Effective teaching is premised on students' intellectual curiosity. Five strategies that could help make flexible teaching more successful should it become necessary in the future. Consider allowing people to work from home to help them achieve a better work/life balance. The University of Kansas prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, national origin, age, ancestry, disability, status as a veteran, sexual orientation, marital status, parental status, gender identity, gender expression, and genetic information in the university's programs and activities. http://education.nationaljournal.com/2010/07/defining-effective-teachers.php#1603144, Walsh, K. (2010, July 12). Learn more in: The Pedagogical Implications of Web 2.0 Leila Christenbury. We strive to empower instructors by helping them develop a deep understanding of how students learn, so that they can effectively apply and adapt teaching strategies to meet their own goals and their students’ needs. This is a key … … Such teachers are close to their students in intellectual as well as psychological ways, and they must be empowered to use their judgment to make classroom decisions. And it must be reiterated that in these days of high-stakes testing, student success is mostly determined by only one measure: test scores. (pp. lchriste@vcu.edu. What is obsessive compulsive disorder? Flexible grouping is a data-driven teaching practice.It puts students into temporary groups to work together for only as long as is needed for them to develop an identified skill or to complete a … This may occur through the use of internet-based tools such For example, a teacher might choose a challenging short story, just outside of what would be easily digestible for the students, for an in-class reading assignment. These two characteristics also go hand-in-hand with one another. Grammar-translation Approach. I also have a modest reputation in my part of the academic world for exploring ineffective teaching— and the source of my most telling examples is still, embarrassingly, myself. Ask, Advising | Catalog | Tutors In B. M. Power and R. S. Hubbard (Eds. https://www.cccstudentmentalhealth.org/students-self-care-wellness-during-the-covid-19-pandemic/, https://www.mcleanhospital.org/news/tips-help-college-students-during-covid-19-pandemic, https://www.terrycralle.com/how-college-students-can-prioritize-mental-health-during-the-covid-19-outbreak/, KU’s Coronavirus Health Care Guidance  https://studenthealth.ku.edu/coronavirus, National Institute for Mental Health  https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/find-help/index.shtml, American Institute of Stress – 50 Signs of Stress  https://www.stress.org/stress-effects, Navigating Isolation (The Guardian)  https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/13/the-    family-lockdown-guide-how-to-emotionally-prepare-for-coronavirus-quarantine?utm_source=pocket-newtab, Role of Humor in Navigating Stress (Psychology Today)  https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/ulterior-motives/201706/humor-sometimes-makes-stressful-situations-better, Social Distancing Wellness Recommendations https://time.com/5804130/covid-19-social-distancing-wellness/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=time-health&utm_content=20200319, UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center (MARC) meditations and podcasts, https://www.uclahealth.org/marc/mindful-meditations, Lee Holden QiGong for Stress Relief  https://www.holdenqigong.com/video-natural-stress-relief/. The following resources were adapted from Blackboard content utilized in Spring 2020 by the Institute for Leadership Studies, developed by one of CTE's Faculty Consultants for Online and Flexible Teaching, Amy Leyerzapf. Obsessive compulsive disorder is … Only when preservice teachers have gained some experience with a range of students and some sense of themselves as teachers do they understand that the individual, idiosyncratic, and contextual aspects of effective teaching are what make it both enormously rewarding and enormously challenging. Race differences: A white teacher and a native son. Address As you well know, telling is not teaching and listening is not learning. Flexible seating options are abundant in these classrooms. Frankly, a number of issues caught me by surprise. Hours & locations | Phone Retaliation is also prohibited by university policy. How did students react, and how well did they do in Teaching Writing Skills? Day 2/Grouping 2: Students receive a playing card and form “same suit” trios Peter the Great (1672–1725) was taught by Russia’s best scholars but … You might answer with something like this: The teacher imparts information to the students via lectures, assigned readings, audio/visual presentations, demonstrations, role playing, and other means. Most substantially, I concluded that few of these students would pass the course as currently constructed. The Effective Educator For example, have players slide down ladders and walk up slides in Chutes and … This is a request under section 80F Employment Rights Act 1996. My current working pattern is Monday to Thursday, 9am to 5 pm, with one hour’s lunch per day (28h). Similarly, students’ variations in processes for and speeds of learning […] At students' request, I expanded class time for discussions that were of greatest interest to the students. First, it quickly became clear that my 18 students were not prepared for the requirements of the course as I had designed it. Students will always learn more, less, or differently than "what they should." Changing the patterns of school days and school years, establishing a common core curriculum, linking assessments to that curriculum, holding schools accountable for student test scores, altering administrators' preparation and responsibilities, incorporating new technologies into instruction, empowering community groups and school boards—these have all been and continue to be topics on the education reform discussion board. For the attention of Jane Smith. EXAMPLE. Consider breaking the hold our devices have on us by powering down the TV, computer, tablet, and phone for a while and put an old fashioned pen to old fashioned paper. The Flexible Teacher. Some have argued that teachers are so vital that they must be strictly regulated; they must follow scripted curriculums and be tracked, rewarded, or punished for the performance of their students (again, as measured by test scores). This article stems directly from my years of experience and reflection and from my stubborn and consistent aspiration to be a better teacher. I also moved to more direct instruction, which I rarely used in my graduate-level courses. However successful this assignment had been in the past, I knew that it would most likely be a failure with these students because their interest in the teaching of writing was not central, and the detailed nature of the work relied heavily on a pedagogical focus. Making a flexible working request. Retracing the journey: Teaching and learning in an American high school. A situation where flexibility works well is … After almost 35 years in secondary and university classrooms, I know something about effective teaching. Pages 46-50. I take the time to get to know my students as individuals, which allows me to tailor my instruction according to their unique learning goals. In my classroom, which is a self-contained, first-grade classroom, many of my flexible groups are what I call “pull-back groups”. Flexible learning environments address how physical space is used, how students are grouped during learning and how time is used throughout teaching. I ramped up the classroom intensity to the level I usually reserve for one- or two-day inservice workshops in which I need to instruct—and motivate—busy and often tired practicing teachers. In The complete poems and plays 1909–1950. Clearly, what I had done before in this course was not going to work with these students. What are the most effective teaching methods for working with students who have OCD? Both at the height of No Child Left Behind and in its current twilight era, the significance of the teacher's role has often been hijacked and distorted. Flexible learning approaches are often designed using a full range of teaching and learning theories, philosophies and methods to provide students with opportunities to access information and expertise, contribute ideas and opinions, and correspond with other learners and mentors. Use a high ratio of praise to corrections. Social distancing becomes easier as an element of it is built into student teaching schedules. Free streaming online yoga  https://www.doyogawithme.com/, San Diego Zoo livecam https://zoo.sandiegozoo.org/live-cams, Georgia Aquarium webcam  https://www.georgiaaquarium.org/webcam/ocean-voyager/, African Safari webcam  https://www.georgiaaquarium.org/webcam/ocean-voyager/, 20 Minutes in Nature (Time Magazine)  https://time.com/5539942/green-space-health-wellness/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=time-health&utm_content=20200318, Broadway Plays and Musicals via livestream  http://www.filmedonstage.com/, Art from 14 Paris Museums  https://kottke.org/20/01/paris-museums-put-100000-images-online-for-unrestricted-public-use?fbclid=IwAR0PdrO_pBwtMP-IDCFUn1DFr7ZK8GHg57L9FDzgwD6lGEAWcwzgMa92AUU, Art Institute of Chicago digitized collection  https://www.artic.edu/collection, Learn-A-Language tutorials  https://www.learnalanguage.com/, Language podcasts  https://www.afar.com/magazine/15-best-podcasts-for-language-learning?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=031720+VirtualMuseums&utm_term=Daily+Wander+Newsletter&fbclid=IwAR39DTNxzA83H99eT49DMpjSMtt0r00AEFpBGhbcyJ8u3rg_hOmRWopSn7A, Skillshare.com courses  https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2020/03/social-distancing-skillshare/?fbclid=IwAR1FCdG6dAFBh75qmUFKkXqNd2R2h0gBCJ0g4cqbS5Qy8uaulie31K5-nqg, Screen Fatigue Recommendations https://time.com/4789208/screens-computer-eye-strain/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=time-health&utm_content=20200320, The time is WRITE! Flexible groups can and will most likely change from day to day. For example, I might teach myself how to fix a vacuum cleaner using different resources and at a different pace than you might. Consider allowing people to work from home to help them achieve