by Elaine Gallagher

 

                     LITERARY PHRASES or IDIOMS FOR TEACHERS TO KNOW

 

What do these mean? Where did they come from? What do they refer to? 

Can you give an example of where it would be appropriate to use the phrase?

 

• Absence makes the heart grow fonder.
• Actions speak louder than words.
• An albatross around one’s neck
• All’s fair in love and war.
• All that glitters is not gold.
• All the world’s a stage. (text)
• Ask and it shall be given.
• Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country.
• As rich as Croesus
• As the crow flies
• As you make your bed, sp you must lie in it.
• Bad news travels fast.
• His (her) bark is worse than his/her bite.
• In the beginning….
• The best things in life are free.
• Better late than never.
• Better safe than sorry.
• Beauty’s only skin deep.
• Beggars can’t be choosers.
• Beware of the Ides of March.
• The bigger they come, the harder they fall.
• A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
• Birds of a feather flock together.
• The bit between his teeth
• Bite the bullet.
• Bite the dust.
• Don’t bite the hand that feeds you.
• The black hole of Calcutta
• The blind leading the blind
• Blood is thicker than water.
• Born with a silver spoon in her (his) mouth.
• The top brass…or…The big brass
• Brevity is the soul of wit.
• Bull in a china shop
• Burn the midnight oil.
• The burnt child fears the fire.
• Burning the candle at both ends
• Bury the hatchet.
• Business before pleasure
• It’s a buyer’s market. (opposite: It’s a seller’s market.)
• It’s like carrying coals to Newcastle.
• Catch as catch can.
• Champ at the bit
• Change of pace
• Checks and balances
• The chickens came home to roost.
• Cold hands, warm heart
• A cold shoulder
• Consider the lilies of the field.
• The course of true love never runs smoothly.
• Don’t cross the bridge ‘til you get to it.
• Don’t count your chickens ‘til they hatch.
• Don’t cry over spilt milk.
• Don’t cut off your nose to spite your face.
• Don’t judge a book by its cover.
• Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.
• Don’t put all your eggs on one basket.
• Don’t put the cart before the horse.
• Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
• The early bird catches the worm.
• Early to bed and early to rise makes a young man healthy, wealthy, and wise.
• Easier said than done
• It’s elementary, my dear Watson.
• An elephant never forgets.
• Experience is the best teacher.
• Familiarity breeds contempt.
• We have nothing to fear but fear itself.
• A feather in one’s cap
• A friend in need is a friend indeed.
• A fair weather friend
• The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.
• Get a dose of one’s own medicine.
• Get down to brass tacks.
• He got out of bed on the wrong side.
• Give him enough rope and he’ll hang himself.
• Give me liberty or give me death.
• A good man is hard to find.
• Great oaks from little acorns grow.
• A half loaf is better than none.
• Here today, gone tomorrow
• He who hesitates is lost.
• Don’t hide your light under a bushel.
• Hitch your wagon to a star.
• Hit the nail on the head.
• Honesty is the best policy.
• Hope springs eternal in the human breast.
• I came. I saw. I conquered. (Veni. Vidi. Vici.)
• If at first you don’t succeed, try and try again.
• I have never met a man I didn’t like.
• I think; therefore, I am.
• It never rains, but it pours.
• It’s always darkest before the dawn.
• It’s better to give than to receive.
• It takes two to tango.
• Keep the wolf from the door.
• It’s the last straw that breaks the camel’s back.
• Knock on wood.
• A left-handed compliment.
• Lemmings to the sea
• Let the cat out of the bag.
• Lock, stock, and barrel
• Don’t lock the stable door after the horse is stolen.
• Look before you leap.
• Love conquers all.
• Love makes the world go ‘round.
• Lowest common denominator
• Make a clean breast of things.
• Make hay while the sun shines
• Make a mountain out of a molehill.
• Make do with what you have.
• Make-work (busy-work)
• A man’s home is his castle.
• Manna from heaven
• Many are called, but few are chosen.
• To meet one’s Waterloo
• Misery loves company.
• The love of money is the root of all evil.
• The more, the merrier
• Music hath charms to sooth the savage beast.
• Nature – nurture controversy
• No man can serve two masters.
• A new broom sweeps clean.
• No news is good news.
• No man is an island.
• Nose out-of-joint
• Nose to the grindstone
• Nothing is certain but death and taxes.
• Nothing succeeds like success.
• Not with a bang, but with a whimper
• Oil and water don’t mix.
• Out of sight, out of mind
• Parting is such sweet sorrow.
• Patience of Job
• Patience of Penelope
• The pen is mightier than the sword.
• A penny saved is a penny earned.
• Planned obsolescence
• The pot calls the kettle black.
• The proof of the pudding is in the eating.
• Read between the lines.
• Read him the riot act.
• The road to hell is paved with good intentions.
• A rolling stone gathers no moss.
• Rome wasn’t built in a day.
• Separation of church and state
• Separation of powers
• Ships that pass in the night
• A soft answer turneth away wrath.
• A stitch in time saves nine.
• Still waters run deep.
• Strike while the iron is hot.
• Take the bitter with the sweet.
• Take the bull by the horns.
• There are plenty of fish in the sea.
• There’s more than one way to skin a cat.
• These are the times that try men’s souls.
• Thirty days hath September……(text)
• A thing of beauty is a joy forever.
• Through think and thin
• Throw out the baby with the bath water.
• Throw him to the lions.
• Tied to his mother’s apron strings
• To tilt at windmills
• Time and tide wait for no man.
• Too many cooks spoil the broth.
• Too many irons in the fire
• Two heads are better than one.
• Two shakes of a lamb’s tail
• Two wrongs don’t make a right.
• Variety is the spice of life.
• When in Rome, do as the Romans do.
• Where there’s a will, there’s a way.
• Where there’s life, there’s hope.
• Where there’s smoke, there’s fire
• The wish is father to the thought.
• A word to the wise is sufficient.
• You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink.
• You can’t fit a square peg into a round hole.
• You can’t have your cake and eat it too.

 

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Another time, we’ll be offering names of people or things you should know.

 

by Elaine Gallagher

            You may be wondering, «What is cultural literacy?»  There are many definitions, most of which are cumbersome or complicated. For our purposes, Cultural Literacy means knowing the background or allusions of literary words, terms, or dates.

Why?  

Because we need to make more sense of things as we listen or read…..and to add depth and complexity to things we write.  Cultural literacy is an example of universal understanding, supported by UNOi. It’s something that makes sense to literate people, anywhere, anytime, in any language. Learners can understand the relationship between what was said or read, and its literary reference or background.

