Should we really worry about food allergies?

Some schools are taking severe precautions to assure there are no issues with food allergies. These can include having an "allergy section" of a cafeteria where students who have allergies need to sit. Other schools have banned certain foods in the entire school (often peanuts). Some schools have gone so far as to ban any food in the classroom (which is fine) INCLUDING coffee. From what I heard the teachers revolted a bit on this and eventually coffee was allowed in the classroom. 

Nonetheless, food allergies are a serious thing, and those of us lucky not to suffer from a food allergy are often rather ignorant. Hopefully this guest post (and infographic) help keep us aware.

Did you know that there are approximately 30,000 emergency room visits in the United States each year that are caused by food allergies?

Over half of the U.S. population tests positive to one or more food allergens, which is why it is important to get all of the information you can. This way, you can be aware of allergies your students may have and take precautions to avoid allergy attacks.

A food allergy or hypersensitivity is an abnormal response to a food that is triggered by your immune system. Common allergies are to nuts, shellfish, dairy and eggs. Symptoms of an allergic reaction can range from an itching in your mouth and difficulty swallowing to nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Be sure to ask parents about what food their child needs to avoid and and how you can respond quickly if a reaction occurs.

You can learn more about food allergies and see statistics in the infographic here.

Created by the team at Sticky Jewelry.

Confusing Words 1

STRIPPING STRIPES
The first day of class in the Spring semester we played a review game covering everything they should have learned from their class in the fall. One of the queries was as follows:Combine the following sentences:

The cat lives on campus. The cat has stripes.

I look over and see one group talking. They aren't using Spanish (YAY) but one student in the group is visibly confused and begins to mime whirling something over her head. Her classmates quickly laugh and shake their heads, "No... not strip! Stripes" and then they mime drawing stripes on their arms.Important distinction.

If your students need a reminder it may be a good time to cover spelling rules. The "magic e" makes the i says it's own name (long vowel). Without the  "magic e" the i can't make its own name (short vowel)

SWEET SWEAT
My students were writing opinion essays on business practices. One student had come to me after class for some advice about his essay against sweat shops. 

First let's start with praise. He correctly differentiated between sweat and sweet (which is something I see native speakers mess up sometimes). 

You can remember the spelling a few different ways.  Some people remember HEAT makes you SWEAT. Others that MEAT is not SWEET (so meat and swee
t use different vowels).

Even though my student got that part right, he did make a small mistake with one of his supporting ideas.

TASTE TEST
"An example of the horrible conditions of sweat shops is that the women are fired if they are found pregnant. To make sure they are not hiding their pregnancy the sweat shop tastes women to see if they are pregnant."

After I read this I smiled. "So did they lick the workers to see if they were pregnant?" 

He was shocked by the question, but quickly figured out that taste and test were in fact different words.

MEET THE MEAT To end, this one wasn't in my class but a blog comment on an earlier post prompted me to add it.

  Does anyone else think of the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy when students mix these up?

I am starting to collect commonly missed words, so let me know if you need a visual to help you and/or your students in the comments, by twitter or Facebook.

Can I make it as a freelance teacher?

I keep meeting all of these FANTASTIC teachers who don't teach for a school. 

These teachers are essentially freelancers. They teach on their own schedules often online (meaning they can teach in different locations).

This seems to be a growing area in education, so when Brian Fenwick offered an infographic in the facts and figure of freelancing I thought other educators may like to look at it..  

Close to a billion dollars has been earned by freelance workers across the world and this figure continues to grow at a considerable rate as ever more people turn to this career path to make their living.

Maybe unsurprisingly the United States and India top the list of country earnings. In terms of area of expertise, it is those who possess design skills that seem most likely to choose freelancing.

There is evidence to suggest that the United States economy has changed in its basic structure with a greater prominence for the service industry which may well explain why freelancing has grown quickly here.

The economic situation of the past 5 years has also, no doubt, had an impact on how people have chosen to earn a living; if a person with the required skills was unfortunate enough to find themselves out of work, freelancing would inevitably seem like a route out of their jobless position.

A final factor that may have influenced the growth patterns of the freelance world is the recent search engine algorithm changes by the world’s most popular search engine Google. High quality content is now paramount when it comes to ranking highly and every website owner from small to large has had to take the necessary steps to provide this. Freelancers are often the ones called upon to help create and market this content.

The likelihood is that freelance working practices will continue to grow in popularity over the coming years.

This infographic was researched and produced by Brian Fenwick and comes as his new ebook is released that details how anyone can become a freelance writer if they follow certain guidelines and put their skills to use.

Statistics of Special Needs Students

For me, one of the hardest things about teaching special needs students is that I feel so unaware of what I am supposed to do. I feel like I will never have enough training and I have an enormous amount of respect for those who do have sufficient training to handle different children with different needs on a daily basis. I have hosted guest posts before on using encouragement with special needs students, as well as specific tips for dyslexia. 

This infographic goes over some common types of special needs kids and how we can best accommodate them in our classrooms. While it specifically references the United States, I feel teachers internationally can find this helpful.

Statistics of special needs students show that these children are just as capable of achieving what students without special needs can accomplish.

