teacher development Archives - Page 22 of 22

5 Day Teacher Bootcamp: Boost Your Inner Warrior!

June 12, 2018 by Inspired Together Teachers Leave a Comment

We have something new and fun! We have created a FREE 5 day teacher bootcamp that will help you build your inner strength and confidence as a teacher. Inner strength is vital for career stamina and personal satisfaction- join us and develop the personal strength you need to thrive as a teacher.

Each day for five days you will get an e-mail from us. In the e-mail you will find a short activity, exercise or video. You know the importance of working out your body- here’s a chance to work out, strengthen and rejuvenate your inner stamina.

The exercises can be just for your eyes, but if you want to share, we will post a question each day on our Facebook page at Thriving Young Teachers and you can answer the question and interact with others. We love the interaction on our Facebook page and we will join in too!

Just fill out the form below and we will get you added to the list.

The bootcamp starts on Monday June 18th. In the meantime, if you are new to our e-mail list, you will get some welcoming e-mails and some free goodies from us.

We hope to see you soon!

How to Deal with Parent Challenges

November 7, 2017 by Inspired Together Teachers Leave a Comment

At some point, every teacher, beginning teachers and master teachers alike, will deal with parent challenges.

Parent challenges are uncomfortable and frustrating. They can make us angry and upset. We lose sleep, and even lose confidence in our competence as a teacher. Parent challenges can even make us dislike our jobs. Many teachers say that dealing with parents is their least favorite part of the job.

Parents today are often extremely involved in their children’s education and extracurricular activities. Combine this with 24/7 access to online grading programs and you have a recipe that invites extreme parental involvement. Parents can be demanding and unreasonable. On the positive side, they can also be allies, helping you with your most frustrating student issues.

What do you do when you are challenged by a parent?

Listen first.

Hear them out. What are the parents’ issues and concerns? What evidence do they present to make their case? Try to understand where they are coming from, and why they are upset. Keep an open mind. Though it may be difficult, try not to interrupt them or be defensive.

Share your perspective.

After listening carefully to the parents, it is now time to share your insight and information. Try to present your data, such as student grades or work samples, without judgement. Often times, poor work will speak for itself. If it is a behavioral issue, share specific observational or anecdotal notes, if they are written and dated all the better. Also have on hand copies of any previous parent communications and phone calls.

Discuss possible remedies for the issue.

Acknowledge that both parties want to come to a solution. Share any attempts you have already made to help the student. If you have worked closely with others such as a guidance counselor or another teacher, bring them on board for the meeting. Ask the parents for their suggestions. What would they like to happen?

Consider bringing the student into the conference.

Sometimes the story the parent gets and the story of what really happened differ. If you have a good working relationship with a student, you can ask them to explain what they think has happened and why. You can also share test scores and work with students, explaining why they received the grade they got. Ask the student what needs to happen to resolve the issue.

Know that both you and the parents have the best interest of the student at heart.

If you can frame the meeting as one in which you all want to help the student, it will likely be less antagonistic. Show them that you know their child well. Share the student’s strengths, and discuss goals you have that would help the student to succeed in the future. This lessens your role as “the bad guy” and helps to position you as a cheerleader for the student.

If parents become physically or verbally abusive or irrational, end the meeting.

Explain that the meeting cannot be productive with such strong emotions. Explain to the parents that you will end the meeting if their manner continues. Offer to reschedule at another time when an administrator can be present. Ask them to leave. If they refuse, leave and get help.

Be proactive in future dealings with parents.

Follow up a heated conversation with a progress report. Keep parents informed of any further issues, and also, of improvements. It is a good idea to keep all parents notified of student grades and activities. Write a classroom newsletter. Inform parents of major projects and tests. Update your online grading portal with regular comments. Call parents when needed- early and often. Do not surprise parents with a failing grade or an out- of -school suspension.

Learn from the challenge.

Although it is difficult when you are being challenged, try to see parents as people who can help you grow as a teacher. Where were they right, and you now realize you messed up? What did they point out that you now realize you could do differently in the future? What does this confrontation teach you about parent communications? Having a growth mindset around parental challenges will help you become a stronger teacher.

Parent challenges are inevitable, but they don’t have to be career ending. You can learn to work with parents in a way that will increase the chances of student success. The old saying says that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. You can and will survive parental challenges, and learn to thrive despite them!

Do you need some inspiration from Amazing teachers? Get our list of 25 books with amazing teachers

10 Things You Won’t Hear Excellent Teachers Say

August 2, 2017 by Inspired Together Teachers 2 Comments

Though we would like it if the world were always a positive, friendly place, sometimes it just isn’t so. We’ve heard our share of negative teacher room talk. Still, we try to do our part to stay positive and focus on how to handle challenges in a way that encourages positive change. Given that philosophy, here are ten things you won’t hear excellent teachers say:

These kids are all lazy and unmotivated.

Really? All of them? Show us a classroom where all of the students are unmotivated and we will show you a classroom that needs a reboot. Perhaps the lessons need to be more academically or developmentally appropriate. Maybe the work needs to be more active and engaging. Has the teacher built a good relationship with the students? If not, start there. Students are more likely to do good work for teachers they like and respect.