Example:

If an announcer on TV news says, «The General Director of XYZ company was Machiavellian in his actions», a person with cultural literacy, in any language, will know that the announcer meant that the General Director was cunning, plotting, planning out every detail, so he could maintain control.

The person with cultural literacy may not necessarily know many details about Machiavelli, but he/she knows that the allusion the TV announcer had made referred to Machiavelli, a man who wrote describing cunning and manipulative leaders, supporting the idea that «the ends justify the means», meaning you can do anything, even illegal things, if the end result is worth it.  The culturally literate person may not know that Machiavelli was Italian, or that he wrote political ideas in  «The Prince», but he/she recognized the term «Machiavellian». (Details about Machiavelli are in Internet, if you choose to learn more about him.)

Another example comes from the children’s story, «The Emperor’s New Clothes».  If someone says or writes, «She recognized that the emperor actually was wearing no clothes», a culturally literate person would know that it refers to a person who sees things with clarity, and speaks openly and honesty. Others may fear speaking the truth if it could expose that the leadership isn’t aware of problems.

Much cultural literacy comes from incidental topics, stories, or movies. Exposure is the key to being culturally literate, not necessarily intelligence, nor top-notch schools, nor rich parents.

When parents or teachers expose students to a wide variety of stories, films, people, and topics, students easily can learn to make the connections. If students can recognize a term, they are culturally literate. If they can produce background information about what they have recognized, so much the better.

Extremely important to the acquisition of both high level vocabulary and background information, in order to build cultural literacy, is that parents, and especially teachers, should read aloud to their students every day! This is a lost art.

Teachers may complain, «I don’t have the time!» Make the time! We all have the same 24 hours in a day. Good daily planning makes it imperative that teachers include reading aloud. I don’t mean only Kindergarten teachers. I mean every teacher, through the end of middle school (9th grade).  Set aside a specific time, such as opening the class, or right after lunchtime. Don’t plan it for the end of the class, or you will never do it. Other things will use up your time.

Coordinators or Directors shouldn’t micro-manage. There is absolutely NO need to check teachers’ plans. Yes, planning is essential for the teacher, but no one should be checking. That’s 19th century.  Instead, walk into the classroom for 10 or 15 minutes each week, to see what’s really happening.

How are the desks arranged? Is the date on the board? Is there a short list of the day’s objectives posted, including «Read a story»?  If the kids are copying from the board or from an iPad – projected script, or from a book, no teaching is happening. No learning is occurring. This is babysitting. Period.

In English or Spanish, it’s sad, but the cultural literacy of our students is severely lacking, almost non-existent. Even sadder, it’s obvious that our educators lack sufficient cultural literacy. It seems they are «frozen» inside a box, waiting to see what answer the teacher wants, instead of thinking, then arriving at a logical response.

When I role play with educators, pretending they are my «students», teaching them lessons from UNOi books, their literacy/cultural background and critical thinking show huge gaps.

Example:

A «Fact of the Week» is on the board.

«What geologic event occurred in 79 A.D.?» 

No one knows……with extremely rare exceptions.

«No problem», I tell them. «We’ll get to it soon.»

 

Surprisingly, literally 1000’s of teachers, both Spanish and English, have no idea what «A.D.» means after the date. They guess: «After Dinosaurs» or «After Death»…(Who’s death??»)  (No joke, REALLY !)

They have no idea that it is Latin for «Anno Domini» (Year of our Lord), nor any knowledge that Pope Gregory formed a new calendar with his advisers in 1585 AD, reflecting Year 1 as the year Christ was born.  So, I teach them, and tell them, «No problem…If you knew everything, I wouldn’t have a job. «…and I truly mean that!

Another example:

I show a scene of Greece, related to UNO 6th grade Greek mythology. The photo has many white houses, on a hillside by the water. I ask the teachers, «Why do you think the buildings are painted white»?  I compare the color to many white houses by beach-side cities in Mexico.

Many teachers don’t attempt to answer. (The question is NOT in the book.)

The few who venture a guess (critical thinking) might say, «Maybe white is the only paint available?» «White is one of the colors of the Greek flag?» (Which I had shown as the class began.) Another replies, » White is the color of peace?»

I respond to each one, …»Maybe» or  «Good guess.» or  «Possibly.»

When I get 3 -5 responses, I tell them that while their answers showed they were thinking, (awarding 10 virtual points for thinking), I tell them that the color white reflects heat, and dark colors absorb heat. Thus, white buildings stay cooler in warm climates.

Once in great while, someone will know that answer, and when I ask how he/she knew it…one said his father had told him years ago.  Another student reported he had seen the information on the Discovery Channel.

So far, no one has responded that he /she had learned it in school.

We need to fill gaps in students’ and teachers’ general knowledge. The information contained in those «gaps» is what separates a person who is culturally literate from one who is not. Parents and teachers need to develop cultural literacy so they can pass it on to kids.

So how do you develop cultural literacy?

• Read and listen
• Think and ask
• Encourage critical thinking
• Encourage questions
• (The only dumb question is one that is not-asked!)

                       

More specifically:

1. Read aloud to kids daily, for 5-10 minutes. This is for ALL teachers, not only for English teachers. Spanish or Portuguese teachers also need to read to students. This is for pleasure and enjoyment! No quiz, no work resulting from the stories.

2. You can read a story one day, and then show a film or a video of the same story, too.  For younger children, read the complete story in one sitting. Show a video another day. For older students you can read one chapter a day for longer stories/books, perhaps completing the book in 2 or 3 weeks or more.

• For kids ages 3-6: nursery rhymes, poems, Dr. Seuss books, etc. They can repeat, sing, see videos, but always show them the books, too.

• For kids 7 years – 10 years: Read aloud traditional fairy tales, fables, myths, adventure. Hans Christian Anderson, the Grimm Brothers, and Aesop’s Fables have excellent stories.

• Feel free to read a story more than once if the kids really like it or request it. Titles for 7-10 year-olds include, «Jack and the Beanstalk»,  «Snow White and Rose Red», «Rumplestiltskin», «The Emperor’s New Clothes». Walt Disney has produced many books and movies from traditional stories.

• Older students, 10-15 years will pay attention to «chapter- books», both fiction, and non-fiction. There are classics, such as «The Secret Garden», «Zorro», «Tarzan», or » The Hardy Boys Mysteries». There are more modern novels such as «Orange», «Holes», or «Park’s Quest».

