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Current Mathematics Standards for Tennessee 

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Current Mathematics Standards for Tennessee 

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When quality, classroom-focused learning objectives are created and implemented, students will benefit.

Have you ever planned a unit on salmon migration in Maine's rivers for 3rd graders, or a unit on "survival" for middle school English Language Arts students who are reading young adult novels? Thematic units are a tried and true way for teachers to plan lessons focused on academic skills such as reading, math, science, or other subjects in the context of interesting themes to capture students' attention and help them apply new skills and knowledge.

Good unit plans start with a good idea, and should always include assessment. Student Learning Objectives (SLO) are a new tool developed to focus a teacher's planning on student growth. SLOs are a requirement of most teacher evaluation plans in Maine. As with great unit plans, when quality, classroom-focused SLOs are created and implemented, students will benefit.

SLOs include:

Characteristics of learners

Academic goals

Instructional strategies

Assessments

Measurements of student growth over time

What Are SLOs?
A Student Learning Objective is the implementation of a long-term academic goal or set of goals created by a teacher or group of teachers using data about students and their learning over a defined period of time. SLOs are being used as a component of teacher evaluation in many states, including Maine. SLOs promote teacher collaboration, a focus on student learning, and encourage teacher reflection on the influence of classroom practice on student learning.
Writing a Good SLO
Creating a SLO is simple to start with, but gets more complex as you work into the details. SLOs can vary considerably, depending on district requirements, learning goals, the assessments used, and the length of time covered by the SLO.

SLOs are created on special forms and templates that have been developed to capture and formalize the process. SLOs can be aligned with school and school district goals, and may include a variety of assessments from teacher-created to performance measures to state-required tests. SLOs can be for one teacher or groups of teachers and may involve small numbers of students or fairly large cohorts. In some ways, SLOs resemble the Individual Education Plans (IEP) used by special education programs.

If they are set up right, and if administration is supportive, teachers can collaborate to take control of their practice through mastery of SLOs. If SLOs are seen as prescriptive and mandated by administration without regard to teacher input, SLOs will not be successful.

Teachers have been planning lessons and developing units for many years. SLOs are a way to formalize that planning and focus on student learning.
7 Steps of Creating an SLO
Mastering SLOs in your classroom will take time, study, and practice. Your school district is required to provide professional development for teacher evaluation, and SLO training should be part of that. MEA can provide assistance with local training and will offer ongoing training at MEA conferences and regional meetings.

Step 1: Who are your students? Every class is made up of individual learners with their own special characteristics. This information is essential to developing learning goals and instructional practices.

Step 2: Decide on the length of time covered by the SLO. Is it the length of the course, a semester, a full year? Often SLOs cover a full course of study, but that may vary, depending on the district or situation.

Step 3: Establish the appropriate standards and content covered by the SLO.

Step 4: Choose the assessments you will use to measure student learning.

Step 5: Establish growth targets for students in the cohort. The student growth should be based upon baseline data or a pretest and potential growth in learning. Use a growth model that includes all students' growth, not attainment of a single growth target. When a target is used, it may not account for growth under the target or beyond the target.

Step 6: The teacher develops rationale for the growth targets using knowledge of the students, their circumstances or special needs, and the content.

Step 7: Develop instructional strategies that will best support students in their learning.

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The 123s of SLOs: Defining Student Learning Objectives and How to Write One | NEA

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As with great unit plans, when quality, classroom-focused SLOs are created and implemented, students will benefit.

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Differentiation in teaching is one of the most important considerations on any teacher's lesson plan. It shows how they plan to meet the needs of students and tailor learning to maximise the learning outcomes for the whole class.
In a classroom with 30 or more students, it is unlikely that every student has the same skills and needs. This makes tailoring lessons for each student difficult.

This article explores in-depth what differentiation is, its benefits and challenges. It also includes strategies to help you implement effective differentiated support in your classroom today.

What is differentiation in teaching?

Differentiation in teaching is the purposeful selection of instructional strategies to meet the individual needs of all learners.

It is particularly important when students in the same year group or grade level are at different ability levels. Differentiation begins with identifying what every student needs from the lesson based on students' readiness to learn and prior knowledge.

Teachers then determine whether they should differentiate the learning goals for the lesson, along with the most appropriate teaching strategies.

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Why is differentiation in teaching important?

Differentiation is essential to the learning process because it enables teachers to meet student needs. Employing different teaching approaches, setting different tasks, and providing a safe learning environment helps to raise student outcomes.

Differentiating for students with physical disabilities or special educational needs is particularly important. They may need adjusted resources ahead of the lesson (such as enlarged font or printing on coloured paper).

Whether students work in mixed-ability classrooms or in homogeneous groups differentiation is necessary. How much differentiation depends on how different students are from each other.

