7 DIVERSE Teaching Skills

Creating a climate that honors and celebrates your students diversity is a key to success with a diverse group of students. There are 7 teaching skills to help students feel safe, have their unique needs and interests recognized, and are part of a classroom discourse. Just remember DIVERSE promotes equality and good teaching!

Diverse instructional materials: Be sure that all parts of the world and it's diverse thoughts, views and people are woven into the curriculum.

Inclusive: Provide opportunities for every student to participate in classroom activities and discussions including shy or quiet students.

Variety: Use different styles of teaching to allow for all the different types of learners to be successfull.

Exploration: Encourage your students open up their minds to explore and experience or learn about other cultures and beliefs.

Reaction: All students can learn from their questions when they are given effective feedback. Teachers can make sure they give effective feedback through patience, encouragement and high expectations.

Safety: Any offensive comments and physical or verbal bullying should be stopped immediately because without safety and security, little learning is possible.

Evaluation: Consider a wide variety of evaluation strategies to assess the unique strengths of your individual students.

WRUP (what are you playing)?

The cold weather is no reason to stay indoors and not be active! This weekend I was able to travel to Pennsylvania to spend the weekend at a cottage on Lake Chautauqua. While I was there, a friend of mine and I decided to go outside to build a miniature snowman.


After putting our snowman building skills to the test, we built snow forts to protect ourselves in an epic snowball fight.


Also, while at the cottage we witnessed snowmobiles riding on the frozen lake. We also caught a glimpse of some dedicated ice fishers who spent well over 4 hours fishing on the frozen lake. If these guys can get out there why can't you? Get out and play!

SCOPE Media: Multiple Intelligence Theories & Learning

Check out SCOPE Media's first broadcast!

YouTube!

To watch videos of our exciting journey as we progress from students to teachers check out Physical Education in action on my Youtube Channel!

Factors that Effect Learning ft.Jess Austin

NEA & AFT

When you first become a teacher in a new school you will not be under the protection of tenure. This can be an uneasy feeling so to gain support most teachers join either the NEA or the AFT. Both of these organizations work to improve the salaries and working conditions of teachers using collective bargaining.

The NEA stands for the National Education Association and is the largest professional and employee organization in the nation founded in 1857. The NEA is a political force that works to elect pro-education candidates and legislation benefitial to teachers and students. Also, as a part of the NEA you will benefit from publications such as the NEA Today, free legal services as well as training opportunities on subjects from technology to academic freedom.

The AFT has over one million members and was founded in 1916. AFT has a leadership role in education reform as it stands for the American Federation of Teachers. John Dewey was the first member of the group and emphasized that the AFT was strictly of teachers, by teachers, and for teachers. It "supported national standards for teachers, charter schools and induction programs that allowed new teachers to work with master teachers and the active recruitment of people of color into the teaching profession." Before the Supreme Court established that seperate is not equal in 1954, the AFT had already backed desegregation in schools. Freedom schools were ran for black students as the AFT continued to hold strong records for academic freedom and civil rights. AFT leaders had been sent to jail while fighting for their right to bargain collectively. AFT leaders were determain to show their nation the determaination they had to no longer allow teachers to be considered as a second-class status. During the great labor movement (the AFL-CIO) the AFT also shows the nation how the power of the union can help the voice of America's teachers be heard.

As a new teacher entering a school for the first time I can see how one may feel vulnerable without the protection of tenure or under the wing of a teacher organization. I would probably join the AFT over the NEA. I would choose to be a part of the AFT because the idea of the organization being ran exclusively of the teachers, for the teachers, and by the teachers makes me feel more secure and confident that I will be getting exactly what I seek. I would feel as though I am surrounded by a diverese group of people who are brought together to accomplish the same goals or to share ideas that would interest anyone in the organization. Also, an organization that allows for my voice to be heard as well as other supporters in the group has my vote in a heart beat.

To learn more about the AFT visit:
www.aft.org
Tolearn more about the NEA visit:
www.nea.org

Why Do I Explore Teaching?

I am exploring teaching to become the greatest teacher I can be. I want to be a teacher because I love to work with younger kids and I want to be the one who helps mold and inspire them. I want to become a physical education teacher because I want to educate the next generations with how to lead a healthy and active lifestyle that can be fun as well as benefitial to their own bodies. With high hopes of leading a classroom I plan to create an environment that is fun and attractive toward students. Creating an environment that students can be eager to learn in is a must! There are other benefits to being a teacher that do appeal to me such as the opportunity for family time, vacation time and the job security. But, to have the ability to pursue a passion where I am able to educate others in the subject matter that I love, will always trump any other benefit of teaching. This is why I explore the profession and lifestyles of a Physical Educator.