# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
About the webinar

What is a challenging learner? Why do some learners challenge us more than others? How can we understand challenging behaviour in a different way so that we can teach these learners better in the classroom? Recorded in 2011, this webinar addresses these questions and explains the effects of loss, trauma, violence and neglect on the brain, learning and behaviour.

About the speaker

Marie Delaney is Director of The Learning Harbour, Cork, Ireland. She is a teacher, trainer and Educational Psychotherapist with many years of experience of working with school management, staff and pupils around challenging behaviour.

Watch a recording of the webinar below

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Marie Delaney: Dealing with challenging learners

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
What is a challenging learner? Why do some learners challenge us more than others? How can we understand challenging behaviour in a different way so that we can teach these learners better in the classroom? Recorded in 2011, this webinar addresses these questions and explains the effects of loss, trauma, violence and neglect on the brain, learning and behaviour.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
About the webinar

Do your students get enough speaking practice in class? In this webinar Tracey looks at simple ways to turn any activity into a speaking activity in the Primary classroom. You'll also explore fun and motivating ways to help your students improve their pronunciation, expression and build their confidence when speaking.

About the speaker

Tracey Chapelton is from Melbourne, Australia, and has been living in Madrid since 2000. She started her teaching career over 25 years ago as a volunteer English tutor for migrants to Australia and she's been teaching languages ever since. She loves the creative aspects of teaching and learning and for the past 15 years she has extended her classroom experience to the areas of materials writing and teacher development. Her publications include Monster Phonics, a child-friendly approach to teaching letters and sounds to Spanish speaking children (ANAYA 2013), Twinkles, a story-based early years programme (ANAYA, 2012), CLIL textbooks for Primary (ANAYA, Macmillan, OUPE), and materials writing for the British Council (Early Years and Primary). She works at the British Council, Villaviciosa de Odón, Madrid and is one of the lead educators on British Council's English in Early Childhood: Language Learning and Development MOOC.

Useful links

Watch a recording of the webinar below

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Speaking practice in the primary classroom

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Do your students get enough speaking practice in class? In this webinar Tracey looks at simple ways to turn any activity into a speaking activity in the Primary classroom. You'll also explore fun and motivating ways to help your students improve their pronunciation, expression and build their confidence when speaking.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
"John just took my train! I had it first."

How many times do our children run up to us to share a grievance toward another child? Generally these complaints involve rules that have been broken. We spend a lot of time teaching our kids "the rules" - use your inside voice, share your toys with your friends, keep your hands to yourself, etc. The list goes on. It's natural for a child (and even us adults) to want to call attention to perceived rule breaking, but "Do not tattle" can also become a new rule for your child to follow.

Why rules work

Rules are important because kids tend to be egocentric, focused on their own experiences and perspectives. It can be difficult for a young child to put himself in another child's shoes and think about the way his actions affect that child.

For this reason, it's much more effective to tell your young son that he needs to let his friend have a turn using his toy rather than explaining to him that his friend is feeling disappointed because he'd like a turn. Even though your child may see that John is upset that he hasn't had a chance to play with the toy, he will more easily understand that John should get a turn because sharing is the rule.

While empathy and perspective taking are incredibly important, these vital skills cannot be learned before a child is ready, and therefore do not govern behavior until a child is older, has internalized social mores and cares more deeply about making his friend happy. So, until your child begins to develop empathy skills, guidance and rules are the most effective methods of keeping order. Tattling can become one of those rules, even if it's a tricky one to master.

Read More: Teaching Kids About Boundaries

Why kids tattle

Rules work well with young children because their cognitive and moral development allows for mastering a set of simple instructions, and they are motivated to receive praise from adults for following them. For these reasons, kids usually believe it's the right thing to do to tattle on kids who break the rules. Kids may even think that they are being helpful when they tattle, and might expect praise for it. Tattling is a natural response to learning about rules, but your child can learn that it is not necessary in every rule-breaking situation.

Keep in mind too that sometimes children tattle for other reasons beyond rule breaking, such as getting attention from grownups or because they want a peer to get in trouble. This leads to a complicated situation: Children need an explicit rule not to tattle on other children ... and an understanding that we do want them to report some rule violations to adults. We should always keep in mind how illogical this may seem to young children when we start thinking a child should intuitively know when to tell and when not to tattle.

When is it tattling?

A child who has been drilled to follow rules takes them very seriously, leading them to tattling on friends and siblings no matter how minor the misbehavior. However, there are some simple ways to help your child understand the difference between tattling and alerting a grownup when an important rule is being broken.
1. Understand the difference
Tattling is reporting a peer's wrongdoing, when the situation is safe and the child can handle it herself.

Telling is alerting adults that the situation is not safe and/or your child needs help managing the situation.

Tattling to get a peer in trouble can be mean-spirited.

Telling to protect a peer from harm is civic-minded or showing concern for others.
2. Give children tools and words
Children may be able to solve a minor problem themselves if they can identify the problem and use their words effectively to express their frustrations. As tattling/telling situations arise, talk through the moment with your child and help him or her figure out ways to approach a similar situation in the future. For example, if your child is being rushed at the water fountain, he can say, "It's my turn" to the child who is being impatient. If someone calls his friend an unkind name, he can say, "That's my friend. Don't talk to him like that!" But if it keeps happening, or the bully is a bigger kid or is being scary, then it's time to tell the teacher.
3. Give concrete examples
Tattling: "He touched my lunchbox!"

Telling: "She took my lunch!"

Tattling: "She took one of the blocks I wanted to use!"

Telling: "He pushed the block tower on top of me!"

In the tattling examples, neither scenario caused an unsafe situation and might have been solved if children used their words to talk through the problem. However, in both of the telling examples, there is potential for a harmful situation that would best be resolved by an adult - making sure each child was able to eat lunch and making sure no one was hurt from a falling block tower.
4. Give reminders
The first few times a child tattles, grownups should gently remind children of the difference between tattling and telling: tattling is not necessary, but telling is. "If someone is about to be hurt, tell me. If no one is being hurt, try to work it out among yourselves."

When children are young, tattling behavior can be effectively shaped by adults' responses to the tattling. A child who tattles can be reminded that the perceived rule breaking harmed no one and to return to play, whereas a child who tells can be rewarded for looking out for his peers. As children get older and continue developing social skills, they'll begin to use these social and problem-solving skills to avoid tattling, but also understand that being a good friend means involving adults when more help is needed.
This article first appeared on PBS Parents.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
"John just took my train! I had it first." How many times do our children run up to us to share a grievance toward another child? Generally these complaints involve rules that have been broken. We spend a lot of time teaching our kids "the rules" - use your inside voice, share your toys with your friends, keep your hands to yourself, etc.

# data[].attributes.body
Ideas... lots of ideas

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Owl Teacher - Take back your weekends without sacrificing quality teaching!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Take back your weekends without sacrificing quality teaching!

# data[].attributes.body
For teachers, parents & students

# data[].attributes.body
Useful strategies for your lessons

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Videos, Teaching Strategies And Lesson Plans For Teachers: Teaching Channel

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
For Common Core resources, teacher videos, strategies and lesson plans, go to Teaching Channel. Find great ideas and strategies in classroom teaching videos covering Math, Science, English, History and more.

