Archive for the ‘General’ Category

Teaching is an art, a skill and a challenge that can sometimes be more difficult than aiming in archery. In this article we discuss on the various benefits of teaching English in a foreign country.
A lot of teachers prefer working abroad for different reasons. Some common reasons behind teaching abroad are learning the new culture and the language, gaining professional success, earning and a lot of other opportunities as well. Many teachers who prefer to go abroad are English teachers as the language (English) commands a very high respect demand all over the world. In countries where English education is compulsory, one expects teachers to have advanced degrees and to be a native English speaker.
The Political Effect on the language
A lot of non-English-speaking countries…
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Many musicians fall into the incorrect assumption that the only way to make money in music is to be a famous performing artist. There are many other lucrative careers which can be pursued in the music industry. These should not be taken for granted.
- Music Production
Music producers are responsible for coordinating all elements in a recording session. They listen to the musicians and point out any mistakes that need correcting. Music producers also work with the recording engineers and often are in charge of mixing the final product after the recording session is finished. They occasionally have to rearrange parts of songs to make the recording smoother. Since music producers are involved in a large amount of
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The principal at the middle school where I used to work emailed us a link to a great website. It doesn’t really apply to band or music education, but there are a TON of topics covered on this site. So what is it?
The Khan Academy is an organization on a mission. We’re a not-for-profit with the goal of changing education for the better by providing a free world-class education to anyone
anywhere.
All of the the site’s resources are available to anyone. It doesn’t matter if you are a student, teacher, home-schooler, principal, adult returning to the classroom after 20 years, or a friendly alien just trying to get a leg up in earthly biology. The Khan Academy’s…
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The good news: Texas is ranked #1 in the country as far as education spending goes.
The bad news: Many school districts are on the brink of cutting numerous jobs to keep their budgets in line.
* Additional bad news: Texas is #50 as far as Medicaid spending goes.
The worse news: Not all of you are fortunate enough to live in Texas.
I see news articles posted on Facebook every week about the impending job cuts that are in the plans for next year in the Dallas and San Antonio areas. I’m sure this is a pretty universal thing this year. I know the budget shortfalls have been a big problem in recent years, but I guess I…
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Back in January, NPR’s Planet Money podcast ran an episode entitled How Much Is A Good Teacher Worth? On the episode, they argue that the difference between the best teachers and the worst teachers is huge in terms of earning potential of the students over the course of their careers.
While some of the findings may be questionable as far as correlating grades and test scores with future success, as a general rule, I think the concepts do hold true and definitely worth a listen.
On today’s podcast, we consider a plan to dramatically grow the U.S. economy. The plan has nothing to do with banks, stimulus, tax cuts or the Federal Reserve. Instead, the plan focuses entirely on —…
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This guest post is by Jennifer Wilson, who is in her second year as a 2nd grade teacher. She blogs sporadically at her blog Annecdotes.
My mom went back to school full-time when I started college, and we both graduated last year with degrees in Elementary Education.
Despite having 5 years of experience as a special needs paraprofessional and a teaching degree with a high GPA, my mom was stuck substitute teaching last fall. She then switched to a paraprofessional position before finally getting a maternity leave spot. Unfortunately, she’ll be on the job hunt again for this fall.
Meanwhile, I found a teaching position as an Interventionist. I was still compensated as a teacher, but I helped to run a…
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Courtney Bishop is a lover of all things creative. She likes to write, and has an obsession with crossword puzzles. She’s recently started blogging, and you can follow her on Twitter @cbishopBG.
Kids and Parents are Both Human
The first thing that many people forget in regards to children is that they are miniature but complete human beings. They read people very well and are particularly keen when they know that something is being intentionally kept from them. In sensing both intuitively and by astutely observing the behavioral cues from the adults around them that something is awry, they are likely to feel a lack of control and a resulting sense of fear when the issue is continually kept from them. It is…
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On this post, Karen comments:
I need help. I’ve been teaching in NYC alternative high school for 9 years. I can’t get my act together. I can’t plan lessons, it just seems like such torture. my mentor(thank you UFT) keeps telling me to keep the objective in mind…well, I can’t seem to do it, am I in the Dip or am i just a dip? I don’t know where I would go if I didnt teach, but how can I get 20 lesson plans written each sunday? I can’t keep it straight, any suggestions?
Before I respond, I think you are in the Dip and need to press in a little bit further. You’ve made it through the tough part….
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I have had countless discussions lately with some of the newer teachers around me about some general concepts. This is just a random list of a few of the suggestions I have passed along to some of them that might be helpful to you or someone you know in some way. And it comes you way free of charge.
- Choose your battles
- Bite your tongue
- When someone offers you unsolicited advice, give them the impression that you are listening
- When someone offers you unsolicited advice, listen to them and apply the advice as quickly as possible
- Most unsolicited teaching advice is given because of a perceived urgent deficiency in your teaching
- When talking with students about negative behaviors, don’t
…
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Courtney Bishop is a lover of all things creative. She likes to write, and has an obsession with crossword puzzles. She’s recently started blogging, and you can follow her on Twitter @cbishopBG.
There are many indisputable opinions from people who feel that great teachers are born, not made. Teaching is certainly something that most anyone can do; but teaching effectively and creating a thirst for knowledge in students is undoubtedly a gift that few people possess.