You’ll do what I say because I am the teacher and you are the student.

You might get students to comply with this statement, but compliance is not the same as learning. Compliance is at the low end of the motivation scale, with interest and engagement at the other end.

That’s not how we act. Were you raised in a barn?

You don’t know how they were raised. Making assumptions or belittling their background is not likely to teach them proper behavior.

When I want to control my class, I just give them a pop quiz.

There are two problems here- emphasizing control over learning and understanding the purposes of assessment.

Did you leave your brain at home today?

Teachers who say things like this think they are being sarcastic, but be aware that many, many students do not understand sarcasm and will just recognize this statement as an insult.

That is a stupid question.

If you want to make sure students never ask a question in your classroom, be sure to tell them that their questions are stupid.

Don’t smile until Christmas.

The sentiment behind this one is that you have to let students know who is in control and that you are not their friend. However, you can build a classroom environment where students will work and respect you and each other. You can be firm in your expectations while building a rapport with your students. We say, go ahead and smile on the first day.

She works so hard she makes the rest of us look bad.

The general public does enough teacher bashing. We don’t need to do it to ourselves. If you make this statement, you are really making a statement about how YOU work.

There are only 39 days left of school!

The problem with counting down the number of days of school is that the subtle message is “this place is so bad we can’t wait to get out of here!” In your glee, you are negating the fact that school is a positive, purposeful place for learning. While we all like our vacation, many students are safe, fed, and happy at school. Sometimes home and summer brings unknown and unsettling circumstances. If you are confronted with an end of the year countdown, consider saying things like “Only six more days until we can stay home and read all day long.”

How many years until I retire?

This is not a problem if you are actually planning your retirement. But if you are an early career teacher and you are starting to count the days and years until you retire, you might want to take a look at why you are so miserable in your job. Yes, teaching is hard work and we know that not every minute is enjoyable. The good should outweigh the bad. Good teachers generally like their work!

Here’s to positive teacher talk,

Interview 101: What Makes you UNIQUE?

June 9, 2017 by Inspired Together Teachers Leave a Comment

Do you have a teaching interview planned? We have participated in hundreds of new teacher interviews. New teachers talk about their student teaching, their coursework, and how much they love being in a classroom with kids. They answer the questions, and if they are wise, they expand upon their answers with examples.

However, most new teachers forget ONE VERY IMPORTANT SELLING POINT IN AN INTERVIEW. Saying that you love students, or love teaching, is not a bad thing. But the teacher who interviewed before you probably said the same thing. You need to give the interviewers something about you that they will remember.

The interview team needs to know what makes you UNIQUE.

To determine what make you unique, we offer the following categories for self-assessment:

Awards– What awards have you won? These awards may be academic (think Dean’s List or a specific content award), work related (top counselor at camp, voted most creative day care teacher, etc), or social (any awards for involvement with a community group or organization).
Endorsements or Certifications– Don’t forget to mention any endorsements or certifications you have earned. Even if you have them listed on your resume, be sure to bring them up in the interview. Having that coaching endorsement, or that middle school endorsement, may be what is the deciding factor between you and another candidate.
Extra–curricular Activities- Did you participate in choir all four years of college? Were you a leader on the court? Did you perform on the stage? Did you make it to a national championship? Did you sit on the bench for four years and support your teammates with your enthusiasm and positive attitude? You may think your extracurricular activities are not relevant to teaching, but extracurricular involvement shows leadership, resilience, and dedication- all important skills in teaching.
Experiences– Were you an Eagle Scout? Did you study abroad for semester? Did you take a service trip that impacted your view on the world? Down assume they aren’t relevant. Your participation in these experiences shows a lot about your character and your desire to continually learn.
Opportunities– Did your teacher education program offer any unique opportunities that you took advantage of? Are there community involvement events that you always take the opportunity to volunteer for? If you have ever jumped at the opportunity to do something, it may be worth mentioning in the interview.

Once you have determined what makes you unique, be sure to write it down so you don’t forget to mention it in the interview. The opportunity to present the unique information about you may come at the beginning of the interview when they ask you to introduce yourself, it may come up during the examples, or you may have to add it at the end if not opportunities presented themselves based on questions asked of you. However, you need to find a way to make sure the interviewers know the unique qualities you will bring to the classroom and the school.

Our free guide entitled How to ACE Your Teaching Interview contains even more advice. Feel free to download it here.

Good luck with your interviews,

How to ACE Your Teaching Interview

June 1, 2017 by Inspired Together Teachers Leave a Comment

Are you looking for a teaching position? This is high season for teacher recruitment. Experienced teachers are often looking to change grade levels or move to a different school. Some teachers are job hunting due to moving to a new city or even to a different part of the country. Beginning teachers fresh out of college are looking to land their first job.

Whether you are an experienced teacher or a beginner, you want to go into your teaching interview with the materials you need, the answers to interview questions prepared, and the confidence to show yourself in your best light.

We’ve been on the hiring end of the teaching interview process many times and have developed a checklist to help you shine in an interview.

Click below for access to our guide to navigating a successful interview:

If you are not looking for a teaching position, perhaps you know someone who is. Please feel free to forward this post to them.

Here’s to your interviewing success!

Best wishes,

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