How high achievers really think?

  High achievers are often marked, unsurprisingly, by a strong motive to achieve.
Achievement motivated individuals have a strong desire to accomplish something important, and gain success in  tasks. Consequently they are willing to expend intense effort over long time spans, since they want to avoid failure.
Failure-avoiding individuals are more focused on protecting themselves from the embarrassment and sense of incompetence that can accompany failing at a valued task. Consequently they are less likely to attempt achievement-oriented tasks, and may give up quickly if success is not readily forthcoming. They work hard to keep their image as it is in the eyes of others. Help them to keep this hard work and to keep this image, but teach them how to do these things for themselves, and not just to reach success to see it in the eyes of others. Just teach them how they enjoy success without caring others how they see it.

Jinan... from a special need student.. to a special teacher...!

Jinan is a girl that has physical disability, she can't stop moving her head, hands, and legs. Jinan came when she was a child to a school for special needs in Zahle, and this was the only school to accept her, since all the other schools although they were schools for special needs, but the principles of the schools weren't accepting Jinan as a students, because the way she act really made the other students afraid, because she can't even focus to let her head stable.
This principle was the only one who believed in Jinan after she talked to her, she believed that she can help her. They worked hard with her, and now Jinan wrote her own book about her own experience, so other people can benefit from her life. And now Jinan is an English teacher at the same school teaching the students with special needs. Although she is still has the same appearance, and she is still even unable to walk properly and she kept moving, and you feel she is going to fall, but she is making her job as a teacher in a really perfect way.
So, just believe in your selves and you can reach all what you desire. And as teachers just believe in the abilities you have in your classes.

Is parents' meeting really affective?!

In our days, teachers and schools don't ask them selves what is the goal behind the parents' meeting that they organize. Many teachers think it is the time to praise high achievers, and to reprimand low achievers in front of their parents. And the parents of the good students will be proud of their children in front of the other parents, while the others will be shy. But, is that really what we care for?
Parents meeting should be done for every parent separately, so that the teacher can discuss her points in a comfortable atmosphere, and even if she want to say negative points she should envelope them in good ones. And the parents should have a general idea about the targets that their children should reach in every subject, so they may understand what the teacher is talking about. Let the parents help you to reach with their children these targets and not only to care for high grades.

How taxonomies help teachers??

Using taxonomies help teachers mainly in two things planing and assessing. I f the teacher is using the taxonomies to plan on different levels of thinking, she will make sure that her students are practicing all these levels, from knowledge to creation according to Anderson. Most of the teachers are forgetting about these levels, and they build their work only on low levels, but this shouldn't be the case. Then, a teacher should build her assessment tools on different levels, and  she should make sure that she worked before on those levels in class, since she can't stay asking knowledge questions in class, and to ask creation ones in the exam.
As a sum, a teacher should vary her activities, assessment tools, and questions according to the different levels of thinking.

Is there any relation between first language and second language?!!!

First and second language are tightly intertwined in which they affect each other and crucially make a definition of how the individual acts in a society and within a community . What is important is to teach students how to benefit from first language to build and support their second language. Every teacher, if he/ she is am affective teacher should build his/ her own standards and limits for students to refer backward to their first language. And the teacher should be careful since not all the concepts can be related to those of first language. On the other hand, they can go back to first language in specific topics without overusing it, or translating from it.
Also they should learn how to think in second language , and not only to refer every single idea to first language, or else they will fall in the trap of negative transfer,(mistakes due to translations between the two languages).

Just believe in low achievers !!!!

Most of the students aren't really low achievers, we classify them as low achievers, since we don't believe in their abilities.  If any teacher believes in the abilities of the low achievers in her class, she will reflect this positive believe on her students, and they will start to believe in themselves. The teacher may help those students in many ways, she can give them more attention, more work, and variety of tasks to improve their points of weakness. Sure she should know the weakness of every student separately to know how to help them with the suitable activities and extra work to overcome it. Moreover, we shouldn't divide the low and high achievers into two different sections, since the ability grouping will hurt the low achievers, in every class we should have high achievers, they will help weak students through group work, and many other ways.
So, do your best as teachers to help the low achievers to never give up.

How technology affect education?!

Technology can affect education in many ways. There are just as many negative points as positive.
Technologies affect the student`s learning in many ways. For example, you can get info about any topic, about any field just simply put the name in the search engine and you'll get thousands of links related to that topic. You can get online education from anywhere around the world. The search for a topic on internet takes only a few seconds instead of books where you have to search a lot many books to get the idea about a small topic and it takes hours to do so. It`s because of technology that you can solve difficult questions in a few seconds, it`s because of technologies that students can access millions of books from digital libraries.

