Student Motivation in EFL
TeachersEducationTeacher CafeSparking student motivation in EFL is an important part of any teacher's function. Effective teachers will make sure that students know WHY they need to learn the language that is the target of the lesson. There are several strategies an instructor can do to drive student motivation in the classroom.
Stop, Start, Continue: Conceptual Understanding Meets Applied Problem Solving
TeachersSelfTeacher Cafe...What should we stop doing? What should we start doing? What should we continue doing? United World College asked these questions with an intimate group of students, faculty and family in a remote Vancouver Island location with the aim to get better at what they were doing.
Tips on Giving Attention to Individual Students in a Large Class
TeachersLeadershipTeacher CafeHow do you teach a large class and still give all students the attention they deserve? It is never easy to do. No matter how old or which level they are in, they deserve as much attention as we can give. Here are the top ten tips to achieve this.
When Social and Emotional Learning Is Key to College Success
TeachersRelationshipsTeacher CafeWhile test scores can predict academic success, self-management and relationship skills may better prepare students to thrive and graduate.
8 Ways to Reignite the Creative Spark When You're Feeling Burned Out
TeachersMental HealthTeacher CafeThere is nothing that puts a damper on your creativity quite like feeling burned out. For many careers, it can be tough to have to be creative at a moment's notice- especially when you are swamped with other work. Here are eight ways you can get creative when you are feeling burned out.
New Voice Typing and Editing for Google Docs
TeachersTeacher CafeTechnologyIt is a quick and easy way to get ideas out of your head, and into a document. So try out Voice typing and editing today!
5 Epiphanies for Reaching the Unreachable Learner
TeachersTeacher CafeRamy Mahmoud, a Secondary Science teacher and university lecturer describes his experiences with reaching his unreachable student. From the start, he was defiant. Until 5 epiphanies created understanding between them.
7 April Fool's Day Pranks For Teachers
TeachersHumorTeacher CafeForget the old tricks like filling Oreos with toothpaste or hiding rubber bugs on chairs. Here are seven pranks that will require a spatula because afterwards you will need them to scrape your students' minds off the floor.
Five Ways to Create More Teacher Rockstars in Your School
TeachersLeadershipTeacher CafeAll teachers should feel like rockstars in the classroom and be able to earn that praise. Here are five ways school leaders can create a culture that motivates all teachers in your school to take a risk and try something new.
Keep That Bounce: Nurture Your Resilience as a Teacher
TeachersMental HealthTeacher CafeLet's face it, teaching takes resilience- the ability to "bounce back" from an unanticipated change or disaster. Fostering resilience will help you keep your head up as a new teacher and keep going in the years ahead. The more you nurture your own grit and resilience, the more you'll be able to do the same for your students.
Spelling Takes Work With New Words
TeachersTeacher CafeWritingDo you ever wonder how many times students should copy new words? Here are two articles that dive into the issue. The articles provide suggestions and strategies for learning to spell new words.
Set Expiration Dates For Access to Google Drive, Docs, Sheets and Slides
TeachersTeacher CafeTechnologyOwners can now set expiration dates on Google Docs, Slides and Sheets. Temporary access to any online material can be set and monitored by the owner. A teacher can now set a date for students to make a copy of an assignment and any access after a deadline, it will be denied.
20 Collaborative Learning Tips And Strategies For Teachers
TeachersTeacher CafeThe idea of collaborative learning has a lot to do with Vygotsky's idea of the "zone of proximal development". It considers what a students can do if aided by peers and adults. By considering this model for learning, we might consider collaboration to increase students' awareness of other concepts. Here are some ways to include best practices for collaborative learning in the classroom.
Best Resources For Creating Infographics
TeachersDesignTeacher CafeInfographics are visual representations of data designed to help communicate information clearly. They are great for English Language Learners, and the rest of us, too! To see examples of some of the best ones visit the linked sources.
Jellybean Scoop- Free Daily Readings
TeachersListeningTeacher CafeJellybean Scoop provides material for different levels of accessibility. Each article provides audio and more importantly, they also provide interactive exercises for each article. It is also possible to have a class account and registration is easy to do.
Earth Day Activities
TeachersEnvironmentTeacher CafeEarth Day is April 22 and it serves as an important reminder of how each one of us needs to do our part to care for the planet. Technology is a fantastic way to get students to travel around the world and view ecological devastation or get students to research changing climate over time. With Apps and web tools, students can learn and share their ideas on social media.
Smartphone Apps For Teachers
TeachersTeacher CafeTechnologyA seemingly endless collection of smartphone apps that teachers can put to work in the classroom and beyond, creating a powerhouse of school mobile tools. Read on to discover over 50 of the best smartphone apps for teachers.
The Scramblinator- The Easy Way to Scramble Sentences
TeachersTeacher CafeTechnologyAll you need to do is enter the sentences you want to scramble, each on its own line within the box. There are even a few other options to try out as well. A perfect tool for creating your own quiz.
Keeping Your Cool- 10 Ways to Avoid Anger in the ESL Classroom
TeachersMental HealthTeacher CafeMany of us bring our tendency to become angry and even lose our tempers into our professional environment under certain circumstances. Here are some thoughts on how to keep frustrations and tempers under control during those irritating times in the ESL classroom.
Why Students Don't Do Their Homework -And What You Can Do About It
TeachersTeacher CafeTeachers hear a lot of stuff when students don't do their homework. What we don't hear, is the research on how to excuse-proof our classrooms for homework. It seems we are in the dark about engaging students in the homework process. Here are 6 research-backed reasons for why students resist homework- plus tips to help overcome them.