Teaching tips: Dealing with difficult parents

As if our job is not made hard enough when we're given unruly students, we sometimes have to deal with difficult parents who seem to be hell-bent on making our lives more complicated. It is important to understand that these parents where once students themselves. As we all know, traditional teachers were allowed to use discipline policies which are generally frowned upon in today's modern classroom. Some traditional discipline methods included whole-class punishment, psychological abuse and, for the older parents, even corporal punishment. Of course things have now changed but it should come as no surprise that some parents regard teachers with great distrust; for them we are, and always will be, the scary dictators who ruined their childhood. You have a certain responsibility to show difficult parents that times have changed, show them that you are their friend and that you and them share a common interest: the success of the student. Showing them how concerned you are for their child's long-term well being is key for obtaining a healthy relationship with the parents. These points may help you deal effectively with difficult parents:

• When talking to them, make sure that your eyes are at the same level as theirs. Don't let them look down at you. If you are sitting down, then stand up.
  
• Listen attentively and don't interrupt. The need to justify yourself may be strong but it is important that you take your time to device a proper response.
• Be rational. Offer a reasonable solution to whatever it is that's bothering them and make sure that you both agree on the solution. It is important that you don't make compromises in order to avoid further conflicts, otherwise this may be harmful in the long run.
  
• Mind your Ps and Qs.
• Constantly be assertive, if the parent tries to verbally bully you need to show them that their behavior is unacceptable...if the parent doesn't get the gist then show them that you won't continue the discussion unless they change their attitude. This is EXTREMELY important, failing to do this might cause the situation to quickly get out of hand.
  
• If the parents try to haress you outside the school, then you have the right to call the police. Your responsibility does not extend outside your classroom.

Please feel free to share more ideas with us by leaving a comment with this post.
Take care, and as always, I'll keep you posted.

Social Networking Websites and Education

It's no secret that many schools discourage the use of social networking sites (SNSs) and some schools even go as far as to block access to these websites. SNSs allow people to publicize a lot of personal information which might jeopardize the professional relationship that teachers need to maintain with their students. There's also the fact that spending too much time on social networking sites, like Facebook and MySpace, will reduce productivity. However social networking websites are a social phenomenon and it is not showing signs of slowing down. What teachers need to understand is that, on a very basic level, these websites are there to connect people and allow them to communicate better. Education is heavily dependent on communication, so SNSs can be seen as a powerful educational tool.


As I wrote earlier, if you sign up for an account on an SNS you need to make sure that you don't share any personal information that may cause 'role conflicts' in your work place. Having said that, a social networking site will allow you to automatically share important online resources with you colleagues. You might be able to find Social networking sites which offer tools specifically tailored for teachers. These SNSs are sometimes referred to as Niche Social Networking Sites, the niche being education. SNSs will also allow you to easily share with your students, any information related to school and to the subjects you are teaching them. Social networking websites are not only about connecting people, they also offer a new way for encouraging participation through open services.

Education - The importance of Technology in the Classroom

I am currently working on a thesis regarding the use of technology in the classroom. Below is an excerpt from my dissertation:

The use of computers and the Internet is fast becoming an important tool in the education sector. It is becoming very common for technology to be used for assessing, training and educating students. According to a number of studies conducted by Barbara Means et al. (1997), the use of technology in the classroom has a number of advantages including, better collaboration between students, enhancing student motivation and adding to the students’ perception that their work is credible when properly referenced from the internet. Most educators are overcoming the barrier posed by these ever-more sophisticated technological tools and they now understand that technology is a particularly important tool for assessing their students. The fact that modern students are very dependent on technology proves how important it is that their teachers employ more modern methods in their classroom so as to meet the interests and capabilities of their students.

The use of technology in the classroom can certainly make teaching easier and more efficient by saving us precious time. I am currently in the process of creating an online application (which is part of my thesis) to be used by teachers and their students. I had been searching online for the ultimate teaching tool for years and I failed to find it. The applications that I found were too complicated, limited in functionality, or required a monthly subscription payment...so I decided to create it myself. This will be a website created by a teacher for teachers and it will be 100% free. As you might have noticed, the website will be called Mentor Buddy (www.mentorbuddy.com). I'm putting the last finishing touches to the whole thing and hopefully it should be launched sometime in late October. In the meantime the internet has a wealth of resources for teachers: from lesson plans to tests ready for printing. The internet can make our job so much easier, the trick is to know how to search for the proper information.

Education: Dealing with shy students

Teachers tend to think that they are the only ones allowed to talk in their classroom. However, as you might have noticed in my previous posts, I strongly suggest that students are allowed to engage in active discussions about the main topics of the lesson. However it is important to know the different ways of going about doing this. Class discussions are not enough and many students, particularly shy ones, will find it very difficult to engage in such discussions. Such students are usually terrified of the prospect of being at the center of attention. On many occasions I have asked a shy student a question and I see them cringe when I tell the rest of the class to be quite so that they can hear what the student has to say. I've made it a personal goal not to try to put shy students in such situations. Many teachers erroneously think that forcing shy children to speak in class is an effective way to "bring them out of their shell". This is very far from the truth since making a shy person feel inappropriate makes them dread theses situations even more. Such students need to be respected and given their space. In time they will overcome their shyness, but this needs to happen on their own terms. Never treat shy students differently; just because they don't raise their hands does not mean they don't know the answer. What you can do is give them an opportunity to show the class, and themselves, their true capabilities. You need to understand their niche area and help them excel in what they are truly capable of doing. A few examples: recognize their capabilities and praise them for it .Do not exaggerate this, shy students are not stupid and when they realize what you're trying to do they will not trust your 'reactions' anymore. Another effective method is to divide students in small groups, give them an assignment and have each student present their work to their group. It is much easier for shy students to present their work to a small group rather than to the whole class; remember that even the most seasoned speaker sometimes gets stage fright. Another successful method is to hold 'contests' based on the target student's capability. For instance: if the student is a good artist, organize an art challenge and put the student's art-piece on display in the class. This is a good way of boosting their self confidence.
In the end, treating students the same is key to a fair and successful teaching/learning experience.