Understanding students' prior knowledge, level of attainment and how they learn best helps teachers differentiate accordingly. In turn, this improves the outcomes for all pupils.

Carol Ann Tomlinson's model of differentiation

Student learning improves when teachers use differentiation to meet the needs of all learners. Researcher and professor, Carol Ann Tomlinson, describes differentiation in teaching as how teachers consider students' needs while planning and delivering instruction.

Tomlinson identified four important areas for consideration when designing a differentiated classroom experience:

Content

Process

Product

Environment

Content

Teachers can differentiate according to the content presented to students. This often starts in primary schools. Students complete tasks in small groups based on their ability.

At this stage, teachers normally employ flexible groupings. They may move students to different tables depending on the subject (e.g. mathematics or English). Similarly, students receive different reading books based on their reading ability or familiarity with English language.

In secondary school, differentiation takes the form of streaming or setting. Students work in groups for whole lessons based on their ability and prior knowledge. Even within the same room, it is possible to differentiate content. For example, students complete different worksheets after the same initial instruction. This often occurs through extension work for the most able students or those who complete core work ahead of others.

Differentiation by content is also referred to as differentiation by task. Students receive different activities based on their prior knowledge or ability.

A disadvantage to low-ceiling approaches is that some students are denied access to more challenging tasks. Perhaps because they are not in the 'top' group. It is difficult to identify students' potential when they lack the opportunity to show what they are capable of.

This method of differentiation is damaging to students' self-esteem if they know they are completing easier work than their peers.

Process

Process refers to how teachers structure their lessons so students can work at different rates or access different content. It may mean developing a routine which allows some students to begin work ahead of others. The teacher thenprovides further explanation, small group support, or delivers extension material.

Alternatively, students learn the same content but in separate classrooms, with different teachers and different activities. Some teachers opt for an enquiry-based model of delivery which allows all students to work at their own pace. This approach tends to be more effective for highly able students.

In general, explicit instruction is more effective, particularly for novice learners.

Product

Differentiation as a result of product is also referred to as differentiation by outcome. Students receive the same instruction and content as each other but produce different work.

This approach gives all students the same opportunities to succeed and access higher grades. For this reason, it is an approach most suited to mixed ability groups and subjects that are skills based.

All students experience the same instruction and complete the same task. But how much of the task they complete and to what level depends on the student's ability. For example, a teacher asks students to write a paragraph in French about their hobbies. Some students will write two sentences in the present tense containing some error. Some will write two or three sentences in one tense with fewer errors. Others will write five or six sentences in two or more tenses.

The benefit of differentiation by outcome is that they are low-threshold, high-ceiling tasks. Teacher expectations do not limit students.

Environment

This aspect of differentiation is possibly the most important but easiest to overlook. The goal of differentiation is to meet the needs of every student in a classroom to maximise their attainment.

It is easy to see how the role of instruction, task, and outcome can contribute to students' attainment. But, teachers must also ensure that the classroom environment is conducive to learning and meeting the needs of all learners.

A positive learning environment is likely to have the following qualities:

Students feel safe to ask questions and make mistakes

Teachers manage behaviour effectively

Students receive the help they need; from a teacher, peer, or other source

The room is free from distractions

Students are supportive of each other

Positive relationships between staff and students

Access to resources

Ongoing formative assessment identifies students' needs

Teachers' expertise and pedagogy enable them to support all students

The benefits of differentiation in teaching

Differentiation benefits not only students but teachers too. Meeting the needs of every student in an academically diverse classroom:

When teachers prioritise differentiation, their classroom practice improves and they create more learning opportunities for every student. This makes it more feasible to have mixed ability groups. Research on mixed ability grouping vs ability grouping shows mixed abilities are beneficial to students who would be in a 'lower' or 'foundation' group.

Differentiation encourages the use of ongoing assessment such as formative assessment to identify students' needs. It ensures the use of appropriate teaching strategies and learning activities to meet every student's needs.

Challenges associated with differentiation in teaching

With 30 plus students, it is difficult to identify the plethora of learning needs within a whole class. It is more difficult to determine how to differentiate instruction to meet everyone's needs, particularly with larger groups of students.

Differentiation in teaching requires ongoing formative assessment. Often, this incorporates diagnostic questions to identify the needs of each student and subject-specific pedagogy to determine the best approach to move learning forward.

Classroom management also presents its challenges when using differentiated instruction. Managing students working on different tasks or having small groups of students working independently while another group is working with the teacher can be difficult to manage, especially for newly qualified teachers.

To help to maintain a positive learning environment:

How can educators differentiate in teaching?

There are many differentiation strategies. The most appropriate depends on the age and ability of students within the class and the topic taught.

Here are ten examples of effective differentiation in teaching.

Flexible grouping

Arrange students into small groups within the classroom so that they are working with students of similar abilities. The groupings may change depending on the topic or subject. Classroom seating should accommodate flexible groupings and allow students to change seats when required.

