17th January 2017
What are your roles as a teacher?
As a teacher, one of your main roles is to motivate your learners to develop their ability and aspiration to learn. You may read about delivering training and facilitating learning , but in reality you do much more than that. Your role is not just about teaching your subject or preparing learners for assessment. The focus of your role relates very much to inspiring your learners to change and develop their personal, social and professional skills to the best of their ability. In this respect, your ultimate aim is to enable your learners to understand how to take responsibility for their own development. You can do this by planning and preparing teaching and learning activities that take account of the needs and well-being of individual learners as well as groups of learners. Some key aspects of your role as a teacher may be:
carrying out initial and/or diagnostic assessments;
clear communication with your learners, other professionals and stakeholders;
promoting appropriate behaviour and respect for others;
identifying and meeting individual learners’ needs;
being aware of the support mechanisms available;
being organised;
being reflective, which means learning from successes as well as mistakes.
What are your responsibilities as a teacher?
As a teacher, a primary responsibility is to ensure that learners are enrolled onto the correct course, in terms of meeting their needs, abilities and aspirations. Further to this, you need to ensure that your learner is on the appropriate course in terms of meeting their award and organisational requirements. In order to do this you will probably have responsibility for the following:
promoting a safe and supportive learning environment;
promoting equality and diversity;
adhering to key legislation, regulatory requirements and codes of practice;
modelling professional behaviour at all times to inspire your learners;
ensuring your own professional development;
contributing to a team of professionals in order to improve the experience and achievement of your learners;
designing or contributing to the design of the course curriculum
negotiating appropriate learning targets f or the group and individuals as appropriate to their needs and aspirations as well as the course aims;
planning learning activities based on the needs of your group and specific individual needs within the group;
designing or amending learning resources that are varied, appropriate to the award aims, and intellectually challenging for your learners;
keeping accurate records to contribute to your organisation’s quality improvement strategy. This will include keeping accurate records of recruitment, retention, achievement and progression of your group, as well as evaluation of how these can be improved;
keeping accurate records of individual learners’ progress and future needs. This is often recorded in the form of an individual learning plan;
providing learners with appropriate points of referral as required.
In terms of this last point, during the course your primary aim is to enable each learner to achieve to the best of their ability through working in a safe and supportive environment. It is therefore your responsibility to know who your learners should contact if they need any additional support or specialist information, such as:
finance; health; study skills; counselling.
Habits of an Effective Teacher
I really appreciate teachers who are truly passionate about teaching. The teacher who wants to be an inspiration to others. The teacher who is happy with his/her job at all times. The teacher who every child in the school would love to have. The teacher kids remember for the rest of their lives. Are you that teacher? Read on and learn 11 effective habits of an effective teacher.
1. ENJOYS TEACHING
Teaching is meant to be a very enjoyable and rewarding career field (although demanding and exhausting at times!). You should only become a teacher if you love children and intend on caring for them with your heart. You cannot expect the kids to have fun if you are not having fun with them! If you only read the instructions out of a textbook, it's ineffective. Instead, make your lessons come alive by making it as interactive and engaging as possible. Let your passion for teaching shine through each and everyday. Enjoy every teaching moment to the fullest.
2. MAKES A DIFFERENCE
There is a saying, "With great power, comes great responsibility". As a teacher, you need to be aware and remember the great responsibility that comes with your profession. One of your goals ought to be: Make a difference in their lives. How? Make them feel special, safe and secure when they are in your classroom. Be the positive influence in their lives. Why? You never know what your students went through before entering your classroom on a particular day or what conditions they are going home to after your class. So, just in case they are not getting enough support from home, at least you will make a difference and provide that to them.
3. SPREADS POSITIVITY.
Bring positive energy into the classroom every single day. You have a beautiful smile so don't forget to flash it as much as possible throughout the day. I know that you face battles of your own in your personal life but once you enter that classroom, you should leave all of it behind before you step foot in the door. Your students deserve more than for you to take your frustration out on them. No matter how you are feeling, how much sleep you've gotten or how frustrated you are, never let that show. Even if you are having a bad day, learn to put on a mask in front of the students and let them think of you as a superhero (it will make your day too)! Be someone who is always positive, happy and smiling. Always remember that positive energy is contagious and it is up to you to spread it. Don't let other people's negativity bring you down with them.