In the United States of America, 18.5 percent of kids under the age of 18 have special needs. These kids face specific everyday challenges that others do not. It is a misconception that these children are not as smart or talented, but this couldn't be farther from the truth.
There are generally four basic types of special needs children.

• These include kids with physical disabilities, including multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, muscular dystrophy, chronic asthma and other conditions. 
• Kids with developmental disabilities include those with autism, Down's syndrome, dyslexia and other learning disabilities. 
• There are also special needs children who have behavioral and/or emotional problems, including those with ADD or ADHD, oppositional defiance disorder and other conditions. 
• The fourth category of special needs children include those with sensory problems, such as those who are blind or visually impaired and kids who are deaf or hearing impaired. 

If you have a special needs child in your class or in your family, you will of course want to ensure that the child is getting all of the best care when he or she is at school. The most basic right is for all children to be treated humanely.

There is also the issue of the Americans with Disabilities Act, also referred to as ADA. This means that anyone with disabilities has to be treated equally to anyone else so that they can get the same opportunities as those who do not have disabilities.

Another act is IDEA, which is an acronym for Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. This law states that students with disabilities have to be prepared to live independently, gain higher education and obtain employment. In addition, if a special needs child does not have the stamina, strength or endurance to keep up with certain school activities, he or she can qualify for a special education status known as "other health impaired."

There is also the Rehabilitation Act that protects individuals with disabilities. Section 504 of this act requires that schools make accommodations for students with disabilities, prohibits schools from discriminating against children with special needs and that students who have impairments that play a large part in their lives in limiting their activities are qualified as disabled.

It is important to get a good doctor for your special needs child. Obtaining the proper medical care will help your child to be the best he or she can possibly be. The doctor should be someone nearby, non-threatening and who can provide a quality service.

Source: www.masters-in-special-education.com

I have to go to the bathroom

We all use the bathroom, every single one of us. No one is exempt. As such, bathroom policies are
important. Each teacher surely has their own policy regarding bathroom and I encourage you to find the one that best fits your school rules and teaching personality.

When considering bathroom policies these are things to consider. It should disrupt the class as little as possible, cut down on unneeded breaks, and promote a healthy learning environment.
Here are some ideas:

1. CROSS YOUR FINGERS: Students raise their hands with their fingers crossed when they need to go to the toilet. The teacher gives permission with eye contact and a nod.
• Pros
• This does not disrupt the class.
• It is easy for the students to remember and act upon.
• The teacher approves bathroom use monitoring time and frequency.
• Cons
• There’s no paper trail, so if you teach larger classes it may be harder for you to remember who has left class the most.
• If the teacher is helping individual students it could be a while before they see the student (which frustrates the student). 
2. BATHROOM PASSES (plus incentives): Students are given four bathroom passes at the start of the semester. They can use them whenever they want, but once they are done they are done. These passes can also be used if a student is late, or they forgot something in their lockers. If they do not use all of the bathroom passes at the end of the semester they can submit them as homework passes (aka extra credit). I know other teachers who use these as raffle tickets and students can win prizes.

• Pros
• Discourages students from missing too much class time.
• There is a limit to the number of times students will miss.
• Students can raise their hand with a pass in it so teachers may grant permission without disturbing the class.
• Cons
• Doesn’t take into account special circumstances.
• Some students will use all of their passes immediately and then later claim “emergencies” requiring the teacher to bend or change the rule (deduction or points, letter to parents, etc.)
3. JUST GO: This is a popular method for University classes. Students may use the restroom whenever they like, but they are responsible for whatever they miss in class. Thus, it is best for them to avoid bathroom trips during an active lesson. I let them know that their participation grade includes being present so excessive bathroom breaks are discouraged.

• Pros
• Encourages self-awareness. The student can leave whenever they like, but they need to make decisions on the best time to leave and be prepared to get any missed information from other students.
• I tell students that if they overuse it they lose privileges and will not be permitted to use the toilet during class.
• Adds to a casual feeling of the class which can help students enjoy class (key to learning!)
• Cons
• This method is more difficult to monitor as there’s no paper trail.
• Some students take this as a sign that the class has no structure and thus focus less on the class.
4. SIGN OUT SHEET: Keep a sign out sheet at the door. Students sign out when they leave and why (e.g. Carissa Peck-Photocopies). 
• Pros
• Works well for longer classes (e.g. when you have them all day, or more than 3 hours).
• It helps students with their responsibility.
• Teacher can monitor how often students leave, and will have a written record of where students are in case there is an emergency (e.g. fire, earthquake, lockdown, etc.)
• Great for younger students who are learning to tell time as they get to practice that skill.
• Cons
• Some students find this too regulated and almost prison like which impairs their attitude during class.
• Can be hard to set up in multiple classes.
• Students tend to forget
• If there is a time on the sheet, students often will lie to make it seem like they were gone less time then they were. 
5. ONE AT A TIME PASSES: Keep a bathroom pass hanging on a lanyard near the door.
   Students grab it when they are headed to the bathroom. This can be combined with any of the above methods.