With flexible grouping, the activities each group completes can be set at different levels.

Streaming

Separate students into different classes according to their prior knowledge and differentiate by processes such as teaching strategies and content.

This approach is popular in mathematics when students follow separate courses such as foundation and higher GCSE.

Group work

Select students with different strengths to work together during group work so they are able to support each other.

Set the same task for each group and differentiate by outcome. Each pupil will contribute to the activity to the best of their ability and possibly in different ways.

Learning objectives

Use differentiated lesson objectives to allow all learners to be successful. 'Must, Should, Could' and 'All, Most, Some' are common ways to present differentiated learning objectives. For example:

Small group interventions

Use formative assessment examples to check prior knowledge and identify students who would benefit from short-term intervention activities to address any gaps in knowledge.

Interventions are an effective teaching strategy to catch students up, but best carried out outside of class time. For example, if a child needs a math intervention, try not to pull them out of the maths lesson. Interventions should be additional teaching, not instead of high-quality first teaching.

Homework

Students are set homework tasks based on their ability or every student receives the same homework with three or more levels of difficulty. Students choose the appropriate option.

The former option means that all students can attempt the most challenging questions set on their homework. With the latter option, while students can choose which challenge they attempt, teachers can also suggest which questions individual students should try first.

Scaffolding

Differentiation in teaching can happen through tasks. Provide students with different levels of scaffolding following whole-class teaching.

A simple way to create scaffolded worksheets in maths is to use partially worked examples. As learners become more secure in their understanding, decrease the number of steps included.

Effective questioning is another form of scaffolding for differentiation in teaching. Teachers aim less challenging questions at lower ability students and harder, more challenging questions at higher ability children.

Not only does this differentiate work for students, it allows all students to participate in a safe learning environment.

Tiered worksheets

Present students with a worksheet containing increasingly difficult questions to differentiate the task. The teacher can decide whether all students must work through the sheet from the beginning and get as far as possible, differentiation by outcome. Or whether different groups of students start at different parts of the sheet, differentiation by task.

Flipped learning

Flipped learning is a teaching strategy that requires students to learn the content independently ahead of the lesson. Usually, students watch videos or read material. Students then spend time with the teacher interacting with the new content in different ways, including:

Flipped learning can aid differentiation in the following ways:

Differentiation in different subjects

In the same way that effective teaching methods vary according to the topic, differentiated teaching varies between subjects.

Skills-based subjects, such as English, are likely to favour differentiation by outcome. All students complete the same activity but with different lists of success criteria.

For content-based subjects such as mathematics, teachers are more likely to use differentiation by task. For example, answering a different set of questions, or streaming and teaching separate topics.

Differentiation myths

Many myths are associated with differentiation in teaching. Here a few differentiation myths are debunked.

Self-directed learning

Differentiation does not mean that students must direct their learning. Differentiation can occur in student-led activities or enquiry-based learning, but not limited to these conditions.

Teacher-led differentiation in response to ongoing formative assessment is most successful. Explicit instruction is a perfectly valid form of differentiated teaching.

Learning styles

Teaching the same topic in different ways to address students' preferred learning style is not a form of differentiation. There is no research evidence to suggest students who are 'kinesthetic learners' learn more effectively through hands-on and interactive activities. Similarly, direct instruction is not always best for 'auditory learners'.

Learning styles are students' preferred method of learning, but this does not mean they are the most effective method. It is much more important that teachers use the topic (and subject) they are teaching to inform decisions about pedagogy.

Learning profiles based on student interests or preferences can be useful when encouraging students to engage in different activities. But, they should determine students' learning needs. Formative assessment is a much more effective way of achieving this.

Special Education Needs

While differentiation such as using coloured paper for students with dyslexia is likely required for students with special education needs, differentiation is relevant to all pupils. The purpose of differentiation is to meet the needs of every student in the class, not just those with special educational needs.

In addition to special education needs such as dyslexia, ASD, or dyscalculia, students can also require differentiation to address gaps in prior knowledge, attainment level, a physical disability, or poor well-being in certian subjects such as maths anxiety.

Bloom's Taxonomy

Bloom suggested the following categories of educational goals:

However, he never intended that this list of skills would present as hierarchical or sequential. While the categories provide a useful framework for differentiating activities, do not assume that the 'higher levels' are reserved for students of a higher ability. Nor are the 'lower levels' are a prerequisite for the higher ones.

Tips to help teachers achieve effective differentiation

Focus on the goal of differentiation: to meet the individual needs of all students.

Use ongoing formative assessments, such as exit tickets and hinge questions, to check students' understanding and assess prior knowledge.

Consider the range of teaching strategies and activities that are most appropriate based on the content taught and the students in the classroom.