# data[].attributes.body
Timer, traffic light, random name, noisy level... and more!

# data[].attributes.body
Assessing speaking

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Flip is a video discussion and sharing app, free from Microsoft.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Flip (formerly Flipgrid) is a video discussion and video sharing app, free from Microsoft, built for classrooms and beyond. Learn more.

# data[].attributes.body
T or F, Yes or No, Agree or Disagree

# data[].attributes.headline
The importance of rules in the classroom

# data[].attributes.subject
The importance of rules in the classroom

# data[].attributes.body
How do we set the rules?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
This is a really good place to start.

I really appreciate how most of the rules are worded in a positive way, as "Discipline with Dignity" was a great resource that suggested how rules should be stated with specific, positive, practical expectations. Sky7, I would strongly recommend reading that book, too. Within it, another thing was the student contract (shown above). My wife teaches hs here in China, & she has a syllabus now with expectations, rules, a semester schedule, consequences for specific rule breaks, grade breakdowns, etc. It has helped her tremendously, as she has followed throught with it as well and the students have gotten the hint.

Almost all of us are in various places teaching different grades, as I teach elementary English in China. Therefore, I have used a different, yet similar, management plan other then the sad/happy faces. Implemented are the class rules, steps of consequences that vary in severity, and a set time where the repercussions are reset. Since I teach a few classes every week with the same classes, I started out keep track (on a clipboard & a physical card system where Ss are involved) of how students did throughout the week. As the year went on, I transitioned the system to a monthly time length. The students were very responsive in a good way. It helped praising the positive with words of affirmation, high-fives, & quality time together outside of class.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This is a really good place to start. I really appreciate how most of the rules are worded in a positive way, as "Discipline with Dignity" was a great resource that suggested how rules should be stated with specific, positive, practical expectations. Sky7, I would strongly recommend reading that book, too.

# data[].attributes.body
Some activities...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
If you have a large class of pre-school aged kids, for example 45 three-year-olds, you can have the problem that not only do the games that work with older ages not work, but neither do the ones that work with smaller classes. Do not despair! Rather than throwing away all the ideas you have or [...]
If you have a large class of pre-school aged kids, for example 45 three-year-olds, you can have the problem that not only do the games that work with older ages not work, but neither do the ones that work with smaller classes. Do not despair! Rather than throwing away all the ideas you have or find in the teacher's book, you can easily adapt the 15 most popular pre-school English games and activities in smaller classes so that they become the most popular activities in large kindergarten classes too.

1. Actions
In order to reduce noise, bumping into furniture etc you can get them doing the actions sitting down (moving their legs as if they are jumping but without getting off their seats etc.), with one hand representing a person and doing the actions on the other hand (e.g. skiing down the other arm) or with plastic animals on the table.

2. Run and slap
If you can't get all the kids running towards the object or flashcard you said to try and touch it first (in case they trample each other or all go crashing through the window), you can line them up in two teams with each member of the team having a different number. You then say "Touch the whiteboard. Number three." and the students who are number three in each team run to try and touch it first, usually with the rest of their team shouting encouragement. Please note that this only works with students who are well over three years old. Other possibilities include racing to slap the right picture on their desks in pairs or groups, pretending to shoot the object that they would usually touch, or the teacher only nominating objects that are in easy reach of everyone such as socks or eraser.

3. Slap
As with "Run and slap", rather than having a set of flashcards on the floor that everyone races to slap and ending up with a huge bundle of fighting kids, you can give students the same flashcards photocopied onto an A3 sheet and let them play in pairs or threes if they are mature enough to cooperate in this way. If you can easily make several huge flashcards for each of the cues, e.g. three large pieces of red coloured card and three large pieces of green, and there is enough space, you can have students stepping on the cards rather than slapping them. A similar idea is to put the flashcards on the walls and let the students slap anywhere on that wall rather than on the card ("Stations", see below). Alternatively, you can get students to indicate which card they think it is in other ways such as shouting out which number it is in the row of cards on the board or pretending to shoot it.

4. Stories
Problems with large classes include not being able to see the book, not having enough room for everyone to sit on the floor near the teacher, and increased distractions stopping students paying attention. You can take away many of these problems by involving the kids all the way through the story, e.g. by getting them to guess the next page and drilling the word or sentence on each page. To improve visibility you can turn each page as you stand in a different part of the classroom, using a superlarge book (available but expensive) or photocopying and colouring at least some of the pages or characters from the book. Using a book the kids already know also helps.

5. Beach ball
Throwing and catching a beach ball while chanting the alphabet, counting, brainstorming vocabulary or asking and answering questions is lots of fun but can a problem in classes where students can't catch the ball and/ or won't have enough time to all catch it individually and so won't speak and will feel left out. Rolling rather than throwing can solve the first problem. The other problem can be solved by getting them to pass along the row of their team asking and answering the questions as a race, changing the game so that they try and avoid catching it (e.g. tag or dodge ball), do it as a pass the parcel type game with students only answering the questions when the music stops, or train them up so that there can be several balls or other objects being passed around the class at the same time. A good technique to use with any of these is to get the whole class chanting the question as often as possible, to give them more practice and keep them involved.

6. Asking personal questions
A few questions, such as "How are you?" and "How old are you" can be done chorally with just one or two answers. "What is your name?" can be done with the variations on "Beach ball" above, or with a puppet that everyone knows the name of.

7. Individual drilling
Picking on individual students to repeat something or answer questions can both make the other students turn off and make the others feel left out. You should always mix up choral and individual drilling, never getting more than two or three people to do individual drilling before moving back to the whole class. You can get their attention and make them feel less left out by adding an element of chance to who will speak, e.g. by spinning round and round with your finger out or by throwing a beach ball up high in the air. Please note that this is still likely to leave three-year-olds fighting for a turn! Another possibility is just to use small groups rather than individuals, e.g. everyone between your arms or all the boys.

8. Stations
As well as the usual problems of students running into each other or furniture as they run to touch the wall that represents the thing the teacher has just said, you also have the problem of most students just following each other rather than listening. Children can learn passively like this, so this doesn't have to be a huge problem as long as they do something to show they have understood once they arrive at the right place such as saying what is on the flashcard. This game can also be played in the same way as Run and Slap above with nominated students, or you can get them to illustrate which thing they heard by one of two or more things they can do without moving from their place, such as hands on head for "A" and touching your toes for "An".

9. Sticky ball/ target practice
In smaller classes, students can take turns trying to throw at the correct place on the board, e.g. to hit the back of the card the teacher has said. With larger classes you can get everyone involved by blindfolding one student and getting the whole class or their team shouting out "Up", "Down", "Left" or "Right" as they approach the board (they may as well touch the place with the sticky ball etc rather than throwing).

10. Tag
The usual problems of potential noise and injuries are even greater with this game, as screaming and diving under desks to get away are two standard parts of the game. One simple policy is to stop as soon as kids get over-excited. Another is to put off that moment a bit by having times when they must all freeze on the spot or everyone must move around in slower ways, e.g "Hop on your left leg". You can also reproduce some of the fun of tag in shorter bursts by, for example, getting students to run away from each other when you do the action for "spider" during animal vocab practice.

11. Letting kids touch realia
You can do this, but of course every child will not be able to touch every object. In early classes, hand out individual bits of plastic fruit etc just practising "Here you are", "Thank you". In future classes, work towards them handing them on to each other with the same language (giving any students who look left out some directly). You can then eventually move onto to students passing lots of stuff round asking other questions like "Do you like bananas?"

