Back to basics, back to school!

Welcome to the second term of 2018 esteemed teachers! This is year is moving at a tremendous pace and so are the seasons. Winter is coming…

With the ever-evolving change in the weather, life and education, we need to sometimes take a step back, breathe and go back to basics – especially when it comes to teaching. There are so many strategies on classroom management and teaching tips that are riding the wave on the world wide web, that we can often get lost between our own perceptions of what teaching should be and what it actually is. By going back to basics, I don’t mean the old-fashioned three R’s – reading, writing and rithmetic – it’s more about the six vital letters of B.A.S.I.C.S. and the new spin on it that we need to implement.

B – Behavioural Expectations

Yes, we are aware that we need to turn into an absolute tyrants sometimes to control the little monsters running around and making a tremendous noise in class, but the goal is not to have a class quieter than a Sunday school class, the goal is to have learners interact with the lesson, but in a controlled fashion. Nobody is going to learn or enjoy anything by listening to a recital from a textbook…

A – Active Learning

This is where the wonderful world of technology comes in. As much as learning should be a hands-on experience, it should be a minds-on experience as well. Learners need to be able to debate and be solution-driven. Technology is not there to completely fry their brain, it is a wonderful instructional tool if used correctly. There are TONS of interactive learning apps that can be implemented into your lessons.

S – Student Voice

Gone are the days of ‘children are meant to be seen and not to be heard’. Learners need to have a voice. Make sure you hear their voices in your classroom. Instead of having an authoritative approach, why not let learners share their knowledge and express themselves in assignments that are tailored to fit their personalities? Instead of dishing out a random, agonising group assignment think a bit about what would develop each learner individually. They will go forth and conquer and give you tons of joy when you need to mark!

I – Instructional Variety

Research can never be wrong and research has proven that learners need instructional variety. Don’t always teach and instruct in the same monotonous way. Each subject has so much potential to be interesting in various ways. Come up with different ideas for assignments – allow learners to either do a hard copy or digital version. Each learner has a different personality and take on things, allow them to use a method which works best for them.

C – Curriculum Connections

In our digitally-overpowered world, today’s learners see connections in concepts that we would have never thought of in our wildest dreams. They see that a video game about the French Revolution can also be a simulation where they control the outcome and imagine how the world would change based on their alteration of history. Assist learners in reaching their full potential by providing challenging learning experiences that are real, motivational and cross-disciplinary.

S – Safety

Cyberbullying and bullying – a word that has taken over in schools and on the news. Before we can apply any basic learning principles to ensure that learners reach their full potential, we need to remember that the fundamentals of achievement are built trust. We need to make sure that learners feel safe in our classrooms and that school is a safe environment where they can learn and grow. Bullying needs to be nipped in the bud immediately and the buck stops with you…

May the force be with you this term dear teacher, take control, breathe and be the difference you want to see in your learners!