Delivering quality professional development & resources for teachers
Schools often struggle with how to teach students to be accountable for their actions and to take responsibility when they have acted inappropriately. Howard Zehr, the restorative justice pioneer, coined the three “restorative questions” that guide restorative practices.
For teachers and schools to be able to do the best job possible with students, partnering with parents and caregivers is ideal. You are the parents, the first educators of their children. As such, you often hold the key to many issues that may arise for your child at school. In addition, when you and your child’s school are singing from the same hymn book, your child will achieve greater results socially, emotionally and academically. Here are 5 ways you can help your child be more successful at school:
If I told you there was a research-based, well proven strategy that was low cost, took little time and energy to implement that would greatly improve student concentration, focus and achievement, would you do it? The answer seems pretty obvious, yet the approach may be controversial and challenge your long held beliefs and attitudes.
How many times have you taken that tub of books or assignments from the classroom to the car, into the house, back to the car, back to the classroom and still not completed the marking? In your search for a balance between home and work, improved marking strategies could give you more flexibility and time… time that could be better spent doing other things!
Have you ever taught a student who just didn’t seem to care about achieving at school? They don’t seem to care about their work, they may or may not be disruptive, but their lack of achievement and drive is understandably disturbing for a teacher. The student may even be quite capable but they do not seem to have any motivation. These students can be the most challenging because their lack of interest may push our buttons, particularly if they are apathetic about our subject or class!!
Whole class reward systems have many positive benefits for you and your students. Motivating your students is the key to making them enjoy their learning experience.A major part of motivation is positive reinforcement, one of the oldest tricks in the book used to encourage certain types of behaviour.
Parents are the first educators of their children and as such are your valuable allies in the quest to develop their child into a lifelong learner. Parents hold the information that can make your life as a teacher much easier, they can hold the key to unlocking student potential and tips that get students to cooperate.
Having a positive classroom culture is one of the most important elements of a successful learning environment and thus teachers should actively work towards creating a classroom culture that encourages participation and student success.
While there is no quick fix for the difficulties schools face with the behaviour of some students, many of the issues can be mitigated by having a positive whole school behaviour management approach. Schools that work well with students with challenging behaviour, usually work well with all students. It is about putting most of our efforts into positive, proactive strategies and having a solid foundation.