1-INADEQUATLY ATTENDING TO LONG-RANGE AND DAILY PLANNING.
Students are motivated best by teachers who clearly are working
hard and intelligently for them. Plan, plan, plan; there is no such
thing as overplanning.
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2-EMPHASIZING THE NEGATIVE. Too many warnings to students for
their inappropriate behaviour and too little recognition for their
positive behaviours do not help to establish the positive climate.
Remind students of procedures. Do not reprimand them too often.
Keep a positive attitude.
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3-NOT REQUIRING STUDENTS TO RAISE HANDS BEFORE RESPONDING. You
cannot be in control of events and your interactions with students
if you allow students to shot out their comments, responses, and
questions whenever they feel like it. Quickly establish your
control of classroom events. Discourage students from the
impulsive, disruptive, and irritating behaviour of shouting out in
class.
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4-ALLOWING STUDENTS HANDS TO BE RAISED TOO LONG. When students
have their hands raised for long periods before you recognise them
and attend to their questions or responses, they begin to fool
around. You should acknowledge him or her quickly, with a nod or a
wave of your hand, so the student can lower his or her hand and
return to work. Then you should get to the student as quickly as
possible.
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5-SPENDING TOO MUCH TIME WITH ONE STUDENT OR ONE GROUP AND NOT
MONITORING THE ENTIRE CLASS. Spending too much time with one
student or a small group of students is, in effect, ignoring the
rest of the students. Do not ignore the rest of the class, even for
a moment.
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6-BEGINNING A NEW ACTIVITY BEFORE GAINING THE STUDENTS
ATTENTION. A teacher who does not wait until all students are in
compliance before starting a new activity is destined for major
problems in classroom control. You must establish and maintain
classroom procedures. In the classroom, your actions will always
speak louder than your words.
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7-PACING TEACHER TALK AND LEARNING ACTIVITIES TOO QUICKLY.
Students need time to disengage mentally and physically from one
activity before engaging in the next. Remember about transition! It
takes more time for a group of 25 or so students than it does for
just one person, you!
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8-USING A VOICE LEVEL THAT IS ALWAYS EITHER TOO LOUD OR TOO
SOFT. A teachers voice that is too loud day after day can become
irritating to some students, just as one that cannot be heard or
understood can become frustrating.
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9-ASSIGNING A TASK WITHOUT GIVING THE TOPIC CAREFUL THOUGHT. If
the question or topic is ambiguous, students will judge that the
task is busywork= (something that is not necessary). Remember about
the lead-in phase of the lesson!
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10-STANDING TOO LONG IN ONE PLACE. Most of the time in the
classroom, you should be mobile, schmoozing, working the
crowd.
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11-SITTING WHILE TEACHING Unless you are physically unable to
stand, in most situations there is no time to sit while teaching.
It is difficult to monitor the class while seated. You cannot
afford to appear that casual.
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12-BEING TOO SERIOUS AND NO FUN. No doubt, good teaching is
serious business. Students are motivated by and respond best to
teachers who enjoy working with students and helping them
learn.
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13-FALLING INTO A RUT BY USING THE SAME TEACHING STRATEGY OR
COMBINATION OF STRATEGIES DAY AFTER DAY. A teacher in such a rut is
likely to become boring to students. Because of their multitude of
differences, students are motivated by and respond best to a
variety of well- planned and meaningful learning activities.
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14-INADEQUATELY USING SILENCE (WAIT TIME) AFTER ASKING A
CONTENT QUESTION. When expected to think deeply about a question,
students need time to do it. A teacher who consistently gives
insufficient time to students to think is teaching only
superficially, at the lowest cognitive level.
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15-POORLY OR INEFFICIENTLY USING INSTRUCTIONAL TOOLS. The
ineffective use of teaching tools such as books, the overhead
projector, writing board, and computer says to students that you
are not a competent teacher. You should know how to use the tools
of your trade. A competent teacher selects and effectively uses the
best tools available for the job. If you plan on integrating
technology into a lesson, always be sure to have a backup plan in
case things do not go as planned.
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16-INEFFECTIVE USING FACIAL EXPRESSIONS AND BODY LANGUAGE. Your
gestures and body language communicate more to students than your
words do. Remember about what you put on in the morning, and use
your hands, face, and body more expressively. It does work!
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17-RELYING TOO MUCH ON TEACHER TALK FOR CLASSROOM CONTROL. Some
teachers rely too much on teacher talk. It can be deadly. Students
will quickly tune a teacher out. Train your nonverbal intervention
techniques. Develop your indirect, silent intervention techniques
such as eye contact, mobility, frown, silence, body stance, and
proximity.
