How Well Do You Know Your Students?

            As a teacher, it is your responsibility to get to know your students… but how well do you truly know them? I don't think this simply means knowing how many students are in your class and knowing their names. Getting to know your students looks deeper, into actually understanding the individual characteristics of each student.

Every teacher will mostly likely use a slightly different technique to get to know his or her students, however there is some overlap. For instance, every teacher will need to establish some classroom management skills, and make it clear that they are there to be a teacher but also to be there for the students and help them along their educational journey (McDonald, 2012). I think an implication that sometimes arises is that there is a fine line between being professional, and being a student’s friend. The teacher-student bond is very important, however it needs to consistently be established in a particular way. I often wonder how I can maintain a positive relationship with my student while continually acting in an appropriate way?

As a leader in education, there are many ways to establish a good relationship with students and getting to know who they are. I find that getting to know vital characteristics of each student will ultimately create a better teacher and a more positive learning environment for all. As teacher’s, we are going to be there for our student’s by listening to them, giving them choices and sometimes simply being there for them (“Tell Me About”, 2012).

I found some great activities that can be used to better know your students. For instance, the picture below is an effective opening activity for one of the first few days of school. Questions such as ‘what would you like to learn this year’ and ‘what is your favorite subject’ allow a teacher to adjust the classroom dynamics to cater towards individual needs. Additionally, this questionnaire asked questions such as ‘what is your favorite food’ and ‘what did you do this summer’ to invite open discussion and a fun element to invite children to positively participate in this activity.

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Getting-to-Know-You-learn-about-each-student-in-your-class-246790

One idea that I remember doing in elementary school was creating a poster board all about myself. There were sections on family, school, extracurricular and more that provided a well-rounded view of each student.  This made the task of getting to know students a fun interactive way to learn. Not only is the student able to share their lives, which should be interesting to them, but also the work can be displayed around the classroom.

In my classroom, I would most likely use this as a technique to get to know my students as well. I think that this can be used as an autobiographical assignment where students could potentially do a presentation as well. This allows for the time of getting to know my students and also be utilized as an opportunity to evaluate skills is areas such as writing, presentation skills and other areas. This ‘teachable moment’ can be an invaluable experience for both the student and the teacher.

There are so many online resources for teacher’s to share their ideas. I found some great icebreakers and activities that can be used to better understand your students here and  here. I love that we can communicate and share ideas as future educators to come up with ways to get to know our students that we may not have otherwise encountered.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1FC1ZPN7cw

I found that this video effectively sums up what it means to be a teacher, and how vital your role is in a student’s life. How can you make a difference in a students life if you do not know what is going on in it? In the future, I will actively attempt to keep up-to-date with what is going on in my children’s lives. It is important to be understanding of whatever is happening with them. I strive to be the teacher that student’s can trust to come to with their problems and offer sound advice to them as well. What will you do in order to be an active member of your students’ lives?  

References

McDonald, A. (2012). The secret weapon: Getting to know your students. Education World. Retrieved from: http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/columnists/mcdonald/mcdonald013.shtml

(2012). Tell me about: How to get to know your students. For Each To Excel, 69 (5). Retrieved   from: http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/feb12/vol69/num05/How-You-Get-to-Know-Your-Students.aspx   

(2013, March 22). Know your students. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1FC1ZPN7cw

(2015). Getting to know your students. Teacher Vision. Retrieved from:            https://www.teachervision.com/students/resource/2878.html

(2015). Top 5 ways to get to know your students. Scholastic. Retrieved from: http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/top-5-ways-get-know-your-students

Teacher Self-Assessment as a Vital Tool for Success

     As I begin this blog, I find myself on the transition from student to teacher… but my learning will never truly stop. I am a firm believer that continuing teacher education is the most effective way for the school system to constantly evolve to support all students in the most effective manner. It is the responsibility of the teacher (future me!) to assess what works and doesn't work in their classroom. Sometimes we get so caught up in our lives we forget to take the time to self-reflect and re-think our choices (Pappas, 2010). This blog itself is a fantastic tool for my own self-assessment, and an opportunity to observe my personal growth as a teacher candidate. Later, it can evolve to share my teaching techniques and strategies with others and to communicate with educators around the world.

     There are so many benefits to teacher self-assessment. Over the years, research has shown what self-assessment entails, and how it can encourage learning and growth. Researcher’s such as John Ross (2005) have extensively studied self-assessment as a teacher tool and attempted to make this phenomenon even more prevalent than it currently is. I personally support what he has to say and strongly believe that in the future I will be a strong advocate for teacher self-assessment. 

Self-Assessment Article 

     There are so many self-assessment techniques to encourage teacher growth, which allows for variability in all areas of the educational knowledge. Here are some great checklists that are available for teacher use that encourage self-assessment in every day issues. There are checklists for classroom management, communication skills and many others for example. I find these to be effective methods because they are standardized, but can be altered to fit each teacher’s individual needs and teaching style. 

Self-Assesment Techniques

     I have personally used a checklist similar to the image below. This is a great checklist because it is straightforward and easy to understand. As a swimming instructor, I taught a lesson about back crawl to a class that was really struggling with the technique. I used a checklist such as this to see what worked in the class and what the children continued to struggle with. The best part about this particular checklist is that it allows opportunity for critical thinking regarding future direction for lessons (Teacher self-assessment guide, 2011). Overall it is important to remember that self-assessment is important not only for teacher development, but for the better of the classroom and students. It is up to us as future teachers to create a positive atmosphere for optimal learning to take place!

http://www.peterpappas.com/2010/01/taxonomy-reflection-critical-thinking-students-teachers-principals-.html 

     What would you tell your future self as a teacher? Maybe it would be to learn from your mistakes (because I’m sure we will all make a lot of them!) or to attend tons of teacher conferences to learn from others. No matter what you say, it is important to know that we will all change as teachers an immense amount and that is okay! As long as we use self-assessment tools to encourage growth and better understand ourselves, there is ample opportunity to learn.

Check out this amazing video where experienced teachers write letters to themselves as new teachers, and how they've changed over the years. Many self-assessment tools have been used by these teachers to get where they are today. Whether it conscious or unconscious, assessments were conducted in order for these teachers to become better at the job we all love… teaching! 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=miPYLJI247g

                                                                                     References
  

Drake, S. M., Reid, J. L., & Kolohon, W. (2014). Interweaving curriculum and classroom            assessment: Engaging the 21s century learner. Don Mills, ON: Oxford University Press.


Edutopia. (2014, May 3). If I Knew Then: A Letter to Me on My First Day of Teaching. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=miPYLJI247g  


P Pappas. (2010, January 4). A taxonomy of reflection: Critical thinking for students, teachers, and principals.     Retrieved from http://www.peterpappas.com/2010/01/taxonomy-reflection-critical-thinking students-teachers-principals-.html  
 


Ross, J. A., Bruce, C., (2005). Teacher self-assessment: A mechanism for facilitating professional growth.
(2011). The thoughtful classroom teacher effectiveness   framework: Teacher Self-Assessment Guide. Thoughtful Classroom.  

The Alberta Teachers’ Assocation. (2015). Self-assessment of learning needs. Retrieved    from    http://www.teachers.ab.ca/For%20Members/Professional%20Development/Teach    er%20Professional%20Growth/Section%202/Pages/Section%202-   Reflect%20on%20Your%20Professional%20Practice.aspx