12. Colouring
Potential problems include not being able to help all the students who are having problems at the same time (and with younger students, not being able to take a look at their work and praise them individually), not being able to afford enough photocopies and wasting time giving out and taking back equipment. Solutions include doing colouring as a team game, with one student from each team racing to colour their picture on the board to the teacher's instructions as quickly as possible. With older students, it might also be possible to get them to work together in groups of three to five to colour one large picture.

13. Crafts
There are even more potential problems with this than with Colouring above, including injuries with unsupervised kids and the one kid who can't use scissors at all taking up all your attention as the other kids go wild. The best solution is just to stick to really simple things, e.g. giving them a piece of paper that is already the right shape to make a hat or telescope just by rolling and sticking it, and then giving out single pieces of sellotape while practising "Here you are", "Thank you" and possibly "Can I have some tape, please?" A whole class version is to give each student something you will need when making the thing and getting them to give it to you when you call out "The big blue scissors please".

14. Identifying something by feeling it
This is a nice way of getting students physically involved in guessing vocabulary that can't be done in a large class. The closest thing you can do is put the object such as a plastic animal in a bag you can't see through and slowly pull the bag tighter and tighter until the form becomes visible and guessable to the kids.

15. Rearranging
If you mix up the magnetic letters of a word or a set of vocabulary flashcards with their backs turned to the students it is very difficult for a whole large class to get involved in putting them back in order. One way is to get one student for each letter of the word up to the front of the class, get them to hold the flashcard with their letter on straight out in front of them so the class can see what letter it is but they cannot. The whole class or one team then shout out instructions of how they should move in order to put the letters into the right order to make the word.

Leave a comment

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
15 variations for large pre-school classes

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
If you have a large class of pre-school aged kids, for example 45 three-year-olds, you can have the problem that not only do the games that work with older ages not work, but neither do the ones that work with smaller classes. Do not despair!

# data[].attributes.body
How do we buil rapport?

# data[].attributes.body
Very important tips about young learners

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Joan Kang Shin - Keys to Success in Teaching English to Young Learners

# data[].attributes.body
How do we teach for diversity?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How to include children with special educational needs and disabilities | British Council

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
We asked Reem Al Hout, Principal of the American Academy of Beirut, a school which includes children with special educational needs (SEN), about the benefits of inclusion.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
MindShift Podcast | KQED Mindshift | KQED Public Media for Northern CA

# data[].attributes.body
Some tips and ideas for your lesson planning

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
by Tara Arntsen 994,053 views

Writing a lesson plan will ensure that you are prepared for your class and will make it run more smoothly. It is important to break the material up into several sections and choose activities suitable for each. Knowing approximately how much time an activity will take is important, but after the first lesson you may need to adjust things accordingly. It is best to be flexible seeing as different classes will respond to material differently. If at any point students struggle, you will have to dedicate more time to instruction or drilling before moving on to practice activities. For the purposes of this example let's assume that an English class is forty-five minutes long.

Does your own lesson plan look like this? Image credit: Chris Campbell, Flickr

How To Write a Perfect Lesson Plan

1. Warm up
A warm up activity can be used in a number of ways. It can get your students thinking about material that will be used later on in the class, review material from a previous class, or simply get your students thinking in English, moving around, or awake. This activity should only take up a small portion of your lesson, perhaps five minutes.

2. Introduction
A good introduction will create a need for students to learn the material you are going to present and get them interested in the day's topic. This is the part of the lesson where the teacher does the most talking so try to get students involved and use choral repetition to keep students talking about half the time. Depending on how complex the topic is or how much new vocabulary there is, the introduction could take some time but in most cases, about ten minutes should be sufficient.

3. Practice
The practice activity would normally be about ten minutes and have students working individually or in pairs. Practicing model dialogues, completing worksheets, and doing short activities would be appropriate. This may take about ten minutes including going over the answers or having some demonstrations.

4. Production
In the production activity students should have to produce material on their own. Rather than reading sentences, perhaps they have to answer questions or make their own sentences. Longer activities such as board games, which can be played in groups, or activities for the whole class, where students work in teams, would be best. The remaining class time can be devoted to this activity.

5. It is a good idea to plan another five minute activity that can be done at the end of class as a review or used as the warm up in the following lesson. If the production activity does not take up the remaining portion of the class period, you have a backup plan.

The idea behind a lesson plan is that another teacher could pick it up and successfully teach your class without further instructions.

Important
When writing lesson plans, be sure to include:

* What part of the textbook you are covering in the lesson
* The target structure
* New vocabulary
* Directions for all the activities you intend to use
* The approximate time each section of your lesson will take

The idea behind a lesson plan is that another teacher could pick it up and successfully teach your class without further instructions. If there is an activity where you plan to ask the students questions so that they use the past tense in their responses, write down the questions you plan to ask. It is more difficult to think of appropriate questions on the spot and you are more likely to ask them a question using vocabulary they are unfamiliar with as well. If there is a group activity in the lesson, write down about how many students should be in each group because two to four students is a lot different than five to ten. Writing out your lesson plan can also help you figure out what material you must prepare for a lesson because if your production activity will only take about ten minutes, then you are obviously going to need an additional activity to end the class with.

Not all lessons will be conducted the same. In some instances, the introduction of new material may take an entire lesson or the production activity may be an entire lesson. It is always good to have familiar activities to fall back on in case something doesn't work quite the way you had planned. If students are playing the board game without actually speaking, in other words just moving their pieces around the board, they are not getting the necessary practice so you may have to either join the group having difficulties or change activities altogether.

At any rate, lesson plans are enormously helpful and if the following year you find yourself teaching the same material, preparation will be a breeze.

Do you have any advice on how to write lesson plans? Please share your best practices in the comments below!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How to Write a Lesson Plan: 5 Secrets of Writing Fantastic Lesson Plans

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Writing a lesson plan will ensure that you are prepared for your class and will make it run more smoothly. It is important to break the material up into several sections and choose activitie

# data[].attributes.body
Promoting reflection with my students

# data[].attributes.body
Poems at the end of the lessons

# data[].attributes.body
Multisensory classrooms

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Marie Delaney: How can teachers teach in a multisensory way?

# data[].attributes.body
Assessing our students

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
They include ideas on collecting information, the strategic use of questioning, giving feedback, and introducing peer and self-assessment.Collecting information

# data[].attributes.body
Tips for your students

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Teachers often come to the classroom with an unclear understanding of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and they are rarely provided with strategies that detail how to work with students who have been diagnosed with ADHD, even though such students make up an increasingly large number of their students-11 percent and growing as of 2011, according to data gathered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

As a special education teacher and tutor who coaches struggling students (many with ADHD), I have found several classroom strategies to be effective.

Create Urgency

I often hear parents or other advocates urge teachers to accommodate students with ADHD by giving them a lengthy or indefinite amount of time to turn in assignments. This creates a situation where deadlines are unclear, yet most of the students with ADHD that I have worked with need a clear deadline to create the urgency and adrenaline necessary to complete the task.

Provide deadlines: I teach students time management skills by breaking projects into chunks, each with a detailed description, rubric, and due date. For example, a research paper might have a separate due date for a topic, completed research, outline, rough draft, and final paper. I grade each step in the process, and each grade contributes to the final grade. This teaches students how to break up large projects to ensure timely completion.

