Fostering a positive learning environment in the first weeks of the school year can set elementary students up for success in math all year.

How do you feel when watching this math diagram? Are you afraid of math? I have to admit that I am. Therefore, here are some tips for engaging elementary kids in math class.

ALTERNATIVE MATH LESSONS

Avoid: Giving timed tests during the first few days.

Why? Time shouldn’t be a factor when assessing student knowledge. Time has nothing to do with fluency. Math isn’t supposed to be about timed fact tests—rather, it’s about making connections, seeing patterns, and exploring numbers.

Instead: Play math games that incorporate the skills you want to assess. Students will enjoy games or activities that incorporate math skills. You can observe the skills a student possesses and what assistance they may need. Depending on the game, you may want to have students write down their calculations on paper for you to look at later.

Avoid: Spending days drilling and killing.

Why? Drilling and killing are not engaging for students. Worksheets are tiring and don’t require rigorous thinking. They’re an outdated practice; they expect students to rely on rote memorization and don’t tap into their thought processes.

Instead: Try using a performance assessment task to understand students’ thought processes. How are they reading the problem? What will they do first? What methods will they use to solve the problem? You may find out more about a student by how they solve a problem than you would with a variety of worksheets. Find an activity where the students get hands-on experience with manipulatives.

Avoid: Diving straight into your curriculum or textbook.

Why? Math is not about turning pages from lesson to lesson in a textbook. Diving straight into a textbook dulls the joy and beauty of math. Math lives all around us, so show students how math is about sense-making, connecting, proving, and reasoning.

Instead: Have a conversation about math. Try using routines such as “Which One Doesn’t Belong?” or “Would You Rather” to get students talking about what they see. Throw in a number talk image and ask students to count “How many?” Three Act Tasks are invigorating, especially during the first weeks of school. And students love the imagery depicted in Three Act lessons.

Avoid: Completing a diagnostic test that’s computer-generated during the first week.

Why? The start of the school year is a time for teachers to get to know their students and their needs. Students staring at a computer screen and taking a third-party test is not the best way to do that. By no means should any teacher go against a principal’s or district’s directive? But if there’s flexibility in planning when to complete this task, try holding off until the second week of school. Another alternative is to complete the diagnostic a little bit at a time so as to not overwhelm students.

Instead: Create a positive math environment. Create a dialogue with students by asking about their personal experiences with math learning. Ask questions like “What makes a math person?” or “What are your feelings about math?” Have a conversation about your expectations regarding making mistakes, telling students that it’s OK to make mistakes because we expect them, respect them, and will correct them. Teach students about growth mindset and tell them that their brain grows every time they make a mistake.

By the third week of school, go ahead and start diving into your curriculum, once your students are open to math possibilities. They’ll be willing to put effort into their math work because they know that their brains are growing. As teachers, we need to show them that we value their work and their efforts. The practices we try to avoid giving negative connotations to mathematics. We should create a positive learning environment that welcomes mistakes as well as honors them.

Reference: https://www.edutopia.org/article/dos-and-donts-first-2-weeks-elementary-math-classes?fbclid=IwAR3d8ML-weMJ3XbvGbY2v14uccsq_QBUWuaKPJ64PNCPjJzC59T-JWjRu9M

What do you think about teachers have tattoo? It seems this is still a fervid debate among educators and parents in the society. Here in Taiwan, traditional Confucius concept is that hair and body are parts of property inherent from parents, so we have responsibility to keep in entirely safe and sound. Thus, host country teachers are almost NOT allowed to have tattoo. Especially, teachers are professionals with highly respect, so we keep a very conservative view on teachers have tattoo. On the contrary, we are more open-minded on oversea teachers who with tattoos. Some of my international colleagues have tattoos on their arms and legs. The school and parents accepts it.

For years, teachers have refrained from having tattoos or kept them covered during work hours because they are perceived by many to be unprofessional.

In reality, tattooing has been practised since Neolithic times as a spiritual and religious act. Today, many people still choose their tattoos for sentimental, symbolic, spiritual or religious reasons.

So why is a teacher with visible tattoos so offensive to some people? And can teachers have tattoos on display, or are school leaders legally allowed to demand their staff cover up?

Teachers with Tattoos: What’s the Problem?

From fellow teaching staff and school leaders, to parents and carers of school children, visible tattoos on a teacher can cause significant upset and judgement.

