I am pissed off now. I need to know how to process my emotion and calm down!
In order to be calm and at ease with ourselves, we need regular periods where we do something rather strange-sounding: process our emotions. The School of Life provides a guide to this essential psychological move.
Strategies like choral reading and ear reading improve students’ reading fluency, expand their vocabulary, and increase their confidence.
There are better alternatives to round-robin and popcorn reading: “Of the 30-odd studies and articles I’ve consumed on the subject,” says Todd Finley, a professor of English education, “only one graduate research paper claimed a benefit to round-robin reading or its variations.” It simply doesn’t benefit students to have poor fluency skills and pronunciation modeled, and asking students to take turns reading aloud in front of the whole class can stigmatize struggling readers.
Choral reading—when the teacher and class read a text aloud together—takes the spotlight off of struggling readers while encouraging them to participate. Research suggests that it improves reading fluency, expands vocabulary, and increases students’ confidence.
Partner reading is another low-stakes, research-backed strategy. A pair of students alternate reading a text aloud, then taking the role of the listener. The listener asks probing questions to check that the reader comprehends the text. Having the stronger reader go first benefits struggling readers because they hear the difficult words before reading them aloud themselves. This form of peer monitoring and questioning improves reading fluency, according to a 2007 study.
Pairing students from upper and lower grades to read together has academic and social and emotional benefits that flow both ways. The little kids see greater reading fluency modeled and profit from the one-to-one attention of a mentoring relationship; the upper elementary kids learn by answering questions and develop crucial skills like empathy and patience. Additionally, for older kids who struggle with grade-level reading, the experience allows them to access simpler texts without shame—all the while increasing their confidence by taking on a leadership role.
Student pairs can meet at least once a month for 30 minutes. At first, let the younger students choose the books to increase their engagement; later, have older students share their favorite reads. As the younger kids’ skills develop, they can start reading too, instead of just listening.
Ear reading, listening to an audiobook while reading, is a great approach—at least periodically—for all students, but it has particular benefits for struggling readers and students with dyslexia. In a 2010 study, students with dyslexia who listened to audiobooks showed significant gains in reading accuracy, improved behavior and school performance, and greater motivation and school involvement. You can get human-read audiobooks and textbooks from Learning Ally, a nonprofit focused on supporting K–12 struggling readers. OverDrive, Bookshare, and Audible also provide audiobooks.
Although ear reading is an effective strategy for supporting students with dyslexia, it doesn’t replace explicit, step-by-step phonics-based instruction, also known as structured literacy, which remains one of the most effective reading strategies for students with the condition. Structured literacy focuses on teaching phonemic and phonological awareness, among other skills like encoding and comprehension.
A 2014 report from the Institute of Education Sciences looks at how teaching academic English—general and domain-specific vocabulary for a subject area or a unit, for example—empowers students, particularly English language learners (ELLs), to understand the content better. Acting out the words in a skit, creating physical gestures for challenging words, and coupling challenging language with images are some useful strategies for teaching vocabulary.
But students need more than vocabulary to become successful readers. Regular formative assessment is important, especially in supporting ELLs, who now make up almost 10 percent of K–12 students in the United States. In kindergarten and first grade, check in regularly to assess students’ understanding of the alphabet and ability to sound out words. For second through fifth graders, look for their ability to read accurately, with expression, and on pace. Walking around the room while students read in pairs can be an easy way to assess students; you can ask pairs to discuss what they read to assess their comprehension in real time.
Allowing students to choose what they read and offering choices that reflect their experiences increases their engagement. A kid may have no desire to read The Boxcar Children but be eager to get her hands on Hansel & Gretel & Zombies: A Graphic Novel once she gets home. Giving students choice doesn’t mean lowering your expectations. Yes, kids may choose books that don’t challenge them, but you can manage that. Bring in options that are rigorous and also meet their interests, or rotate between choice books and whole-class reading.
When it comes to ensuring that your bookshelves are stocked with stories that will interest your students, having a diverse classroom library matters. Asking your students what books they want to read and what categories they are interested in is a good place to start, suggests Meredith Kimi Lewis, a K–5 program specialist for Seattle Public Schools.
Fluency-oriented reading instruction (FORI)—when students read the same text multiple times over the course of a week as a class, in pairs, and alone, for example—significantly improved word pronunciation and reading comprehension for a diverse group of second graders, according to a 2010 study.
And at New York–based Concourse Village Elementary School, composed of a predominantly Latinx and black student population in the poorest congressional district in the nation, a schoolwide, cross-discipline reading approach that emphasizes repeated exposure to the same text has the school outscoring the citywide average by as many as 40 points for the English state exam. Their five-step reading strategy—one of several approaches in the school—also emphasizes repeated access to the same text in different modalities. Students echo and choral read the same text every day over the span of a week, and each day they focus on honing a different skill: identifying the main point, annotating, identifying key details, analyzing the author’s craft, and drawing conclusions.
Reference: https://www.edutopia.org/article/6-elementary-reading-strategies-really-work?fbclid=IwAR1Vo5_QOB05DnPut_eUwfAuB2U84tR4tRV1KWoA5YjbC_QqlKtL4Ij7UCI
“Your name is hard to pronounce.”
“You speak English surprisingly well.”
“You’ve done so well despite your background.”
“You don’t act like a girl.”
“You don’t dress like a boy.”
If you’ve ever heard something like these or similar statements said to someone who is from an underrepresented group (such as Black, Latine, Indigenous or Asian) or as LGBTQIA+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, intersex, asexual and other gender/sexual minorities), then you may have witnessed a microaggression.
What are microaggressions?
Microaggressions are defined as every day, subtle, intentional or unintentional interactions or behaviors that communicate some sort of bias toward historically marginalized groups. These can be comments, interactions, body language or other behaviors that make a person or group of people feel less than another person or group.
Are microaggressions harmful?
Most people don’t mean for microaggressions to be offensive. In fact, many people who make such statements often believe they’re complimenting the person. On the other hand, microaggressions can sometimes be intentionally hurtful.
Microagressions can have a negative impact:
Microaggressions take place in everyday situations, such as conversations with friends or in the workplace.
How can I as a parent or educator teach about microaggressions?
We know kids learn habits and opinions from the adults in their lives. If you’d like to teach your children to be open-minded and respectful as well as more informed on microaggressions, try these ideas:
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.
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