Time tasks: Timing tasks that could be rote and boring-like learning math facts and letter sounds, increasing reading fluency, and memorizing vocabulary-turns what could potentially be a tedious task into a game or competition with oneself. Timing is used not to create anxiety but to increase performance over time-students are never graded on timed activities and don't share their scores. Instead they're challenged to beat the clock and to do better than they did last time. Graphing scores as a visual reminder of progress helps students learn about goal setting and develop a growth mindset.

Activate Interest

Students with ADHD are often capable of focusing intensely on something they're interested in. They can play video games or make their own YouTube videos for hours, but they need help connecting class content with their interests to achieve that focus.

Engage students' passions: My students are more engaged when they see that I'm passionate about a subject. We all want to know why we should learn something. Providing a hook to each lesson in the form of a story, game, or question gets students excited to figure out a problem.

For example, when we learn about making inferences, I bring in an assortment of strange looking objects or pictures of objects viewed from strange angles. Students do a gallery walk and write down observations about the objects-facts like, "it is metal," or "it is green." They also list any prior knowledge they have. They use the facts and their prior knowledge to make inferences about what the objects are.

This activity helps students have a more concrete basis for understanding how to make an inference when they're reading. It also usually leads to interesting discussions on how prior knowledge can greatly impact understanding.

Give students choices: Giving kids a choice in the books they read, activities they complete for a grade (visual art display, paper, slide or video presentation, blog, skit, podcast, etc.), and the ways they learn a skill encourages participation.

Allow for Breaks and Movement

I've found that taking breaks results in more focus for all of my students, but especially those with ADHD.

Use brain breaks: Students will take breaks anyway, so making breaks a reward is an easy way to keep them on task. I try to help them increase their focus to 15 to 25 minutes of working time, and after periods of concentration, they receive a short break. During the break, students can stretch, sharpen their pencils, get supplies, talk quietly to a friend, or rest. This timing method, sometimes called the Pomodoro Technique, helps students increase focus over time.

Let students move: I find that I get more out of students if I give them a chance to dance, stretch, or exercise before they have to sit down and work quietly. This can be led by the teacher, a short video, or a student. Usually it's brief and structured, like a game of Simon Says or a set of 10 jumping jacks and a few standing toe touches.

It's important to plan for transitions back to work-I flip the lights and use a hand signal. When I do this, students know to immediately return to their seats, mirror the hand signal, and be silent. Occasionally, I give out a reward to the first two students who are sitting attentively.

Provide Structure

I believe all students thrive when they know what to expect. For students with ADHD, having an orderly environment is essential.

Have clear expectations: Establishing a routine that stays the same even when activities change makes children feel secure. Rules can be taught through an activity with an example and non-example or by acting them out. This strategy is also useful for highlighting age-appropriate social skills like how to listen when someone is presenting or how to determine the appropriate amount of personal space.

Teach study skills explicitly: Students know they can Google facts, but teaching them how to learn creates relevance. Regardless of what subject is being taught, it's possible to incorporate study skills lessons-how to take notes, read a textbook, or study. Students will need these skills in the future when they're required to learn on their own.

You may have noticed that these strategies will help not just students with ADHD-they're useful for all students because they encourage the development of executive functions such as self-regulation.

We rarely look at ADHD as an advantage, but I've found that having students with ADHD in my classroom challenges me to update the way I teach so that my curriculum is more versatile, interesting, and compatible with the skills all students will need in an increasingly fast-paced world.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Setting Students With ADHD Up for Success

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Teachers often come to the classroom with an unclear understanding of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and they are rarely provided with strategies that detail how to work with students who have been diagnosed with ADHD, even though such students make up an increasingly large number of their students-11 percent and growing as of 2011, according to data gathered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Editor's Note: We often look at the qualities and characteristics of good teaching and learning, including the recent following pieces: How A Good Teacher Becomes Great The Characteristics Of A Highly Effective Learning Environment 25 Things Successful Teachers Do Differently How To Be A Mediocre Teacher What You Owe Your Students Ten Secrets To Surviving As A Teacher
contrunuted by Julie DuNeen, Sketch Note Via Janet Hamilton

If you ask a student what makes him or her successful in school, you probably won't hear about some fantastic new book or video lecture series. Most likely you will hear something like, "It was all Mr. Jones. He just never gave up on me."
25 Things Successful Teachers Do Differently 1. Successful teachers have clear objectives
What students take away from a successful education usually centers on a personal connection with a teacher who instilled passion and inspiration for their subject.
2. Successful teachers have a sense of purpose
It's difficult to measure success, and in the world of academia, educators are continually re-evaluating how to quantify learning-but the first and most important question to ask is: Are teachers reaching their students?
3. Successful teachers are able to live without immediate feedback
Here are 25 things successful educators do differently.
4. Successful teachers know when to listen to students and when to ignore them
How do you know if you are driving the right way when you are traveling somewhere new? You use the road signs and a map (although nowadays it might be SIRI or a GPS). In the world of education, your objectives for your students act as road signs to your destination. Your plan is the map. Making a plan does not suggest a lack of creativity in your curriculum but rather, gives creativity a framework in which to flourish.
5. Successful teachers have a positive attitude
We can't all be blessed with "epic" workdays all the time. Sometimes, life is just mundane and tedious. Teachers with a sense of purpose that are able to see the big picture can ride above the hard and boring days because their eye is on something further down the road.
6. Successful teachers expect their students to succeed
There is nothing worse than sweating over a lesson plan only to have your students walk out of class without so much as a smile or a, "Great job teach!" It's hard to give 100% and not see immediate results. Teachers who rely on that instant gratification will get burned out and disillusioned. Learning, relationships, and education are a messy endeavor, much like nurturing a garden. It takes time, and some dirt, to grow.
7. Successful teachers have a sense of humor
Right on the heels of the above tip is the concept of discernment with student feedback. A teacher who never listens to his/her students will ultimately fail. A teacher who always listens to his/her students will ultimately fail. It is no simple endeavor to know when to listen and adapt, and when to say, "No- we're going this way because I am the teacher and I see the long term picture."
8. Successful teachers use praise authentically
Negative energy zaps creativity and it makes a nice breeding ground for fear of failure. Good teachers have an upbeat mood, a sense of vitality and energy, and see past momentary setbacks to the end goal. Positivity breeds creativity.
9. Successful teachers know how to take risks
This concept is similar for parents as well. Students need someone to believe in them. They need a wiser and older person to put stock in their abilities. Set the bar high and then create an environment where it's okay to fail. This will motivate your students to keep trying until they reach the expectation you've set for them.
10. Successful teachers are consistent
Humor and wit make a lasting impression. It reduces stress and frustration, and gives people a chance to look at their circumstances from another point of view. If you interviewed 1000 students about their favorite teacher, I'll bet 95% of them were hysterical.
11. Successful teachers are reflective
Students need encouragement yes, but real encouragement. It does no good to praise their work when you know it is only 50% of what they are capable of. You don't want to create an environment where there is no praise or recognition; you want to create one where the praise that you offer is valuable BECAUSE you use it judiciously.
12. Successful teachers seek out mentors of their own
There is a wise saying that reads, "Those who go just a little bit too far are the ones who know just how far one can go." Risk-taking is a part of the successful formula. Your students need to see you try new things in the classroom and they will watch closely how you handle failure in your risk-taking. This is as important as what you are teaching.
13. Successful teachers communicate with parents
Consistency is not to be confused with "stuck." Consistency means that you do what you say you will do, you don't change your rules based on your mood, and your students can rely on you when they are in need. Teachers who are stuck in their outdated methods may boast consistency, when in fact it is cleverly-masked stubbornness.
14. Successful teachers enjoy their work
In order to avoid becoming the stuck and stubborn teacher, successful educators take time to reflect on their methods, their delivery, and the way they connect with their students. Reflection is necessary to uncover those weaknesses that can be strengthened with a bit of resolve and understanding.
15. Successful teachers adapt to student needs
Reflective teachers can easily get disheartened if they don't have someone a bit older and wiser offering support. You are never too old or wise for a mentor. Mentors can be that voice that says, "Yes your reflections are correct," or "No, you are off because...." and provide you with a different perspective.
16. Successful teachers welcome change in the classroom
Collaboration between parents and teachers is absolutely crucial to a student's success. Create an open path of communication so parents can come to you with concerns and you can do the same. When a teacher and parents present a united front, there is a lower chance that your student will fall through the cracks.
17. Successful teachers take time to explore new tools
It is easy to spot a teacher who loves their work. They seem to emanate contagious energy. Even if it on a subject like advanced calculus, the subject comes alive. If you don't love your work or your subject, it will come through in your teaching. Try to figure out why you feel so unmotivated and uninspired. It might have nothing to do with the subject, but your expectations. Adjust them a bit and you might find your love of teaching come flooding back.