• There are adventure stories, science fiction, tall tales, such as «Paul Bunyan», or stories about historical characters, such as «Robin Hood», or «Charles Lindbergh», or biographies, such as Machiavelli, Einstein, or Stephen Hawking.

• You don’t need to be limited to paper books. You can use magazines, iBooks on an iPad or tablet. You can even use short videos and full-length films to stimulate discussions, critical thinks, and to encourage reading the book that students saw on film. «The Giver», «Holes», «The Secret Garden», «the Wizard of Oz», are but a few novels made into Hollywood films.

 

NOTES:

• I can share a bibliography, listing many titles, for ideas on reading topics. Just e-mail me asking for the list. juniorbarney1@yahoo.com

• The question previously mentioned, about a geologic event in 79 A.D. has been in the English teacher support section of our Platform for 4 years, under «Facts of the Week.». If you want all 300 at once, to be in control of what trivia you choose to use with your students, send me an e-mail, asking for all 300 «Facts of the Week».

• Finally, you may be wondering, «What things should I know to become ‘CULTURALLY LITERATE’?» There are many, which I’ll share. Categories include: DATES, QUOTATIONS, PEOPLE, and VOCABULARY & PHRASES.

 

       IMPORTANT:

• The topics I’ll be giving you are NOT for your students to look up as a time-consuming assignment. The topics will be meaningless to students out of context!

• This is work for YOU, teacher, things to learn, gradually, so you can add to your repertoire of knowledge to pass on to students at appropriate times, meaning that you use your knowledge to explain the background of things kids read or hear in their learning process.

• All categories relate to some event, person, or allusion. I won’t give you the answers. I’ll just list the words or phrases. Your work is to discover the significance of each one.

• If, however, you are confused after researching a word, feel free to write to ask me. There may be hundreds of literary allusions that I do not know; but the ones on the lists I’ll share are ones I do know….I learned most of them, at least 90% of them, from my teachers 50+ years ago. The other 10% I learned by investigating on my own, when I encountered allusions I didn’t recognize.

• So, teachers, if you want to promote cultural literacy among your students, teach allusions, references, and background of your material.
• Much research shows that students remember longer and better supplemental data, taught incidentally in class, than material specifically taught from the book.

 

• BE A WORLD-CLASS UNOi TEACHER!
• PROMOTE CULTURAL LITERACY.

 

DATES TO KNOW

RELATE THESE DATES TO A SPECIFIC EVENT.

KNOW THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE DATE.

 

EXAMPLES:

A.D……Anno Domini: Latin for «Year of out Lord»…refers to dates after Christ was born. Year 1 A.D. = the year Christ was born, in the calendar reorganized by Pope Gregory XIII in 1585, so the new calendar could reflect more accurately the months/seasons than the Julian calendar in use prior to the Gregorian calendar, which us still in use.

1066…The Norman Conquest of England, by William, «the Conqueror» of the Normandy area of France.  William brought political order into England. The Old Anglo-Saxon English language now incorporated French words, expanding the English language, such as French porc (pork) used for the meat, but the Old English «pig» remained the name of the animal.

1215: The Magna Charta… giving some freedoms to the people by King John I in England. This marked the first step towards democracy in «modern times»., although the ancient Greeks of Athens, 2000 years earlier, practiced democracy, which, by the way, is a word of Greek origin, meaning «rule by the people».

1914 – 1918: World War I

1939-1945: World War II

_____________________________

Next issue: more categories of Cultural Literacy.

 

by Elaine Gallagher

Discussion for teenagers and adults:12 actions to be taught, discussed, and implemented for 21st century professionalism.

READERS: I wish I practiced all of these faithfully. I admit that I don’t, but that doesn’t deny their importance to good human relations. I strive to work on the actions where I am the weakest. These 12 points are great discussion questions / topics for middle and high school students…even for adult students, or employees at a staff meeting.

HINT: Sometimes the «bosses» are the ones who need the most help in some of these areas. Let’s work together to be aware of what really constitutes professional appearances and comportment.               Bosses: Be role models for our employees.

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1. «I will not check my phone while I’m talking to someone else.» 

You’ve looked away. You’ve done the, «Wait, let me answer this text…» thing. Maybe you didn’t even say, «Wait.» You just stopped talking, stopped paying attention, and did it.

Do you want to be that person everyone loves because they make you feel, when they’re talking to you, like you’re the most important person in the world? Stop checking your phone. Other people will feel better about you – and you’ll feel better about yourself.

======================================================

 2. «I will not blame other people – for anything.»

Employees make mistakes. Vendors don’t deliver on time. Potential customers never sign. You blame them for your problems.? You yell. Lose your temper. Insult. But you are also to blame. Maybe you didn’t provide enough training, build in enough of a buffer, or asked for too much too soon. Take responsibility when things go wrong instead of blaming others — then you focus on doing things better or smarter next time. And when you get better or smarter, you also get happier. ============================================

3. «I will not multitask during a meeting.»

The easiest way to be the smartest person in the room is to be the person who pays the most attention to the room. You’ll be amazed by what you can learn, both about the topic of the meeting and about the people in the meeting if you stop multitasking and start paying close attention. You’ll flush out and understand hidden agendas, you’ll spot opportunities to build bridges, and you’ll find ways to make yourself indispensable to the people who matter.         ======================================================

4. «I will not interrupt.»

Interrupting isn’t just rude. When you interrupt someone what you’re really saying is, «I’m not listening to you so I can understand what you’re saying; I’m listening to you so I can decide what I want to say.»  Want people to like you? Listen to what they say. Focus on what they say. Ask questions to make sure you understand what they say. They’ll love you for it — and you’ll love how that makes you feel.  ======================================================

5. «I will not waste time on people who make no difference in my life.»

Trust me: The inhabitants of planet TMZ are doing fine without you. No one really cares that Princess Carolina’s cupcake decorations won a prize, or that a movie star’s tattoo cost $5000.00.  But your family, your friends, your employees — all the people that really matter to you – are not doing fine without you. Give them your time and attention. They’re the ones who deserve it. ======================================================

6. «I will not be distracted by multiple notifications.»

You really don’t need to know the instant you get an email or text or tweet or like. If something is important enough for you to do, it’s important enough for you to do without interruptions. Focus totally on what you’re doing. Then, on a schedule you set — instead of a schedule you let everyone else set — play prairie dog and pop your head up to see what’s happening. Focusing on what you are doing is a lot more important than focusing on other people might be doing.

======================================================

7. «I will not whine.»