Early childhood education is a breeding ground for sparking enthusiasm and creativity in the minds of youngsters. The teacher is likely the one who initially exposes the child to new concepts and makes ideas clearer and brighter to their young minds. This is…
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So this week that just passed was my first week of the new school year. It was pretty much amazing. I have a new completely positive approach. I am a brand new Joel this year. There are two things that are paramount in my mind as I stand in front of the class every day. I want the band to have:
- A culture of encouragement
- An expectation of excellence
If I can model those two things, I am convinced that I can ensure the rest of the students follow suit. We don’t criticize other students, we encourage them. We don’t laugh at mistakes, we learn from them. We don’t point out problems, we provide possible solutions. As I’ve…
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This totally has nothing to do with teaching, but it’s an interesting question. If you had one super power, what would it be? How would you use it?
If you’re wondering where this question comes from, I was listening to the latest podcast of This American Life about Superpowers and it struck me as something interesting. I thought I’d see what my readers thought. Plus it’s a nice change of pace from the beginning of school and inservices and all of that stuff.
Go check out more about the podcast here.
So again I ask; if you had one super power, what would it be? How would you use it? Discuss in the comments…
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Carol Brooke, M.S., M.Ed. has worked as a K-2nd grade teacher and middle school counselor. She is currently an editor with Teaching Resource Center, an on-line teacher store. Visit Teaching Resource Center for back-to-school teacher supplies, free classroom crafts, and teachers’ lesson plans.
School is starting in just a few days. I’ve stocked up on teacher supplies at the teacher store, organized my classroom and planned my curriculum. Well, as much as I possibly can. As I look at my lesson plan book, I stop on the first day. What should I do on the first day of school?
Good news! The fun back-to-school activities below require little preparation.
Teachers, get ready to hit print on your browser. You’ll want to make copies of the free printables.
Star…
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This is a guest post by Kelly Wilson, an editor for Teaching Resource Center. Teaching Resource Center has quality teaching materials at discount prices.
The first day of school for me traditionally starts with decaffeinated coffee. Not my first choice, but I don’t need any extra stimulation. I usually haven’t slept the night before due to anticipation and excitement, but because of the adrenaline pumping through my veins, I feel pretty jazzed up.
Over the years, I’ve learned to control my stress level by being prepared.
Fuel Up
My school starts around 7:45, and I find that I’m starving by 9:00 on the first day. All of the excitement takes a toll on our appetites. Pack a variety…
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If you’ve read much on my blog, you know that I do not have the traditional mindset of most educators. I have no problem with kids dropping out of school as long as they are doing so as a means of furthering their education. I don’t think that a college education is essential for success in the world. In fact, I know that it’s not.
I recently was watching to a TED Talk by Cameron Herold (@CameronHerold on Twitter) that challenged me and also reinforced some of my previously-held views and articulated them in a way that shed new light on them. The talk was entitled Let’s raise kids to be entrepreneurs. You should watch it. If nothing else, you…
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This morning I allowed a guest post to go up on this blog that many readers felt was inappropriate for this blog. In it, the author listed three reasons mothers should become teachers:
- You’re assured of more than two months of vacation every year
- Your schedule is perfect when it comes to looking after your kids
- The stress level associated with the job is minimum
Now, anyone who has actually been a teacher (whether a mother or not) knows these reasons are ill-conceived at best, and mostly offensive. I am reminded of two years ago when a troll called J Frap came over and posted a comment wherein he asserted that one reason people should be a teachers…
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This guest post is contributed by Anna Miller, who writes on the topic of online degrees . She welcomes your comments at her email id: anna.miller009@gmail.com
It’s a job like no other because it involves both change and routine – you follow a similar routine every day and year after year, but you also see change in the form of different students and a new class every year. It may not be the highest paying job, but teaching at a school is probably one of the best options for most people because it not only allows you to grow as an individual, it also brings you a great deal of satisfaction because you know you’re making a significant difference in…
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This Sunday is Father’s Day. It’s not too late to buy that last-minute gift if you haven’t already. I read at least four books this school year that were amazing. If your father reads and thinks, these would be ideal. :)
I read some others, but some of them were music education related, and others just wouldn’t be quite as Father’s Day specific as these, so here we go…
The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make A Big Difference by Malcolm Gladwell (Paperback available new for $9.35)
Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking By Malcolm Gladwell (Paperback available new for $9.35)
Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell (Hardcover available new for $11.72)
Outstanding!: 47 Ways to Make…
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I have a few things planned for the summer, but one thing I really would like to do is feature a series of articles by first-year teachers reflecting on their first year of teaching. If you have a blog, feel free to quote liberally from your posts throughout the year. If not, that’s okay! You can write one post or even a handful of them. I’d really like to be able to get these thoughts out there and share them with future first-year teachers.
Maybe you’ve been teaching for longer. Maybe you haven’t. Either way, you are also welcome to submit guest posts. Anything that might remotely relate to teachers is welcome. For ideas from previous guest bloggers, check out…
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Alexis Montgomery is a content writer for Online Universities, where you can browse through various online degree programs to find a college that suits your needs.
With the threat of layoffs looming and budget cuts affecting education, many teachers are on the lookout for side jobs to supplement their income or shore up their savings for an uncertain future. But with unemployment rates already high, this is a difficult undertaking, especially for someone whose schedule is limited (between preparation, running a classroom, and grading papers, you’re certainly not going to be able to work a normal schedule). So if you’re a teacher on the lookout for a little extra cash, you need something that you’ll be able to work…
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