In a recent Teacher Tapp survey, 18% of primary school teachers polled admitted to having tattoos but only 4% said they had a tattoo which is visible when they wear normal clothing.

So why is body art such a contentious issue?

For some, it may simply be a case of snobbery and an assumption that tattoos signify a person of a lower class and culture. Other people may have a more justifiable objection to body art — perhaps the tattoo in question is explicit and not appropriate for young people to see. There also may well be a generational factor at play. Tattoos are now commonplace, with many celebrities, such as David Beckham, openly sporting extravagant designs. Students are used to seeing tattoos on people they respect and admire and may be less likely to make negative judgements about an individual based on their body art. However, for parents who grew up when tattoos were less commonplace, body art on professionals is a newer concept and possibly harder to understand and accept.

Amongst teaching staff, there seems to be little difference in attitudes to visible tattoos between the age groups. A Teacher Tapp survey showed only 2% fewer teachers in their 40s felt that an individual with a visible tattoo on their hand should be allowed to become a teacher, than teachers in their 20s.

What Does the Law Say?

Under the Equality Act 2010, employers are not allowed to discriminate against staff based on certain protected characteristics, which include age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion and belief, sex, and sexual orientation. Apart from religious markings, body art is not a protected characteristic under the act.

This means that school leaders — and all employers — are allowed to make hiring decisions based on the presence of visible tattoos. They are also perfectly within their rights to implement a dress code that stipulates that tattoos must be covered up on school premises. In certain circumstances, employers could legally dismiss a member of staff for not covering visible tattoos, especially if they are deemed to be upsetting students and their families. However, these decisions should be based on the law and the needs of the organisation, not the personal preferences or beliefs of senior staff.

A dress code policy should be clearly communicated to staff — how can you abide by rules you don’t know exist? Our recent survey revealed that few teachers outside the senior leadership team had any idea if tattoos were mentioned in the school’s dress code. 27% of classroom teachers responded, “I don’t know”when asked, “Does your staff dress code include guidance on staff tattoos?” — in contrast to 0% of head teachers and only 12% of the SLT responding likewise.

Could Tattoos on Teachers Lead to Positive Learning Experiences?

In today’s world of gang violence, terrorist acts and fighting between cultures, it is more important than ever that schools teach children to understand and value differences as much as how to read or add numbers together. Young people spend a significant part of their lives at school. It is where they are educated in all aspects of life — and academic studies are just one part of their learning experience. If teachers are told to cover up tattoos and conform to a certain stereotype of what a teacher should look like, what message are we sending to students — that everybody must look the same?

Children must also learn to behave differently in certain settings. For most adults, how we behave at home is different from how we behave at work. This is an essential social skill — one that we must consistently practice to succeed in life. Part of a teacher’s role is encouraging their pupils to respect differences and cultivate that ability to react appropriately in different circumstances.

When it comes to teacher’s opinions about whether tattoos should be hidden at work, opinion is divided — and there is no right answer. That being said, there are other potential positives of allowing teaching staff to display their tattoos with pride. Body art often has a meaning and can be a great discussion starter. A religious tattoo could trigger a debate on a topic that may otherwise be hard to broach. The simple fact that teachers have tattoos is a topic for debate in itself — as this blog demonstrates!

The law is clear that employers can make decisions about staffing based on tattoos and they are perfectly within their rights to ask teachers to keep body art covered at work. In reality, many schools and school leaders will adopt a flexible, common-sense approach that takes into consideration the needs of its staff, pupils and their families. If a teacher has an explicit tattoo that is not appropriate for a school setting, they will likely be asked to cover it, while a visible yet discreet and “inoffensive” tattoo may be allowed. Likewise, most teachers will make their own judgements about what is professional and appropriate for their workplace. Can teachers have tattoos? Absolutely. Do they need to keep them covered at school? The law says that’s entirely up to the school leaders.

Reference: https://adviseredu.com/2020/10/02/can-teachers-have-tattoos-what-does-the-law-say/?fbclid=IwAR0hsTM1ehra0DEHWzJ4uC7HrR95_BH6e_54S-tfGLUhGIPgUsF6w5fRaxw

There are about 7,000 languages spoken around the world — and they all have different sounds, vocabularies and structures. But do they shape the way we think? Lera Boroditsky shares examples of language that suggest the answer is a resounding yes.

