| Along with my full-timejob as a middle school | | | | drink". |
| social studies teacher I also teach a college | | | | |
| level course on classroom management. In | | | | I have been trying to stress this point to my |
| that courseI usemy own books ("eteach: A | | | | college students and I believe it is finally |
| Teacher Resource" and "52 Teaching Tips")as | | | | starting to sink in |
| well asHarry Wong's book "The First Days of | | | | |
| School" and Harry Wong's videos "The | | | | During my last few college classes more and |
| Effective Teacher". | | | | more students have been telling me what new |
| | | | teaching strategy they have tried. Nothing |
| While I do not agree with everything that | | | | makes me happier than this |
| Harry Wong teaches, by and large our teaching | | | | |
| philosophies are very similar. | | | | One student flat out told me that she thought |
| | | | my "giving-students-a-break-during-class" tip |
| More than anything though, what I agree with | | | | was nuts. However, she followed my advice |
| most is what comes at the end of the Harry | | | | and gave it try and was shocked at the |
| Wong videosWong asks everyone in the audience | | | | positive impact this simple teaching tip had |
| to say "Own It!" if they plan to go back to | | | | on her class. |
| school and actually implement the teaching | | | | |
| strategies taught in his presentation. | | | | Another student told me that she took my |
| | | | advice aboutusing movie clips, labs, and |
| Now, while it is not exactly my style to | | | | other hands-on activitiesat the beginning of |
| shout out "own it!" in front of a bunch of | | | | the lesson rather than the end of lesson and |
| people, I absolutely agree with the point he | | | | was thrilled at how excited her kids were to |
| is trying to make | | | | want to learn more about the topic. |
| | | | |
| The fact of the matter is, you can study all | | | | I even had a student approach me about how |
| the teaching tips and teaching strategies in | | | | much she loved using the interaction sequence |
| the world, but they will do you no good if | | | | (by far the most effective teaching strategy |
| you do not actually implement these teaching | | | | I have ever used explained in great detail |
| strategies in your own classroom. | | | | in "eTeach: A Teacher Resource"). She |
| | | | described how this simple teaching tip has |
| I tell my college students one of three | | | | literally transformed one of her worst |
| things will happen if you try the teaching | | | | students andshe can't believe she ever taught |
| tips discussed in my class and taught in my | | | | a day without it. |
| ebooks 1. The teaching tip will not work and | | | | |
| you will never use it again. 2. The teaching | | | | What separates these effective teachers from |
| tip works, but needs some modification to fit | | | | other non-effective teachers? |
| your teaching style and your student's | | | | |
| learning style. 3. The teaching tip works | | | | Not much more than a simple willingness to |
| like a charm and you can not imagine how you | | | | take risks. |
| ever taught a day without it. | | | | |
| | | | All these teachers did was apply what they |
| However, the only way any of this can happen | | | | have learned. |
| is if you actually give the teaching tips a | | | | |
| chanceyou must try them out and test them | | | | Rememberto be a trulyeffective teacher one |
| yourself to know for sure whether or not they | | | | must not just continue to learn new teaching |
| work. | | | | strategiesto be a truly effective teacher one |
| | | | must actually implement those teaching |
| As the old saying goes, "You can bring a | | | | strategies in the classroom. |
| horse to water, but you can't make him | | | | |