Vary the differentiation methods used across the term or semester to identify those most beneficial.

Consider varying the learning objectives, especially for mixed ability students, and use formative assessment that directly measures progress towards these objectives.

Encourage students to work at their highest level and teach them to appreciate that this will vary depending on the subject or topic.

Use flipped learning wherever possible to preserve lesson time to support students to consolidate and applying the new material.

Watching colleagues teaching and sharing best practice are both valuable forms of professional development that can help promote differentiation.

Senior leaders must support teachers to grow their repertoire of differentiated instruction strategies and provide time for them to work with other colleagues or attend professional development courses.

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A Teacher's Guide To Using Effective Differentiation In Teaching

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Differentiation in teaching is an approach to teaching and learning that modifies instruction to meet the needs of individual students.

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Communication is key in the classroom: successful teaching is generally considered to require only 50% knowledge to 50% communication skills. As a result, a teacher should be proficient in all four modes of communication - listening, speaking, reading, and writing - and should know how to utilise this proficiency effectively in a school environment. Being able to do this has been proven to impact the success students achieve in their academic lives, as well as the teacher's own career success.

In this article, we will outline the reasons why classroom communication has such importance. You will also learn some of the strategies you can use to help you and your students attain your best outcomes.

Why is it Important for Teachers to Have Effective Communication Skills?

Teachers benefit from good communication skills in three different areas: when communicating with students, with parents, and with colleagues.

Communicating with Students

Communication skills are most vital for interactions with students, because the act of teaching itself requires them. In your role, you are responsible for comprehending and breaking down complex information, conveying this information clearly to your students (both verbally and in written resources), presenting in a manner that sustains their attention, and listening to and resolving their questions or problems.

You are also required to adapt content for different learning styles, motivate students to learn, build supportive relationships using encouragement and empathy, manage the classroom, and give feedback - making your classroom a safe and supportive learning environment. All of these things require good communication skills.

The better your communication skills, the more effectively you can perform these tasks. In turn, your students will make more academic progress. Studies have found that the success of students is directly related to interactive, engaging teaching environments formed by able teachers (see Mashburn et al., 2008). Additionally, the way that you communicate with your students can positively affect their perceptions of school, their role in the classroom, themselves and their abilities, and their motivation to succeed (see Dobbs & Arnold, 2009).

However, this works both ways: poor communication skills - and thus poor methods of teaching - causes students' comprehension levels to drop, and may affect their academic progress negatively. It could also lead to students lacking motivation, disliking school, and believing themselves to be unable to achieve. This could have consequences for the rest of their lives.

Therefore, effective communication between teachers and students is extremely important. It allows you to perform your job well, with positive results for your pupils. An added benefit is that your class can use you as a model for improving their own communication skills, which are critical for their development and future learning.

Effective coaching and mentoring can help boost your communication with students as you focus on three key areas: foundations, principles and practice.

Explore how to coach with consistency and plan for an effective mentoring session with our Coaching and Mentoring course which has been designed to give you the practical skills needed to get started with your successful teaching career.

Communicating with Parents

As a teacher, you will also need to communicate effectively with parents. This could take place through a variety of mediums, including phone calls, emails, and in-person meetings, so you must be skilled with both verbal and written language.

This is particularly important because you will often have to discuss sensitive subjects - such as behaviour issues, learning problems, and the student's strengths and weaknesses - without making the parent feel confused or defensive. It is vital that you are clear, but tactful, at all times. Failing to communicate well with parents could lead to doubts on their part about your ability to teach, and possible complaints, as well as a lack of understanding of their child's performance and educational needs.

Communicating with Colleagues

Teaching does not always involve independent work - it also requires collaboration. Whether you are planning lessons together, updating your colleagues on certain students' progress, or sharing tips about how to handle issues in the classroom, good communication skills will be of use to you.

You might also utilise these skills in staff meetings and training sessions - being able to lead meetings, present in front of varied audiences, and give feedback to other staff could illustrate to your colleagues and superiors that you are a good candidate for promotion.

As we have demonstrated, there are many reasons why effective communication skills are imperative in a teaching career. In the next section, we will give you some strategies to improve your communication in the classroom.

Strategies for Effective Communication in the Classroom

What we classify as 'good' or 'effective' communication depends on the context. When you are presenting in front of the class, you will use different strategies than when you are facilitating a group discussion, or speaking to a student one-to-one.

Here, we will suggest eight strategies that are applicable to each of the contexts that you may encounter.

1. Create a safe learning environment with supportive relationships

It has been proven that supportive relationships between students and teachers have a positive impact on class engagement, participation, and the students' achievements. It has even been suggested that these supportive relationships may negate the tendency for low-income students to have poorer school outcomes (see O'Connor & McCartney, 2007).