Your words have power, especially over you. Whining about your problems makes you feel worse, not better. If something is wrong, don’t waste time complaining. Put that effort into making the situation better. Unless you want to whine about it forever, eventually you’ll have to do that. So why waste time? Fix it now. Don’t talk about what’s wrong. Talk about how you’ll make things better, even if that conversation is only with yourself.

=====================================================

8. «I will not let the past control my future.»

Mistakes are valuable. Learn from them. Then let them go. Easier said than done? It all depends on your perspective. When something goes wrong, turn it into an opportunity to learn something you didn’t know — especially about yourself. When something goes wrong for someone else, turn it into an opportunity to be gracious, forgiving, and understanding. The past is just training. The past should definitely inform but in no way define you — unless you let it.

=====================================================

9. «I will not wait until I’m convinced I’ll succeed.»

You can never feel sure you will succeed at something new, but you can always feel sure you are committed to giving something your best. And you can always feel sure you will try again if you fail. Stop waiting. You have a lot less to lose than you think, and everything to gain.

======================================================

10. «I will not talk behind another person’s back.»

If only because being the focus of gossip hurts. (And the people who gossip are also hurting themselves.) If you’ve talked to more than one person about something Joe is doing, wouldn’t everyone be better off if you stepped up and actually talked to Joe about it? And if it’s «not your place» to talk to Joe, it’s probably not your place to talk about Joe. Spend your time on productive conversations. You’ll get a lot more done–and you’ll gain a lot more respect.

======================================================

11. «I will not say yes when I really want to say no.»

Refusing a request from colleagues, customers, or even friends is really hard. But rarely does saying no go as badly as you expect. Most people will understand, and if they don’t, should you care too much about what they think? When you say no, at least you’ll only feel bad for a few moments. When you say yes to something you really don’t want to do you might feel bad for a long time — or at least as long as it takes you to do what you didn’t want to do in the first place.

======================================================

12. «I will not be afraid.»

We’re all afraid: of what might or might not happen, what we can’t change, what we won’t be able to do, or how other people might perceive us. So it’s easier to hesitate… and think a little longer, do more research, or explore more alternatives. Meanwhile days, weeks, months, and even years pass us by. And so do our dreams.Whatever you’ve been planning or imagining or dreaming of, get started today. Put your fears aside. Do something. Do anything. Once tomorrow comes, today is lost forever. Today is the most precious asset you own — and is the one thing you should truly fear wasting.

As people age, most of them don’t really regret what they did wrong in their lives. It provided a lesson. What they regret are the things they never attempted to try.

When in doubt, think…then act!

===============================================

by Elaine Gallagher

 

Sometimes I am asked to write all my ideas to give to new teachers. Wow! It would take me a lifetime to write all my ideas. I’ve already written and published about twenty-five books, most of which we give away free to English teachers in Coahuila, where I work as English Consultant for the Secretary of Public Education. Those books don’t hold all my ideas.

So what I did for this article is to write 72 ideas that I’ve learned from many people, such as Dr. Harry Wong, Dr. Robert Marzano, and my own experiences over the 50 years I’ve been a teacher. This is not a lifetime of ideas, but I’m 72 years old, so here are 72 ideas about education. Enjoy!

 

                        Effective teachers get results: successful students.

1. There is only one way to improve student learning. It is with an effective teacher.

2. Here’s the biggest secret to being effective: beg, borrow, and work collaboratively.

 

3. Effective is defined as having an effect, producing a result.

 

4. Proficient is defined as possessing knowledge and skills.

 

5. The only intervention that can make a difference in student learning is one with a knowledgeable and skillful teacher.

 

6. The most important factor, bar none, is the teacher. An inefficient teacher can affect student learning for years, but two successive ineffective teachers can damage a student forever.

 

7. There is only one way to produce good schools and that is with effective teachers. We have been trying for years with programs, fads, and ideologies.

 

8. The four stages of teaching: Fantasy, Survival, Mastery, Impact.
9. The three characteristics of an effective teacher are: 1) has good classroom management skills, 2) teaches for mastery, and 3) has positive expectations for student success.

 

10. Your expectations of your students will greatly influence their achievement in your class and in their lives.

 

11. Ineffective teachers will teach out of a book, follow a program, or complain about the culture or the neighborhood of the students.

 

            Good classroom management supports student learning.

12. What you do on the first day of school will determine your success for the rest of the year. You will either win or lose your class on the first days of school.

 

13. The most important factor that must be established the very first week of school is CONSISTENCY.

 

14. The number one factor that leads to student achievement is classroom management.

 

15. Stand at the door and greet the students as they enter the class.

 

16. Give each student a seating assignment. You are the one in charge.

 

17. Your very first priority when class begins is to get the students to work.

 

18. There must be a schedule, bell-work, and a lesson objective or assignment posted in a consistent location, when the students enter the room.

 

19. Effective teachers have a script or classroom management plan ready on the first day of school to structure and organize the classroom.

 

20. The number one problem in education is not discipline. It is the lack of procedures and routines, the lack of a plan that organizes a classroom for success.

 

21. Many teachers spend time covering lessons and then disciplining when things go wrong. They never spend time managing their classrooms.

 

22. Discipline refers to BEHAVIOR. Procedures refer to getting things DONE.

 

23. Discipline: Has penalties and rewards. Procedures: Have NO penalties or rewards.

 

24. Effective teachers MANAGE their classrooms. Ineffective teachers DISCIPLINE their classrooms.

 

25. Student achievement is directly related to how the teacher establishes classroom procedures the very first week of school.

 

26. The ineffective teacher begins the first day of school attempting to teach a subject or do a fun activity and spends the rest of the school year running after the students.

 

27. The effective teacher spends much of the first week of school teaching students to follow classroom procedures to organize the classroom for engagement and learning. Later they can do fun things.

 

28. The three steps to teaching a procedure are: explain, rehearse, and reinforce.

 

29. Students get low grades because of the failure to know what procedures to follow and what objectives to learn or do.

 

30. Classroom management are those practices and procedures used to manage a classroom so that instruction and learning can take place.

 

31. At-Risk: Students risk failure because of a lack of structure. Classrooms risk failure because of a lack of structure.

 

32. All effective classrooms have structure. A series of procedures and routines equals structure.

 

33. Learning is much more effective when it takes place within a supportive community of learners.

 

34. With procedures in place, you’ll have time to devote to the art of teaching and become the effective teacher your students need and deserve.

 

                                Lesson Mastery is not perfection.