• Pros
• It regulates that only one student leaves at a time cutting down on socializing outside the class.
• Students have “proof of permission,” so they won’t be in trouble if they are seen by an administrator out of class. 
• Cons
• Unless combined with one of the previous there is very little monitoring on the part of the teacher.
• Sometimes this causes students to spend more time looking at the door handle to see if the lanyard is there rather than paying attention.
• Germies get spread! I see many teachers who have switched to name tags to avoid the germs.

In sum, there are five different bathroom polices. I am sure one of them (or a combination of) will be great for your classes. Personally I change my method a bit from class to class. Normally I use a combination of at least two of the methods (3-5, 2-5, or 1-2).

What about you? How do you control bathroom breaks in your classes? Do you alter one of the previous methods? Or do you have one of your own?

Other Common Spelling Mix ups!

How many of your students are convinced they don't need to learn to spell because they have "spell check." Be sure to remind them that spell check does NOT help with similarly spelled words.

You can always find new ways to practice spelling with your students! Those who are more visual may find an infographic helpful. Earlier this month I posted a New Year's Eve infographic of  commonly confused words and many people found it helpful. Hopefully this one will help some teachers (and their students) as well.


Some of the most common mistakes we make when writing happen when we are moving too quickly and end up making a spelling error. Even worse, there are many times when we use the wrong word in place of the right one, such as dessert for desert, and we don’t see the mistake in our minds. Technology such as autocorrect on our phones and spell check on our computers oftentimes will not pick up words that we spell correctly but happen to use in the wrong situation. That is why it is important to read your words again so that you can catch any errors before sending the message to your boss or turning in your assignment to your professor. Familiarize yourself with words that are similar in spelling to others so that you can keep them separate and the meaning of your words intact. Read through the infographic below to see just a few examples of these words that tend to trip us up.

Created by DLA Editors, a company providing high-quality document editing and proofreading services

Typing Tips

I know a lot of my time is spent online trying to learn from other teachers, making worksheets, or just revamping an older worksheet. Regardless of what I am doing in my office, most of it is on the computer. That means most of it involved typing. One of my New Year's Resolutions is to leave the office sooner, and I think if I managed to type more efficiently I may just be able to shave some hours off my months Check out this Guest Post about ways to improve your typing..
 
Given the fact that almost everyone nowadays has a laptop, a computer or a smartphone, typing is part of our life. The thing is that many people still cannot type fast and that is where they become frustrated, especially when they need to chat with others online, do data entry work or send messages. If you're one of these people and you want to get an above the average typing speed, then don't worry about it. The tips below are going to help you learn more about the things you should do to achieve that.

Typing tests

First of all, you need to take a typing test in order to test how many words per minute you can type. After you take it and know your WPM (words per minute), it's time to retake the test as many times as you can, because this way you will definitely improve your typing speed. However, these tests should also be chosen based on the type of content you write. For instance, you may be a writer who wants to improve his typing speed writing novels. To do that, you need to get accustomed to writing words that are common with type of novel you're writing.

Practice good typing posture

A good typing posture is essential if you want to get an above the average typing speed. This means that your fingers need to remain on the home row, placed on the ASDF JKL and semicolon keys. If you don't consider this typing posture, then you won't really be able to type faster. So even if it feels weird in the beginning, don't worry since you're going to get used to it soon.

Look at the screen

When you're typing you need to keep looking at the screen, because if you look at the keyboard, you will get dizzy and you won't be able to write anymore. Not only that, but when you look at the screen you teach yourself the placement of the keys. This instead helps you remember them and then type without ever looking at the keyboard.
Even if you make mistakes when writing something, it's best to ignore them. You can correct them after you finished typing your message.

Get a new keyboard

A good posture is very important, but if you don't have a good keyboard, then you can practice all you want, because you won't type faster. Think of this as having an old car: it doesn't matter what a great driver you are, because that car may not go faster than 100 miles per hour, for instance. Same with the keyboard. There are special keyboards out there for sale which are specifically designed for typing, so be sure you buy one and you'll be amazed of how simple it is to type on it.

Basically, you just have to consider following tips if you want to go above the average typing speed and write messages to your friends and loved ones faster. Good luck!

Adam Fort is an education advisor at online typing tutor called Ratatype. Ratatype is new tutor that brings touch typing on the new level.

Idioms Inforgraphic

Idioms are a lot of fun to teach and learn. Learners need them to communicate in business, to understand movies, and to enjoy songs.  This infographic covers lots of fun facts about idioms from the most used idioms to about how many idioms are used per minute!
  The Idiomgraphic - An infographic by LAL Schools

The Darnedest Things Teens Do That Could Get Them Arrested

I have said it before, but it still bears repeating. Classroom management can be one of the toughest parts of the job! To prove it take a look at this guest post by Kris Bennette discussing the students who have been arrested for inappropriate behavior! The next time a student whines when you make them clean up the doodle they drew on the desk, let them know that there were worse things that could have happened.

Young adults act out. These teens usually break the house rules, have food fights, and get caught texting while in class. In most cases, this type of behavior is met with a serious talk with parents, detention, or a long essay. Discipline is usually handled by parents, teachers, and principals. Unfortunately, today there are schools and parents that call on the police to help them discipline these young adults.

In many schools across the country, if the teenager so much as make a sound in the classroom or doodles on his desk, there is a good chance that the student will be arrested by the police and hauled away before he could say, "it wasn't me." Listed below are some of the most ridiculous reasons teenagers have been arrested.

