Teaching advice for the newbie

Brandon
If you have recently qualified as a teacher and are starting your first teaching job then you will most probably feel very anxious and worried. Many teachers worry if they are going to be able to control the classroom and help students learn and get to the level they need to. This is a common concern and will a few little bits of advice, you can soon put those worries to bed. As with any time you meet someone new, the first few minutes will make an impression that lasts a lifetime. You do not need to be really hard... Read More »

Teach a group of children with mixed abilities

Brandon
As a teacher it is your responsibility to be able to cater the work for all levels of abilities within the class. If you have a range of ages then you may especially find that there is a vast range of abilities too. You need to be able to create one lesson that allows children to interact at different levels. If the work is too easy then the children will get bored and start to play up, if the work is too hard they may give up trying.  Teaching mixed abilities can make lesson planning a little bit more difficult... Read More »

Putting together an assembly for parents

Brandon
As a teacher you may have the responsibility of putting together an assembly for the parents and/or carers of the children to come and watch. When creating your assembly you need to consider the age of the children and how they may react to the situation. If it is a reception class for example then you need to make sure that they do not have too many lines to remember and that you are on hand to prompt them should they get stuck. Children often like showing work that they have created so adding in a section where they can... Read More »

Managing your time in the classroom

Brandon
As a teacher, you will already be aware of how precious your time is. When planning lessons you may not be able to estimate how much time you will need to spend explaining the task, as some children may need a little more help in understanding what they need to do.  In this situation it is advisable to give all the children a good understanding of what is required of them and then spend a little bit of extra time with a smaller group of children or on a one to one basis with those that need a little extra... Read More »

Helping a child learn to read

Brandon
Reading is a very important skill for adults and children and is something that we all use daily within our lives. If your child attends a nursery, they will start to be taught the basics of reading often by helping them to recognise certain letters and the sounds they make. This is sometimes done using “jolly phonics” which is a fun song all about letters and the sounds they make. When your child starts school they will very quickly progress to starting to be able to put these sounds together to read words. Often the first books they are given... Read More »