This is because, when students feel supported, they are more comfortable expressing their own thoughts and ideas in class discussions, attempting challenges, and asking when they need help. Higher levels of engagement and participation then lead to better developed knowledge and greater achievement.

A supportive learning environment is built using communication: you should get to know your students well, and show them that they are safe from judgement or humiliation in your classroom. It is a good idea to learn students' names early in the year, and use them often. Have an open-door policy for students to come and talk to you about any issues, and be empathic and caring when you interact with them at all times: don't tell them off for not understanding and don't ridicule their thoughts and ideas.

Additionally, you should recognise that some students don't feel comfortable talking in front of the class. If you do ask them to participate, you could use scaffolding (such as sentence starters) to make them feel safer doing so. However, forced participation is usually unnecessary: it is likely that quieter students have excellent listening skills, and are learning just as much, despite not sharing their own thoughts.

2. More teamwork

Teamwork and group discussions contribute to making the classroom a more comfortable environment. By working in small groups, students are able to share their ideas more easily, and improve their own communication skills. These activities also give them a good opportunity to ask you questions and get feedback on their work, leading to effective communication between you, better understanding of the lesson, and academic benefits.

You could also try to improve your communication skills through teamwork with your colleagues. Planning more lessons together, sharing ideas, and problem-solving together will develop the way that you interact.

3. Body language

Communication is not only verbal, but also non-verbal: you should ensure that the signals you are giving out through your body language are positive, confident, and engaging.

For example, making eye contact with students when you are talking to them shows that you are being supportive and attentive. Making eye contact is also important when you are presenting to the whole class - it motivates everyone to pay attention, which helps them to learn, as well as making them feel involved. In order to make more eye contact, you may have to learn your lesson content more thoroughly in advance, so that you don't have to look away to read your notes.

As you teach, you should use gestures to emphasise your words. This increases the interactivity of the lesson, making it more visually interesting and hence, more memorable. Keep your arms open - do not fold them - and use smiles, nods, and thumbs up to encourage students when they participate. Moving around the classroom while you teach can help to remove the barrier between you and your students, and gives them less opportunity to zone out or get distracted.

Body language is also important when dealing with negative behaviour. To avoid being confrontational, ensure that you don't stand directly above or in front of a student, point, or invade their personal space. It may be effective to get down to their level and talk quietly about their behaviour, or speak to them outside the classroom, to avoid drawing too much attention. Remember that students' behaviour is also a form of communication, and think about what it is telling you.

You can find out more about dealing with challenging behaviour from our dedicated article: ' How to Deal with Challenging Behaviour in the Classroom '.

4. Active listening

The 'listening' component of communication should not be overlooked - over 60% of all misunderstandings result from poor listening (Caruso, Colombi, & Tebbit, 2017).

Practising good listening in the classroom can benefit you in two ways. Firstly, you will be a model for your students, who will improve their own listening skills, and thus retain lessons better. Secondly, by using active listening, you can correct misunderstandings and extend learning, resulting in a better education for your students.

Active listening involves listening carefully to what your students say, checking that you have understood them correctly (for example, repeating back to them what you think they have said), building on their ideas, and challenging or questioning them. It is the best approach to use to foster understanding in the classroom, and is an excellent example of effective communication.

5. Feedback

Feedback is also an important component of communication in the classroom. There have been many studies focusing on feedback in recent years. It has been shown that positive feedback (i.e. praise) builds students' confidence - making them more likely to believe that they can succeed - and helps to create a supportive environment and increase academic success.

You can also use positive feedback to modify students' behaviour: for example, praising a student for having their hand up is likely to cause the students around them to stop 'shouting out' and copy this behaviour, in order to be praised themselves (Howell, Caldarella, Korth, & Young, 2014).

However, positive feedback can be detrimental to learning if it is used without being deserved, or too frequently (Cannella, 1986). Phrases such as 'good job' or 'beautiful' may not motivate students, because they do not understand what they are specifically being praised for, while over-praising can cause children to lack interest in situations where they are not being praised (e.g. Howell et al., 2014). As a result, you should give specific, deserved positive feedback - use the student's name, explicitly state what they are doing right, and thank them enthusiastically.

Negative feedback is used more often in the classroom than positive feedback, and many researchers have argued that this should not be the case. While negative feedback can help students to improve - for example, by changing their behaviour, or trying harder at a task (Conroy et al., 2014) - it does also contribute to conflictual relationships with students (e.g. Allen et al., 2013). It has also been suggested that it can cause lower levels of academic success (e.g. Wu et al., 2010).

These disadvantages are compounded by the fact that the negative feedback is not always successful - students tend to continue the behaviour despite negative feedback around 20% of the time - and it tends to decrease students' motivation and interest in a task (e.g. Spilt et al., 2016). Other consequences include decreased self-worth, which impacts children's academic success (e.g. Harter, 2012).