In times of crisis, taking care of their team should be of utmost priority for school administrators. With the impending staff shortages this coming school year, schools will undoubtedly be in crisis mode for an unknown period of time. Results from a new survey conducted by the EdWeek Research Center are bleak and tell us the following:

• More than 40 percent of the teachers surveyed reported they were “likely to leave the profession in the next 2 years.”
• Only 44 percent reported they were “treated like professionals by the public.”
• Less than 15 percent reported they were “very satisfied with [their] jobs.”

It’s difficult for school leaders to support their staff through crises if they’ve never learned how to do so effectively and are unaware of the pain points of those under their charge. A Harvard Business Review article tells us that the best leaders take personal ownership in a crisis despite meeting challenges not of their doing and outside their control. Moreover, school leaders will need to listen to what teachers say they need from them to feel better supported.

For example, continuing to drill down relentless mandates and new initiatives when teachers are overworked, underpaid, and exhausted will further erode morale. Also, presenting emotional regulation techniques as a panacea for crises is harmful and doesn’t get to the heart of the issues that require action for improving their workflow. 

Administrators, therefore, need to rally teachers in ways that don’t seem disingenuous or with an agenda to have them comply. That said, school leaders must consider the best ways of supporting their teachers who are staying in the profession by choice and new colleagues entering a potentially tricky new job situation.

3 WAYS TO SUPPORT ALL TEACHERS DURING A CRISIS

1. Align and communicate school focus. While many school leaders want to establish some normalcy in the instructional day, a combination of Covid, staff shortages, and other unforeseen challenges may continue to decimate instruction in many districts for the time being. One superintendent told me recently, “This school year, we were just trying to survive and couldn’t always tend solely on instruction!” Colleagues also express similar sentiments in many schools I visit and on social media.

Therefore, in some places, we must accept that we are living in an extended time of having to be flexible and shift focus—sometimes a lot. At times, items unrelated to instruction may need more priority momentarily, and the teaching staff will need your trust and guidance when having to change priorities.

Not having the school’s focus aligned and articulated to staff as needed will confuse and frustrate them, especially if they are being held accountable. Instead, do the following to remain in alignment with your schoolwide priorities:

• Document the top three to five in order of importance.
• Keep abreast and review performance daily or as required.
• Share all pertinent information and status changes with the corresponding staff members.
• Give clear direction.
• Review and update the schoolwide priorities list as needed.

These strategies are also good to implement when schools are not in crisis mode.

2. Make your school environment intellectually safe. Author Simon Sinek once tweeted, “A team is not a group of people who work together. A team is a group of people who trust each other.” My time in education continues to show me that school leaders earn teachers’ trust when their actions unite the staff in both easy and challenging times with consistency and fairness through their actions, words, and policies—thus creating an intellectually safe school culture.

More specifically, in intellectually safe spaces, teachers and other staff are not belittled, undermined, micromanaged, or devalued in their efforts. In turn, they can become confident to do the following:

• Speak their minds and offer their honest views. This may be an opportune time to get their valid and reliable expertise in a crisis. They also may need an opportunity to vent or ask for help when things get difficult.
• Know they will be supported when making decisions and judgment calls, even in a crisis.
• Seek honest feedback from their supervisor and others.
• Trust what’s being asked of them. 

3. Focus on people, not metrics.

 This does not imply that school leaders shouldn’t care about measuring student achievement or how their school is doing, but when in crisis, attention needs to be on people first. In difficult times, people need to know that school leaders really care about them without an agenda. Administrators can do that best by taking the time to understand their staff’s perspective and then honoring it.

Teaching during a crisis may cause some teachers to worry and to have uncertainty—they will require empathy and engagement from leaders. Here are some ways to keep the focus on them primarily as people:

• In action and words, show them sincere gratitude for their efforts.
• Take time to check in consistently. This maintains your presence and lets them know you’re available for support.
• Look for ways to boost their well-being at work by asking them what helps them and then letting them do it. I’ve seen well-intentioned wellness and mindfulness training sessions backfire when the entire staff gets the same message and strategies. If your school makes time for wellness, let folks do what works for them during the allotted time (e.g., listening to music, reading, going for a walk, exercising, eating comfort snacks).
• Be flexible. For example, when holding faculty meetings or professional development after school doesn’t work for a weary faculty, don’t force it. 
  Reference: https://www.edutopia.org/article/supporting-teachers-during-times-crisis?fbclid=IwAR0oDMPWpkO3WSN5vF286Jr2tEFuBgz5Sp172rfT9bZeG7n3mqQ9kS3fheo

I left a school I loved, colleagues I loved, and kids I loved because of the principal. She kept asking me to do more. (If you’ve ever had to take over the yearbook halfway through the year with a brand new software and no photography or graphics skills, I feel your pain.) Bottom line: school leaders can make or break it for teachers. Many leave a school, district, or the profession altogether because of a toxic school culture and unsupportive or overbearing admin. This year the stakes are even higher. Teachers worry about their health and safety. Many don’t feel seen or heard. Here is what teachers need you to know, principals, but feel like they can’t say.

