Thursday, November 12, 2009


Teach to every student. Every student is special and every student counts. Keep notes about each student on an individual page in a notebook. The whole page gives you a lot of room to write, and it becomes easy to see if you are forgetting anyone.

As a positive reinforcement incentive, count with tallies on the board or marbles in a jar. Count anything pertinent (compliments from other teachers, books read, homework turned in, attendance, etc.), and the reward can be anything the teacher likes, as little as 15 minutes of recess, or as big as a day-long party. My favorites include a special themed day, such as Pajama Day, Art Day, or Story Day.

When children are excited about learning, they need to talk about it. Get them talking! Let them express what they are learning verbally, it means you are teaching them well! When children come home from school, the first thing they are usually asked by their parents is, “What did you learn in school today, Sweetie?” We ask our own children, why not our students?