As such, you should ensure that you use negative feedback only sparingly; for general classroom management, using positive feedback to illustrate the behaviour that you want to see is much more effective. In situations where you do have to use negative feedback, you should explicitly address the behaviour you want to stop, give an explanation why (e.g. 'don't do that. I don't think it is safe'), allow the student to think about morality (e.g. 'are you doing the right thing?'), or use a simple form of 'no' (e.g. 'no', 'mm mm'). These techniques increase the effectiveness of negative feedback, and decrease any detrimental impact that it might have.

Finally, you should give students the opportunity to give you feedback on your lessons or teaching styles. This shows that you value their opinion, increases communication between you, and helps you to improve your teaching and their learning.

6. Sense of humour

The use of humour in the classroom has been found to increase learning, self-motivation, and positive relationships between students and teachers (see Segrist & Hupp, 2015). It allows you to establish a rapport with your class, and keep them interested in the lesson.

For example, you might tell jokes or funny anecdotes, give light-hearted personal examples, or laugh at students' own jokes. However, you should ensure that you don't use negative humour - where you demean or embarrass students - or humour that is either irrelevant to the lesson, disturbing, violent, sexual, or forced. Only continue to use humour that has received a positive response from the class (such as laughing).

7. Technical skills

Using up-to-date teaching aids such as computers, videos, and online resources is another way to keep students engaged and reinforce their understanding. It can also increase the effectiveness of your communication with students with different learning styles, who may benefit more from online resources than more old-fashioned ones. Try to work some of these aids into your lessons on a regular basis.

8. Be clear

Good communication - and good teaching - is about understanding and being understood. For this reason, you should always be clear and unambiguous, and adapt your words to your audience. Think about this while writing lesson plans (ensure that you break complex ideas down into simple, logical parts for your audience to understand), but also while you interact with the children after presenting the lesson. For example, you may wish to check that your teaching was clear by asking your students questions, or requesting summaries of the lesson in their own words.

When you ask your students questions, use appropriate scaffolding to ensure that they understand exactly what you are asking. If you teach in a primary school, your students' language abilities won't yet be fully developed. Closed questions (eliciting yes/no responses), forced alternatives (such as 'is he angry or happy?'), and sentence starters (e.g. 'a noun is...') are most effective for communicating with younger children. For older children, open-ended questions (such as 'how do you think...' or 'tell me about...') allow them to extend their thinking and develop their problem-solving skills.
The importance of effective communication in the classroom should not be underestimated - it can have an impact on your students' academic progress, feelings of self-worth, perceptions of school, and your own career. Using communication strategies like the ones we have detailed above could allow you to become a more successful teacher who better meets your students' needs.
Further Resources:

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Effective Communication in the Classroom: Skills for Teachers

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Communication is key in the classroom: successful teaching is generally considered to require only 50% knowledge to 50% communication skills. As a result, a teacher should be proficient in all four modes of communication - listening, speaking, reading, and writing - and should know how to utilise this proficiency effectively in a school environment.

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Today, teachers play a multifaceted role that goes beyond traditional classroom instruction. They're mentors, councilors, curriculum designers, technology integrators, examination experts, and more- all in a bid to support students' holistic development.

To meet the diverse needs of students and navigate through the intricacies of modern education systems, teachers must embrace professional development( PD) .

Professional development courses offer a pathway for you to continually refine your skills, adapt to emerging trends, and, ultimately, provide a superior learning experience for your students. You remain current with the evolving educational methods, technology, and pedagogical research.

In this comprehensive guide, we will explore the best professional development for educators to empower you at every stage of your teaching career.

What Are Professional Development Courses?

Professional development (PD) courses encompass a wide range of structured learning experiences designed to enhance a teacher's proficiency in various aspects of education. PD courses go beyond traditional academic training and focus on practical skills, pedagogical strategies, and innovative approaches that you can directly apply in the classroom.

Professional development can take various forms, including workshops, seminars, online courses, conferences, mentorship programs, etc. The goal is to equip educators with the knowledge and tools they need to foster a conducive learning environment and support the academic growth of their students.

That said, professional development is not a one-size-fits-all endeavor. It is highly adaptable and can be tailored to suit individual teachers' specific needs and aspirations.

Whether you're a seasoned educator looking to stay at the cutting edge of educational practices or a novice teacher eager to build a strong foundation, there's a professional development course suited for you. You can take a PD course online, enroll in an in-school program, study while you work, or even take a break from the classroom and advance your education with a course.

Taking a professional development course offers you benefits even beyond your teaching career. These include:

You enhance your teaching skills and become more effective in the classroom, leading to better student outcomes.

You become more adaptable to new technologies and more innovative.

PD gives you personal and professional growth, giving you a sense of accomplishment and fulfillment.

You can network and collaborate with your peers, gaining better insights, resources, and best practices in education.