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18-INEFFICIENTLY USING TEACHER TIME. Always plan for the most
efficient and the most productive use of your time in the
classroom. During the lesson do not lose eye contact and proximity
with the classroom of students. Mind your precious instructional
time!
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19-TALKING TO AND INTERACTING WITH ONLY HALF OF THE CLASS.
There is a tendency among some teachers to favour (by their eye
contact and verbal interaction) only 40 to 65% of the students.
Remember to spread your interactions and eye contact throughout the
entire class. Some students learning styles are different and they
may need more encouragement.
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20-COLLECTING AND RETURNING STUDENT PAPERS BEFORE ASSIGNING
STUDENTS SOMETHING TO DO. While turning in papers or waiting for
their return, students have nothing else to do; they get restless
and inattentive. Students should have something to do while papers
are being collected or returned.
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21-INTERRUPTING WHILE STUDENTS ARE ON TASK. It is not easy to
get an entire class of students on task. Once they are on task, you
do not want to be the distracter. Try to give all instructions
before students begin their work. If there is an important point
you wish to make, write it on the board.
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22-USING SHHH AS A MEANS OF QUIETING STUDENTS. When you do
that, you simply sound like a balloon with a slow leak. Delete the
sound from your professional vocabulary!
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23-USING POOR BODY POSITIONING. Develop your skill of
withitness by always positioning your body so you can continue to
visually monitor the entire class even while talking to and working
with one student or a small group. Avoid turning your back to even
a portion of the class.
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24-SETTLING FOR LESS WHEN YOU SHOULD BE TRYING FOR MORE NOT
GETTING THE MOST FROM STUDENTS RESPONSES. The most successful
schools are those with teachers who expect and get the most from
all students. Do not hurry a class discussion! Ask students for
clarification or reasons for their responses! Pump students for
deeper thought and meaning! Prompt to elevate the students thinking
to higher level.
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25-USING THREATS Avoid making threats of any kind
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26-PUNISHING THE ENTIRE CLASS FOR THE MISBEHAVIOUR OF A FEW.
Students who have been behaving well are alienated from the teacher
because they feel they have been punished unfairly for the
misbehaviour of others.
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27-USING GLOBAL PRAISE. Global praise is pretty useless. Such
praise is hollow and says nothing. Instead, be specific. Tell the
student what was so good!
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28-USING COLOUR MEANINGLESSLY. The use of colour on the writing
board is nice but will shortly lose its effectiveness unless the
colours have meaning.
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29-VERBALLY REPRIMANDING A STUDENT FROM ACROSS THE ROOM. This
is another example of a needless interruption of all students.
Because of peer pressure (students tend to support one another), it
increases the you versus them syndrome. Reprimand when necessary,
but do it quietly and as privately as possible.
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30-INTERACTING WITH ONLY A CHOSEN FEW STUDENTS RATHER THAN
SPREADING INTERACTIONS AROUND TO ALL. It is easy to fall into a
habit of interacting with only a few students, especially those who
are vocal and who have significant contributions. Your job is to
teach all the students. To do that, you must be proactive, not
reactive, in your interactions.
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31-NOT INTERVENING QUICKLY ENOUGH DURING INAPPROPRIATE STUDENT
BEHAVIOUR. When allowed to continue, inappropriate student
behaviour only gets worse, not better. It will not go away by
itself. Its best to nip it in the bud quickly and resolutely.
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32-NOT LEARNING AND USING STUDENTS NAMES. A teacher who dose
not know or use names when addressing students is, in effect,
viewed by the students as impersonal and uncaring. To expedite your
success, you should quickly learn and use students names.
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33-READING STUDENT PAPERS ONLY FOR CORRECT (OR INCORRECT)
ANSWERS AND NOT FOR PROCESS AND STUDENT THINKING. Reading student
papers only for correct responses reinforces the false notion that
the process of arriving at answers or solutions is unimportant and
that alternative solutions or answers are impossible or
unimportant. In, effect it negates the importance of the individual
and the very nature and purpose of learning.
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34-NOT PUTTING TIME PLANS ON THE BOARD FOR STUDENTS. Yelling
out how much time is left for an activity interrupts student
thinking and implies that their thinking is unimportant. Avoid
interrupting students once they are on task. Show respect for their
on-task behaviour. Write on the board how much time is allowed for
the activity.