4. GETS PERSONAL
This is the fun part and absolutely important for being an effective teacher! Get to know your students and their interests so that you can find ways to connect with them. Don't forget to also tell them about yours! Also, it is important to get to know their learning styles so that you can cater to each of them as an individual. In addition, make an effort to get to know their parents as well. Speaking to the parents should not be looked at as an obligation but rather, an honour. In the beginning of the school year, make it known that they can come to you about anything at anytime of the year. In addition, try to get to know your colleagues on a personal level as well. You will be much happier if you can find a strong support network in and outside of school.
5. GIVES 100%
Whether you are delivering a lesson, writing report cards or offering support to a colleague - give 100%. Do your job for the love of teaching and not because you feel obligated to do it. Do it for self-growth. Do it to inspire others. Do it so that your students will get the most out of what you are teaching them. Give 100% for yourself, students, parents, school and everyone who believes in you. Never give up and try your best - that's all that you can do. (That's what I tell the kids anyway!)
6. STAYS ORGANIZED
Never fall behind on the marking or filing of students' work. Try your best to be on top of it and not let the pile grow past your head! It will save you a lot of time in the long run. It is also important to keep an organized planner and plan ahead! The likelihood of last minute lesson plans being effective are slim. Lastly, keep a journal handy and jot down your ideas as soon as an inspired idea forms in your mind. Then, make a plan to put those ideas in action.
7. IS OPEN-MINDED
As a teacher, there are going to be times where you will be observed formally or informally (that's also why you should give 100% at all times). You are constantly being evaluated and criticized by your boss, teachers, parents and even children. Instead of feeling bitter when somebody has something to say about your teaching, be open-minded when receiving constructive criticism and form a plan of action. Prove that you are the effective teacher that you want to be. Nobody is perfect and there is always room for improvement. Sometimes, others see what you fail to see.
8. HAS STANDARDS
Create standards for your students and for yourself. From the beginning, make sure that they know what is acceptable versus what isn't. For example, remind the students how you would like work to be completed. Are you the teacher who wants your students to try their best and hand in their best and neatest work? Or are you the teacher who couldn't care less? Now remember, you can only expect a lot if you give a lot. As the saying goes, "Practice what you preach".
9. FINDS INSPIRATION
An effective teacher is one who is creative but that doesn't mean that you have to create everything from scratch! Find inspiration from as many sources as you can. Whether it comes from books, education, Pinterest, YouTube, Facebook, blogs, TpT or what have you, keep finding it!
10. EMBRACES CHANGE
In life, things don't always go according to plan. This is particularly true when it comes to teaching. Be flexible and go with the flow when change occurs. An effective teacher does not complain about changes when a new principal arrives. They do not feel the need to mention how good they had it at their last school or with their last group of students compared to their current circumstances. Instead of stressing about change, embrace it with both hands and show that you are capable of hitting every curve ball that comes your way!
11. CREATES REFLECTIONS
An effective teacher reflects on their teaching to evolve as a teacher. Think about what went well and what you would do differently next time. You need to remember that we all have "failed" lessons from time to time. Instead of looking at it as a failure, think about it as a lesson and learn from it. As teachers, your education and learning is ongoing. There is always more to learn and know about in order to strengthen your teaching skills. Keep reflecting on your work and educating yourself on what you find are your "weaknesses" as we all have them! The most important part is recognizing them and being able to work on them to improve your teaching skills.
There are, indeed, several other habits that make an effective teacher but these are the ones that I find most important. Many other character traits can be tied into these ones as well.
LAST WORD: There is always something positive to be found in every situation but it is up to you to find it. Keep your head up and teach happily for the love of education!
Body Language
1 According to the Journal of Counselling Psychology (1967) Vol 31 :
Meaning is conveyed through：Words，Voice，Body Language
（55% body language，38% voice，7% words）
2
3 Why do we use body language in the language classroom?
maintain students' interest；keep the students focus on you；create a dynamic atmosphere；to emphasise a point；to clarify a point；make a point memorable；to help elicit；to help give instructions；in error correction；in pronunciation classes；to be an example；to show your own opinion；to encourage interaction；to encourage or discourage certain behaviour.