You get career advancement opportunities within the field of education.

Professional development requirements can vary significantly from one state or school district to another. What may be considered a valid PD activity in one region may not carry the same weight in another. It's important to familiarize yourself with your preferred state's requirements for professional development.

Additionally, you should note that completing professional development courses differs from certification.

Research the licensure and certification requirements for your state career goals and local conditions to ensure you're on the right path toward achieving your professional aspirations. Find out how long you'll need for a certain course or how many courses you need to take, and continuously check the changes in your school district that may involve PD courses.

Best Professional Development Courses

Selecting the right professional development course can be a daunting task, given the abundance of options available. To ease your decision-making process, we've compiled a list of highly recommended professional development courses for teachers.

Here are the ten best professional development courses for teachers:

is a leading provider of online professional development skills for educators. The institution offers a diverse range of courses covering topics such as technology integration, classroom management, and differentiated instruction.

Here's what makes Simple K12 stand as a preferred provider for PD courses for educators:

Conveniently accessible PD courses that are available online.

Certificates on completion.

Specialized in education technology, which is crucial in today's digital age.

Wide range of topics to cater for different levels of expertise and subject areas.

Experienced instructors and experts in the field of education, ensuring the quality and relevance to their courses.

Interactive learning experiences such as webinars, forums, and discussions.

A great community for networking, sharing ideas, and collaborating with peers.

Simple K12 offers over 1,500 on-demand training courses across various topics, K-12 grade levels, and subject areas. Their training options include virtual workshops, on-demand training sessions, virtual sessions, and other learning resources. You learn in an engaging and interactive way and collaborate with your peers across the world.

Examples of courses offered by Simple K12 include classroom management, Gamification & game-based learning, Career and Technical Education, etc.

2- 40 Hour Teacher Workweek

Created by Angela Watson, a former classroom teacher, the 40-Hour Teacher Workweek program focuses on time management and productivity strategies for educators.

This course provides practical solutions to help teachers reclaim their work-life balance, reduce stress, and increase their effectiveness in the classroom.

Here's what makes the 40 Hour Teacher Workweek program standout:

The 40-Hour Teacher Workweek offers training in PDF and audio formats. You can read or listen to their course content. You also get a library of resources in printable material and templates to help you with your learning.

Examples of skills you can learn with this course include time-blocking for teachers, stress-reduction strategies for educators, and classroom organization.

EdWeb offers a vibrant online community and professional learning network for educators. Their platform hosts a wide array of webinars, discussions, and courses on diverse educational topics.

Here's what makes EdWeb stand out:

A collaborative learning environment for educators.

Teachers can connect with peers, share insights, and gain valuable perspectives from a global community of educators. E.g., you can collaborate with teachers in Germany, Switzerland, and the UK and broaden your scope.

Flexible EdWebinars that can be viewed either live or as recordings at any time, providing learning flexibility.

EdWeb offers training in different options such as webinars, courses, workshops, and professional learning communities. You can get live and on-demand webinars and collaborate with their online community of educators.

Some notable courses on EdWeb include "Creating a Positive School Culture" and "Innovative Strategies for Student Engagement."

4. Negotiating Learner Differences

This course, offered by Dr. William Cope of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, focuses on inclusive teaching strategies to address diverse learning needs in the classroom. It equips educators with practical tools and techniques to create an inclusive and supportive learning environment. By understanding and accommodating various learning styles and preferences, you can enhance the educational experience for all students.

Here's what makes the Negotiating learner differences stand out:

It only takes 15 hours, enabling you to complete it fast.

The course is available online and can be taken conveniently at your own pace.

A certificate is offered after completion.

The Negotiating Learner Differences is offered through Coursera, and the format is online. Therefore, you have to log in to the platform to access the course content and material.

5- Teaching Practical Science in Secondary/High School

Teaching Practical Science is a valuable resource for enhancing the delivery of practical science lessons for science teachers. Participating in this course gives you the expertise to create engaging and memorable science lessons.

The very practical and hands-on nature of this course is a welcome break from most educational approaches, which are heavy on theory and light on practice, leaving the students raw and unprepared for the organizational demands of the world out there.

Teaching Practical Science in Secondary/High School course stands out against its competition because it offers:

The course covers effective lab management, hands-on experiments, and strategies to foster a love for science among secondary/high school students.

6- Becoming a Better Teacher

Becoming a Better Teacher is offered by the British Council. The course is designed to empower educators with comprehensive teaching skills. It takes about 6 weeks, and a certificate is provided on completion.

Here's what makes the Becoming a Better Teacher: Exploring Professional Development course stand out:

This course is offered through a platform in written and video format.

The course covers pedagogical techniques, classroom management strategies, and innovative approaches to instruction.