         It’s 85% of your students being successful 85% of the time.

35. Good instruction is 15 to 20 times more powerful than any explanatory variable.

 

36. Learning has nothing to do with what the teacher covers. Learning has to do with what the student accomplishes.

 

37. Students learn better when they know what they are to learn and how they will be assessed and graded.

 

38. Objectives focus students on what they are aiming for; thus, they know what they are responsible for learning.

 

39. When both the students and the teachers are moving towards the same objective, that’s when you get learning.

 

40. Students get more done when they see where they are going and what they are doing.

 

41. Effective teachers have a study guideline with a list of the objectives that tells the students what they are responsible for accomplishing.

 

42. The lesson objectives are to be correlated to either national or state standards.

 

43. A criterion reference test is to be written before the lesson begins. (Backward by design / back-mapping / terminal objective)

 

44. A scoring guide or rubric is to be written before the lesson begins.

 

45. The activities used in a lesson must be correlated to the lesson objectives.

 

46. A test allows a teacher to assess for learning, not to grade a student.

 

47. A scoring guide is a formative assessment used to guide student improvement.

 

48. The purpose of assessment is to gather information to improve instruction for student learning.

 

49. The only way to improve student learning is to improve teacher instructional practice.

 

                        Positive expectations bring positive results.

50. In low performing schools, teachers are less likely to collaborate and learn from one another.

 

51. In high performing schools, teachers share with one another the needed knowledge and skills to help their students reach high standards.

 

52. Effective teams of teachers will analyze student work to determine how to improve instruction.

 

53. Success has little to do with money, class size, fancy programs, parental involvement, or tutoring. These can be found at good and bad schools.

 

54. Effective teams of teachers teach to pre-stated objectives, assess and reassess student work, and use the results to teach and reteach until they find a way for students to grasp the lesson.

 

55. Ineffective teachers view teaching as a job. They sit at the back of meetings and put in time.

 

56. Effective teachers have a positive expectation that they can be effective, that they ARE the difference in the lives of children.

 

57. Teachers who work at being effective will create classrooms in which students can successfully learn.

 

58. The single greatest effect on student achievement is the effectiveness of the teacher.

 

59. The most effective teachers are those who produce an effect on themselves.

 

60. We learn from our mistakes. Let students correct their mistakes so they will learn better.

 

61. Failure is NOT an option. If we learn from our mistakes, an students fix their mistakes, no one needs to fail.

 

62. Give brainwork, not homework.

 

63. Brainwork is work students do that goes to their brain…such as reading, watching a video, or TV program, or reviewing class work, investigating something on Internet, visiting a museum, playing a game, such as chess, or preparing an oral presentation to give in class. .

 

64. Homework is written work or a project that anyone can do for the student, without the student having done one minute of the work.

 

65. Never give a grade for work not done in the classroom. If you don’t see it completed by the student in class, it does not receive a grade.

 

66. Students can collaborate, cooperate, and share work in a classroom setting. This is what happens in the real world.

 

67. Encourage oral fluency by asking lots of questions in class. Encourage and support students to ask you questions.

 

68. If someone doesn’t know an answer, so what? The world is not going to end. In the large scheme of things, how important is it, really? Ease a student’s embarrassment by saying, «Hey, if you knew everything, I wouldn’t have a job!»

 

69. Give a wide variety of assessments. Sometimes let students use their notes during a test. It teaches them to organize well, and to know how to find answers. It’s the same with using the Internet, or on-line resources.

 

70. Weird is good and normal is boring…Get out of the box, do the unexpected! Plans are for YOU…not for some other adult to check. Good planning is important, but more important is what you actually do in the classroom.

 

71. Sometimes be spontaneous. Go outside and smell the flowers, even if it’s not in your plan-book! When did school stop being fun and a place of joy?

 

72. Inside every great teacher there is an even better one waiting to come out. Teachers are the sculptors of the human race. We touch the future…we teach!

____________________________

Compiled by Elaine Gallager *

Many teachers have tried most of these.  They may work a few times, but not over the long haul.

• Raising my voice
• Yelling
• Saying «I’m the boss here.»
• Insisting on having the last word
• Using tense body language, such as rigid posture or clenched hands
• Using degrading, insulting, humiliating, or embarrassing put-downs
• Using sarcasm
• Attacking the student’s character
• Acting superior
• Using physical force
• Drawing unrelated persons into the conflict
• Having a double standard –making students do what I say, not what I do
• Insisting that I am right
• Preaching
• Making assumptions
• Backing the student into a corner
• Pleading or bribing
• Bringing up unrelated events
• Generalizing about students by making remarks such as «All you kids are the same.»
• Making unsubstantiated accusations
• Holding a grudge
• Nagging
• Throwing a temper tantrum
• Mimicking the student
• Making comparisons with siblings or other students commanding, demanding, dominating rewarding the student
• Repetitive written work

_________________________________

* Adapted from Bud Churchward creator of The Honor Level System: Discipline by Design

by Elaine Gallagher

HERE ARE SOME STEPS TO BETTER WRITING.

 

1. FIVE STEPS TO GOOD WRITING

• Pre-writing
• Drafting
• Revising
• Proof reading
• Publishing

 

2. PROOF-READING CHECKLIST FOR STUDENTS

    Your name: ______________  Date ______

• ___ Did I spell all the words correctly?
• ___ Did I indent each paragraph?
• ___ Did I write each sentence as a complete thought?
• ___ Do I have any run-on sentences?
• ___ Did I begin each sentence with a capital letter?
• ___ Did I use capital letters correctly in other places?
• ___ Did I end each sentence with the correct punctuation        mark?
• ___ Did I use commas, apostrophes, and other               punctuation correctly?
• ___ Did I read my paper aloud to myself or to a friend?

 

• SAMPLE RUBRIC SCORING FOR WRITING    

             Use grade equivalents, such as:

• 4 = Excellent, well-above expectations:  95+
• 3= Very good, above expectations:         85 – 94
• 2= Good, meeting expectations:              75 – 84
• 1= Below expectations:                             65 – 74
• 0= Do it again:  no score                          (Seek help.)

