Teaching Kids to Work in Groups

 Uncategorized  No Responses »
Nov 252011
 

It is an unfortunate reality that today kids are becoming fiercely independent to the point of not requiring the help or even presence of another person in their vicinity. True that becoming independent is not something that should be considered unfortunate, but honestly think about it: does your child refuse to interact with other kids in school? Does he insist on playing with his own toys and not sharing them with anyone? Be warned that these may seem like trivial issues right now, but as he grows up, it could turn into a problem. It would be highly inappropriate to expect a child to understand the value of working in a group, at such a tender age. Hence, it becomes the responsibility of the elders around him to educate him about the vital role that group work plays and will play in his life. This Buzzle article will give you some ideas on how to do that.

How to Teach Kids to Work in Groups

Kids have an innocent warmth in them. They also have an astounding level of intelligence which most of us fail to notice. Teaching children to work in groups involves the skillful tapping of the innocence, warmth and intelligence that they possess and showing them the wonders that the combination can create! However, simply sitting down a bunch of 5 or 7 year olds and giving them a lecture is not going to do the trick. You need to put your creativity to work and come up with unique ways to make them realize the value of group work, by themselves. Given below are some methods that you can use for doing that.

Storytelling
Kids have wonderful imaginative abilities. They can come up with vivid stories about the vaguest topics and be extremely creative about them. In keeping with this vivid imagination that they possess, you can devise your own way of showing them how they can benefit from working in groups, by telling them different stories in which you will highlight that the characters get what they want, only because they worked as a group and not individually. Telling stories is one of the best ways to get your point across, especially to young kids. They are at a very vulnerable, yet receptive age and will absorb what you say in story format and put it to practice in their lives because they are very influenced by what they hear as stories.

Practical Teaching
If you are a teacher wanting to make your class kids learn to work in groups, then you can incorporate the idea in different activities in which the kids will have to work in groups to get the desired results. For instance, within your class hours, you can ask the kids to solve Jigsaw puzzles in groups as part of an exercise. They will see that when they work in group, they are able to put the puzzle together much quicker than if they did it alone. You can also involve them in games and arts and crafts projects that will show them that working together makes the job easier and faster.

Healthy Competitions
Kids these days are more competitive than ever. It’s all about getting first place and being the best at everything that they do. You can use this competitive streak in them to educate them that sticking together as a group is more important than victory. Conduct races like baton relays, wheel barrows etc. and pop quizzes in teams, or involve them in these group games for kids which will show them that winning is important, but not as important as sticking together as a group.

Personal Experiences
Another interesting activity that you can conduct to show your kids how vital group work is, have them tell you about what their idea of group work is. You can begin a class with a small story about group work, give them some time to ponder over it, and then ask each of them to come up and tell you what they learned from the story. You’ll be surprised at the different takes that they’ll have on the same story. You can also give them an assignment to remember and tell the class about their real life instances in which being in a group has helped them to complete a particular task. Each child will surely have a wonderful experience to share.

Parents, siblings and teachers are the most influential people in the lives of young kids. Hence, it becomes their moral duty to teach kids to work in groups and show them how beneficial it will turn out to be for them. There are small ways of doing this, but that does not undermine its vitality in the child’s future. So, start today and watch your child transformed into a wonderful team player.

 Posted by at 1:53 pm  Tagged with:

Using DBQs to Teach History

 Teaching  No Responses »
Nov 202011
 

Document Based Questions, or DBQs, are gaining popularity among history teachers because they make it easy to incorporate primary sources rather than textbook articles into the classroom, and they also make up a good portion of high school Advanced Placement tests. DBQs also ask students to synthesize information to answer a question, which is a skill all teachers want their students to know, making it a perfect activity for English or political science classes as well.

What is a DBQ?

DBQ stands for Document Based Question. It is a packet of primary source material – articles, stories, poems, pictures, quotes, and sometimes even videos – that all go with a certain theme or time period. At the top of these documents is a question that students need to answer using the source material in the packet. This answer usually takes the form of a research essay where the sources in the DBQ are the sources they use in the paper. Students will usually cite these sources as “Document 1″ or “Document 5″ based on the order they appear in the packet.

How do you use a DBQ in the classroom?

Using a DBQ in the classroom is really easy. In fact, the most time-consuming part of the process is actually making the DBQ. You’ll need to find the articles, poems, quotes, etc. that you’ll want to incorporate into the assignment, write the question, and combine it all together for the students. The first time you introduce a DBQ to your class can be a little time-consuming as well, because the students will have a lot of questions about it. Use the first DBQ as your gauge and do a lot of it in class so you are there to answer the students’ questions. After they get the hang of it that first time, you’ll find yourself breezing through them each subsequent time you use them. You can use DBQs to replace a research paper, as an in-class essay exam, or as a multi-draft essay that requires students to edit and add sources as they go. It’s a great way to teach the research process, too, without going in to the library.

What are the benefits of DBQs?