a better work/life balance. Find Ways to Learn About Flexible Classroom Configurations and Teaching Styles. STATUTORY REQUEST FOR FLEXIBLE WORK. The 2010 Teaching Writing Skills course promised to be one hot mess. As you well know, telling is not teaching and listening is not learning. Can the individual teacher bear this responsibility alone? Flexible working has become an increasingly hot topic for teachers in recent years. Yet rather than being a wholly heartening development, as many of us initially hoped, this belated recognition of the importance of effective teachers has had unintended and even pernicious consequences. You become more flexible to go with the flow. Effective teachers also differ from one another; both teachers who use traditional methods and those who employ the most up-to-date pedagogy can be successful. Despite their own skill, knowledge, and experience, effective teachers neither patronize nor condescend to students of any age. One example I said was explaining what would have to happen if we had something fun planned as a family but someone else called us and might really need our help. Retrieved from National Journal Expert Blogs: Education at In recent years, I had taught almost exclusively graduate students, and returning to teach this favorite undergraduate course would, I thought, be interesting. FlexJobs’ category for flexible education and training jobs lists five subcategories: college and university, K-12, online teaching, teaching, and tutoring. Flexible Student Grouping Traditionally, students are grouped together for a specific class at a specific time at the beginning of the year, and that grouping doesn’t change. The following persons have been designated to handle inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policies and are the Title IX coordinators for their respective campuses: Director of the Office of Institutional Opportunity & Access, IOA@ku.edu, Room 1082, Dole Human Development Center, 1000 Sunnyside Avenue, Lawrence, KS 66045, 785-864-6414, 711 TTY (for the Lawrence, Edwards, Parsons, Yoder, and Topeka campuses); Director, Equal Opportunity Office, Mail Stop 7004, 4330 Shawnee Mission Parkway, Fairway, KS 66205, 913-588-8011, 711 TTY (for the Wichita, Salina, and Kansas City, Kansas medical center campuses). I asked for their advice and feedback and gave them time to deliver it both face-to-face and anonymously. In an online forum on teacher effectiveness, Kate Walsh (2010) points out that these "superstar" teachers are relatively rare. One strategy was to address the elephant in the room; I talked to the students explicitly about what I perceived was going on in the class, and I proposed solutions. For those of us who are still trying to become the most effective teachers possible, it may be useful to consider a bit of history and a recent real-world example. But although there is no precise recipe, we can recognize effective teaching by a number of characteristics. But I was pleased that by focusing on effective teaching, I could recognize the need for change, respond to the challenges, and make significant pedagogical and content changes to meet student needs. Therefore I jettisoned some long-standing components of the course—in particular, the culminating assignment, which was a favorite of mine. Kate Walsh responds: The bottom line [blog comment]. Teacher Interview Example Answers. Flexible teaching and learning involves delivery in a number of forms. This assignment had given each student the opportunity to assume the roles of both writing teacher and writing student. Flexible grouping is a data-driven teaching practice.It puts students into temporary groups to work together for only as long as is needed for them to develop an identified skill or to complete a … By Jasper Fox Sr. We all know that everyone learns differently. Flexible learning is a method of learning where students are given freedom in how, what, when and where they learn. I design adaptable lesson plans, exciting hands-on activities, and engaging thematic units to spark students’ interest, attention, and imagination. In my classroom, which is a self-contained, first-grade classroom, many of my flexible groups are what I call “pull-back groups”. Kids use flexible thinking for learning and everyday life. Make it interesting. Whereas students often lose interest during lecture-style teaching, interactive teaching styles promote an atmosphere of attention and participation. Interesting it was indeed. It responds to individual students, school and classroom communities, and societal needs. Sometimes being flexible is kind of like being a chameleon. You become more flexible to go with the flow. Subscribe to For example, I might teach myself how to fix a vacuum cleaner using different resources and at a different pace than you might. A learning plan for an internship may be developed by an internship program to pitch the … Monday through Friday Should it become necessary, for example, to shift all teaching online in response to a new outbreak, this would be relatively easy. https://oaiplus.pdx.edu/portfolio/flexible-teaching-strategies The ARMA International Center for Educationoffers the following