World Teachers’ Day is celebrated on 28 October in New Zealand and Australia and internationally on 5 October. I think we definitely need to celebrate ourselves so treat yourself to something nice on Friday!!
Professional Reading
- Bullying—And the Power of Peers - Philip C. Rodkin. This research synthesis explores who bullies and why and what educators and children can do to prevent bullying.
- What Students Say About Bullying - Stan Davis and Charisse Nixon. Kids speak out about which interventions ease or escalate the situation.
- Stepping Back from Zero Tolerance - Judith Browne-Dianis. Harsh disciplinary practices can have severe consequences for students.
- What's So Hard About Win-Win? - Jane Bluestein. Strategies for creating an environment that respects both adults and students.
- Confronting Racial and Religious Tensions - Stephen Wessler. When violence threatens, how do administrators provide outlets for tolerant listening?
- Respect—Where Do We Start? - Marie-Nathalie Beaudoin. Creating a supportive school culture starts with fostering a positive culture for teachers and staff.
- Building Safer, Saner Schools - Laura Mirsky. How restorative practices promote respectful behavior.
- Putting a Face to Faith - Charles C. Haynes. Face to Faith dispels stereotypes and helps students better understand their own and others' religious values.
- Breaking Silences - Robert A. McGarry. A plea for stopping homophobic name-calling and hate language.
- Learning from New Americans - Bill Preble and Carlton Fitzgerald. Inviting students new to the country to speak about their experiences builds their confidence and helps fellow students enlarge their perspectives.
- Looking Out, Looking In - Debbie Pushor. Rethinking how we talk and listen to families yields significant returns.
- Discussions That Drive Democracy - Diana Hess. How to teach students to talk about controversial issues in civil and productive ways.
- Life Lessons from the Philosophers - Scott Seider and Sarah Novick. Attention to respect has played a pivotal role in this school's superior academic achievement record.
- Letters to My Younger Self - Emilie Shafto. A college senior reflects on her life as a struggling 2nd grader.
- Commentary / The Threat of Accountabalism - Phillip C. Schlechty. Focusing only on improving test scores is a misguided school reform.
- Research Says… / Bullying Is Common—And Subtle - Bryan Goodwin. Many students bully to gain social status.
- Art & Science of Teaching / The Perils and Promises of Discovery Learning - Robert J. Marzano. Discovery learning works best when teachers prepare students and offer assistance along the way.
- Understand the power of beliefs in shaping their practice. They rid themselves of any covert persuasion they may have that kids who are like them in race, economic status, language, beliefs, or motivation are somehow better or smarter than those who are unlike them.
- Believe their work can make previously unimpressive students shine—and can raise the ceilings of possibility for impressive students.
- Teach students how to grow academically and personally.
- Enlist students' partnership in creating a classroom that dignifies each person within it.
- How to model technology use in the classroom - Veteran teacher Heather Wolpert-Gawron offers 20 tips for using and modeling the use of technology in the classroom. Teachers should involve students in setting up new technology, use digital tools -- such as document cameras, videoconferencing and interactive whiteboards -- throughout the school day and use tech-inspired vocabulary, even when talking about offline activities, she writes.
- Google for Educators: The Best Features for Busy Teachers - An article which explores user-friendly google tools which will keep you and your class inspired, inventive, and organized. I can see that giving students time to explore these tools within your subject context could keep juniors on-task and interested in learning as the term and year comes to an end.
As senior and junior exams are coming up here is another handy revision strategy: Boggle - This strategy helps students to review material and develop their own individualised study guides.
Revision Bites - I put together some revision bites for junior form teachers to go over with their form classes a few years ago. If you have time you may want to go over some of the ideas with your classes - they are relevant for seniors as well.
