LEARNING LOG 1. How do I get students to pay attention and actively participating?
As a teacher for you to have an active participation from your students, you need to develop ACTIVE LEARNING in which you teacher should apply a strategies that not only you are the one whos involved it should be a strategy "that involves students in doing things and thinking about the things they are doing" (Bonwell, C., & Eison, J . (1991). In addition, to have an active learning teacher can apply these following strategies such as involving students in well structures questions and answer sessions in lecture classes in which they can share their ideas and opinions about the questions given. Also, teacher can have an activity that learners need to think individually to develop their critical thinking and those ideas that they had can be shared to others through think, pair, and share. Lastly, through the use of Active learning technique Chickering & Gamson (1987) states that "Learning is not a spectator sport. Students do not learn much just sitting in classes listening to teachers, memorizing prepackaged assignments, and spitting out answers. They must talk about what they are learning, write reflectively about it, relate it to past experiences, and apply it to their daily lives. They must make what they learn part of themselves."
2. How do I keep the flow of events moving with smooth and rapid transition? In order for the teacher to have smooth and rapid flow of events he/ she must be well prepared for the lesson that he/she is going to teach. Also being ready and aware to what should a teacher must do inside the classroom can help the learners process the information that they must acquire. In addition, teachers must avoid A flip-flop is somewhat like a dangle. It occurs when a teacher is teaching a lesson on one topic, but then inserts unrelated material from a previous lesson. This act destroys student concentration, and they are now confused as to where to focus their attention. Once a lesson has been concluded, and another one begun, avoid reminiscing back to previous material (except to relate the earlier material directly to this new subject matter in order to facilitate comprehension). Teachers should avoid leaving a topic on which the students are focused in order to introduce unrelated material. Also, Teachers should not allow themselves to be distracted by outside stimuli, move the class attention to that distraction. The students are now off- task, have trouble re-engaging in the task, and engage in misbehavior. Teachers also become bound up in the wrong focus when they draw student attention away from the lesson to make spontaneous announcements or attend to non- essential conversations with other teachers who walk into the room (http://www.behavioradvisor.com/TeachingTips.html). 3. How do I communicate to students what I expect of them and are my expectation correct? In order for the teacher to have a good rapport and for him or her to know what he/she must expect to his/her students and if his/her expectations are correct, it will all begins on the first day and should be reinforced on a daily basis. Teachers can use these methods in order for them know what they must expect (Melissa Kelly, 2014) 1. Get students to sign an Achievement Contract at the beginning of the year. The contract outlines what you expect of them and what they should expect from you. 2. As students work, give them enough time to find answers on their own, providing only hints and ideas instead of jumping right in to tell them the correct answer. 3. Periodically allow students to express in writing how they think they are doing in the course and what suggestions they have to make the class better. 4. Speak to students in a positive manner at all times, stressing that you know they have the ability to learn what you are teaching. 5. Try to get to know your students and allow them to see you as a real person; this attitude will motivate some of your students to work harder in order to please you. 6. Remain in charge of your students as their teacher, and do not allow yourself to fall into the trap of trying to be their friend. 7. Make your standards for assignments and activities absolutely clear by telling students exactly what you expect from them. 8. Make sure you let all students know that they can earn a top grade in your course if they work hard enough. 9. Promote mastery learning by allowing students to revise assignments that received low grades. In addition, Students will have a much better chance to succeed if their teachers and parents work together. Parents need to know not only what you expect of their children but also what you expect of them. Teachers must be consistent and fair at all times in their classroom and you as a teacher will model integrity to your students. They will better understand what is expected of them if they can see you living up to your own high expectations. Furthermore, expectations must be reinforced daily. Sometimes students might need gentle reminders. At other times, however, you might need to stop the normal course of study to discuss your expectations for the students. Only through repetition and constant reminders will students' attitudes change. This reinforcement might seem redundant, but it is well worth the effort (http://www.netplaces.com/new-teacher/from-expectations-to- results/communicating-your-expectations.htm). 