Monday, April 11, 2011

Top things teachers should never do.



Remember, teaching is a profession. You are a professional. Many times, we tend to forget that. Here are some some of the worse things teachers can do.

Scream and yell. If you want to look bad in front of your students and staff, then you will raise your voice. Sure way to shorten your teaching career. This is related to losing your temper in class. Don't do it. No matter what, keep your emotions under control. You are the teacher, boss, and leader. You can get respect without yelling.

Also on this note, classroom teachers should not single out a student and belittle them. This includes chewing them out for doing something, or not doing something. You will never brow beat a student into behaving or learning. You will only look like a foolish teacher. And quite an ineffective one at that.

This includes getting upset for every little thing. Little things happen in class. They do not all require punishment, referrals, calls to the principal, etc. Let it go. Acknowledge it, then move on. Most things you encounter in class will be very minor. Discipline is also logical. Don't make mountains out of mole hills.

Remember that you are the teacher. If you let your students control you and the class, you have lost. You will be a very ineffective teacher. You make the rules and you must stick with them.

Don't be unfair. Your tests, quizzes, and assignments should be such that the average student can get a passing grade. Grade consistently. If you grade hard, then soft, then hard, your students will play you like a fiddle.

Do not treat some students differently. They should all get the same treatment. You cannot be nice to one student, then have different rules for another.

Last but not least, do not talk about the school and staff in demeaning ways. Don't agree with students that another teacher is lousy. Don't complain about the school to your students. Don't gossip.

You must be a fair teacher, in complete control, and act in a professional manner. It's sounds simple, and it is. But teachers are human and can fall into certain modes without thinking. So be diligent!

>>Dealing with confrontational students.

>>Create Free math worksheets.

Monday, January 10, 2011

Late Homework Policies



If a teacher is going to assign homework, sooner or later a student is going to turn it in late. Or not at all and ask for an extension. What is your late work policy? Do you make it up on the fly? Many teachers do, but this is not being fair to all students. Every teacher should have a stated, clear policy when it comes to turning in late assignments.

First, check to see if your school or district has a policy about late assignments. Many do. Your homework policy cannot go against this.

Here are some more tips for teachers and collecting homework.

Collect it immediately when students enter class, or shortly thereafter. Do not collect it whenever the student wants to turn it in.

Give some credit for incomplete work. You will save a lot of trouble if you do this.

You need clear options for grading late work. Have a set policy. What penalty will it cost the student to turn in late work?

How about students who are absent? Your district and school probably have clear policies as to when a student is able to turn in work assigned or collected while they were on an excused absence.

How long will you accept late work? One day? Two days? These are important details to have down.

A good way to cut down on daily collecting of homework is to give long-term assignments. But even these must have due dates.

The mistake many teachers make is not having a set policy for late work. This will only cause problems, and student will push the limit if they know you are not firm.

It is worth repeating that your policy must be aligned with school-wide rules.

Here is a general guide.

For absent students, work should be due after the same number if days the student was absent. Most students are absent one or two days. If they were absent on Tuesday, back on Wednesday, the work would be due on Thursday. For longer absences, it is a good idea to send work home, actually. A parent or guardian can pick it up at the office.

For late homework, you need a cut off date and penalty. One day late, 10% less, two days late, 20% less, 3 days late, no credit.

The best tip is that you assign homework in such a way as to avoid a lot of students turning it in late. You could assign homework during the week, but have a due date of Friday.

Click here for more information and tips on assigning homework.

>>Create free math worksheets.

>>Handling confrontational students.