In order to control spending and keep costs down, education policymakers often decide to increase class sizes. But what impact does this have on the academic ability and achievements of children?
A 110-page report by Campbell Collaboration attempts to lift the lid on class sizes and their effect on student learnings in both primary and secondary schools.
Most teachers probably feel like they’ve got a million and one different relationships to manage at the same time. But even if you get on well with your colleagues and have established a strong bond with pupils, that doesn’t mean to say relationships between you and parents will be just as rosy.
The secret to building good relationships with parents and guardians is actually quite simple – communication. By reaching out to parents and guardians early on in the school year, they will feel much more comfortable and confident that their children are in good hands.
As a teacher, your day-to-day responsibilities include more than just ticking off items on the curriculum. Along with giving your students the tools and techniques to learn effectively, you’ll also be dictating their behaviour, shaping their minds, and influencing future decisions.
In fact, school children who receive words of encouragement from a teacher are significantly more likely to continue their education beyond the age of 16 than those who do not according to a study by the University of Cambridge.
You need to take on more responsibilities as a form tutor, but it’s an incredibly rewarding role. If you’re keen to develop your skills in this position, then here are some top tips:
Don’t be a typical teacher
Take on a more active role with the students in your form group, and interact with them differently to how you would with students you teach.
According to Dyslexia Action, an estimated one in ten of the population have dyslexia, which equates to more than 6.3 million people in the UK. But despite such a high number, many teachers feel ill equipped to teach students with dyslexia.
In fact, 74 per cent of teachers do not feel satisfied that their initial teacher training provided them with the skills they need to identify and teach children with dyslexia. This sentiment is echoed by parents too, with two thirds believing that dyslexia is not recognised across the system.
Even at the best of times, motivation can be an all too common problem for some students. In fact, most teachers would be lying if they said that every morning is met with equal levels of excitement and enthusiasm.
But inspiring your students to focus their efforts on the learning task at hand doesn’t always have to feel like an uphill struggle.
So, the next time a lack of motivation threatens to bring your classroom to a grinding halt, here are 10 simple teaching methods that could push and propel students onto great things. In turn, your job will undoubtedly become a lot easier too.
When it comes to revising for this summer’s exam season, how many of your students will be using the smell of rosemary to enhance their memories? It might sound odd, but a new study has revealed that pupils working in a room with the aroma of rosemary, in the form of an essential oil, achieved 5-7 per cent better results in memory tests.