The truth behind Botticelli's, "The Birth Of Venus"
By Amphiggins [CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Taking Semi-Nude Self-Portraits:

A high school student in Northeastern Pennsylvania was confused and shocked to learn that she might be facing criminal charges after law enforcers reported finding a semi-nude photo of her on someone else's phone. She was forced to attend a 10-hour class dealing with pornography and sexual violence else she will face a sexual abuse of a minor charge. If convicted, she will serve time in prison and her name will be added to the sex offenders registry.

Law enforcers are trained to spot signs and evidence of sexting- the increasingly popular phenomenon of sending nude and semi-nude photos through smartphones and the internet. For this reason, before you decide to take a photo of yourself wearing only your undies, think again. You might just get arrested for that.


 

Desktop Doodling:

The next time you think about writing something on your desk at school, remember that you could get arrested for it. In fact, 12-year-old Alexa Gonzales was arrested after writing "Lex was here" on her desk. Although she was released several hours after she was taken to the police station, she still had to spend 8 hours doing community service, submit a book report and write an essay on what she learned from it all.

If you are a parent, you should understand that getting arrested is a stressful and frightening experience, especially for young adults. Bail Bonds DIRECT, a bail bond agency in California, suggests seeking information about posting bail and understanding the process as clearly as possible.

Burping In Class:

In Albuquerque, New Mexico, a 13-year-old student was arrested, hauled off to a juvenile detention, and handcuffed to a chair for burping in class. The boy was not charged; however, his parents filed a lawsuit.

The lawsuit states that burping is not a serious disruption and it doesn't pose any threat or danger. The lawsuit even alleges that the boy was taken to the juvenile center despite the fact that the parents of the boy were not notified. The lawsuit also alleges that the boy was not able to exercise his rights because the school suspended him for a year without explaining why he was getting the suspension.

Texting While In Class:

A 14-year-old girl in Wisconsin was arrested for disorderly conduct when she was caught texting while class was ongoing. She was confronted by a school security guard after she ignored her teacher's request to stop texting. When she was arrested, she denied having the phone but the officers confiscated her phone from her buttocks area. She was later cited for disorderly conduct and was asked to appear in court. If you are thinking of sending that text while in class, think again. You might face legal charges if you are caught.

Kris Bennette has been writing professionally for more than 2 years and she has written about various topics, including lifestyle, family, and law for online publishing.

Preparing for the First Week of School

One of my new mugs I received at Christmas

You can get your own!

It is funny how many students don't realize that teachers can dread the first day of school. For Christmas this year I got a new mug. I LOVE it. It has a travel top, but isn't aluminum (I just don't like the taste of coffee from metal). The mug contains the funny phrase, "Yes, I know they are mean to you at school and call you names, but you still have to go.... You're the Teacher!"

Now, I love my job. I love teaching. I love lesson planning. I even like grading essays! However, I HATE the first day of school.

I know that many teachers have their classes for a full year, but at my school (high school and university) I teach a new batch of students each semester. That means that every January I get the, "new student jitters." As I am sitting in my office trying to tweak lessons, toss them and completely overhaul a few things I have a knot in my stomach for the new students that will come.

I don't mean to imply that I don't like my students. I just get really nervous before the first day of classes. So, when I was catching up on some reading this weekend I decided to check out Wayne Sheldrick's, First Week of School.

I think a lot of the book is out of touch (it relies on teachers having their own classroom which for many teachers just isn't a reality), but the basics of setting down class management early is really spot on!

If you also have a new batch of students coming in on Monday, you may like to give his book a read. It is GREAT for new teachers, but I am sure even veterans will find a few new ideas (or just be soothed that they know exactly what they are doing). It loosened my knot a little by reinforcing some of the basics I believe in and reminding me that while the first week is important, it is pretty easy to prepare.

Most importantly, it is affordable (about $3), so it won't break the bank.

I still feel overwhelmed, but I know I will get back into the swing of things. What about you? How do you combat those butterflies?

Grading Cheats- How to grade multiple choice quickly

This is not going to talk about essays or short answer tests. It also won't discuss the online versions (which are great!). This is just a quick blog on how to quickly grade multiple choice tests.

I make little Quick Quizzes for the beginning of class. Sometimes they are creative  but often they are just really easy multiple choice tests that see if they did the required reading or understood the grammar of the last class. Since the point is just to test recall, I don't feel too guilty about making it multiple choice.

Even though these quizzes are super fast for them, they take me a while to grade. That's what this blog is about. Quick ways to grade these, "Quick Quizzes."

1. Make all of the answers the same. 
I don't do this often, but occasionally I make it so all the answers are A, or B. This way I can tell by a quick glance if students got them right or not. (Note: I usually have two versions of the quiz, so one the answers would be A and the other C). As a bonus students learn that they should trust their instinct and not change an answer just to make the pattern nice.

2. Make a pattern
Again, not very creative, but make your answers follow a pattern: ABCDC. This way you can tell quickly if a student got the questions right or wrong.

