Just Believe!

As a new teacher facing their first classroom experience, you will have no doubt been bombarded with information. It’s hard to know what’s important and what can go to the bottom of your priority list. Well here’s the straight scoop: everything takes a back seat to classroom management because if you can’t effectively control your classroom, nothing will work as it should. You must master this one area first otherwise teaching can be especially unforgiving. While there are hundreds of possible strategies at your disposal, a few are absolutely critical. Stick with the following cornerstone principles from the first day of school to the last and you’ll have a successful year of teaching. Smile The oft-repeated recommendation that you should never smile in the first two months of the school year is hogwash. A smile sends a subtle but powerful message to your class that kindness and politeness are expected. It also calms nervous energy and builds instant rapport and lika...

Are you new to teaching or a veteran? No matter how much experience you have, there are always challenges to face in the classroom and school. Expectations are high—from students, from parents, from department chairs and administrators. Here are some of the things that I find difficult as a teacher and how I overcome those challenges. 1. Balancing the different learning needs of students Every student who walks through my door is different. Some struggle with math and need extra help. Some learn really well when they read the text, and others when they listen to a lecture or when they work the problems out on their own. Every student who walks through my door is different. There is a built-in way to handle this challenge that all teachers use. It’s called differentiation—meaning to put as many ways of learning into a lesson as you can. So when I teach ionic compounds, I have the kids take notes, read a few paragraphs, use buttons to simulate how electr...