It is not easy being a teacher
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...