4. How do I build personal relationship with students? Building personal relationships with students has to do with how the student perceives how she is treated and how the student perceives the teacher as a person. Building personal relationship to students is very important to a teacher for them to gain trust but building that relationship students must feel that they are treated equal and fare of those opportunities that a teacher gave regardless of their physical appearance, gender, status, culture and religion. *In relation to that here are some questions that a teacher can reflect in order for him/her to build personal relationship to his/her students: How the student is treated o Do students feel that they are treated fairly? If not, the relationship is unpromising. o Are students treated with respect? Teachers who belittle or embarrass students are obviously unlikely to gain their affection or their respect. Treating students with respect starts with recognizing them as individuals and understanding that they have ideas, opinions and values of their own (although they do not have right to their own facts.) Treating students courteously is a form of showing respect. It also tends to prompt courtesy in response. o Does the teacher re-establish personal contact with a student when there has been a dispute? The teacher must not be seen as holding a grudge after a discipline action. The teacher should signal that the relationship has returned to normal. o Does the teacher listen to students and feed back their feelings? Letting students know that you've heard what they said and you understand the feelings they're expressing helps the teacher understand and lets the student know that the teacher is making a connection and that she cares about what the student is feeling. o Affirm that the student is more important than what they do o Be open to student feedback o Send notes to students asking for what you want or expressing appreciation for improvement o Offer genuine compliments o Devote two minutes a day for ten days to building a relationship with a difficult student without discussing poor classroom behavior o Use lunch time to ask for behavioral change o Discuss what is and is not working in class with small groups of students Characteristics of the teacher o The teacher's appearance and manner reflects how she feels about herself and the respect she has for her students. o A teacher's sense of humor can help reduce tension and demonstrate confidence. She need not tell jokes nor should she accept being the butt of jokes, but demonstrating the ability to see humor in everyday situations can help build bonds with students. o Sharing personal stories, experiences and anecdotes with students help to create a connection. They not only can enrich the instruction but they allow students to see the teacher as a person with experience and feelings. o Use humor to add levity but still get your point across o Display a photo of yourself at the same age as the students o Share stories of yourself from when you were a student *Sources Mendler, Allen N., Motivating Students Who Don't Care: Successful Techniques for Educators. Solution Tree Press, 2000. Saphier, Jon, Robert Glower. The Skillful Teacher: Building Your Teaching Skills. Research for Better Teaching, Inc., 1997. http://www.edclick.com/wiki/WP.cfm?FID=2852&SectionID=
5. How do I deal with very resistant students? According to the Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, motivation means the intention of achieving a goal, leading to goal-directed behavior. Some human activity seems to be best explained by postulating an inner directing drive; whereas, learning is the process by which a relatively lasting change in potential behavior occurs as a result of practice or experience (Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 2005; Encarta Dictionary: English [North American]). On the other hand, resistant means having a force that tends to oppose, or retard motion, to withstand, oppose actively, and fighting against (Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, Agnes, 1999, p.549). Based on the above understanding of motivation, learning and resistant, teaching should be goal based, aimed at changing behavior, and establishing lasting learning experiences. Teachers should also establish positive ways of breaking walls of resistant learners by giving a reason to act, creating enthusiasm in the teaching and learning processes, and tapping into forces determining behavior, such as biological, emotional, cognitive, or social forces that activate and direct behavior (Encarta Dictionary: English [North America]). In addition, here are the following lists of 7 rulesall dontsthat will help you avoid the most common pitfalls, and turn your most difficult students into valued members of your classroom (Michael Linsin, 2011): Rule #1: Dont question. Its normal for teachers to force explanations from difficult students as a form of accountability. But asking why and demanding a response from them almost always ends in resentment. And angry students who dislike their teacher never improve their classroom behavior. Rule #2: Dont argue. When you argue with difficult students, it puts them on equal footing with you, creating a your word against theirs situation. This negates the effects of accountability. It also opens the floodgates: everybody will be arguing with you. Rule #3: Dont lecture, scold, or yell. Lecturing, scolding, and yelling will cause all students to dislike you, but when you direct your diatribe toward one particular student, it can be especially damaging. Creating friction between you and your most challenging students virtually guarantees that their behavior will worsen. Rule #4: Dont give false praise. Teachers