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35-ASKING GLOBAL QUESTIONS THAT NOBODY LIKELY WILL ANSWER. Does
anybody understand? or Are there any questions? Its a waste of
precious instructional time to ask such questions. If you want to
check for student understanding or opinions, then do a spot check:
Ask specific questions, allow think-time, and then call on
individuals.
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36- FAILING TO DO FREQUENT COMPREHENSION CHECKS (EVERY FEW
MINUTES DURING MOST DIRECT INSTRUCTION SITUATIONS) TO SEE IF
STUDENTS ARE UNDERSTANDING. Too often some teachers simply plough
through a big chunk of the lesson, assuming that students
understand it.
Slide 38
37-USING POORLY WORDED, AMBIGUOUS QUESTIONS. Key questions you
will ask during a lesson should be planned and written into your
lesson plan. Refine and make precise the questions by asking them
to yourself, and try to predict how students will respond to
particular questions.
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38-TRYING TO TALK OVER STUDENT NOISE. This simply tells
students that their making noise while you are talking is
acceptable behaviour.
Slide 40
39-WANTING TO BE LIKED BY STUDENTS. Respect is earned as a
result of your effective teaching. Forget it!!! If you are a
teacher, then teach!!!
Slide 41
40-PERMITTING STUDENTS TO BE INATTENTIVE TO AN EDUCATIONALLY
USEFUL MEDIA PRESENTATION. This usually happens because the teacher
has failed to give the students a written handout of questions or
guidelines for what they should acquire from the program. This
provides minds-on and hands-on activities that enhance
learning.
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41-STARTING IN STUTTERS. A stutter start is when the teacher
begins an activity, is distracted, tries again to start, and so on.
Students become increasingly restless and inattentive, and
sometimes amused by the teachers futility. Begin an activity
clearly and decisively. This is best done when lesson plans are
prepared thoughtfully and in detail.
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42-INTRODUCING TOO MANY TOPICS SIMULTANEOUSLY. It is important
that you do not overload students capacity to engage mentally by
introducing different topics simultaneously.
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43- FAILING TO GIVE STUDENTS A PLEASANT GREETING ON A MONDAY OR
FOLLOWING A HOLIDAY OR TO REMIND THEM TO HAVE A PLEASANT WEEKEND OR
HOLIDAY. If you tend to forget this, students are likely to
perceive such a teacher as uncaring or impersonal.
Slide 45
44-SOUNDING EGOCENTRIC. Instead of What I am going to do now is
, you should say: What we are going to do now is
Slide 46
45-TALKING TOO MUCH TIME FOR AN ACTIVITY. No matter what the
activity, during your planning think carefully about how much time
students can effectively attend to it. A general rule for most
classes is that when only one or two learning modalities are
involved (e.g., auditory and visual), the activity should not
extend beyond 15 minutes; when more than two modalities are engaged
(e.g., add tactile or kinesthetic), then the activity might extend
longer, say for 20 or 30 minutes.
Slide 47
46-TALKING TO MUCH TIME TO GIVE VERBAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR AN
ACTIVITY. Students become impatient and restless during long verbal
instructions from the teacher. It is better to give brief
instructions and get the students started on the task.
Slide 48
47-BEING UPTIGHT AND ANXIOUS. Consciously or subconsciously,
students are quick to detect a teacher who is afraid that events
will not go well. And its like a contagious disease. Develop a
written lesson plan that you are truly excited about and looking
forward to implementing it.
Slide 49
48-USING A ONE-SIZE-FITS-ALL TECHNIQUE; FAILING TO APPLY THE
BEST OF WHAT IS KNOWN ABOUT HOW YOUNG PEOPLE LEARN. Do not expect
30 students to the same thing at the same time. Prepare several
alternative activities simultaneously occurring in the classroom,
called multilevel teaching or multitasking.
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49-OVERUSING PUNISHMENT FOR CLASSROOM MISBEHAVIOUR JUMPING TO
THE FINAL STEP WITHOUT TRYING ALTERNATIVES. Teachers sometimes skip
steps for intervention, resorting too quickly to punishment. You
should use alternative activities in the classroom.
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50-BEING INCONSISTENT. Sometimes teachers fail to say what they
mean or mean what they say. A teacher who gives only vague
instructions or who is inconsistent in his or her behaviour
confuses students.
Slide 52
THE END PREVENTING A SHIP FROM SINKING IS MUCH EASIER THAN
SAVING A SINKING ONE RICHARD D. KELLOUGH JIOANNA CARJUZAA PREPARED
BY PRZEMYSAW JACKOWSKI