Classrooms are like an ever-evolving dynamic organism. Depending on the day, the attendance roster, and the phase of the moon, you might have to change up your plans or your schedule to accommodate your students. As they grow and change, your methods might have to as well. If your goal is to promote a curriculum or method, it will feel like a personal insult when you have to modify it. Make connecting with your student your goal and you'll have no trouble changing it up as time moves on.

This relates to the above tip, but in a slightly different way. Have you ever been so bored with your house or your bedroom, only to rearrange it and have it feel like a new room? Change ignites the brain with excitement and adventure. Change your classroom to keep your students on their toes. Simple changes like rearranging desks and routines can breathe new life in the middle of a long year.
19. Successful teachers are comfortable with the unknown
With the advance of technology, there are fresh new resources and tools that can add great functionality to your classroom and curriculum. There is no doubt that the students you are teaching (far younger than you) probably already use technologies you haven't tapped into yet. Don't be afraid to push for technology in the classroom. It is often an underfunded area but in this current world and climate, your students will be growing up in a world where technology is everywhere. Give them a headstart and use technology in your classroom.
20. Successful teachers are not threatened by parent advocacy
18. Successful teachers give their students emotional suppor t
21. Successful teachers bring fun into the classroom
There are days when your students will need your emotional support more than a piece of information. Connecting to your students on an emotional level makes it more likely that they will listen to your counsel and take your advice to heart. Students need mentors as much as they need teachers.
22. Successful teachers teach holistically
It's difficult to teach in an environment where you don't know the future of your classroom budget, the involvement of your student's parents, or the outcome of all your hard work. On a more philosophical level, educators who teach the higher grades are tasked with teaching students principles that have a lot of unknowns (i.e. physics). How comfortable are you with not having all the answers? Good teachers are able to function without everything tied up neatly in a bow.
23. Successful teachers never stop learning
Unfortunately, parents and teachers are sometimes threatened by one another. A teacher who is insecure will see parent advocacy as a threat. While there are plenty of over-involved helicopter parents waiting to point out a teacher's mistakes, most parents just want what's best for their child. Successful educators are confident in their abilities and not threatened when parents want to get into the classroom and make their opinions known. Good teachers also know they don't have to follow what the parent recommends!
24. Successful teachers break out of the box
Don't be too serious. Some days, "fun" should be the goal. When students feel and see your humanness, it builds a foundation of trust and respect. Fun and educational aren't mutually exclusive either. Using humor can make even the most mundane topic more interesting.
25. Successful teachers are masters of their subject
Learning does not happen in a vacuum. Depression, anxiety, and mental stress have a severe impact on the educational process. It's crucial that educators (and the educational model) take the whole person into account. You can have the funniest and most innovative lesson on algebra, but if your student has just been told his parents are getting a divorce, you will not reach him.
This is a cross-post from opencolleges.edu.au; image attribution Janet Hamilton from Anthony Wayne Schools; 30 Habits Of Highly Effective Teachers;
Good teachers find time in their schedule to learn themselves. Not only does it help bolster your knowledge in a certain subject matter, it also puts you in the position of student. This gives you a perspective about the learning process that you can easily forget when you're always in teaching mode.

It may be a self-made box. "Oh I could never do that," you say to yourself. Perhaps you promised you'd never become the teacher who would let students grade each other (maybe you had a bad experience as a kid). Sometimes the biggest obstacle to growth is us. Have you built a box around your teaching methods? Good teachers know when it's time to break out of it.

Good teachers need to know their craft. In addition to the methodology of "teaching", you need to master your subject area. Learn, learn, and never stop learning. Successful educators stay curious.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
25 Things Successful Teachers Do Differently

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Editor's Note: We often look at the qualities and characteristics of good teaching and learning, including the recent following pieces: How A Good Teacher Becomes Great The Characteristics Of A Highly Effective Learning Environment 25 Things Successful Teachers Do Differently How To Be A Mediocre Teacher What You Owe Your Students Ten Secrets To Surviving As A Teacher contrunuted by Julie DuNeen, Sketch Note Via Janet Hamilton If you ask a student what makes him or her successful in school, you probably won't hear about some fantastic new book or video lecture series.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
George Lucas Educational Foundation

The benefits of movement in the classroom aren't limited to younger students. Pairing new words and concepts with gestures or dance moves locks in understanding-and active brain breaks prime students to learn even more.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A free source of information, inspiration, and practical strategies for learning and teaching in preK-12 education.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
TeachThought – A Critical Thinking Classroom

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
TeachThought promotes critical thinking and innovation in K-12 classrooms

# data[].attributes.body
Soooo many ideas!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
We all understand the importance of leading in a topic and making sure that students are focused and are ready to learn. That's why most ESL teachers tend to focus their energy on warm-ups and ice breakers. More often than not, end of lesson activities are neglected.

Sometimes, we are too engrossed in teaching that when we look at the time, we realize that there's only so much time left so we just go ahead and summarize the key points of the lesson and tell the students what they have learned for the day. When we do this, we do not only give an abrupt ending, but we also rob students the chance to reflect on what they have gleaned from our lesson.

No matter how brilliant the beginning and middle of the lesson had been, there still needs to be a strong closure otherwise students will leave our class feeling a little confused. Closure is the time when students make connections and better remember what they have learned.

Here are some examples of closure activities that I like to do in my class. These can be used for the remaining three to five minutes of class time:

Sum it up

Ask students to summarize the day's lessons by:

writing a paragraph or two; or

drawing a web or mind map about the lesson's content.

Play BINGO!

Show a list of vocabulary words you discussed today and ask students to choose 5 and write down them down on their notebook. Give the definition of a random word from the list but don't say the word itself. If students think they have the word you defined, they tick it. The first student to tick all 5 words they had chosen shouts BINGO and wins the game.

Download BINGO ready-to-play PPT here!