often shower difficult students with praise for doing what is minimally expected. But because these students can look around at their fellow classmates and know that its a sham, false praise doesnt work. Instead, give only meaningful, heartfelt praise based on true accomplishment. Rule #5: Dont hold a grudge. Every day is a new day should be your mantra with difficult students. They need to know that they have a clean slate to start each day and so do you. To that end, say hello, smile, and let them know youre happy to see them first thing every morning. Rule #6: Dont lose your cool. When you let students get under your skin and you lose emotional control, even if its just a sigh and an eye roll, you become less effective. Your likeability drops. Classroom tension rises. And when difficult students discover they can push your buttons, theyll try as often as they can. Rule #7: Dont ignore misbehavior. Given that there is an audience of other students, ignoring misbehavior will not make it go away. It will only make it worse. Instead, follow your classroom management plan as its written. If a difficult student breaks a rule, no matter how trivial, enforce it immediately. http://www.nssa.us/journals/2007-29-1/2007-29-1-16.htm http://www.smartclassroommanagement.com/2011/04/23/7-rules-of-handling- difficult-students/ 6. What does it take to explain things clearly? For a teacher to explain things clearly it really needs effort, skills, strategies and patience because you cannot consider and tell that all your students already understand the lesson, some students are not quick learners and needs guidance for them to understand things clearly. But the most important thing for a teacher to explain things clearly he/she must have a clear and brief instructional Here are some things that we must take note of whenever we are trying to explain things to our members or students: 1. Don't speak too fast. The prescribed rate of speech would be 180-200 words per minute.
2. Pronounce and enunciate your words clearly. Stay conscious of how you say things.
3. Speak clearly. Dont garble or swallow your words. Move your mouths with effort and not laxly.
4. Make sure you know something about the subject you are talking about.
5. Be aware that almost everyone has a view, so let them express their points of view too. Respect what they have to say at the same time incorporate what you have to say in relation to what our members are saying.
6. Don't waffle or talk foolishly
7. Take your time. As the old Chinese proverb states Patience is Virtue Always keep in mind to think before you speak, don't be discouraged to say what you feel and remember the three C's: Cool, Calm and Collected. People may be offended by what you say so be aware. Some people may also think you are a boff when you say smarty-pants stuff so keep it simple and try not to complicate things when explaining. Avoid jargons or technical terms. Whenever this is unavoidable do explain as to what it means. _________________________ Patrick Gil D. Racho, Effective Communication, 102808: Speaking Well With Confidence, 2008. http://effective-communications-accbs.page.tl/Explaining-Things-Clearly-.htm 7. How do I make lesson more interesting and effective?
In order for me to have a lesson that is more interesting and effective I will consider those things in reality that can be used as an example. Also, another effective way to attract their attention is to provide some rewards during the lessons. Studies have shown that students will be able to learn better when they perceive a personal reward. To boost internal motivation, remind them of the benefits that English can provide, such as English-speaking friends, better job opportunities, easier shopping, or less stress at the doctor's office, and then teach language that will bring them closer to those benefits. External motivation can be achieved by praise and encouragement as well as tangible rewards like prizes or certificates. These rewards have been proven to be very effective in encouraging the students to put in extra efforts in their daily learning. In addition, Learners will remember material better and take more interest in it if it has applicable contextual meaning. This means that good teachers should be able to relate the teaching materials to daily usage or practical examples. By providing appropriate applications, students will be able to remember them better and longer. Arbitrary rote learning (word lists or grammar drills) may be useful in solidifying language forms, but unless there's a real-world application, sooner or later it's likely to be forgotten. (http://www.eslteachersboard.com/cgi- bin/lessons/index.pl?read=2709)(CopyrightbySkyjoe).
8. How do I get the most out of my space and furniture?
As a future teacher we all know that having a spacious classroom is what every learner wants and needed because the physical environment affects children's learning and development in many ways. Well-designed environments support exploration, give young children a sense of control, and enable children to engage in focused, self-directed play. Poorly designed environments, on the other hand, discourage these activities. And because well-designed environments are engaging, they minimize problematic behaviors such as aggressiveness and aimless wandering. So we must keep in mind that we should not put too much furniture inside the classroom so that student will be able to move properly without tripping and falling and if there is furniture you should put in the area that cannot cause distractions and harm to your students.