 

• SCORING EXPECTATIONS

SCORE 4

• Correct purpose and audience
• Effective elaboration
• Consistent organization
• Clear sense of order and completeness
• Fluent, good vocabulary choices

SCORE 3

• Correct purpose and audience
• Moderately well elaborated
• Organized, but possible digressions
• Clear, effective language

SCORE 2

• Correct purpose and audience
• Some elaboration
• Some graphic details
• Gaps in organization
• Limited language control

SCORE 1

• Attempts to address audience
• Wrong purpose
• Brief / vague
• Unelaborated
• Wanders off / on topic
• Lack of language control
• Poor or no organization

SCORE 0

• Off topic, or copied the writing assignment
• Blank paper, or did not write enough to score
• Language other than English
• Illegible or incoherent

 

Students can work together in pairs to help each other…NOT to correct or grade each other’s papers, but to read each other’s papers and make comments, suggestions, and advise about necessary correction

 

IDEAS FOR NARRATIVE WRITING ASSIGNMENTS

An expressive narrative…writing «a story»

The writer will sequence events into a story on a specified topic:

 

PRODUCT: Story

ORGANIZATION: Chronological (progression through time)

STORY ELEMENTS: Use the basic elements of a short story with a fully-developed beginning, middle, and end.  This must be more than a sequence of events.  Writer must establish some sort of problem which is solved during the events of the story.

TRANSITIONAL WORDS and PHRASES: then, after, after that, soon, while, later, before, during, next, when, meanwhile, as soon as, finally, at last

NARRATIVE WRITING

1. INTRODUCTION
2.  FIRST: Setting, location, characters, time of day (once upon a time, far away, in old times when wishes came true, on a space station in the year 2,134)
3.  THEN: The problem
4.  LAST: A solution
5. CONCLUSION: happy ending (They lived happily ever after.  They woke up from a dream. They arrived home safely. Etc.)

—————————————————————————–

A STORY FORMULA:

SOMEBODY    –    WANTED   –    BUT    –    SO    –   THEN

—————————————————————————-

ELABORATION STRATEGIES

Similies/metaphors…..color, shape, size, texture

(The clouds looked like cotton balls. The lion was like a huge version of my pet cat.)

Conversation…..two complete exchanges

Adjectives or adverbs….1 or 2 with nouns or verbs

(The tall, handsome prince silently glimpsed the princess in the ugly, dark tower.)

 

WRITE SOMETHING EVERY DAY!!!

_______________________________

 

by Elaine Gallagher

Hello Teachers: More arts / academic activities! Here are 3 more projects involving art, music and academic content. You can choose any of them to use with your students. None of these are in the UNO books. They are supplemental activities to support your work!

 

ACTIVITY 7

TITLE: «Photosynthesis»

MATERIALS NEEDED: Two plants of the same kind for each team

TO STUDENTS: Photosynthesis is a big word but one that you probably know.

PHOTO means LIGHT. SYNTHESIS means putting things together.

In class, your teacher probably has already explained photosynthesis. Today your team will begin an experiment that will last for a month.  You will also do some artwork.

 

BEGIN THIS PROJECT ON A MONDAY.

1. Photosynthesis is the process of plants using light to manufacture (make) sugar which plants use for their energy.  Without light, plants eventually die.
2. Each team will have 2 plants that are alike in size and type. (Each team can have a different type of plant.)
3. Both plants will receive the same amount of water.
4. One plant will be placed on a windowsill or table where there is natural light and some sunlight.
5. The other plant will be placed in a cabinet or closet where it will NOT receive any light.
6. On the next four Fridays, check the plants. Draw a picture each Friday of how each plant looks. Use a sheet of paper with a line drawn down the middle, and divided in four horizontal sections on each side = 8 sections to draw in: 4 for the plant in the light, and 4 (1 for each week) for the plant in the closet.
7. Discuss your findings with the class and teacher.

Now, you will never forget what photosynthesis is.

 

FACT OF THE DAY

Who was the first person to figure out that the Earth revolves on an axis and orbits around the sun?

• Nicolaus Copernicus (1473-1543), a Polish astronomer

• INVESTIGATE: Long before Copernicus, a group of people in Mexico observed and calculated similar findings. Who were they? What did they discover? What did they do?

=========================================================

ACTIVITY 8

TITLE: «Making Music»

MATERIALS NEEDED: A variety of items that can be used to make musical sounds: combs, glass bottle with water inside, rattles, metal triangles, sandpaper blocks, tambourines, harmonica, etc.

TO STUDENTS: When you were in Kindergarten did you play with rhythm instruments? They were fun, weren’t they? Now that you are older, you are able to make your own musical instruments. Using any items available that can make sounds, even a pencil tapping on the table, you will make some music. A simple small comb, with a piece of waxed paper over it, can be used to make a humming sound.  BE CREATIVE!

If your teacher can get a CD, or an Internet recording, of a song called «Alexander’s Rag Time Band», it has the exact type of rhythm that you can use to play your instruments.

Listen to the CD once , and then play it again, this time with all of you keeping time to the music using your home made instruments…

This is an easy, but fun activity.  The song, «Alexander’s Ragtime Band» has words.

Sing along with the words as you play your instrument.

============================================================

Here are the words to the chorus of ALEXANDER’s RAGTIME BAND.

Can you find out who wrote this song? When? What other things can you find out about the composer? 

Come on and hear, come on and hear,

Alexander’s Ragtime Band.

Come on and hear, come on and hear,

It’s the best band in the land!

 

  They can play a bugle call like you never heard before.

               So natural that you want to go to war.

That’s just the «bestest band what am, honey lamb.

Come on along, come on along,

Let me take you by the hand.

Up to the man, up to the man,

Who’s the leader of the band!

And if you care to hear the Swanee River played in ragtime,

Come on and hear, come on and hear,

                               Alexander’s Ragtime Band!

 FACT OF THE DAY

Who was Ada Byron Lovelace?

• She was an English mathematician and scientist who wrote the first computer program.

 ====================================================                             

ACTIVITY 9

TITLE: »The 3 vital functions of a human body»

MATERIALS NEEDED:

• 4 sheets of paper for each student
• colors or markers
• Internet access

TO STUDENTS: The human body has three vital functions. Do you know what they are?

These 3 functions are the most important ones for humans life.

They are: nutrition, the nervous system and reproduction. You will make an illustrated report about these 3 vital (important) functions.

Use the first sheet of paper to make a cover for this report. The next 3 sheets will be used to make a written, illustrated report about the three functions.

Use Internet, label each page, show a chart, graph, or drawing to illustrate your report.

Remember: «A picture is worth 1,000 words», so make attractive pictures to support your report.

 

FACTS OF THE DAY

All the colors that we see are made up of three primary colors.  What are they?

• Red, green, and blue

Paint colors are NOT the same as colors from light. The primary paint colors are….???