Negative points may be that the 'over' use of technology makes kids lazy, in the way they use language, which may show in class work, exams, etc.In some classrooms technology is overused. This can lead to a variety of problems. Many students learn best by physically and mentally interacting with what they are studying. If most of the teaching is done using a computer, these students' needs are not being met. Technology should be used to supplement the classroom curriculum, but should not be used as the sole source of learning. Also,If the teacher and students are not experienced with technology in the classroom, valuable time is often wasted on technical troubles.
 So, we should try to use technology in proper ways in our classes.

 

A special need student: different...don't thinks soo!!

From two months, a Syrian boy, Malik, who has mental disability (trisomy 21) came to our school, he became a student in my KG2 class. When he started to come he was too shy, and most of his time quiet. He never tried to participate in class, but this week everything changed. When i was explaining the letter "Q" , I was astonished when seeing Malik writing on the board alone letter Q, also Malik became able to count from 1 to 10.Day after day,Malik was able to know the names of his friends and distribute for them the books correctly, but i didn't know how he was distinguishing the books from each other. And at the beginning he stayed away from the students, but now he is always beside them, hugging and kissing them.Although he get used to his friends, and me,but he refused to come near to any other teacher, this is probably because I spend most of the time in his class. So, Malik isn't really different all what he needs is someone who  believes in his abilities, and provide him with care. 

 

My Philosophy

In my studying English for four years, and my first year experience, I've made my own teaching philosophy

So, my teaching philosophy is represented in the following points:

1)      I am going to facilitate English language to my students and enhance their abilities to express themselves in many ways simplifying difficulties they encounter, and provide them with good articles or reading materials that may help reduce their difficulties, by giving them the freedom, to some extent, to express themselves and interact with each other. I will also create a kind of relaxation in my classes so that students feel free to act normally and reveal their knowledge.

2)      I will let my students promote their abilities to become independent learners and teach them how to improve their weak points through reading. I believe that the best way to learn English is through reading.  During the reading process, readers learn new things, new structures, new ideas, and new styles. I am going to encourage my students to become consumers of new good published materials. I know that most learners do not read anything but their text books, and this is the main problem behind their weakness in the English language. To speak frankly, most students do not read .One of the most important functions of the language instructor is to help students move past the idea of reading and stopping to check the meaning of new vocabulary, and promote them to use top-down strategies as they do in their native language.

3)      I am going to foster a relationship with my students in and out classes. I will make sure to give them my e-mail address and have theirs to reach each other. I will benefit from the free e-mail services and use it to enhance this relationship, or during my free periods, or recess time. I am going to advise them to use the internet to read in their free time because the  only way to practice English in my country are inside English classes or through the media, including the internet, and of course I will advise them not to navigate bad sites.

4)      I will encourage my students to participate in the class and make sure that every student has a chance to participate. Participation inside class can reveal students' proficiency levels. It is like a mirror that reflects teachers' effort with their students inside class. If I notice any weak points among my students, I will not hesitate to explain the subject again and again to avoid this weakness or clarify this ambiguity.

5)      I will tell my students about my free time. It is important to tell my students about it so that they visit me and ask about anything regarding their classes or if they want any advice. It is a good way to see students during office hours to make them feel comfortable with teachers. If any student feels shy for any reason to ask questions in class, s/he can come during office hours and ask the teacher. During office hours, teachers are available for their students.

6)      I am going to encourage my students to use the English club. It is a small club that contains computers, magazines, books, and a tape recorder. They can watch English movies; educational movies listen to an educational tape, or read periodicals or newspapers. This would help my students to learn the English language in a short time.

7)      I am going to asses my students' needs by asking myself what they need. What details do they want me to explain? Where their weak points are? I am going to match my students' needs with course strategies, methods, and activities that will facilitate learning in the class environment.

8) Put plan in order not waste my time and my students' time without plan. So, I will not come to class lost, as the teachers who usually go between students and thinking what they should do.

9) I will treat all students equally.

10) I will be a provider, and supporter, and I will be close to them. So, the students will be comfortable.

11) I will use variety of new techniques and methods in my explanation, and I will always check new researches. And will work hard to be a perfect teacher.

The hardest year ever!!

My first year teaching:
Our first year may be the hardest year in teaching, even though I made training in schools before this year, but this year has a different taste. I am in class alone responsible for all the students there, responsible for every step, and every word i say. I faced many difficulties in managing the class, grabbing the students' attention, and in letting them focusing with me the whole time. At the beginning of the year i started teaching grades 4 and 6, then after few time i moved to teach KG2, in the upper classes I didn't face difficulty in managing my class, but in the K Gs everything was different. Really the students never sit in their places, they want to stay playing. I worked hard to keep them focusing with me by using stuff and materials that they are interested to look at, such as toys, or puppets. Even I try to keep them happy and enjoying the class, and to never get bored, when i feel they are bored i just stop explaining, and we listen to songs or play a game. With time I feel everything is going better, but sure there is still some difficulties that a teacher may face everyday, wish to pass them, and learn everyday from our own experience.