3. Use an overhead transparency 
Make a copy of the quiz with the correct answers bubbled in or circled onto an overhead transparency (alternatively place a transparency over the quiz and mark the correct answers). Lay the transparency over the students' quizzes and see if their answers still show. If they do that means their answers are incorrect. Personally, this method drives me crazy!

4. Hole puncher
Again, using your own copy as an answer key take a hole puncher and punch the correct answers. Hold this over the student's quiz and highlight the holes. Remove the paper and see if they have any answers not highlighted. If their answer is not highlighted, it is incorrect.

5. Quick Key
If you are fortunate enough to have an iPhone or an iPad you can use a free app called "Quick Key" Essentially you let quick key see the answers and it grades your students quizzes (also submitting it to your electronic grade book if available). I am very sad this isn't available for Android yet. If you are sad too you can contribute to the kickstarter campaign or just let them know that you would be interested (by going to the kickstarter link and voting in the survey they have there).



So there we go five quick ways to grade quizzes in class. Another great way is to get students to grade a partner's paper. I don't do this unless the students ID number (not name) is on the quiz and it is 100% confidential (no one would know who had graded their or whose they were grading). I don't use this much as I would rather use my time to grade than use the time of students in class.

What do you think? Any other quickies I missed?

The Benefits Of Praise, Encouragement And Rewards For Children With Learning Difficulties

After my last post from guest blogger Nick Davinson about dyslexia was met with so much success I started looking for guest authors would would be willing to write more on special education.  This blog by Hannah Ody is about the different things to consider when educating a child with learning difficulties. It looks at things that parents and teachers can do. Read on for more information.
 
All children need to feel loved, to feel they belong, and to naturally experience play and interaction with others through their childhood years as they develop and grow. Each of these three conditions is necessary for children to learn, and only the last requires modification to meet the needs of children with learning difficulties.

Early years

During the early years, parents receive support from health professionals. Part of their job is to assess child development so that any potential barriers to development and learning are identified as soon as possible. As a result, the parents of a child with learning difficulties will already appreciate that learning milestones may take longer to achieve. They will also appreciate the role of special needs learning resources and approaches in creating a stimulating environment. Likewise, they will be familiar with the importance of recording, and sharing, both progress and setbacks in order to support and maintain the most favourable learning environment for their child.

School

School should be a natural extension of this same process, where teachers then become the lead professionals. They will need the same interchange of information as before, both to ensure a child with learning difficulties receives proper support and also to devise a learning plan, and perhaps organise learning development aids. Schools are always ready to offer special needs support for parents. Such interaction is extremely beneficial and always provides mutual opportunities to personalise and develop provision, which can be so productive in helping a child to adapt to the school environment.

This home/school exchange can be an ideal opportunity to focus on the most beneficial types of positive reinforcement for the child. For all children, this will mean praise and encouragement for improvement and good behaviour, possibly with extra rewards for outstanding effort or achievement. For children with learning difficulties, a similar approach should pay dividends, though often the process will necessarily be far more nuanced and personalised in order to promote learning and personal development.

Praise, rewards and reinforcement

Whereas verbal praise is an appropriate reinforcement, some children’s limitations may demand extra kinds of reinforcement to support their development.

Where the processing of sensory information is limited, stimulating activities (appropriate to the age of the child) can form part of a suitable reward and reinforcement system. These might include playing with a pet, a ride on a swing, listening to music or playing a computer game. Such interactive experiences also allow further opportunities for further sensory development.

A child’s ability to understand, and therefore respond to, verbal praise can be restricted by a limited appreciation of ‘goodness’ and similar abstract concepts. Here, a reward in the form of an age-appropriate toy, treat or privilege may provide a suitable reward if clearly linked to the behaviour which is being encouraged.

Similarly, signs of social reinforcement – applause, high-fives, smiles, thumbs-up and the like – from parents, siblings, teachers, and friends, can help children with learning difficulties to enjoy approval from significant people in their lives and, by association, link such approval to their positive effort and achievement.

Sharing information and approaches

Children with learning difficulties will be most happy, secure, and ready to accept learning challenges where there is a clear continuity of approach and expectation between home and school. A regular exchange of information is the core component of this relationship. On the home side, this could perhaps mean informing the teacher when a child is upset, or perhaps agitated by a specific learning issue; whereas the school may wish to coach parents on a particular learning approach, or the use of specific sen resources at home.

Hannah Ody is a primary school teacher to children with learning disabilities such as autism, ADHD, dyslexia and dyspraxia. In addition to teaching, Hannah works closely with LDA Learning who provide a wide range of special needs learning resources.

5 places to find CPD online

I have been seeing many teachers New Year's resolutions and many seem to be to learn new technology, try a new technique in class, or, basically, to keep growing. As a teacher it is really important to always be growing. We should strive to be a better teacher every day. Luckily, there are tons of places to find professional development: local conferences, at your school, and even online!


1. LinkedIn / Facebook / Twitter etc. That's right! Social media is an easy and informal way to keep developing as a teacher. You can join groups on Facebook and linked in that are devoted just to your subject, or all educators. With twitter you can follow certain hashtags or other teachers. Teachers share blog posts, links to awesome videos, and help one another out when they have questions. When I first started teaching a deaf student I had NO idea how to adjust my lessons. LinkedIn gave me some great responses and encouragement!

