My Students Make Me a Better Teacher

I spend my days in the classroom with one particular group of students who have a lower level of English than the others in their year group. My job is to teach English as literature but focusing on the acquisition of the language. They're a small group of just 6 students, but are as diverse as they come. For example, 50% of the class are left handed. Some have learning difficulties and some simply have problems with the English language in a general sense as a non-native speaker. Yet when we put these kids in the same room, the place comes alive with creativity, empathy and joy.

Am I biased? Probably. They are my favourite group of students.

I know a lot of teachers who have left education for various reasons, but I think the most common reason is down to the workload. Do you think that teachers get to rest during the holidays? Think again. Time is spent planning, editing, refining content for our students. Not only are we busy ensuring our lessons are engaging, we have to be aligned with the curriculum. This can be conflicting at times and it's draining. Imagine spending so much time reading and grading work, writing reports, dealing with parents and on top of that staff meetings, all the while making sure you are aligned with government educational guidelines or curricula. We just don't have time. 

 

I come to work with an "it's for the kids" attitude. And it really is. They remind me of the simplicity of their lives. How their innocence can create a sense of calm in my world of chaos. Their mix of characters remind me to focus on their needs and that's why I do it. Sometimes, when I teach them last thing on a Friday, when they're utterly burnt out, I get the best lessons as a teacher. Their inability to focus any more sets the bar high for me and while I do get frustrated, they show me what they need to make it through the last part of the day. It's not always easy but we get there and by the time the bell rings, they're like a pack of greyhounds waiting to get out of the gate. Sometimes when they leave, there are times when I just kind of flop into my chair, wondering what the hell just happened. Then I remember it's Friday afternoon and I can go home. For the record, I don't drink. But I think that GIF represents us on a Friday evening. We made it. Time to plan for Monday. Where do the weekends actually go?

Useful Links: Courses to Enhance Your CV

Here's some cool (and free!) courses you can take to enhance your CV. I have found Alison to be a nice resource for courses. It's free to study and buying the certificate is inexpensive. Alternatively you can get a participation certificate for free and a link so you can attach it to your LinkedIn profile, if you have one.

First Aid

Educational Psychology

Communication Skills

Dyslexia Awareness

Professionalism in the Office

Microsoft Office

Microsoft Excel for Beginners

Autism for Newbies

Autism - An Explanation
I hope this brief explanation of autism will help those navigating unchartered territory for the first time. Please ask questions and comment on this post. I want to help people to understand as much as possible. 

Dr. Russell Barkley

I have been following Dr. Russell Barkley on social media for quite some time. He is a specialist of ADHD and has a great way of explaining what ADHD is, why and how ADHD affects us in the way it does and strategies to help manage symptoms. I recommend checking out his videos. You can find him on YouTube and Instagram. 

https://www.youtube.com/@russellbarkleyphd2023

http://www.russellbarkley.org

Books by Dr. Barkley:

https://www.guilford.com/books/Taking-Charge-of-ADHD/Russell-Barkley/9781462542673

https://www.guilford.com/books/12-Principles-for-Raising-a-Child-with-ADHD/Russell-Barkley/9781462542550

https://www.guilford.com/books/Treating-ADHD-in-Children-and-Adolescents/Russell-Barkley/9781462545148?promo=AF2E

Here are some videos that you might find useful. 

It's almost time for a holiday

It's June, now it's the home strait for us at school. (In Italy, anyway. I think UK still goes on until July)

We are so drained this year, I think the summer holidays can't come soon enough!

Our students are tired and they've got their end of year exams, but some of them have got their middle school exam (terza media) which enables them to move into high school in September. Middle school isn't a concept in the UK in general (apart from Worcestershire as far as I'm aware). But the UK doesn't have this exam anyway, it's a very Italian thing. In any case, not long now until the summer holidays!

The weather is starting to warm up somewhat, accompanied by humidity and storms. The humidity in the north of Italy, especially on the Po Plain is quite full on but we have air-con so that helps a lot! You can see some slow-motion storm videos in the north of Italy here. The mountains are less humid, which are quite lovely to visit. I usually spend my weekends in the mountains.

There are a lot of "staycations" in Italy. We have some great places, and Italians, who do enjoy traveling, also enjoy relaxing at home. So, I'll leave some recommendations here for you, should you feel like trying something a bit different from the usual Italian holiday in the south. 

Northern Italian destinations:

Lake Garda             Lignano Sabbiadoro

Venice                     Grado

Trieste                     Bologna

Florence                  Trento

Lido di Jesolo         Cortina d'Ampezzo

Milan                      Cinque Terre

Mantova                  Genova

Padova                    Torino

Siena                       Verona

Chioggia                 Sanremo

Breathe and reflect

It's Friday! 

It's the end of the week. Let's find time to breathe and reflect.  Also, it's June tomorrow. 

Let's breathe

All of us work so hard, day in, day out. Don't let the stress of life get to you. I say this to everyone no matter what your circumstances. Problems are temporary. Find the calmness in quiet moments. Allow yourself to just be. Relax your shoulders. Unclench your jaw. Breathe. 

Most importantly, you are loved. 

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Learning outside, why not?

Learning outside.

There's something cathartic about sitting outside to learn. Bringing the kids out of the classroom gives them fresh air, freedom and it clears the mind. They can think! Even when I bring myself outside to work or study, it changes my perception of what my tasks are and gives me clarity. And most importantly, I feel less stressed!

We don't need to sit outside only for an art class. Although, while that is nice to do, we can create a comfortable space in which our students can function and work while feeling free of the constraints of the classroom. Nobody likes being cooped up with 30 other humans in a classroom for 8 hours a day 5 days a week. (6 days a week where I live!) We are supposed to have space to breathe. Perhaps it should be a regular thing, though obviously not when it's raining. 

Where I work, we often allow the kids freedom to get out of the classroom to sit on the grass and continue with their work. Some of my colleagues have yoga mats for them to sit on, there's cushions, blankets and deck chairs. However, I think that's a privilege; not everyone has access to those things at school. It can be worth having the PTA organise a donation or collection of those items. 

With this in mind, we can ask ourselves, how can we change our learning environment to improve our students' learning experience? (Some of these suggestions might sound obvious but when we have so many young minds to teach, our perception of our environment can become clouded.)

• Regular change of seating plans
• Change the tables into a different place completely
• Put new artwork on the walls or re organise the posters
• Move the teacher's table, change the view point
• Take time for 5 minute meditation or breathing exercises
• Weather permitting, head outside together and spend time learning in the fresh air
• Give your students time to take turns teaching the class about what they learned and have the kids ask questions. Give guidance. 
• Remember to drink
• It's good fun to learn a song and sing it together, especially to break up the monotony
• Just Dance videos to expend some of that pent up energy (check out some of the videos on YT)
• Reading time
• Writing down or drawing our emotions and feelings
  

I hope these help a little!

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