Gamify Quiz

Make a very short wrap up quiz on Kahoot and watch students review the lesson while having fun! Use the remaining time to let students respond to a survey question.

Speaking of games, you can download my Jeopardy template on TpT!

Challenge the Teacher

Let students make up questions for you to answer about today's lesson. In turn, you can ask them higher order questions to see if they can beat you.

Exit Pass

A good way to end the lesson is to ask students to produce something either written or spoken in order to leave the room. This strategy is well-known as Exit Ticket where student give you something as they exit the door. This can be done in many different ways:

Ask the students to tell you orally one or two new vocabulary words they have learned from your class today.

Ask the student to self-rate their understanding and write down one or two things they would like to know more about in the next lesson.

Write questions or vocabulary words on 10 sticky notes and hide them under random desks. Students who sit where the post-it notes are will answer the questions before leaving the room.

Round Robin

Round Robin is a brainstorming technique that encourages contributions from all participants. Ask students to form a circle and then start by giving a review question (e.g What have you learned today? or Share one vocabulary you have learned today.). Working clockwise, each one will verbally give an answer until a full circle has been completed. Since each student can only give one thing, this gives more students a chance to respond.

Snowball Fight

This really works well with elementary and middle school kids. Ask students to write a question about the day's lesson on a piece of paper. Tell them to crumple up the paper and have a "snowball fight." After a few seconds, ask students to pick up one paper and face a partner.They will read the question and share the answer with each other. Repeat until the bell rings.

Think, Pair, Share!

Think, Pair, Share! is good closure activity to go beyond vocabulary words. Since most lessons in ESL are theme-based (e.g Food, Countries, Family and Friends), you can ask a higher level question about the topic for this activity.

Give students 2 minutes to think about their response to the question.

Let them pair up or face their partner.

Give 3 minutes to share their answer with each other!

Journal Entry

You can also make journal writing a routine for closure. Students can write 3-5 vocabulary words and use them in a sentence. They can also answer a reflective question about the topic you discussed. The bottomline is to always give them a chance to reflect about the lessons you teach.

Ball Toss

Students toss a ball from one to another. The student who catches the ball will quickly give one thing he/she learned in the class today. A variation is to pass the ball counterclockwise while a music is playing. Whoever is holding the ball when you pause the music will verbally share something.

Fishbowl

Ask students to write a question on a scratch paper about today's topic. Collect all the papers and put them in a bowl. Ask a volunteer to pick one paper from the container. Let him/her read out and answer the question. Continue until the time is over.

Conclusion

When students understand that the end of lesson activities are an integral part of your overall lesson, they are more likely to think twice before packing up to go to their next class!

Are you on Pinterest? Pin this post!

If you have a favorite closure activity, please let us know in the comments!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
End of Lesson Activities for ESL Classes

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
We all understand the importance of leading in a topic and making sure that students are focused and are ready to learn. That's why most ESL teachers tend to focus their energy on warm-ups and ice breakers. More often than not, end of lesson activities are neglected.

# data[].attributes.body
Don't shout in the classroom

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
You know that point in the day when the volume starts amping up? Bring down the noise level and help your students focus with these call-and-response routines. For reach routine, we tell you what the teacher should say, and how students should respond. Kids love them, and these classroom attention-getters really work!

1. Teacher asks: "Ready to listen?"

Students respond: "Ready to Learn!"

2. Teacher asks: "All set?" (Clap, clap, clap)

Students respond: "You bet!" (Clap, clap, clap)

3. Teacher says: "Quiet on the set."

Students respond: "Action!"

4. Teacher says: "Surf's up!"

Students respond: "Shhhh!"

5. Teacher asks: "Ready to rock?"

Students respond: "Ready to roll!"

6. Teacher says: "Hands on top."

Students respond: "That means stop!"

7. Teacher says: "Eenie Meenie..."

Students respond: "...Minie moe!"

8. Teachers asks: "Ready, set?"

Students respond: "You bet!"

9. Teacher says: "Chicka, chicka."

Students respond: "Boom, boom!"

10. Teacher says: "When I say PEACE, you say QUIET. Peace..."

Students respond: "...Quiet!"

11. Teacher says: "Flat tire."

Students respond: "Pssst!"

12. Teacher says: "Hocus, pocus."

Students respond: "Time to focus!"

13. Teacher says: "Chugga, chugga."

Students respond: "Choo,choo!"

14. Teacher says: "Ah-go!"

Students respond: "Ah-may!"

(West African call and response meaning: Listen! or Attention! and We are listening!)

15. Teacher says: "Beluga."

Students respond: "Psssh!"

(while bringing hands together in front of their chests and arcing them out like a whale spout)

16. Teacher says: "Jazz hands."

Students stop everything, look at teacher and show jazz hands.

17. Teacher says: "Everybody listen." (in sing-song voice)

Students respond: "Right now!"

18. Teacher says: "Everybody in the house."

Students respond: "Is as quiet as a mouse!"

19. Teacher says: "Crystal."

Students respond: "Clear!"

20. Teacher says: "L-I-S..."

Students respond "...T-E-N!"

21. Teacher sings: "Bum da da bum bum" (or doot doo doo doot doot or ch-ch-ch-ch-ch).

-to the tune of "Shave and a haircut-two bits."

Students respond: "Bum bum!" or "Doot doot!" or "Ch-ch!"

22. Teacher says: "Hear ye, hear ye."

Students respond: "All eyes on the queen! (or king!)"

23. Teacher says: "We are learning."

Students respond: "All the time!"

24. Teacher says: "Focus UP!"

Students bang on desk twice and clap once in rhythm.

25. Teacher says: "SALAMI!"

(Code for Stop And Look At Me Immediately)

Students respond: "On rye!"
Do you have a favorite call and response in your classroom? Share in the comments below!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Good Attention-Getters to Calm a Noisy Classroom (25 Examples)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
You know that point in the day when the volume starts amping up? Bring down the noise level and help your students focus with these call-and-response routines. For reach routine, we tell you what the teacher should say, and how students should respond. Kids love them, and these classroom attention-getters really work!

# data[].attributes.body
How are our students?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Image

Third- and fourth-graders at Breakthrough Magnet School in Hartford, Conn., participating in a BrainErgizer movement break during the school day. Credit Credit BrainErgizer

Sit still. It's the mantra of every classroom.

But that is changing as evidence builds that taking brief activity breaks during the day helps children learn and be more attentive in class, and a growing number of programs designed to promote movement are being adopted in schools.

"We need to recognize that children are movement-based," said Brian Gatens, the superintendent of schools in Emerson, N.J. "In schools, we sometimes are pushing against human nature in asking them to sit still and be quiet all the time."

"We fall into this trap that if kids are at their desks with their heads down and are silent and writing, we think they are learning," Mr. Gatens added. "But what we have found is that the active time used to energize your brain makes all those still moments better," or more productive.

A 2013 report from the Institute of Medicine concluded that children who are more active "show greater attention, have faster cognitive processing speed and perform better on standardized academic tests than children who are less active." And a study released in January by Lund University in Sweden shows that students, especially boys, who had daily physical education, did better in school.

"Daily physical activity is an opportunity for the average school to become a high-performing school," said Jesper Fritz, a doctoral student at Lund University and physician at the Skane University Hospital in Malmo who was the study's lead author.

