people who are creative and people who are not is a simple belief. Creative people believe they are creative. People who believe they are not creative, are not. The reality is that believing you are not creative excuses you from trying or attempting anything new. When someone tells you that they are not creative, you are talking to someone who has no interest and will make no effort to be a creative thinker. CREATIVE THINKING IS WORK. You must have passion and the determination to immerse yourself in the process of creating new and different ideas. Then yo...

"...a practitioner (who) does not reflect, ... is inattentive to the limits of his actions." (Schön, 1982, p. 282). Schön argued that teaching is not "a method but an art". He postulated that the "artful teacher" will find a way to solve the problems of his students by looking at himself, stating that a teacher will invent new methods to "develop in himself the ability of discovering them". Schön put forward a novel approach, the idea of "reflection-in-practice" and "reflection-on-practice" in which the researcher becomes a part of the practice, allowing the proceedings of practice to continue, thereby confirming the legitimacy of the practice. This approach is based on the teacher demonstrating a "tacit knowing-in-action" which reflects an intuitive understanding of everyday actions. Schön suggested that the reflective practitioner endeavours to make sense of the issues which he or she encounters through the refle...

This term we will start on the three key focus points for students preparation for the examinations and the ending of the course programmes: Listening – listen to where your students are at in their examination preparation or in the course completion. Questioning – what do your students need, what are they asking for, and what questions are you asking them. Analysing - identifying, clarifying and developing solutions and answers to the questions – fine tuning the learning and the examination preparation. Listening and learning: Some suggestions on how to identify those students who may struggle to listen and learn and to respond to your focus on their listening skills. You should also consider your own ways of interacting and the expectations you have of your students: it may be that changes on your part will enable them to feel they can communicate more readily. Take note of learners who: rarely or never volunteer in group situations appear to have low self-esteem or confidence ...

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Teaching and learning this week– Relating to others Empathy; Non-judgemental recognition of how others are situated. Relationships—The Fourth R As educators, we need to see the importance of adding a fourth R—Relationships—to the 3 Rs of Reading, 'Riting, and 'Rithmetic . Our students need to learn more about how to create and sustain healthy relationships. Because they are bombarded daily with many unhealthy behaviour models from the media, society, and even their families and peers, students often cannot figure out this huge gray area of what is good for them and what is bad. We need to give students tools for reflecting on their options and making sound choices. See: Peggy Calhoun : December 2000/January 2001 | Volume 4 | Number 4 The Changing Context of Education Clarifying relationships in the classroom: How to extend "the relating to others" competency into the learning environment At the heart of learning is the idea that students who truly understand and are i...

Four timeless elements that can enhance "the relating to the others competency" through learning relationships. 1. Consistent Communication Consistent communication is the most vital element as it serves to create a connection between the two. A teacher who understands the problems of his or her students and then shapes his or her teaching style in order to interact better with the student can see success, but this takes not simply observation, but communication. The more the teacher communicates well, the higher is the chance of fast and effective learning at the student's end. 2. An Emotionally-Safe Learning Space Creating an open learning environment where different opinions are equally respected and where there is no fear of ridicule from either one’s peers or the teacher is crucial for building good student teacher relationships. Students need to feel safe when asking questions, safe in the belief that they won’t be taunted or criticized and that their question or co...