Top teaching and learning tools and tips to motivate pupils and drive up progress

With the start of school looming on the horizon and especially after the long hiatus away from formal schooling, I imagine all the nerves and angst will have started to resurface.

While I’m sure the learning climate will look very different depending on your location and school, some things will remain the same. 

Emphasis on teaching and learning will have increased considerably in a bid to close the gap made wider by the many months of classroom closures. 

Research suggest that one in five teachers experience job related stress most or all the time.

 This might sound surprising, but many teachers experience bouts of anxiety and stress even at the thought of going back to school after a break let alone after many months of lockdown and let’s face it, a virus that is very much present and actively spreading!

Find a coping strategy that works!

Stress levels will differ from one individual to another and for varying reasons. If you are like me , you develop your coping strategies. 

I go through a period of actively de-stressing starting around 4ish on a Sunday afternoon. During this time, I will endeavour to only do the things that make me happy and help me to relax. This can range from a bit of pampering, watching a movie, listening to my favourite music, having a catch up etc.

 Only in exceptional circumstances will schoolwork or planning come into play, and on these occasions I’m guaranteed to be stressed and in a very bad mood on Monday 😊

 Relaxation time on a Sunday is part of my conditioning. It’s part of what helps me to deal with the stresses of the job. I have also extended this to weeknights by ensuring there is period of relaxation before bedtime.

 I find that going to sleep calm and relaxed usually guarantee waking up feeling rested and energised to start the day.

 It is so important that we are able to identify and find that ‘safe space’ that will help us to deal effectively with challenges in our daily life. As part of this conditioning, I also endeavour as much as possible to leave work at work!

Anxiety for teachers for the new school term can stem from many factors. Uncertainty of what to expect from a new cohort, new initiatives and implementations, observations are all contributors. 

Expectations for teaching and learning and for maximising pupil progress (all while keeping everyone safe)! will undoubtedly be top priority for schools. Teachers will no doubt be additionally anxious in making sure they are fully equipped and off to a great start!

Top teaching tips and best practice

 If you are new to teaching or perhaps even more seasoned and you are looking at ways to best help your students come September, here are a few tried and tested tips I collected from some trusted colleagues who have enjoyed success in their practice. 

This is not however an exhaustive list and if you are an educator reading this who have had particular success in motivating and progressing students, please feel free to drop a few of your ideas in the comments section 😊.

• Know your students

Every school is different, every class is different, every cohort is different,  and every child is individually unique and different.

This should be one of the biggest factor that informs planning. While this does NOT mean having 32 different lesson plans for a class it does mean understanding how to create ‘sameness’ out of individuality.

While it’s good to have personal connections with your class, knowing your class goes beyond identity, familial connections etc. It absolutely means knowing where every child is at in their learning, what their needs are and how to address those needs.

 Having this knowledge will help to inform planning and ensure that differences are accommodated and addressed.

•   Form positive relationships with you students

 Develop positive relationships with your students. This will go a long way to develop trust and break down barriers to learning. Creating a culture where students feel safe in every sense of the word. Command respect but also be willing to give respect. 

Make use of praise. Consider using icebreakers/ fun starters instead of content related starters as this will help to alleviate anxiety and stress associated with the lengthy absence away from school.  

• Check regularly for understanding

 Ensure that pupils are engaged, understand what is expected and have a clear idea of how to proceed. Remember, there will always be those students who fake an understanding than be willing to acknowledge they do not understand.  

• Effective planning

Planning effectively ties in with knowing your students and being able to develop strategies that cater to different learning needs. This will incorporate use of data and knowledge of students, assessing learning and also anticipating student difficulty with the content and devising ways to address these.

 Looking at language used in planning, presenting information in bite-size, use of visuals as well as  other forms of scaffolding to build on small steps and promote further growth. Incorporate former learning and use this as building blocks for progression. Feedback is also a very effective tool.

• Be a good reflective practitioner/ collaborator

As teachers we can become jaded and disengaged over time, hence diminishing our effectiveness. Collaboration and reflection can have powerful impact if used effectively. ‘No man is an island’ and we are far more effective when we support and seek support from each other.

 Be your own Ofsted or whatever your education regulating board is called. Be honest with yourself. Critique your lessons often as this will help you to identify your strengths and weaknesses. Continuous professional development is essential in keeping abreast of initiatives and new knowledge.

Reflecting and ‘sharing good practice’ are buzz words that schools like to throw about but in reality most don’t effectively put these into practice. Resource such as Trello is a fun space that can be useful to share and collaborate ideas/plans with your team. 

I am sure there a lots of others!

• Involving students in their learning

Ask students with specific learning needs what you can do to support their learning. Even a good understanding of special needs does not always fully prepare you to deal with every individual need.  

Who better to give insight into what helps them most? Find out what works well in other lessons. This can even be developed into a profile that can be shared with other teachers. 

• Have high expectations

Always have high expectations of your students as this will eventually not only help students to develop high expectation of themselves, it will also promote a culture of shared values and go a long way towards developing  positive attitudes.

 

Again, the above is not an absolute list and every situation will need to be assessed on its own merit. Important to remember that what works for one group will not necessarily work for another. 

Education is always evolving, and new initiatives are introduced all the time. Staying on top of what's current, exploring different ideas and tools will provide the best chance of success!

 

 This website is useful in identifying practical and free resources. Some I have used but others I am not familiar with. Worth having a look!

You may also find this useful.

 Thanks for stopping by! If you find this useful kindly leave a comment :)