Stop emailing optional professional development opportunities

There is nothing more maddening to teachers right now than “optional” professional development. Sure, you might have good intentions (after all, no teacher has had enough training to prepare them for the insanity that is teaching in 2021). But when you bombard teachers with invites to webinars, PD in pajamas, and virtual weekend conferences, you send the message that what teachers are already doing isn’t enough. You put teachers in an uncomfortable position when you “suggest” that they work (yes, PD is work) outside of their contract hours (for free). Many teachers are working unpaid overtime. So next time you find out about a virtual training, don’t forward it (unless it’s required and teachers are compensated for their time.)

Stop telling us that “we will all get through this together”

At the end of the day, teachers are on their own. The principal isn’t in the classroom or Zoom room. A teacher’s workload is so outrageous because it’s all on the teacher. Some of us are lucky to have grade-level teams that plan together and divide up the work , but not all of us. I’ve never had a principal help me figure out how to set up a brand new learning management system that I didn’t have access to until two days before school started. “We are all in this together” might look good on a school website or Facebook page. The sentiment is nice, but the truth is, teachers are not getting through this. They are barely surviving. Many of them feel isolated, alone, and overworked.

Stop unnecessary meetings during prep periods

When I first started teaching, I was shocked that my prep period rarely happened. This is why so many teachers end up working at night and on the weekends. An extra meeting comes up. There is a last-minute training. You are asked to cover for another teacher, and on and on. If there’s an emergency, of course you’ll jump in. But many teachers wish admin wouldn’t schedule meetings during prep (it’s sacred).

Start including us in the discussion before decisions are made

There is nothing more frustrating than getting a new curriculum (that you don’t think is the right fit for your kids) and no one asked for your opinion or feedback. I always appreciated it when my principal asked us to help her make a decision that was going to affect our day-to-day, not hers. This year teachers feel left out in the dark. Some schools chose virtual platforms without asking for teachers’ input. Now teachers are scrambling to quickly “make it work.” Many plans around school schedules and re-opening phases were made without teacher input. Or when teachers did speak up, they weren’t given clear or transparent answers (or any answers at all).

Start supporting us instead of evaluating us

Most principals are not teaching students during a global pandemic. Kudos to the principals who say, “I am no expert here, and I am trying to figure this out too. This is really hard.” Let’s shove the school hierarchy aside and accept that when it comes to teaching and working in education in 2021,  everyone is on a level playing field. If there was ever a time to be humble, own our vulnerability, and give grace, now is it.

Start showing us rather than telling us that you appreciate all we do

It’s really nice when principals thank teachers. It’s also nice when principals bring bagels and coffee for a faculty meeting or “just because.” It’s even nicer when principals make time (we know you are busy and overworked too) to check in or just to chat. The nicest thing: a principal who sees, hears, and values us. It’s incredibly hard for teachers to hear, “you are the best” and “no one works harder than you” only after they’ve agreed to take on more. When teachers ask questions about health and safety and instead get an email that calls them “superheroes,” it’s heartbreaking. If there is one thing that a principal could do for teachers this year, it is to show you care in what you do, not just what you say.

Principals, we need you. We know that you have the state and district pushing their agenda. We know parents are pushing you in all directions. We know your plates are so full this year, and you’ve never done this before either. Show us your vulnerability. Listen to us. Advocate for us. When we know you have our backs, and you are transparent and straight up with us, we trust that you are making decisions with us in mind. When you do this, we stay, and not just for the kids, but because we want to. Sometimes because of you.

Reference: https://www.weareteachers.com/what-teachers-need-principals-to-know/?fbclid=IwAR1yO5y2EapTYTQixuWlXo-cbYkQ-WoOYmSur3Tq9DZNO20UHYI1g0DZ-60