Scrivener, J. (2012) Classroom Management Techniques. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 56-65
涂鸦：
Canvas Goes Out of its way to get out of yours
That’s why millions of teachers and students at thousands of learning institutions throughout the world now use Canvas—because it brings classroom technology together, simplifies it, then gets it out of the way. All so teachers, pupils, parents and school managers can focus on what really matters: teaching and learning.
As a modern, easy-to-use, accessible easy-to-use, accessible learning platform, Canvas connects all your teaching and learning materials, reports, content and apps into one centralised place.
One place and one platform where you can build courses, give feedback, assess learning, manage reports and simplify everything you do in your classroom every day. And with technology out of your way, you’ll:
Save time, effort and resources
Because teaching and learning get easier when technology gets simpler. With an intuitive interface and user-centred features designed to save time and effort, simple is what Canvas does better than any other learning platform.
Do away with confusion and fragmentation
The kinds that come from having too many tech tools in too many places. As an open platform, Canvas plays nicely with third-party content, tools and services, so that you can provide an integrated learning environment for students.
Make learning personalised and engaging
With tools to create and deliver targeted instruction, Canvas helps you personalise learning so everyone can succeed. And with built-in rubrics and outcomes that can be aligned to standards, you can easily collect and analyse assessment data.
Build a teaching strategy for the future
Canvas is the fully-supported, future-proof, cloud native learning platform hosted on AWS, one of the most trusted cloud services in the world. It’s easy to access, always up to date, secure, reliable and capable of scaling to your needs during peak periods of use.
Forget about technology
That’s what we mean when we say Canvas gets out of your way. By creating a centralised hub that integrates, streamlines and simplifies everything you do in your classroom every day, Canvas makes it easier to focus on teaching and forget about technology.
Good Body Language Improves Classroom Management
Successful Teachers Blend both Verbal and Nonverbal Communica
Effective teachers use body language to communicate with students, build rapport with them, and make them feel safe and supported.
“Face the student with arms uncrossed and relaxed,” says Mindy B. (on NEA Today Facebook) “and usually always smiling! Give them eye-to-eye contact, and pay attention to them! By doing this, I’m conveying the message that ‘I care!’”
“The ability of a teacher to establish positive rapport with students is a critical aspect of the teacher-learner relationship,” explains Ron Benner, a school psychologist in Bridgeport, Connecticut. “The successful teacher blends both verbal and nonverbal communication skills in establishing good rapport with students and this has a direct correlation to student achievement."
Test your understanding of your students and how your body language affects them by standing in the doorway of the room as your students shuffle in. This close contact sets up a naturally occurring single file line that calms them before they enter the classroom and enables a positive learning environment before they even sit down, according to body language expert Chris Caswell.
From the start, command the classroom. Greet the class with a loud, clear, upbeat voice. If you look frazzled, you seem vulnerable. Lack of confidence is a red flag to students.
Body Language Dos and Don’ts
Where and how you stand in the classroom speaks volumes, too.
Stand up straight. Poor posture—slumped shoulders, stomach sticking out—is not only physically unhealthy, but it can convey a whole range of attitudes and degrees of interest and respect.
Avoid folding your arms, standing behind a desk, and using barriers. These behaviors “simply sends the signal that you don’t want to make contact,” says Caswell. It blocks you off and makes you appear unapproachable. Don’t cross your arms or shuffle papers that aren’t related to the lesson, and refrain from looking at your watch when a child is speaking.
Use the whole classroom. Walk around the students’ desks to show interest, and indicate approval with a head nod. Caswell suggests leaning slightly forward and moving momentarily into their territory in a nonthreatening way.
Be aware of your facial expressions (or lack thereof!). They can easily convey any number of moods and attitudes, as well as understanding or confusion.
Smile. It conveys happiness and encouragement. Frowns show sadness or anger. Big, open eyes suggest fear. An animated face draws the listener in.
Make eye contact. It helps establish rapport and trust, and it shows that you’re engaged and listening to the students.
Adopt different poses when you want your students to respond in a particular way.
Your hand on your chin encourages students to think about the answer and shows you’re waiting for their answer.
Hands out and palms up shows that you’re open to questions and answering in a nonthreatening way.
Observe wait time—don’t stare and rush them. Appear relaxed and ready to listen.
Body language helps you get your message across. Let students know that you want to create a supportive, productive learning environment.