2. Webinars There are tons of webinars online! Some of them charge, but I've found a great number that don't. Keep an eye on social media to see when new ones come up. The British Council just did one on teaching Special Needs students, Cambridge recently did one on teaching higher level learners and American TESOL does one every Friday on technology to use in class! Most book publishers will hold webinars so you can search their sites too (e.g. MacmIllan). Attending these live (or watching the recording) is a great way to grow as a teacher. Sometimes completion of these webinars will even get you a certificate.

3. Classes Websites like Udemy, WizIQ, iversity and others make it easy to make yourself a better teacher without every leaving the room. There are the classes you'd normally think about (like online TEFL certificates) as well as ones that may not be as obvious. For example, learning to code, or taking better pictures could make you a better teacher. Keep an eye out for MOOCs too! These are classes which are typically held on a large scale. Many universities have started offering these for free. Harvard, Yale, and others  

4. Blogs That's right, I count reading blogs as professional development. I get great ideas from seeing what other teachers have done. I love being able to be inspired by other teachers and adapt their lessons or ideas to my own classes. Don't limit yourself to just your subject area and age level. I have gotten great ideas from math teachers' blogs and many activities designed for little children are easily adapted to adults. Just by seeing how other teachers do things (and learning from their mistakes) you will be a better teacher! I admit I don't really have bloggers that I follow regularly. I mainly check out whatever blogs look good when they are posted on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn.

5. Read I tell my students one of the best ways to improve their English is to read. I feel that one of the best ways to become a better teacher is also by reading. Read online journals, news articles, e-books. Whatever you can get your hands on that will give you more information and make you more creative or make you a better prepared teacher.

In the end that's it. The five different ways you can become a better teacher online.

What do you think? Did I leave anything out?

New Year's Spelling Mistakes

I find I make two different types of spelling mistakes. There are some words that I always struggle with spelling correctly. Then there are the words that often pop up spelled incorrectly because I made a typo. 

Sometimes in this second group my typos are not caught because they are auto corrected to a similar word. 

If I am making these simple mistakes then I am SURE that my students are also making them!

There are lots of different ways to practice spelling with new vocabulary words, and visuals are a great plus! Check out this infographic to learn the differences yourself or to help your students! 

Spelling words incorrectly while on the job, especially in messages to your boss or students, is a sure way to be embarrassed while you are working. Make 2014 your year to appear more knowledgeable than ever – learn how to spell! It can sometimes be confusing when reading a paper or email that has incorrect spelling or use of possession because even the simplest mistakes can have a great effect on the meaning of a sentence. For example, New Year’s Day is completely different than New Years Day. The first occurs on January 1st of every year and is celebrated all over the world. The latter is what people often use to refer to this day we celebrate, but without the apostrophe indicates it is the day of many new years. Read through the infographic to the right to see a couple of examples of words that are commonly mistaken for others in regards to New Year’s Edition.

Created by DLA Editors, a company providing high-quality document editing and proofreading services

Why teachers need Professional Development

A recent chance at professional development online

I am a HUGE fan of webinars, seminars, videos, journals, books and blogs. I find anything that  helps me  become a better teacher is a great use of my time. That's why this guest blog post written by Matthew Engels about why professional development is key for teachers.


An essential component of being a successful professional in any field is to continue with formal education and professional development courses. For those in the teaching profession, being able to continue with their professional development carries additional importance as they help shape the minds of the future. Failure to further enrich one’s knowledge as a teacher may negatively impact students who deserve to experience learning from the most up-to-date teacher and the most current material.

On the flip side, given the importance of professional development for teachers, it is very important that opportunities to engage in learning are abundant and enjoyable so improving one’s knowledge and technique is seen as an opportunity and not a burdensome task.

Professional development from my school

Formal and Informal Professional DevelopmentFor virtually all fields, one can separate learning opportunities between formal and informal with the former being delivered in structured settings and in an organized fashion. Formal professional development events are usually hosted by a school or other relevant educational organization. They tend to be presented as seminars, conferences, break-out sessions and sit-down classes. There is an overarching theme to each formal session which may focus on the material being taught, or on teaching techniques for reaching the student. Similarly, they may be more focused on behavioral issues or the results of educational research.
Formal professional development sessions are also a vehicle to deliver new curriculum requirements to a cadre of teachers simultaneously. It gives attendees the opportunity to step outside their daily routines and explore new trends, as well as network with colleagues to create a web of support should the need arise. Fostering relationships between teachers is always beneficial as they can share best practices and challenges with each other and gain insight from each person’s experience.

A teacher getting to know her student

Learning through Informal EducationAs explained above, there is also great value to gaining professional development through informal settings. Successful teachers are usually so enmeshed in their positions that virtually every experience is a source of information to improve their teaching. The best teachers look to incorporating everyday experiences into their teaching persona and improving their techniques and results as a consequence.
In practice, informal learning opportunities can be found by reviewing research and literature authored by field experts. Other teachers may decide to take a more active part in their enrichment by participating in research projects or experimenting on their own. Those that constantly seek ways to improve their technique and the material they are teaching are the most successful. A discouraged or disinterested teacher puts its students at risk by teaching outdated material, or failing to utilize techniques that will optimize how receptive students are to learning new things. This in turn translates into a student that is less ready to interact with the outside world and is at a disadvantage. Getting to know one’s students is an essential part to informal professional development. Learning about each student’s learning style allows the teacher to tailor his or her lesson plans to suit the class and yield increased understanding.