http://www.spacesforchildren.com/enhanc.html
9. How can I vary my teaching style? My teaching style reflects on what you value in education, what methods you believe are effective, and how your students learn your subject best. So here are some teaching styles that we can consider for us to be more effective teachers: 1. Develop your own teaching style - Develop approaches that you are comfortable with and that maximize student engagement and learning in your subject-area 2. Consider learning styles and diversify your approach. - Students have different learning styles. Hence, more students are reached through a diversified approach to delivering course content. Familiarity with learning style differences will help you understand implications of your chosen teaching style. 3. Teacher-centered approaches have pros and cons. (http://sc.edu/cte/guide/teachingstyles/index.shtml) 4. Student-centered approaches have pros and cons. (http://sc.edu/cte/guide/teachingstyles/index.shtml) 5. A student-centered approach does not undermine the teachers authority role in the classroom. - Learn to find a good balance between your role as authority/content expert and co-learner/facilitator. Students appreciate teachers who make the effort to communicate on their level. It is important to find the appropriate balance of how to present yourself with confidence but also to engage as a co-learner to minimize faculty-student distance. 6. Consider using technology to diversify teaching approaches. - Think of different ways to deliver information and different ways to use class time. If students access prepared lectures outside of class via Blackboard (using Camtasia for voiceover Powerpoint or Adobe Connect, for example) you can use in-class time to discuss challenging or interesting information found in the prepared content. On the flip side, if class time is devoted to lecture, post compelling discussion questions on Blackboard for students to engage in outside of class. Integrate the Blackboard time into course grading and class participation rubric. 7. Try new things! - think about your teaching. Whether you are early career faculty or have been teaching for years, you may want to adjust your teaching style. Ask yourself questions about how you teach, why you do it that way, and how successfully the students learn the material. http://sc.edu/cte/guide/teachingstyles/index.shtml 10. How can I adjust the students learning styles? For me to adjust the students learning styles I will provide my students activities that will satisfy and enhance the three learning styles of the student; the auditory, visual and kinesthetic or tactile learning styles also I will consider whether my students belong to the analytic or global learners. In addition, I will provide them aids while teaching that will help them in their learning process whether it is a general or specific instruction but still those activities must be reliable and valid for the learners not to learn false ideas.
11. What is my hidden curriculum? My hidden Curriculum was to develop physical and business education and student cultures, with attention to messages about race/ethnicity, disability, and gender/sexual orientation as well as social class, politics, and culture that will help learners to give awareness about the surrounding where they belong.
School Curriculum - Hidden Curriculum - Messages, Students, Schools, and Political - StateUniversity.com http://education.stateuniversity.com/pages/1899/Curriculum-School- HIDDEN-CURRICULUM.html#ixzz35YzovuTQ
12. How do I know what students have really learned? ASSESSMENT. For me to know that my students really learned I will assess their learning. We know that the typical multiple-choice and short-answer tests aren't the only way, or necessarily the best way, to gauge a student's knowledge and abilities. Many states are incorporating performance-based assessments into their standardized tests or adding assessment vehicles such as student portfolios and presentations as additional measures of student understanding. These rigorous, multiple forms of assessment require students to apply what they're learning to real world tasks. These include standards-based projects and assignments that require students to apply their knowledge and skills, such as designing a building or investigating the water quality of a nearby pond; clearly defined rubrics (or criteria) to facilitate a fair and consistent evaluation of student work; and opportunities for students to benefit from the feedback of teachers, peers, and outside experts. With these formative and summative types of assessment comes the ability to give students immediate feedback. They also allow a teacher to immediately intervene, to change course when assessments show that a particular lesson or strategy isn't working for a student, or to offer new challenges for students who've mastered a concept or skill (http://www.edutopia.org/comprehensive-assessment- introduction)(By Edutopia Staff March 16, 2008).. Through this I will be able to know whether my learners learned from my lessons or not. 13. How do I build or adjust curriculum for maximum effectiveness? For me, to build or adjust curriculum for maximum effectiveness I will apply all the things that a teacher must be done in the classroom and also in the institution. I must develop a good relationship to both my students and the parents of my students and also to the people outside and inside the school community for they are also helping us teachers and the institution to develop and enhance the learning of my students by giving the classroom that is conducive for students learning processes.