TL;DR: Students need to know the expectations and deserve feedback to help them improve and grow. #TechBetter with an “edurubricon,” which involves numbering the skills and including icons to create an easy visual for students to follow along. Happy New Year! I hope as we begin 2022, all of you will use the ways that we have discussed to #techbetter. … Read More
Expect the Unexpected
TL;DR: Substitute teachers need access to materials and detailed plans. Every teacher should have emergency plans prepared. Administrators can best help by being visible throughout the day. On February 3, 2011, I experienced a substitute teacher’s worst nightmare. I had accepted a two-day assignment at a new-to-me school. At first, things seemed to go well. I was greeted by the … Read More
Feedback? “I tried that. It didn’t work.”
TL;DR: Providing student feedback is a valuable tool that doesn’t need to be overwhelming. Evaluate when individual feedback is needed and when it can be taught to the whole class. Focus feedback on certain skills. Create a framework for feedback that allows students to self-reflect and utilize peer reflections. Make feedback meaningful by using descriptive feedback rather than evaluative feedback. … Read More
4 Tips for Classroom Management
TL;DR: Routines and structures are key to strong classroom management. Consider your first 5 minutes of class and intentionally decide how you will spend that time. What works one day might not work the next; what works for one class may not work for another. Classroom management will always be a work in progress; not every single day will go … Read More
Highlights of 2021: In Case You Missed It
Highlights of 2021: In Case You Missed It This post shares highlights of Teach Better blog posts in 2021. Categories for posts include SEL, change and improvement, assessment and reflection, leadership, and social media. SEL The Power of Empathy – Sari Goldberg McKeown Teachers are Essential, You are Essential – Jeff Gargas Ideas to Commemorate World Kindness Day – Dana Goodier Teachers … Read More