"Activity helps the brain in so many ways," said James F. Sallis, a professor of family medicine and public health at the University of California, San Diego, who has done research on the association between activity breaks and classroom behavior. "Activity stimulates more blood vessels in the brain to support more brain cells. And there is evidence that active kids do better on standardized tests and pay attention more in school."

John Ratey, an associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and the author of "Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain," said: "Movement activates all the brain cells kids are using to learn, it wakes up the brain."

"Plus," he added, "it makes kids want to come to school more - it's fun to do these activities."

But not all districts are embracing the trend of movement breaks.

"The bottom line is that with only six and a half hours during the day, our priority is academics," said Tom Hernandez, the director of community relations for the Plainfield School District in Illinois, about 40 miles southwest of Chicago. He said that under state law, the schools provide daily physical education classes and that teachers in the district find ways to give students time during the day to refresh and recharge.

"Kids aren't meant to sit still all day and take in information," said Steve Boyle, one of the co-founders of the National Association of Physical Literacy, which aims to bring movement into schools. "Adults aren't wired that way either."

Mr. Boyle's association has introduced a series of three- to five-minute videos called "BrainErgizers" that are being used in schools and Boys and Girls Clubs in 15 states and in Canada, Mexico, Ireland and Australia, he said. A version of the program is available to schools at no charge.

The program is designed so that three to five times a day, teachers can set aside a few minutes for their students to watch a video and follow the cues given by the instructors. In one typical video, the instructors are college students of all shapes and sizes at the University of Connecticut who do a quick warm-up and then lead kids through a mini workout involving movements from several sports: baseball, basketball and a triathlon. That's followed by a cool-down.

"At the end of the week, kids have gotten an hour or more worth of movement, and it's all done in the classroom with no special equipment," Mr. Boyle said. "We're not looking to replace gym classes, we're aiming to give kids more minutes of movement per week. And by introducing sports into the videos, giving kids a chance to try sports they may not have ever tried before."

Julie Goldstein, principal of the Breakthrough Magnet School in Hartford, Conn., said her school has been using BrainErgizers since the spring of 2015.

It's easy for the teachers to implement, and "easy for the students to follow," Mrs. Goldstein said. She said the program has "helped them focus and bring up their energy level in the classroom."

Scott McQuigg, chief executive and a co-founder of GoNoodle, a classroom movement program used in more than 60,000 elementary schools in the United States credits Michelle Obama's "Let's Move" initiative with helping to bring movement and the health of children into the public consciousness.

"We call this the Movement movement," Mr. McQuigg said. "If we invest three to five minutes for our kids to move in the classroom, we are actually going to optimize the next 45 minutes for learning. That small investment in time has such a big yield for teachers."

GoNoodle, which offers free and paid videos, aims to entertain kids while they are moving, Mr. McQuigg said. GoNoodle and other "brain break" videos can be found on the website for "Let's Move! Active Schools," part of Mrs. Obama's "Let's Move!" initiative.

"We have purposely not gone after this as an exercise program," Mr. McQuigg said. "This is a digital generation that expects to be entertained, and we think we can do more good around getting them to move if they are entertained."

For example, GoNoodle videos have kids running alongside their desks through a virtual obstacle course or following along with dance moves.

Joseph E. Donnelly, professor of medicine and director of the Center for Physical Activity and Weight Management at the University of Kansas Medical Center, said one of the good things about kids being more physically active in classrooms is that everyone is moving at the same time.

"In physical education classes, there is a lot of standing around, a lot of minutes of kids waiting to do an activity, and sometimes kids are only moving for about 15 minutes during a 50-minute class," said Dr. Donnelly, who co-authored a statement on the effects of physical activity and academic achievement in children that was published last year by the American College of Sports Medicine. "If you do movement in class a few times a day, that can add up to at least an extra 60 minutes more of movement per week."

Lindsay DiStefano, an associate professor in the department of kinesiology at the University of Connecticut, said the country is due for a major shift toward appreciating the benefits of physical activity in the classroom.

"In 1961, President Kennedy said school kids needed physical activity to thrive, but in the past 20 years, the pendulum has totally shifted the opposite way because schools are feeling the pressure to have students do well on standardized tests," Ms. DiStefano said. "We are not thinking about the child as an entire person, how physical activity helps them cope with the stresses of school and actually benefits them in the classroom."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Sit still. It's the mantra of every classroom. But that is changing as evidence builds that taking brief activity breaks during the day helps children learn and be more attentive in class, and a growing number of programs designed to promote movement are being adopted in schools.

# data[].attributes.body
Differenciation, TPR and more!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Teaching with Bear, what a classic!

This post is for anyone about to start a training course in teaching young learners. These 10 terms came up a lot on my YL training course so it's worth reading up on them before you start. I've explained each one in brief, but you'll also find some links for further reading. If more jargon pops up during your training I recommend this good online glossary for ELT related terms from eltnotebook.

According to Carol Ann Tomlinson, differentiation is 'tailoring instruction to meet individual needs'. Carol has a great summary article on this on the Reading Rockets site, which you can access here.

You can differentiate in tonnes of ways - adding more support or more challenge to a task, having graded outcomes, allowing learners to choose how they demonstrate learning, adapting the learning environment, etc. Tomlinson provides a fair few examples in the aforementioned article.

Rachel Roberts is also a great source of info on differentiation. This article and this webinar are worth viewing.

If you really want to get stuck into this topic, Larry Ferlazzo's page is probably what you're looking for. I'd say this is a must learn phrase! Then again, it doesn't even make the glossary of Annamaria Pinter's 'Teaching Young Learners', so perhaps its losing its 'buzzwordiness'.

Scaffolding is providing structured support to help learners achieve a task. The clue is in the word I guess... Personally, I used to think of scaffolding as part of differentiation, until I read this useful definition from edglossary.com. The concept of 'scaffolding of learning' is attributed to Jerome Bruner. One important aspect of scaffolding is how teacher support given to learners is gradually taken away as the learners become more independent. I've posted a few examples of scaffolding in action, here's my favourite.

It's worth reading about Lev Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) if you want more context for Bruner's ideas.

The ASCD site state that developing the whole child means 'ensuring each child... is healthy, safe, engaged, supported and challenged'. It involves equipping learners with a broad range of skills that will benefit them in the long-term. For example, we can go beyond simply teaching English language and use English as a means through which to explore citizenship, or use tasks that promote collaboration, development of motor skills, digital literacy, critical thinking and so on. You can read more about the whole child initiative here.

Note: I mentioned in this post that I had to include 'aims related to whole child development' on my CELTA YL lesson plans, so that's something to bear in mind.

Learning styles

This is the idea that learners show 'preferences' for different styles of learning. To give a basic example, some learners prefer to learn through seeing, some through listening, others through doing. Some theorists suggest that if we understand a student's preferred way of learning, we can tailor input and activities to suit their learning styles (Google 'Meshing Hypothesis').

The VAK model (of visual, auditory and kinaesthetic 'learning modalities') is well-known and has featured in almost every training course I've taken. There are plenty of other models which expand this categorisation of learner styles. However, learning styles is an area where research and practice seem a bit at odds. Most researchers consider learning styles a 'neuromyth', and Cambridge recently decided to drop the teaching of learning styles from the CELTA and DELTA syllabus. However, for some teachers the myth persists. If you believe this stat from the Guardian, 93% of teachers believe learning styles exist.