DBQs are a popular way to teach a subject in the classroom because one portion of the Advanced Placement test is a DBQ, so when you use them in class, you’re actually preparing students for this important test. It also helps students explore the process of writing a paper and incorporating research without the added pressure of finding the sources themselves. DBQs allow teachers to teach using primary sources rather than textbooks, which can get students interested in reading about different time periods or issues because the writing isn’t as dry as textbook writing. It also exposes students to different kinds of literature that they may not be able to read in other classes. Finally, students are usually able to do DBQs at home, on their own time, without much effort on the part of the teacher, so that brings learning outside the walls of the classroom.

Are there any drawbacks to using DBQs?

As with any wonderful lesson, there are drawbacks. You will have to make room in your curriculum if you decide to use DBQs as they take a long time to introduce the first time you do one. It also takes quite a long time to grade the essays, since students are required to use the sources to prove the answer to the question. Of course, it also takes a long time to create a DBQ, but once you create it, you have it for years to come.

 Posted by at 1:52 pm  Tagged with:

Tips for Effective Parent-Teacher Communication

 Teaching  No Responses »
Nov 102011
 

It is said that teachers lay the basic foundation in building your child’s successful future. Probably that is why teaching is known as a noble profession. Apart from educating pupils, a teacher’s professional duties extend way beyond just formal teaching. They have the ability to influence a student’s perception. Parents no doubt are equal partners in shaping the future of their kids. Moreover, parental involvement can boost a child’s motivation for learning and develops a positive attitude about the school in general. When parents form an effective partnership with a teacher, they can definitely help their kid do well academically as well as professionally. So, how do you develop a great rapport with the teacher? From the teacher’s perspective, how do you react if a overwrought parent shows up? Given below are tips for both teachers and parents respectively to effectively communicate with each other.

Parent-Teacher Communication Tips

Tips for Teachers

When you call on your student’s parents, make sure you are cool and composed. Don’t make it sound serious or like something is really wrong, we need to talk. Remember they are parents they are sure to panic and might scold their kid, after they hang up the phone. Don’t discuss the issue over the phone, but give them some hints so that they are mentally prepared when they come to see you. In the meeting too, slowly unveil the issue, discuss it and come to a conclusion, which is approved by both of you.
After you call up the parents, there is every possibility that the parent might rush to the school to see you. Make it a point to not entertain them at that time, even if you are free. Stress on scheduling a meeting later on the same day, or the following day. This will give you a chance to prepare yourself for the meeting and the parent will cool down too. It is important that neither of you are excited or paranoid about the issue, a cool head can bring out the best results from a discussion.
It is not easy for any parent to digest the fact that their child is a “problem child” and as teachers it is important you don’t encourage such thoughts in parents. No doubt it is important for you to address the issue related to the child, however don’t just put forth the problems, at least come up with some concrete ways to tackle the problem. Let the parent know they can trust you! Explain the strategy, ask for their inputs, if any, and together reach to a conclusion. And make sure the parent too is equally involved in addressing the issue concerning their child.
Sometimes, when parents come to meet you even when they are not called for, it is because they want to make sure that their kid is performing well at school. Hear them out, probably they want someone to hear them out, or want to voice their concerns. Assure the parents about their kid’s performance and be positive. Teachers should never communicate negative news about the child as that is more likely to discourage parents. Tell the parents about their child’s learning activities, accomplishments if any and tactfully tell them how they can improve their child’s learning at home.

Tips for Parents

The most common mistake parents make is that they sit back and wait for the teachers to come to them with issues. If you know your kid is a little weak at grasping things, make it a point to communicate with his teacher regularly. Keep a weekly or monthly track of his/her improvements. The teacher in such a case will definitely understand your concern and help you in all ways she can, to resolve the issue.
When you are called by the teacher, don’t panic. The teacher in the first place called you because she is concerned and wants to see her students do well. Realize the purpose. Go with a cool head it will only help you to come to a better conclusion. Be open to strategies and ideas the teacher introduces you to. Together work on the same, it will only help you raise the kid better.
Your child’s teacher may be younger or older to you, whatever the case may be respect her. Because a teacher can handle something with your child in a better way than you can, since they are trained that way. She is definitely concerned about your child, the reason why she is helping you out with the same. Everyone likes to be praised. If the strategy drawn by the teacher is working, or you see your child favorably responding to the problem, let the teacher know it. Thank her for the same, or at least acknowledge her efforts.
There will be cases when neither of you would want to agree on some common point, in such cases don’t storm into the principal’s office individually, make sure both of you approach him/her together and sort out the matter. It’ll help both the parties to maintain cordial relations amongst themselves, which in turn will be beneficial for your child.

I am sure this article will assist and facilitate positive, clear expectations for all involved, while contributing to a safe school climate for your little one. Try to give every act of yours a deep thought without jumping to sudden conclusions.

 Posted by at 1:42 pm  Tagged with:
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