7- Teaching in University Science Laboratories

Teaching in University Science Laboratories is a specialized course that focuses on improving science laboratory teaching in higher education. This specialized course caters to educators involved in university-level science education.

It provides insights into effectively managing laboratory sessions, facilitating hands-on experiments, and promoting a safe learning environment. By mastering the art of teaching in science laboratories, educators can inspire a new generation of scientists and researchers.

Here's what makes the course stand out:

The course offers a comprehensive content of 7 modules that cover various aspects of improving laboratory classes in higher education.

Provides practical strategies to enhance student engagement and probe their understanding of laboratory practices.

It emphasizes professional development and was developed by ECTN (European Chemistry Thematic Network, making it highly relevant for educators in the field.

The Teaching in University Science Laboratories is offered through Coursera in different formats like video content and reading material.

Class Central is a valuable platform that aggregates a wide range of online courses from various providers, including renowned universities and educational organizations.

Teachers can explore courses on subjects ranging from STEM education to language instruction.

Here's what makes Class Central unique in professional development courses for teachers:

Class Central courses are offered in video format, which is accompanied by explainer written content, helping you to learn conveniently.

Some PD courses for teachers on the platform include the Uncommon Sense Teaching, the Bridging Distance and In-School Learning - Blended Learning, and much more.

Ed2Go is an online education platform offering a diverse online course catalog for educators seeking to expand their skill sets.

From instructional design to classroom technology integration, Ed2Go provides a comprehensive selection of professional development options. With flexible schedules and expert-led instruction, teachers can enhance their teaching practices at their own pace.

Some key features that set Ed2Go apart include:

Ed2Go offers training in an online, self-paced format, which includes videos and other formats.

Some noteworthy courses from Ed2Go include "Effective Classroom Management Strategies" and "Integrating Technology in the Classroom for Beginners.

10- The Foundation of Teaching for Learning

This course, offered by Professor John Macbeath, is a foundational resource for educators at all stages of their careers. It delves into the principles of effective teaching, covering topics such as lesson planning, assessment strategies, and student engagement techniques.

The Foundation of Teaching for Learning PD course is available on Coursera, and you can log in to the platform to access the pre-recorded content.

This course helps you master the core elements of teaching and can create a positive and impactful learning experience for your students.

How to Choose the Right Professional Development Course

Professional development is a continuous process that helps you refine your skills, adapt to new educational paradigms, and, ultimately, make a lasting impact on your students. You should actively look out for PD courses to stay up-to-date and relevant in your field.

Professional development can include training courses, degree programs, certifications, or even connecting with a mentor who can help you navigate your teaching career.

Here are tips on how you can choose the right professional development course for you:

Identify your professional goals to help you narrow down to the most relevant courses and programs.

Consider your teaching context. Consider factors such as grade level, subject area, and any unique challenges you face in your teaching environment.

Look out for reviews and recommendations.

Examine the course content and format to ensure it resonates with your learning preferences. Do you prefer online lessons, hands-on workshops, or instructor-led lessons?

Verify accreditation and certification by your state's board of education.

Evaluate the expertise of the instructors and consider courses led by knowledgeable educators or subject matter experts with a track record of success in their education.

Consider accessibility and flexibility to avoid disrupting your day-to-day schedule. Also, check if the course materials and resources are easily accessible and user-friendly.

Compare the cost of the course with the value you expect. How comprehensive is the content, and what level of expertise does it offer?

With professional development courses, you improve your teaching skills, remain updated with emerging trends in education, and improve your job satisfaction.

Improve Your Teaching Career With Teachers of Tomorrow

As an educator, investing in your professional development demonstrates a commitment to personal growth and a dedication to giving your students the best possible learning experiences.

For the last 18 years, we've helped thousands of individuals become teachers with alternative teacher certification. If you don't have a teaching degree, you can become a teacher with the alternative route within a shorter duration.

We can also help you enhance your teaching skills, meet the set regulatory requirements, and adapt your skillset to diverse needs. For example, you'll learn topics like inclusion, cultural competency, differentiated instructions, and much more.

Join Teachers of Tomorrow now, get your certification, and also network with your peers and our alumni to share resources and exchange and improve your job satisfaction.

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10 Best Professional Development Courses for Teachers in 2023 | Teachers of Tomorrow

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Today, teachers play a multifaceted role that goes beyond traditional classroom instruction. They're mentors, councilors, curriculum designers, technology

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Effective Classroom Communication: Best Practices for Teachers • Teachers Institute

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Effective communication in the classroom is a crucial skill for teachers to master. It’s the backbone of student engagement, understanding, and ultimately,

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5 Keys to Successful Professional Development 

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Meaningful PD provides teachers with choice and interactive, targeted learning opportunities.

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Prep for class with comprehensive, teacher-created lesson plans. Ideas for differentiation mean these free lesson plans make learning fun for every student.