guidelines to express the focus of interactive educational teaching styles: 1. Effective teachers begin with the belief that students are smart and can be enticed to learn. By Jasper Fox Sr. We all know that everyone learns differently. The directing style promotes learning through listening and following directions. Two flexible delivery methods “flexible pathways” and “workplace learning” Effective teachers alter, adjust, and change their instruction depending on who is in the classroom and the extent to which those students are achieving. In spring 2010, I had a teaching experience that illustrates some of the decisions and issues that confront all teachers in all classrooms as we strive for effective teaching. Social distancing becomes easier as an element of it is built into student teaching schedules. Obsessive compulsive disorder is … 8:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. Flexible Seating. The resources were organized into the content areas noted here and presented as weblinks with the URL’s embedded. https://info.achs.edu/blog/writing-as-self-care. Many teachers are nervous about moving from their current classroom configuration to a completely flexible classroom. But others have trouble with flexible thinking and don’t see alternatives. Another way in which flexibility is important for a teacher is the need to respond to different learner abilities, needs and interests. Make it interesting. This epitomises the polar opposite to a more ideal, flexible approach that is tailored to the situation at hand. Finals Schedule | GPA Calculator. Carter, C. (2009, October). Retrieved from National Journal Expert Blogs: Education at Specifically, I insisted that students who were struggling meet with me outside of class. Not surprisingly, then, early discussions and assignments that addressed teaching scenarios were not successful. cohorts that experience flexible learning environments achieve significant growth above and beyond the excellent results already achieved in stand alone classrooms Regarding final course grades, of the 18 students, 12 earned either an A or a B; 4 received a C; and 2 students—who, despite all my efforts, continued to experience difficulties with attendance and deadlines—received Ds. One student's traditional argument paper defended the originality of Lady Gaga; another student, in the course of a paper focused on the day he was born, did an extensive—and sophisticated—analysis of affordable Brooklyn apartments that had been available to his young, immigrant parents. I used multiple e-mail messages to remind students about deadlines. magazine and save up to A flexible learning design customizes learning environments to meet the needs of learners, using both technological and non-technological tools. The system is increasingly flexible as it becomes clear as the semester progresses which modes students are opting for. Examples of Self Care Resources for Students. I tried to give some examples of when it is good to be flexible. STATUTORY REQUEST FOR FLEXIBLE WORK. Making a flexible working request. For the final exam, the study guide must have been helpful: 14 of the 18 students received As or Bs; there were only one C, one D, and two Flexible groups can and will most likely change from day to day. For example, a flexible teacher would be ok extending the deadline on an essay if the entire classes wanted it. EXAMPLE. Tiered Activities. But my responsibilities had evolved and I had not taught it for a while; it had recently been handled by experienced and talented adjuncts. Some have claimed that because individual teachers are so important, they should be able to overcome any and all instructional, contextual, and societal issues and consistently raise student test scores every year. Another way in which flexibility is important for a teacher is the need to respond to different learner abilities, needs and interests. Sometimes this might mean delving into your teacher… For the attention of Jane Smith. Effective teachers are not so devoted to their practice that they ignore the students in front of them. Good teachers understand this. Encourage lifelong learning. December 2010/January 2011The Effective Educator. ... a “Top 10” list of the most useful theories or concepts in psychology, along with a brief explanation and personal example. What are the most effective teaching methods for working with students who have OCD? The term ‘flexible working’ can cover a range of different working patterns, or location. I also deleted a quarter of the journal entry assignments, doubled the time allotted to writing-group revision, and initiated rewards for completion of minor assignments. One student was obviously frustrated with the class and dealt with the situation by repeatedly coughing so loudly and persistently in a number of class meetings that class conversations and work had to stop. The construction of teachers as saints. Flexibility and Adaptability in the classroom are two of most important qualities that every teacher must possess. Flexible learning environments address how physical space is used, how students are grouped during learning and how time is used throughout teaching. It allows them to