• Yellow, red, and blue… When they are mixed together, you get black.

_______________________________

 

by Elaine Gallagher

Hello Teachers: I told you there would be more activities! Here are 3 more projects involving art / music and academic content. You can choose any of them to use with your students. None of these are in the UNO books. They are supplemental activities to support your work!

 

ACTIVITY 4

TITLE: «My Family Tree»

MATERIALS NEEDED:

• A small, dead tree branch
• Pieces of paper or thin cardboard
• Colors or markers
• A small pail or large cup filled with sand or similar thing that will allow the branch to stand up
• String or paper clips
• A small photograph of you, just the head, if possible (about the size of a passport photo)

TO STUDENTS: You probably have heard about a family tree. It is a list of your ancestors (your family line, parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, etc.).

Today we will make a REAL family tree.

 

1. Write your ancestors’ names individually on a pieces of paper shaped like a leaf: one leaf for each name. Cut them out so they look like a leaf.
2. Write on each one how they are related to you:

MOTHER                  FATHER

GRANDMOTHER    GRANDFATHER (on your mother’s side)

THE SAME (on your father’s side)

GREAT GRANDPARENTS

AUNTS, UNCLES, BROTHERS, SISTERS

3. If you are not sure of names, ask your parents. If these people are not with you anymore, you still need to include them because they are your blood relatives.  If you do not know for sure whom to include, make a list first. Then ask your family for help, so you can try to include all your family members.
4. Once you have the person’s name and relationship to you written on the leaf, lightly color the leaf green for relatives on your mother’ side, and red for relatives on your father’s side of the family. You can choose any two colors, one for each side of the family tree (father, mother), not necessarily green/red.
5. Make a bigger leaf for you, so there is room to glue your photo.
6. Make a small hole in each leaf and tie a string, or place a paperclip.
7. Use the string or paperclip to decorate your family tree, by tying the string, or placing the clip on each leaf.
8. Make sure that your tree branch is standing straight in the pail or large cup filled with sand.
9. Tie all the leaves on the tree with the younger people near the top of the tree, and the oldest people, (some of whom may have died) at the bottom of the tree.  The colors will tell you whether these people are ancestors / relatives on your mother’s or your father’s side of the family.
10. Last, but not least: YOU. Clip or tie your leaf with your picture at the very top of the tree, similar to a Christmas tree star.

ISN’T THIS GREAT?

THE TREE WILL MAKE A WONDERFUL GIFT FOR YOUR PARENTS OR GRANDPARENTS!

 

FACT OF THE DAY

What famous painter began her career as a painter of folk scenes and family scenes when she was already a grandmother?  She became famous when she was in her 80’s.

• Grandma Moses (1860 – 1961)
• Look her up.  When did she live? Where? When did she begin painting? Why? What did her artwork look like?  Can you see a sample?

==========================================================

ACTIVITY 5

TITLE: «Time Line of 100 Years»

MATERIALS NEEDED:

• long strip of paper for a time line, about 5 inches wide
• markers
• colors
• a ruler

TO STUDENTS:

• A list of 10 important events in history, sports, music, art, your family, etc. Be original. Use internet to help you.
• A time line you made with wide strips of paper, arranged in 10 year increments: left to right:
• 1914…1924….1934…1944, etc. up to 2014.
• On the spaces under these dates, write important events that happened near those date. (They do not have to have happened exactly on the dates from your time line.)  The dates can be about anything: sports, politics, inventions, etc.
• Draw small pictures about the events to decorate the time line.
• When done, your teacher can hang the time lines on classroom walls.

 

FACT OF THE DAY

What is the most toxic (poisonous) animal in the world?

• The poison arrow frogs of Central and South America. The golden poison arrow frog found in Colombia contains enough poison to kill 100 humans.

==================================================

ACTIVITY 6

TITLE: «The Best Invention of All Time!»!

MATERIALS NEEDED:

• Encyclopedias, Internet Access
• Paper, pens, colored pencils or markers

TO STUDENTS: This is a pair or team activity, so choose a partner or work with the persons your teacher designates.

1. Brainstorm. Looks it books and/or Internet to get ideas of inventions over history of humans.  For example: THE WHEEL, THE AUTOMOBILE, THE AIRPLANE, COMPUTERS, etc.  You can even choose medicine, such as the vaccine against polio or the vaccine against smallpox.
2. Once you have some ideas, decide which one YOU consider to be the most important, and why.  You can only choose ONE.
3.  For the one you chose, draw its picture, color it and write its name above the picture you drew.
4. Under the picture, write 3 reasons WHY you believe that this is an important invention.
5. Then, write 3 things about the invention, such as when it was first invented, who invented it, etc.
6. At the bottom of the paper, write ONE way that the invention is used today…or how it changed over the years, and how it is today. For example, the first computer was the size of a room.  Today we use computers, but they are much smaller.
7. You do NOT have to write complete sentences, but be clear in the words you choose.
8. When you and your partner are done, check everything.  Your teacher will choose some of you to report orally to your class the invention you chose. One of you will tell one reason WHY you chose it; your partner will tell ONE fact about the invention from your list.
9. The students listening will write on a sheet of paper, the name of each invention they hear, and what year (approximately) it was invented.
10. After all the inventions have been listed, and the dates they were invented mentioned by each team, your team will make a list if inventions in chronological order, from oldest to most modern. (chronological order means: organized by dates….)
11. EXAMPLE: If the WHEEL is one of the inventions listed, it would be the FIRST on the list because it was invented by the cavemen thousands of years ago….before other inventions. The most recent date(s) would be at the end of your team’s list.
12. Another day, you can discuss this in your English class

 

FACT OF THE DAY

What is the word for a baby kangaroo?

• A joey

______________________________

 

by Elaine Gallagher

Hello Teachers. Here are 3 activities involving art / music and academic content. You can choose any of them to use with your students. None of these are in the UNO books. They are supplemental activities to support your work! In other  issues of UNONEWS, I’ll offer you more activities to stimulate the creativity of your students.

 

ACTIVITY 1

TITLE: «Farming and Ranching»

MATERIALS NEEDED: (per team)

• plastic modeling clay
• small models of trees, animals, plants

TO STUDENTS:  (This is a project for several days.) Have you ever been to a ranch?  What did you do?  What did you see? Have you ever been to a farm?  What did you do?  What did you see? What is the BIGGEST difference between a ranch and a farm? Is it size?   NO!

A ranch is usually dedicated to animals such as cattle, used for meat products, and horses, used for racing or ranching.

