by mindroar | Jan 24, 2020 | #teacherlife, classroom management, teaching, teaching strategies
In my fourth year of teaching, I had a lightbulb moment. Positive praise works. I should’ve known: I’d had professional development sessions on it and read about it in teaching manuals. But somehow it didn’t sink in until I had a student approach me...
by mindroar | Jan 17, 2020 | #teacherlife, blog, English literature, free resources, Freebie Friday, teaching literature, teaching Shakespeare, video resources
Do you ever have those lessons where you look around your classroom and you can see the boredom swirl around the classroom like fog? I used to have a class that was almost catatonic every Thursday afternoon last lesson: Year 9s, after lunch, an hour until home time,...
by mindroar | Nov 29, 2019 | #teacherlife, classroom management, teaching, teaching strategies
As a beginning teacher, I would’ve forefeited my first year’s salary to find out easy, effective classroom rewards for students. But I’m going to give it to you for free: positive praise. What? Positive praise is the best reward? And it’s free?...
by mindroar | Nov 25, 2019 | #teacherlife, blog, Crash Course Study Skills, teaching strategies, teaching study skills
Have you ever read your student notebooks when they take independent notes and face-palmed? I know I have – it can feel like they have not listened at all when their notes don’t reflect the lesson you think you have given. When this happens, you know...