Learning styles pop up in coursebooks, training sessions, class profiles on lesson plans... It's well worth reading about learning styles as it's a hotly disputed topic and every teacher in the staffroom will have an opinion. For more on this, this post, this one, or Carol Lethaby's research and webinars.

Much of the above about learning styles applies to the theory of multiple intelligence (MI). This is the idea that there are many forms of intelligence. The main proponent of MI, Howard Gardner, defined eight different intelligences in his earlier work. These included verbal-linguistic, logical-mathematic, visual-spatial and interpersonal intelligence. Many researchers feel there is a lack of empirical evidence to support MI theory. Nevertheless, you'll find it is advocated by many YL teachers and coursebook writers, notably Herbert Puchta and Mario Rinvolucri (see this book, or English in Mind).

CLIL

This is basically teaching other subjects (Science, Maths, etc) through a foreign language. It stands for Content and Language Integrated Learning, and Onestopenglish explain it briefly here. As the article mentioned, the dual focus of learning the subject and the language is the main idea of CLIL. We teach a 'CLIL-based' syllabus to young learners at our school. The coursebook we used before ( Incredible English) was also CLIL-based... this is a pretty good buzzword to know!

This refers to the balance of activities in a lesson. You need activities that will get learners up, moving, and generally active. You also need tasks that will calm students and help them focus or settle into a routine. This article from the BC gives a few examples of stirrer/settler tasks.

This stands for Total Physical Response. It's coordinating language and movement (well put Wikipedia). This is a must for the YL classroom. Learners can show listening comprehension by responding to commands through actions. This is great when learners aren't ready to speak the language (maybe through lack of confidence, lack of range or just through choice). Good for vocabulary acquisition and concept checking, among many other things. Type TPR into YouTube, there are plenty of demo videos.

Having a growth mindset means, among other things, seeing failure as a chance to grow and improve, embracing challenges, and realising that your ability can be shaped by your effort and determination. The fixed/growth mindset continuum was described in detail by Carol Dweck in this publication around ten years ago. For a good route into the topic with YLs, ClassDojo have a short series of growth mindset related videos. Carol Dweck recently mentioned some misconceptions of her concept in this article.

You might also find reading up on GRIT quite useful.

Gamification (vs game-based learning)

There's a difference between these two terms - here's a post that explains it. Gamification (the use of game-like features in learning activities to encourage engagement) is another buzzword - expect to hear things like 'I love the way you gamified XYZ' in observation feedback on a YL teacher training course!

Anyway, there's a bit of pre-course reading for you!
Feature image: OUP

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
10 useful terms for teachers of young learners

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Teaching with Bear, what a classic! This post is for anyone about to start a training course in teaching young learners. These 10 terms came up a lot on my YL training course so it's worth reading up on them before you start. I've explained each one in brief, but you'll also find some links...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The American English (AE) E-Teacher Program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State with funding provided by the U.S. Government and administered by FHI 360. External links to other Internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views or privacy policies contained therein.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Learn with 260+ world-class institutions and educators

Get 30% off Unlimited

Get 30% off your first 2 months on Unlimited online courses

Invest in your future with Unlimited access to 1000+ high-quality short courses and digital certificates from world-class institutions.

Learn more

Be inspired by COP28

Change starts with learning - that's where we come in. Discover courses on climate issues, learn from top experts and take the first steps towards climate action.

1

Choose a short course

From introductory to advanced, you'll find high-quality courses across every subject, designed and taught by academic and industry experts.

2

Subscribe or upgrade

Join FutureLearn Unlimited for long-term access to your course and a CV-ready certificate, or upgrade individually on each course.

3

Learn, connect and discuss

Courses are divided into weeks and steps. You'll be able to connect with other learners throughout your learning journey.

4

Find your next course

Now you've caught the bug, what will you learn next?

Find your perfect course with FutureBot

Explore your career options with FutureBot, the AI-powered chatbot that brings you tailor-made course recommendations. Get started and make your next career move.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
FutureLearn: Online Courses and Degrees from Top Universities

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Join millions of people learning on FutureLearn. Find online courses and degrees from leading universities or organisations and start learning online today.

# data[].attributes.body
Using my microbit for the exit ticket

# data[].attributes.body
El Pantano <3

# data[].attributes.body
Students work in small groups with different tutors

# data[].attributes.body
Working with codes in the classroom

# data[].attributes.body
What's the school for a teenager?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Zombies en la escuela | Juli Garbulsky | TEDxRiodelaPlata

# data[].attributes.body
How we teach to young learners?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
1st Expanding Opportunities. Video resumen presentación Lucrecia Prat Gay

# data[].attributes.body
Food for thought

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Get a daily email featuring the latest talk, plus a quick mix of trending content.

By subscribing, you understand and agree that we will store, process and manage your personal information according to our Privacy Policy

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Sir Ken Robinson: Do schools kill creativity?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Sir Ken Robinson makes an entertaining and profoundly moving case for creating an education system that nurtures (rather than undermines) creativity.

# data[].attributes.body
Every Child needs a Champion

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Get a daily email featuring the latest talk, plus a quick mix of trending content.

By subscribing, you understand and agree that we will store, process and manage your personal information according to our Privacy Policy

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Rita Pierson: Rita Pierson: Todo niño necesita un campeón

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Rita Pierson, maestra durante 40 años, una vez escuchó a una colega decir: "No me pagan para querer a los niños". Su respuesta fue: "Los niños no aprenden de la gente que no les gusta". Un llamado conmovedor para instar a los educadores a creer en sus alumnos y para que se conecten verdaderamente con ellos a nivel personal y humano.

# data[].attributes.body
Brain break and mindfulness

# data[].attributes.body
Interactive presentations for your students

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Your browser either doesn't support Javascript, or you've turned it off. To use Mentimeter, please make sure to turn Javascript on. How do I enable Javascript?

Gain valuable insights from everyone around you with Word Clouds, Polls, and Quizzes.

Unlocking success with Mentimeter

For work

Maximize the value of your work-related meetings. Gather valuable input, feedback, and insights from your colleagues to make better decisions together!
Read more

For education

Enhance learning outcomes and engage every student in the classroom. Experiment with modern teaching methods using Mentimeter's features!
Read more

Works with your favorite apps

Turn tough crowds into engaged audiences

Build an immediate connection with your audience and make them a part of your presentation.

Create an interactive experience letting everyone vote, ask questions, and interact throughout.

Create truly unique presentations

Use a wide range of interactive slides to pose questions, gather feedback, and connect with your audience.

Build an impressive slide deck in minutes, craft an insightful icebreaker instantly, or find a new and creative way to engage your audience!

Millions of voices have already been heard

"Mentimeter allows everyone to ask questions, to get clarification or a clearer understanding on subjects resulting in a more fulfilling learning experience." Teresa Delfin, California State Polytechnic University Explore more stories

Want to become a better presenter?

Impress with Interactive Presentations

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Interact with your audience using real-time voting. No installations or downloads required and it's free!

# data[].attributes.body
Create a code and let your students work with their devices

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Free Online QR Code Generator to make your own QR Codes. Supports Dynamic Codes, Tracking, Analytics, Free text, vCards and more.

# data[].attributes.body
Take tests and just scan them

# data[].attributes.body
Play with your students and use memes as reward

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Join an activity with your class and find or create your own quizzes and flashcards.

# data[].attributes.body
You can scan QR codes to scan your students' answers