A farm is usually dedicated to production of plants and food products, such as cows (milk, butter, and cheese), chickens, pigs, corn, and other farm products.

1. In today’s project you will meet with your team to brainstorm ideas about what you want to demonstrate or model: a farm or a ranch?
2. Once you decide, begin to organize responsibilities. Make a pencil drawing of how you want your ranch or farm to appear. Who will bring what objects?
3. The final day of the project is to put together your artwork (a ranch or a farm) on a table or other place that your teacher designates.
4. When all the material has been organized, each team will have one speaker who tells the class what and why the team chose to create.
5. A second speaker will then tell the class some interesting information about the functions of what the team made: a ranch or a farm.

You will end up with a great 3-dimensional project that others can see.  Maybe you can invite Kindergarten children to see the projects.

 

FACT OF THE DAY

What is an «endangered species»?

• It is an animal or plant that is almost extinct.  Once it is extinct, we can never bring them back. One of our closes relative, the great apes, are close to extinction. For example, 50 years ago there were 5 million chimpanzees (5,000,000) living in the wild in Africa.
• Now, there are fewer than 150,000.

========================================================

ACTIVITY 2

TITLE: «Comparing Ecosystems»

MATERIALS NEEDED:

• Internet access
• large paper or posters
• colored markers or paints
• various colored paper to cut-out forms
• scissors and glue

TO STUDENTS: Have you ever heard the word ecosystem before…? on television or in a class? Do you get an image in your brain when you hear the word ecosystem? Let us look at the word ecosystem.

ECO is short for ecology, the study of living things, their habitats, and their relationship to each other.

SYSTEM: is a way of organizing things or an explanation of how things are organized.

Your teacher will explain the idea of ecology and you will have a class discussion.

1. Then, your team (of 3 or 4 persons) will make a mural ( a drawing of many things  of the same theme, on a long wall or rolls of paper) or a drawing showing a specific ecosystem, such as a forest, a desert, coastal (ocean shore) area, etc. You will include drawings of the animals, their homes, the vegetation and water in the area, the topography of the area, etc. Topography means the type of land, such as flat, mountains, etc.
2. You may use real things for your mural, such as twigs (small sticks of wood), grass, leaves, etc.  You can cut out pictures of animals, flowers, plants; you can draw and paint pictures. Put in drawings of the sun, or rain, or a rainbow, types of insects, and birds, etc.
3. BE CREATIVE!  Your murals can be hung on the walls of your classroom, or, perhaps. In the hallways of your school.
4. Remember: as a REAL artist, make sure that you all sign your names in the lower right-hand corner of the mural, with the date.

 

FACT OF THE DAY

Who was a very famous artist, famous for the colorful murals that he painted in the 19^th and 20^th Centuries?

• There are more than one, but a world-famous example is DIEGO RIVERA, from Mexico, who lived between 1886 and 1957.

==============================================================

ACTIVITY 3

TITLE: «Songs of Mother and Grandmother»

MATERIALS NEEDED:

• paper
• pencils
• glitter (gold, silver sparkles)
• glue

TO STUDENTS: When you were little, 4 or 5 years old, did your mother sing songs to you?  Did your grandmother, or an aunt sing songs to you? Little by little, when they repeated the song, you learned it easily, just because they repeated it over and over again. Think about a song you learned as a child.  If Spanish is your first language, you learned your first songs in Spanish, the same way that native English speakers learn their first songs in English. As you try to remember the words of the songs you had learned as a young child, hum the tune, because that may help you to remember the words.

Now, you will use same technique to remember songs that you are learning in English.  Play a CD with songs; then sing with your teacher and with your friends. Repetition, over and over, will help you remember the words and melody. Your teacher will present some OLD songs, songs that maybe a grandmother taught to your teacher. Listen, repeat, and sing.  Your English will improve and you will have more music entering your mind.

Internet has many songs, old ones from your mother’s or father’s or grandmother’s time. Your teacher will select a few to teach you.  Sing them often, not only today, so you can remember them to teach to your children.

HERE ARE SOME WORDS TO SONGS. YOU CAN FIND THE MELODIES ON INTERNET:

This song is almost 100 years old.

«BICYCLE BUILT FOR TWO»       

Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer, do. 

I’m half crazy, all for the love of you.

It won’t be a stylish marriage.

I can’t afford a carriage;

But you’ll look sweet, upon the seat

Of a bicycle built for two.

 

You can act this out. You can find a photo of a bicycle for two people, with two seats. When were they in wide use? Have you ever ridden one?

Here is another old song, more than 50 years old.

It can be sung as a «round». Remember, a «round» is when a song is sung by two or 3 groups of people, each one beginning at a different point of the song.

 

«MAKE NEW FRIENDS»

Make new friends,

But keep the old;

One is silver,

And the other gold.

 

NOW:  Illustrate the song.

Draw a picture of two friends.  Put a thin, smooth layer of glue around or an each one. On one friend, put gold glitter in a thin layer. Repeat with the second friend’s drawing, using silver.  Label your picture, «Make New Friends».

 

FACT OF THE DAY

How long is the Suez canal in Egypt?

• It is 100 miles (160 km) long.
• Find it on a map.

______________________________________

 

by Elaine Gallagher                   

Fundamental people and programs you need to know about IF you want to be a «professional educator.»

Know about , and be able to discuss, the research and results from these essential thinkers:

 

Benjamin Bloom on higher-order thinking skills & problem solving

Tony Buzan on mental mapping and graphic organizers

Jack Canfield on self-esteem

Lee Canter on assertive discipline

CLIL Content and Language Integrated Learning: David Marsh, et al

Virginia Collier on second language acquisition

Barbara Coloroso on discipline

Art Costa on higher-order thinking skills

Common European Framework: International language standards

Jim Cummins on second language acquisition

Carolyn Evertson on classroom management

Thomas Guskey on evaluation

Madeline Hunter on effective teaching practices

David and Roger Johnson & S. Kagan: cooperative learning

Stephen Krashen on second language acquisition

Robert Marzano on effective school practices

Abraham Maslow on self esteem and reaching one’s potential

Maria Montessori  special needs students & preschool

Jean Piaget research on the four stages of child development

Carl Rogers on humanistic psychology and education

Mike Schmoker on school reform and improvement

Lev Vygotsky’s  research on Social Development Theory

Grant Wiggins: learning by design, the BIG & the essential questions

Harry Wong on classroom management & teaching techniques

OTHERS: Add additional people / programs as you hear about them.

Stay current to be a real professional.

______________________