0 Reflect: Learning from Mistakes

When you were in undergrad, did your professors talk to you about being a reflective teachers? A teacher needs to look back at your lessons to see what worked and what didn't work, so you can improve them.  This is how you continue to grow professionally.  It is very easy to get caught up in all of the details and hectic-ness (if that is a word) of your job, and forget to look back over what you have been working so hard to do.  Sometimes, spending a little time looking over what you have done, tweaking  this or that, will make your future lessons more productive.

Reflection is a great skill to include with your lessons. Do you have a student that is a perfectionist or one who is afraid to take risk?  These students may have a fear of making a mistake.  You can use "today's reflections" like an exit slip.  There are colorful and black-white signs that you can use with your class to discuss what worked well today and what needs some improvement.  You can target this for a specific topic or keep it general.  

If your class is having trouble at lunch, use this to start the discussion about what works and doesn't work in cafeteria.  Sometimes it can be very informative if you have the students write their own reflections before the class discussion.  Students' insights are often spot on!

Click HERE to download these freebies.

Do you have a tip to share?

Fern has a few tips to share with you, too.  Be sure to hop over to her blog!

Each week, Fern and I will share a teacher tip. We love to read teacher blogs and the latest teacher idea books and hope you do, too!  Stop by Fern's blog and my blog each week for our latest tips.  We hope you will share your ideas, too.  

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Detail: Reflect: Learning from Mistakes

0 Class Incentives

How do you motivate your students?  Do you use incentives?  I know there is usually a pro-incentive camp and a con-incentive camp.  I've heard different arguments through the years against incentives.  The one I heard mentioned the most was about intrinsic motivation.  Students are supposed to want to do well because they are motivated from within. They are not motivated by outside forces or things like stickers, trips to the treasure chest, praise, or candy.

More often than not, the same colleague who was opposed to rewarding students through the use of stickers, treasure chest, or other extrinsic methods was the same person complaining in the teachers lounge that her principal or parents "doesn't appreciate her".  If asked how she would like her parents or principal to show appreciation, she usually wanted to be recognized for her hard work with a happy note, email, visit or phone call.  Wouldn't these words of affirmation be considered extrinsic motivation?  

Don't we work harder for a principal when we feel like we have a principal that supports us and recognizes our value?  If we are truly intrinsically motivated, we should work to the same high degree whether we have parents and administrators that value us or not.  

What about our paycheck?  How many of us would show up for work everyday if we weren't getting paid?  Isn't a paycheck extrinsic motivation?  We expect students to show up and do their best quality work because that's their job.  Their "paycheck" is their grade. But, when you're young, do you really get the value of a report card? 

As you may have guessed, I fall into the pro-incentive camp.  I enjoy rewarding my students through a variety of methods. 

One of my all time favorite incentive plans was the B.U.G. plan.  You can read more about it HERE plus there are FREE printables for you.

Looking for more tips?  Check out my Behavior Management Pinterest board.  Click on the picture below.

Fern has a few tips about behavior management to share with you, too.  Be sure to hop over to her blog!

Fern and I are adding something new this summer.  Summer is a great time to catch up on your reading.  I love to read teacher blogs and the latest teacher idea books.  Stop by Fern's blog and my blog each week for Tuesday Teacher Tips.  We hope you will share your ideas, too.  

Each week we will choose one person who shared a tip on our blog who will get a $10 shopping trip.  We will announce the winner in the following Tuesday's post.  The winner for today's post will be announced on next week's post (June 17th).

Congratulations Debbie Weaver for sharing your pencil tip on last week's Tuesday Teacher Tip post.  You have won a $10 shopping trip in my store.  Email me (teach123.school@gmail.com) links to the lessons you would like as your prize.  Click HERE if you'd like to read all of the tips shared about classroom management last week.

Do you have an class incentive idea to share?  Be sure to include your email so I can contact you if you're the winner of the $10 shopping trip.

Looking for more ideas?  Check out these!

An InLinkz Link-up

Detail: Class Incentives