Hi Readers – It’s Dorca!
I’m back to share with you my thoughts, tips, and strategies on READING. I love teaching reading and talking about ways to support our youth to become life long readers. I can’t wait to hear from you and answer your questions – Keep them coming!
Q1 – Each child learns at their own pace. How do you accommodate these differences in learning?
Everyone learns at their own pace, both children and adults. Teachers learn to take this into account and differentiate their lessons for their students. Teachers have various ways to do this. Some teachers will teach a short lesson (mini lesson) and then give students the majority of the time to explore, investigate or practice independently. During that time the teacher will circulate and provide individualized attention to students in need. Sometimes, teachers choose to create individualized worksheets to accommodate their students. Also, many schools are starting to move to a two teacher model, where each class has two teachers, so each student can get more individualized attention.
Q2 – When parent/teacher conferences come around, parents generally expect most of the feedback from the teachers. As a teacher, what are 3 questions you’d like to hear from parents that could be beneficial to their child’s academic development?
Parent teacher conferences should be an open conversation between teachers and parents. Parents should always feel free to ask questions and provide useful information to the teacher about their child. Three questions all parents should ask are: 1)What can I do at home to reinforce what my child is learning at school? 2)What are some websites I can go to for resources? 3)How does my child get along with the other students?
Q3 – Often when children are asked to do group assignments, one or two of the students in the group seem to carry the burden of the bunch, but all get credit for the work. Are there benefits to group assignments even when this is the case?
Working together with others is a life long skill. Students will have to work in groups all throughout their academic careers (including college) and when they get to the workplace. Therefore, it is definitely beneficial for students to learn how to work in groups, even if that means there is a slacker in the group. The reality is there will always be a slacker, even in the workforce. So, why not teach your child now how to handle situations such as these? If there is a student in the group not completing any work, inform the teacher and be assured that their grade will reflect the amount of work they completed.
Q4 – With the weather picking up and summer vacation so close, how do you keep your students engaged when all they want to do is have fun?
Many teachers find it a challenge to keep student’s engaged in the weeks prior to summer vacation. During this time, many teachers plan projects that are academic and fun. This is usually the time of year students get to explore new ideas and get involved in hands-on projects. The schools also plan many fun activities and trips to keep everyone (including teachers) happy!
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