Please leave comments :)

Education Tips - Lesson Planning

Many seasoned teachers are able to walk into their classroom without having planned their lessons. They have become so familiar with their subject that they don't need to plan how to deliver their lessons anymore. In my opinion this is a somewhat objectionable way of educating. Teaching is a dynamic process and a successful teacher needs to make appealing lessons which accommodate the ever changing mindsets of his/her students.


Lesson planning can be divided in two: Schemes of Work and Lesson Plans. Schemes of work will allow you to plan in the long run. To create a scheme of work, choose a time-period and create a grid of days or weeks. You can add as much detail as you want (example a scheme of work showing daily lessons is more detailed than a scheme of work showing weekly lessons). In the scheme of work you need to set deadlines for when certain topics need to be finished. After you create your scheme of work, you need to make sure that you create lessons plans complimenting what you have planned in the scheme of work. Lesson Plans will detail how you need to deliver individual lessons and will allow you to add all the details you want in order to capture the attention of individual students in your classroom. Making your own lesson plans will allow you to deliver targeted content, for example: if your class are very interested in a particular movies, you can create a website with the theme of that movie. Lessons should allow room for individuality in the classroom and can be seen as a way of communicating particular topics in an interesting way.
I will be making more posts about lesson plans, giving more tips and downloadable lesson-plan formats...so stick around :)

Education - Maintaining discipline in the classroom

Most teachers dream of the perfect classroom, where all the students respect them, are easily motivated and work hard...now lets get a bit more realistic.
This post will cover some important points which will help you be more assertive in your classroom.


As a teacher you might already know that motivating a student who is absolutely not interested in learning is extremely difficult....some would say that it is practically impossible. However you are responsible for the education of these students, and, whether they like it or not, you are expected to teach them. If all positive motivational tools fail (please read previous post) you need to assert your position in the classroom. Often, students who don't want to learn will disrupt the rest of the class so it is very important that these students are kept in check. The right modes of discipline will allow you to, not only help difficult students stay more attentive, but also to easily deliver your lessons to the rest of the class.

• Consistent strictness - it is important that you are consistently strict, start being strict from day one and always be assertive. Don't be biased towards some students, i.e. don't be strict only with the difficult students. Preferential treatment is a definite no-no. It's not fair and difficult students will pick up on this and will purposely make life more difficult for you. Also, you need to make sure that you follow through with what you say. If your threaten writing lines as a punishment for disobedience, and a student still disobeys, then follow through with the punishment...otherwise you won't be taken seriously.
• Don't shout - Raising your voice does not make a noisy situation better. If anything, it will make rowdy students shout even more. Instead, make a sharp noise that will easily get the students attention (clap your hand, beat a ruler against the board) and immediately lay down some ground rules before continuing with the lessons.
  
• Positive reinforcements - don't rely solely on punishing bad behavior. Make sure that good behavior is praised. This makes students realize that you are taking notice of their good actions. This method will also motivate difficult students to do better.

As always, if you want to ask some questions or leave your own ideas, then leave a comment on this post.

Cheers :)

Education - Motivating your students

Many teachers find it difficult to properly motivate their students. While it is important to keep in mind that every student is unique and each has different interests, it is also important to understand that many motivational tools can be successfully applied in order to achieve a higher level of interest during your lessons. I'm going to be listing some methods which I found extremely successful while teaching.

• Common Goals: while educators are obviously aware of what their role in the classroom is, the same cannot be said about all students. Arrange for a class discussion and ask each student why they feel the need to be learning that particular subject. I would not suggest that you make this the first lesson...wait a couple of weeks until you feel that the students are comfortable with your presence in the class. This will allow students to be open and honest about their responses. Touch topics such as: "Do you think it is important for you to know this subject?" or "How will this subject help you in real life?" or "How will, this subject help you to continue your education?". A discussion such as this will allow students to understand that, even though their personal motivations are different from each others', they still share the same goal with the rest of the other students. Some students do not lend much thought to why they are in the classroom, this discussion will help them understand their role and why it is important for them to learn that particular subject.
• Education and entertainment: no matter the age group of your students, it is a well known fact that merging an element of entertainment with education is the best recipe for success. It is important that you do not rely entirely on books...break the monotony by engaging students in fun activities. Make use of games, PowerPoint presentations, movies...the possibilities are practically unlimited.
• Mutual respect: sometimes we, as educators, fail to understand that respect needs to be earned. It is true that students are not as knowledgeable about your subject as you are, but that does not make them any less intelligent. You need to understand that each student is an individual, with different opinions and ideas. Make sure that you allow room for discussion, make sure that each student is heard. Do not be biased about your responses. When you respect your students they will respect you back. Respect is one of the best motivational tools to be used in a classroom.

I have found that the above are the most successful tools to be used when motivating students. Motivated students make our job much more worthwhile and so much easier. If you have any more ideas, don't hesitate to share them with us by leaving a comment.

Cheers :)