Professional development in teachers is very important. It is often what keeps the teacher engaged with his profession and engaging to his students. Personal and professional growth and development sets a great example for the students and sets the stage for a wonderful and well-rounded education.

This article was written by Matthew Engels, who believes that professional development for teachers keeps them on their toes and helps them learn new ways to keep students engaged in class.

Good, Bad, Ugly #1

Good: Explaining to a student why their behavior is inappropriate, in a clear and non threatening fashion

Bad: Threatening or losing your temper with a student.

Ugly:  Eating your student

Good: Encouraging a student's dream or suggesting an alternative that they may enjoy.

Bad: Starting a fight with your student about their dreams.

Ugly:  Being eaten by your student

For more comics from pbf check out the book!


For classroom management tips, check out this post http://eslcarissa.blogspot.com/2013/04/10-classroom-management-techniques.html

Five tips to travelers back home

You've lived abroad!

Whether it be through teaching, studying, or just traveling you had the chance to get out of your country and travel a bit! Awesome right?!

Here's some advice from someone who has been there before on how to successfully reintegrate yourself back home.

This one time I was snorkeling in Egypt...

1. Don't start every conversation with, "This one time in _______."

You don't mean to, but you come off as snobby. I did it all the time, "At this bar in Singapore." "This one time in Bangkok" "Oh my God, so my friend Ashley and were in Cambodia and...."
It is GREAT that you have traveled, but  unless the country is KEY to the story just stick to the basics, "A friend and I were at this restaurant," "My ex boyfriend and I were hanging out at a bar," "I was in class and..." if they ask for details go ahead and tell them, but by not name dropping you'll avoid shoving your experiences in their faces.

2. Don't be a know it all, "Actually in _______ they don't do that."

Actually all tigers are attracted to bright colors

BAD:
Friend, "I wish they had chopsticks I hate eating Pad Thai with forks"
You, "Actually in Thailand they don't use chopsticks"
Other Friend, "That's weird my friend is Thai and he always has chopsticks"
You, "I've been to Thailand, so I think I know what I am talking about."
Oh good, now you look ridiculous. Instead of pretending that your year in Thailand (or week) has made you an expert, acknowledge that there are other perspectives.

GOOD:
Friend, "I wish they had chopsticks I hate eating Pad Thai with forks"
You, "Actually in Thailand they don't use chopsticks"
Other Friend, "That's weird my friend is Thai and he always has chopsticks"
You, "Huh, that is weird. I guess it must vary from region to region or on the meal. When I was there my tour guide told me they didn't, but that may be an over generalization"

For the record usually it is just the noodle dishes that use chopsticks (and that varies).

3. Explore your country

This is from a California road trip

When I live abroad I go site seeing almost every week. I see local villages, learn about he culture and food, and discover hidden gems of history. Then I return home and realize I know nothing about my home town.

Make an effort to make some day trips to see what is near your city. Do some digging on local history. Eat out in places that are rated well. Be a tourist and join a walking tour. Just because you're back home doesn't mean you have to go back to your old routine. Plus, now that you've seen some of the world you'll appreciate some things more. The Spanish architecture in San Diego really does look like Spain!

Find out what's so great about your city and embrace that. Avoid comparing it to where you've been though. I miss living in the Netherlands with great Belgian beer available all the time, but San Diego has a great local beer breweries and I've learned to appreciate waiting for the seasonal beers down here in Mexico.

4. Stay in touch

Jamie, Carissa, and Ashley at the Lantern Festival

Facebook has made this easier, but don't get lazy with it. Keep in touch with the friends you made abroad. Especially with those who speak other languages. You'll want to keep writing and reading in that language so you don't lose it.

Even those that speak English with you can be great contacts down the road. The picture on the left is my Singapore roommate and our good friend Ashley. Ashley and I met in Singapore in 2004. We kept in touch and met up again in 2007 when we backpacked through Europe and parts of Africa together. Oh...and again when I met her in Paris in 2009. The basic gist being, if you meet people who travel a lot, your paths will cross.

Also, finding someone you travel well with, is like finding someone you can be in a relationship with. I would not want to travel with all of my friends, so the friends that I can travel with I make sure to keep in touch with.  

5. Help others out

We met in Korea, then the Netherlands, then Spain!

