Some interesting resouces and articles curated for you to be informed and educated regarding various topics related to the education of our children.
The following strategies are offered for enhancing attention and managing attention problems.This listing is by no means exhaustive, but rather is meant as a place to begin.
What is ADHD, the different types of ADHD, the challenges faced by those with ADHD, the strength and different stages and ages of those who have ADHD. All you need to know.
Raising a child with ADHD isn’t like traditional childrearing. Normal rulemaking
and household routines can become almost impossible >>
Children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), dyslexia, or other
learning disabilities are sometimes the most fascinating, the most knowledgeable, and the deepest thinkers.
Common learning challenges. Excecutive skills, and ways to overcome various challenges associated with children with ADHD. Solutions to Teaching Children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), dyslexia, or other learning.
A trusted source of advice and information for families touched by attention-deficit disorder – and a voice of inspiration to help people with ADHD find success at home, at school, and on the job.
Christian teachers are not teachers who happen to be Christians; they are Cristian teachers.
What’s the difference? They are constantly increasing their knowledge and understanding of what it means to teach Christianly. They strive to learn the biblical presuppositions that define a biblical Christian worldview, as well as the principles that underlie all schooling.
A Christian philosophy of education is not an abstract statement found only in the schools mission, vision and values, warmly embraced but coolly ignored. It is meant to be lived out within the heart and life of the teacher.
ROLES AND RESPONSIBILTIES
Every profession has a bottom line. For the Christian teacher it is to apply a biblical philosophy of education to the following.
Knowledge of the pupils/ learners
The children are viewed as individuals made in the image of God. Fallen sinners with needs who are able to be redeemed.
This refers to an understanding of the God-ordained growth and development characteristics of a specific age or stage of life. In the SA system these are:
a] ECD Age – Age 6,
b] Foundation phase, (Gr 1 – Gr 3)
c] Intermediate Senior Primary [ISP] – (Gr 4 -Gr 6)
d] General Education and Training [GET] – (Gr 7 – Gr 9) and
e] Further Education and Training [FET] – (Gr 10 – Gr 12)
Knowledge of the course content
Not just the daily lesson plans but the overall outcomes of the curriculum, assessment strategies, grades and codes, different types of assessment – tests, projects, assignments etc. the way the content is understood, taught and learned is like the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle that is gradually being out together.
In the primary school, we are normally generalists, teaching the traditional subjects. In high school the content usually requires a more specialist approach.
The emphasis therefore for primary is not necessarily knowledge of content, but the development of other necessary skills; a good habit of proper planning and preparation – both macro and micro. The practice of ‘winging’ your way through a lesson should be far and few between.
It is always necessary to factor in our planning, the John Hay information
See link
Knowledge and use of instructional skills
If what is taught is critical, then how it is taught is important as well.
Draw on your teaching methodology
6 effective teaching methods
A teacher controls two things in the classroom:
How the time is used and one’s instructional decisions. Every teacher is a decision maker
List of Skills Modern Teachers Need
An ability to organise and manage the classroom
Teachers must be able to manage and organise the classroom in which genuine learning and teaching can take place.
Any model you subscribe to will be concerned with class rules, procedures, expectations, accountability, disruptive behaviour, room management, monitoring, signals and the like.
Most experts agree that good teachers are effective managers and good planners. They use the first few weeks of the school year to implement the system they have carefully planned.
Knowledge and skill in using media and materials
Media are things white board, kokis, visual material on the walls, maps, globes and of course the use of the computer technology. Teachers are being challenged to use technology to a greater degree. One of the areas highlighted by the OISESA report was the lack of the use of technology in the classroom. This is something we must intentionally rectify. Staff will be expected to incorporate more technology in their weekly lessons. And not just a short downloaded YouTube video clip, but creating some lessons and assessment which must be done and assessed on-line.
The question teachers must answer is, ‘how will certain media and materials enable pupils to learn something better and more easily?’
Materials are usually in written form, hard copy- text books workbooks, photo copied materials etc.
Knowledge and skills in planning
The vision of Christian education is wonderful, but it is of no value if it does not translate in concrete ways in the classroom. This is where planning is so crucial. It requires more than just copy and pasting the CAPS document into a new year’s folder. It requires an unpacking of the objectives and outcomes of each unit, section, or chapter. To put it another way, get a quarterly overview – macro plan, break it down into the different segments for the quarter, put it into the weeks and then into daily lesson plans- micro plan.
Only after a teacher knows where they want the lesson or unit to go, can they plan effectively.
Interpersonal skills
The frightening conclusion is this… it is the teacher’s personal approach that creates the climate. It is the teacher’s daily mood that makes the weather. The teacher possesses tremendous power to make a child’s life miserable or joyous. You can humiliate of humour, hurt or heal. In all situations it is your response that determines whether a situation will escalate or de-escalate and the child humanised or de-humanised. Your best prepared lesson will be of no value to a child who does not like you, who has no relationship with you.
A teachers interpersonal skill touches everything they do. So, it is imperative that you and I get our relationship with God sorted out. Our walk with the Lord is of utmost importance because it will affect our attitudes, communication and relationships with adults and children.
Conclusion
Teaching is an overwhelming task, but it is also an incredible opportunity that God has called us to. We must know that we cant do this on our own… God will be our God – He will be with us in our classrooms, when we consult with parents and when we interact with our colleagues.
Joshua 1:
9 This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”