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Teacher Tips

Here are some teachers tips I have done and seen.  They can work, but it is not 100%, but the theme should be clear.  Feel free to use it, tweak it, discard, etc.  Your classroom is your way of doing things, but if you see a weakness, maybe some of these suggestions will help.

  • Seating chart day 1.  This way you can use the kids's names day 1.  Many will say to let the kids choose so you can see who are the friends and you can then have a seating chart that separates the chatty Kathy groups.  I just like calling the kids by their names and having a plan and letting the kids know I am in charge and this is the way we are doing it.  I then redo the seating chart when I see fit

  • Don't just move 1 kid, move a handful.  This will avoid, "you are picking on my kid".  

  • If you accept late grades, choose one day a week to update the grade system.  Mine is every Monday.  A kid or parent emails me saying they made up their work and want their grade updated I just respond with, "Great!  I will update it the next time I update grades.  Thanks for doing it!".  You will drive yourself crazy trying to update as kids do late work.  And, I want them to see that low grade for a while.

  • Late work- I actually will accept late work up until the last day of the quarter for stuggling kids.  I just want them to do the work and for math, the more practice the better.  Other subjects I am not sure how important it is to complete all work, but for Math, it is like shooting baskets for basketball.  The more the better.

  • Have a time limit on each thing you do.  As a middle school teacher, I change what I am doing every 10 to 15 min.  Not always, because I have to get through a lesson, but I try to have this in my mind.

  • Work on notetaking day by day.  Kids not good at taking notes?  Don't try to build Rome in a day, try to get them to improve day by day or week by week.

  • Use grading programs so you don't spend so much time grading.  Yes, you are giving up seeing work, but if you ask the right questions, it can still catch them showing the work.

  • Give a waiting period for the crazy emails you will get from parents.  A parent sending an emotional not quite stable email is usually very emotional at that moment and they have many other things going on.  There needs to be delay for you to send an answer.  I usually wait 24 hours.  If necessary, I will respond with, "I received your email and will respond when time allows".  This way they can't go to admin and demand action.  A delay helps everyone bring the emotions down.

  • Own mistakes and own when you are right.  If you mess up, admit it, own it, and learn from it.  A parent accuses you of something, stand your ground with facts.  You owe to you as a professional to stick up for yourself.  I refuse to meet with a parent if they don't treat me as a professional.  Could I get fired?  Of course, but that is my line and any good admin will understand.

  • Have a routine at the end of class.  After 30 years, I still don't.  Sigh.  I try and I do for a while, then I get rushed or something.  But that is my goal.

  • Stay in your lane.  I was really bad at going out of my lane to help this and that and save the world, but it would always come back to get me.  One child one year told me, "Man, you ain't my teacher, go back to your class".   As rude as this was, I actually think about this since then.  I will still help the school with rules for students I don't teach, but it does remind me to worry about my classroom more.

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