Steve Ouch, the author of Steampottsville, will write back to any kid who writes him a paper letter. This is a great opportunity to teach students how to write a letter! This can be a class project or an individual activity in your reading center in the classroom.

Here is Steve Ouch’s Address: 104 NW 20th Ave #18, Portland, OR 97209

For more ideas on teaching students how to write, read Teach Students How to Write a Letter, Reading Center Activities, and Activities for Reading Centers.

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The interesting thing about his speech is that he is very focused on having America become the superpower that he knows it can be, and that only through our children’s education can we get there. This leads me to wonder what our expectations for our students are based on?

Do we want to see our children surpass other children around the world, leading them to be the best and brightest? As a special education teacher, my goals are far from this. Instead, I look to give my students the best education possible to enable them to succeed in today’s society. As a tutor, I seek to have students learn to love learning. This for the sake of learning and self-betterment, though, not for world domination.

Read more about President Obama’s speech.

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1. Let the parent say his/her piece.

A college professor of mine once said that if a parent comes loaded for bear, let him unload. When a parent calls or visits the classroom and begins yelling or complaining or otherwise wants to “unload”, wait and listen.

2. Do not become defensive.

While it is natural instinct to defend yourself when you are attacked, you need to remember that the issue is likely deeper than you the teacher. Remaining calm will help diffuse the parent’s anger and allow you to be able to get to the root of the issue and solve the problem.

3. Do not bend the rules, but be willing to bend the rules.

If the parent is upset because of a rule, you need to evaluate the rule. Some rules need to not be bent – behavior for example, and some can be bent for the sake of peace – allowing a student a second chance at a test or homework assignment for example.

Here are some more tips on how to handle angry parents in the classroom.

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We are so focused on increasing student test scores that we have lost the ability to teach lessons in a motivating way. Instead of teaching students why it is important to be able to solve certain math problems, we focus on correct answers and high test scores. While correct answers are important, motivated students will learn more than unmotivated students, resulting in improved student grades and higher test scores.

Whenever teaching a lesson, teachers should ask themselves, “if I were the student learning this, why should I care?” If there is no obvious answer to this question embedded into the lesson plan, then the lesson will not motivate students. Every lesson you teach should include an answer to the question “so what?”

Here are some examples for how to write motivational math lessons.

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The main reasons teachers site for leaving their jobs include low pay, lack of administrative support and classroom management issues. While there are many others, these three seem to be at the top of the list for most people. Other reasons include the inability to motivate students to learn, bureaucracy, lack of preparation time and mounds of paperwork.

While some things are more difficult to change, such as pay rates and preparation time, other issues can be improved upon and should be improved upon quickly. The better the system in place for our teachers, the better the education our children will receive. This will translate into higher test scores, which will make the school district and the government happy.

The bottom line: The problem in the public school system today is not the teachers. The problem is not the students. The problem is not the curriculum or the amount of time spent on each subject or the type of testing. The problem is lack of pay, lack of administrative support and student discipline issues. The reasons teachers are leaving the field is the reason student test scores are low. Fix one and you will fix the other.

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To help with classroom management during this time, teachers can bribe students with extra recess for good behavior. This will get students outside, where they want to be, while at the same time keeping them in line while in class.

Read this article for more ideas about overcoming spring fever in the classroom.

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This concept is interesting, and there is preliminary evidence that test scores are higher in these schools. The problem with this type of learning environment is that boys and girls learn a lot from each other, and when separated, they lose that aspect of learning.

In addition, there are more differences in learning style than there is in gender. In a single classroom of all boys, there will be a mix of auditory, visual and tactile learners, each one learning best, differently than the other. So while there may be some benefits to separating the genders into separate classrooms, it may not prove the most effective in the long run.

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Some ideas for rewards include:

• Lunch with the teacher
• Earning tickets to spend in a “store”
• Extra recess
• Computer time

Involving the students in the process of thinking up the rewards will ensure that the options are indeed motivating to the students. While some things, such as lunch with the teacher, will always be a motivator, other things such as computer time, may not be what helps a student choose good behavior.

For more information on classroom management, read these articles. You may also be interested in purchasing an eBook on classroom management with tips and suggestions for teachers on a variety of management issues.

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Research has shown that a 15 minute break is beneficial to students. In Asia, elementary students are provided with a 10 minute break every 40-50 minutes of instruction. This is a standard that would benefit teachers everywhere. Instead of fighting students to focus for a few minutes longer, take a break!

Ideas for quick breaks during the instruction day:

• Extra recess
• Scavenger hunt in the classroom
• Musical chairs
• Everyone switch seats
• Put music on for students to dance to

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Classes in general respond better to rewards for good behavior than they do to punishments for bad behavior. Here are additional tips for classroom management:

1. Remain calm and in charge
2. Be consistent!
3. Praise students frequently for good behavior
4. If something doesn’t work, try something else

For more articles and ideas on classroom management, visit Classroom Management Tips.

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