Give a review of the program you studied with. Let your University know that you are willing to e-mail students who are considering going abroad. Join a Facebook group for au-pairs in the country you lived in. You lived there. You survived. You have something to tell. 
Did you realize that shampoo was crazy expensive in Spain? Let people know. Was the visa process in the Netherlands way easier than you thought? Let people know. Did you find an AMAZING hostel in Salamanca? Let people know.
You have all this knowledge to share and I am sure you appreciated getting a tip from someone else.
For example, to my right is my friend Lauren. She and I met in Korea, then ended up in the Netherlands at the same time. After that, I went to Spain. I told her about my Masters and she was interested. After answering a few more questions and sending her towards the admissions department she ended up applying and studying in Spain the next year! You never know how you can help someone.
Here's the problem though, you always seem to get these e-mails from people who haven't done ANY research on their own...and you're busy! No problem. Make up a form e-mail now that answers most questions or suggests your favorite secrets. Send this out with a quick note, "Hey I am sorry this is so fast, I am grading hundred of papers right now (no joke!). Read through this for some ideas and check out this travel forum for more. If you have any more questions get back to me and I'll help you out. This way you haven't wasted your time, but you've given them a serious nudge in the right direction.

There are my five tips to people returning home after they've lived abroad, but I know there are more! What do you think is the most important thing?

The flow of information online

This is a picture of my good friend Veronica. Veronica and I met abroad a few years back and now she's teaching in Vermont. She's trying to show that  pictures on the internet are fluid. That means that they can move around very easily.

Now, the problem is Veronica is about to get fired because there are naked pictures of her on the internet. It isn't her fault! There was one naked picture ... once, she sent it to her boyfriend and well... somehow it got sent to someone else....and someone else...and now there's a whole website full of them. It's just a big mess and the school board feels it makes her an unfit teacher.

Now, if she can prove that it is possible for a picture to travel around  the world WITHOUT her knowledge then she won't get fired.

This is really important everyone, so please do me a favor and share this picture.

OK, how much of that was believable? Most of it! How much of it was true? Absolutely none.

I don't know this teacher, and her first name isn't Veronica. She isn't in Vermont and there are NO NAKED PICTURES!

However, none of that matters. Once I have a picture I can do whatever I want with it. Is it illegal? Sometimes. Is it wrong?  Yes. Is it easy to stop? No! The internet is a big place, and Ms. Held probably wouldn't see this (especially with the fake name and such). But someday someone could meet her and remember seeing this story.

So, yes Ms. Held is right. You cannot control where it goes. You also CANNOT control what someone will say about it. Be CAREFUL with what you put online, and when you are writing ALWAYS double check your sources!!! Otherwise you will just spread misinformation even further, and (if you are a student) your grade will be affected. If you aren't a student your reputation could be affected!

Please be aware of what you put online, but also be aware of what information you take away (and this goes for teachers too!).

End of Semester Gifts for students

I posted before about presents I suggest students bring for their teachers. In all fairness this blog talks about gifts I can give my students. I've seen this done a lot of different ways and I'll go over five of my favorites.

To start, why do I try to give students presents? Usually after a semester I really feel that I have bonded with my students. They've grown, I've grown. We've all grown. I feel like together we helped make each other better. It may also make them like English a little better, which is helpful for the next teacher they have.

1. Have an auction. Some teachers use a points system for participation. Other teachers give out these points (stickers or play money) but they don't use them for a grade. At the end of the semester, they hold an auction and auction off goodies to the students. It is a great chance to practice English for the EFL classes, but all classes get competitive as they bid on silly items. Go to your local dollar store and pick up frames, glasses, silly straws etc. I also know teachers that simply take this time to clean out their office / house and gift old puzzles, toys and other items. Students love this!

A local cafe I can take small classes

2. Take them out. Due to costs I can only do this with small classes, but I like to take them off campus. We grab a coffee (my treat) and just talk. In the end I thank them all for their time and effort in class and give them each a thank you letter from me detailing what I enjoyed most about having them in my class and including my e-mail to keep in touch should they need me in the future. I know other teachers who have dinners at their house. If your district allows this and your students are of the age where it is appropriate, then great! If you can have a small pizza party and invite parents even better.

3. Give a punny note. Sometimes I have too many students to take out, or I don't have the time to write them each heartfelt letters. In that case, I embrace the inner cheeseball that I am and give each student a small note attached to a pencil, eraser, or candy. They all groan at my corniness, but I usually get a few chuckles out of them. This works well for me even though I teach older students, but that's because I often use these puns for teaching pronunciation. If you are interested in doing something like this using your favorite search engine (or pimterest) should turn up lots of fun ideas! Even easier, to get a free pdf sheet of owls (like above) simply share this page with a tweet and you'll be taken to the file.             

Sample pages

The cover
(names covered)

4. Make it personal! I don't mean that you make them something (though that is an option!). Take something they have made. For example, before my students work on The Walrus and the Carpenter I give them each a stanza and have them illustrate it. Then we go through and discuss words they didn't know and what they think the poem will be about. We read the poem together and discussed the differences and made note of what the new vocabulary meant in context. Then I collected their drawings and never mentioned them again. At the end of the year I give them each a little photocopied book of the Walrus and the Carpenter illustrated by them! If your students have written a book, or a poem and did it well framing it and giving it back to them at the end of the year is a nice gift.

5. Make it yummy! These days of dietary restrictions (gluten free, peanut allergy, etc.) can be hard, but if you cook something that is permitted on campus go ahead and bring in some brownies or cookies. Even better! Keep it related to English by giving them the recipe. Then they will remember you every time they start to make a batch of your famous treacle. If you can combine this with number three, it makes it an affordable goodbye they'll always remember.

What did I miss? What do you do for your students at the end of your time together?