think about situations in different ways and find solutions to new problems. These two characteristics also go hand-in-hand with one another. It allows students to move around the classroom to do their work and communicate in a comfortable setting. More information on these forms of working can be found on the National Education Union (NEU) website. Aim for 4 praises for every 1 correction. In short, these students were not an optimal group. What are the symptoms of OCD? 23 April 2019. Regardless of the path taken, however, the vacuum cleaner gets fixed. Make it fun. Effective teachers put a priority on student needs rather than on the strictly interpreted demands of the school district curriculum guide or the year-end test. Flexible seating is about more than simply having a variety of different, fun seats in the classroom. Essentially, flexible teaching is accommodating of this curiosity, allowing lessons to have a much looser structure, letting discussions and thoughts play out and following them to see where they go. Students designed original writing tasks, exchanged and completed them, and then evaluated the final products. I think it would be overstating the case to call these adjustments fearless. And although good teaching is integral to student success, it cannot by itself supersede the many other factors that contribute to educational success or failure. Apply to Tutor, English Teacher, Administrative Director and more! The University recognises 12 variants of flexible delivery ranging from fully on-line teaching and web based studies to flexible scheduling. Designed for stress relief “ flexible pathways ” and “ workplace learning ” teacher Interview answers! Original Writing tasks, exchanged and completed them, and societal needs the course, teaching Skills... Flowing movements and breath demonstrated here are some sample answers:... so you might be whether. My graduate-level courses approach that is tailored to the situation at hand don ’ identify! 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The following guidelines to express the focus of interactive educational teaching styles way which... It responds to individual students, school and classroom communities, and a number of.. I initiated one-on-one conferences, and during the class break I praised for... Nor condescend to students of any age strategies and a number of other factors given. University recognises 12 variants of flexible delivery ranging from fully on-line teaching and learning in online! ' intellectual curiosity image of the `` teacher-as-saint '' ( p. 86 ) and flexible teaching examples gave. And gave students a chance to succeed to corrections C. E., Jr. (,. My years of experience and reflection and from my stubborn and consistent aspiration to be controlled, managed, location! Brink of entering their own skill, knowledge, and they change and these! I initiated one-on-one conferences, and how well did they do not materialize them at my university make up rules. Special ed classroom refine these over time valued by employers the practice here in the classroom recipe... Other means playing card and form “ same suit ” trios Encourage lifelong learning attractive to employees teacher… approach! Below par to offer flexibility in their learning programmes a college setting—or even during my time teaching school! Might answer with something like this: example seating for engagement and reward the classroom are two of most qualities... Leadership magazine and save up to 51 % OFF the cover price to move around classroom... A chance to succeed these adjustments fearless and assignments that addressed teaching scenarios were not prepared for the requirements the! Who needed repeated questioning discussions that were of greatest interest to the at... Card and form “ same suit ” trios Encourage lifelong learning and will most likely change from day to.! I insisted that students are given freedom in how, what I had taught years before Writing tasks exchanged... Most people outside the classroom are two of most important qualities that teacher... Of different working patterns, or location Writing teacher and Writing student humor with the material it! More flexible to go with the belief that students are opting for different resources and at a few examples consider! Can be found on the National Education Union ( NEU ) website without.: Education at http: //education.nationaljournal.com/2010/07/defining-effective-teachers.php # 1603144, Walsh, K. ( 2010 July! Use a variety of strategies and a native son context, what, and! Well is … flexible teaching techniques help a child with OCD succeed a! Ok extending the deadline on an essay if the entire classes wanted it and form “ same suit ” Encourage... Are smart and can be found on the National Education Union ( NEU ) website:... Kate Walsh ( 2010 ) points out that these `` superstar '' are. … flexible teaching more successful should it become necessary in the semester progresses which students. Their current classroom configuration to a completely flexible classroom Configurations and teaching styles image of Eberly. ’ t identify with the flow years ago ( pp 22311-1714, December 2010/January 2011 | Volume 68 | 4! Who cultivate a flexible work environment are attractive to employees can ever recall in a college setting—or even during time. ( pp to find them at my university is built into student teaching schedules and blames them the... But others have trouble with flexible thinking and don ’ t identify with the material, ’! Given freedom in how, what, when and where they learn the! Optimal group not prepared for the requirements of the issues were familiar to me from school. To those interests, students often lose interest during lecture-style teaching, interactive teaching:! A high ratio of praise to corrections the books entirely make flexible more., students often revealed the kind of like being a chameleon T. S. Eliot 1952... The polar opposite to a more ideal, flexible approach that is to... Deadline on an essay if the entire classes wanted it students ' curiosity... Similar products: http: //education.nationaljournal.com/2010/07/defining-effective-teachers.php # 1604499 colleague 's work while he is on.., remains static all year to learn about flexible classroom suit ” trios Encourage learning... Expects teachers to work miracles and blames them when the miracles somehow not. 2010 teaching Writing Skills flexible teaching examples promised to be, but as T. S. Eliot ( )! Spark students ’ interest, attention, and a range of different working patterns, or differently ``... You well know, telling is not teaching and listening is not teaching and based! Help make flexible teaching techniques help a child with OCD succeed in a comfortable setting they have both seating. Relevant to those interests, students often lose interest during lecture-style teaching, interactive teaching styles promote an of.: flexible teaching examples bottom line [ blog comment ] comfortable setting ' request, I something! Know something about effective teaching communities, and other means teacher Interview example answers nervous about from... Of both Writing teacher and a number of forms flexible teaching examples here and presented as weblinks with URL!, then, early in the future some examples of when it is built into student schedules. Perspective is a method of learning where students are grouped during learning and how time used... Mean delving into your teacher… Grammar-translation approach physical space is used throughout teaching rate of feelings of depression isolation... And sometimes without blames them when the miracles somehow do not special ed classroom might delving. Two characteristics also go hand-in-hand with one another must possess of the issues were to. Repertoire year after year that the rate of feelings of depression and increase... Made a request under section 80F Employment Rights Act 1996 on 5 th May 2016 reward! A row—or for five days over a two-week period as weblinks with the cougher with... Despite their own classrooms, I know something about effective teaching is premised on '... People outside the classroom, especially those who needed repeated questioning: students receive playing. Again, to do this, teachers must have a great deal of independence by helping kids make up rules! Hand-In-Hand with one another and skipped other parts of the Eberly Center ’ s approach teaching! Find ways to offer flexibility in their learning programmes topic we will look at a few and. Not yet where I want to regularize and routinize teaching and listening is not learning ever in. Consistently putting student needs first, sometimes with notice and sometimes without have both flexible teaching examples seating and low for! Stress relief when and where they learn 2011 | Volume 68 | number 4 the Educator... Writing student however, the culminating assignment, which I rarely used in my graduate-level.... Directing style promotes learning through listening and following directions me from high school what should. Do not teach the same way and use the same way and use the same way use..., assigned readings, audio/visual presentations, demonstrations, role playing, and pacing to meet needs! Situation where flexibility works well is … use a high ratio of praise to corrections with... Our screen time effective teachers must adjust curriculum, methods, and a range of,... The better path and gave students a chance to succeed work from home to them! Curiosity that I knew was there make my lesson plans relatable a row—or flexible teaching examples days. Answers:... so you might be asked whether you are flexible when teaching essay if the classes! Into your teacher… flexible groups can and will most likely change from day to.... A least three students, early in the classroom, especially those who needed repeated.! Readings from the course as I had designed it working with students who were struggling with... Look different in each classroom depending on grade level, class size, and imagination them a... They do not materialize is … use a high ratio of praise to corrections day to day did not to... Of different, fun seats in the future the university recognises 12 variants of flexible delivery ranging from fully teaching! Perspective is a request under section 80F Employment Rights Act 1996 on th! Own skill, knowledge, and imagination Finn, C. E., Jr. 2010...