What should you demonstrate to help yourself and our educators make the education successful?

Great teachers are both passionate and purposeful. They are passionate about their students and what they teach, and purposeful in their design of teaching. Great teachers develop over time through their commitment to learning—both their students’ and their own. And because they recognize that the most important factor for students’ success is the quality of instruction, great teachers pursue continuous improvement.

Here are some reasons why professional development will help you grow.

1. You'll learn something new.

Taking a relevant course or workshop can inspire you to try things you haven’t tried before. For instance, Universal Design for Learning could aid in reaching all students in a changing student population. Project-based learning can benefit English language learners, where collaboration with other students can lead to language acquisition in informal learning settings. 

2. You can exchange ideas, stories, and experiences.

Hearing from other educators can be invigorating and affirming. Too often, teachers hear “what” and “how” to teach, rather than being asked about challenges and what they need to be more effective. Group work with your colleagues connects new knowledge with the practical realities of the classroom.

3. You'll get deep learning experiences.

Taking a course, for instance, can help you integrate theory and practice to develop skills in areas important to your teaching. Exploring new curriculum content or pedagogy allows you to use cutting edge theory and practice in your classroom. Personalizing the professional development to your teaching makes it more effective.

4. You'll explore topics through short-term sessions.

Workshops provide exploration of current topics in subject areas or classroom practices. Since standards are always changing, you can practice new teaching methods with peers before using them in your classroom. 

5. You can take time for self-reflection.

The rigors of the classroom may not leave much time to reflect on your practice. Professional development offerings often will ask you to think about your current practice and what you’d like to improve. The benefits of becoming a reflective practitioner can be lasting.

6. You'll develop skills for integrating a creative process in your classroom.

Just as the artist approaches a blank canvas with ideas that develop over time, you can approach teaching as a process of allowing students to take ownership of their own learning. A creative process includes imagination, design, innovation, and originality. Through engagement with faculty, you can discover how to bring the creative process into your own classroom. 

7. You'll receive points or credits toward license renewal or an advanced degree.

Professional development helps you keep your license up to date or gain credits toward your next degree. So while you're gaining new skills and learning from your peers, you'll also be keeping up with your professional obligations.

Professional development allows you to reimagine teaching and learning. Through the collaboration of teachers with knowledge of student needs and faculty with knowledge and experience in areas of critical need—combined with your passion and purposefulness—you'll continue to grow as a great educator.

When teachers make an intentional effort to get to know each of their students, it can foster in students a sense of belonging and connection to school—which can then build a foundation for academic success.

Positive teacher-student relationships lead to increased cooperation and engagement in the classroom. They also contribute to a welcoming, inclusive school climate that promotes equity, social and emotional learning and improved student outcomes.

But how can teachers reach all their students—including students from cultural backgrounds different from their own? Here are a few strategies based on research and my experiences working with educators in Oregon and across the country:

Know Your Own Perspectives

Think deeply about your own attitudes and beliefs and how they may impact your opinions and actions. Our cultural background influences how we interpret situations and communicate, as well as the choices we make. An important element of culturally responsive communication is understanding how your views affect the way you interpret what students say and do.

Build Relationships with Each Student

Positive learning environments and engaging instruction help all students achieve success. Caring and emotionally supportive classrooms are particularly important for students who have had challenging life and/or school experiences.

Caring teachers...

• Show interest in students’ welfare
• Respect students’ perspectives
• Tell students they can succeed
• Know students’ academic and social needs
• Recognize students’ academic and social achievements

Use and Model Perspective-taking and Empathy

The way students interpret their interactions with their teacher can have a lasting impact. Perspective-taking (putting yourself in a student’s shoes) can help you recognize each student’s strengths. In addition, it will lead to a deeper understanding of the daily challenges they experience.

Watch this video from Race Forward to hear students describe their experiences with implicit bias.

Perspective-taking also involves learning about students’ beliefs, attitudes and dreams; how they react in different situations; and their communication style. Educators who seek to understand their students’ perspectives are more likely to avoid misunderstandings that harm relationships.

Here are a few key things to remember when practicing perspective-taking:

• Show genuine interest in your students and let them know that getting to know each of them as an individual is important.
• Ask students about their opinions, interests and background.
• Listen to what students say as if you might be wrong.
• Be intentional in your efforts to learn how students view different situations.
• Use nonjudgmental, solution-focused problem-solving.

You can also check out my REL Northwest blog post, as well as this video and infographic, for more information on perspective-taking.

Set a high bar for each student

Cultivating caring relationships is important, but educators also need to have high expectations for all students. We must also convince students that they can learn and succeed. According to Yeager and Walton, “small” social-psychological interventions that focus on changing students’ thoughts, feelings, and beliefs in and about school can lead to large gains in student achievement for each and every student.

As learners, what should you demonstrate to help yourself and our educators make the education successful during a time of crisis?

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• How Educators Can Help Students be Successful Inside and Outside the Classroom

A question a majority of educators have today is, “how can teachers help students be successful?” The wealth of information out there can often overwhelm some educators, who get caught in analysis paralysis. Fortunately, it doesn’t have to be all that complicated. Here are seven simple but effective strategies educators can use to help college students succeed.

Be Creative

One of the best ways to capture the attention of your students is to be creative and to think outside the box. If you can make each lesson exciting for your students, you can capture their attention and help maximize their results. Implementing things like role-playing, debates, and games can all be fun ways to keep your students engaged and eager for future lessons.

Provide Relevant Study Materials

While lectures and tutorials provide the bulk of the teaching content, most students will need some supplemental materials to help with their studies. One of the best ways to help students succeed is by providing relevant materials in the form of e-books, online resources, and past papers. This allows your students to get a feel for exam-style questions and assists dramatically with their preparation.

Accept All Students

No two students are the same and you’ll often come across some that appear unprepared or disinterested. While this can be difficult to deal with at times, educators often need to adapt to the diverse needs of the classroom as a whole. You can start with an ungraded pre-test to get a good gauge of where the majority of your students are at in their studies.

Stay Up-To-Date

If you’re wondering how teachers can help students, one of the simplest and most effective ways is to stay updated. Ensure that you’re aware of all the latest news, educational advancements, and technologies. By passing this information on to your students, you can also ensure they’ve got the most relevant knowledge to succeed.

Use a Variety of Teaching Methods

Repeatedly using the same approach may make it difficult for all of your students to engage with the lesson. The VARK model suggests that there are four main types of learning; visual, auditory, reading/writing, and kinesthetic. To create the most well-rounded lessons possible, you want at least some of your lessons to cater to each of these four types.  

Set Achievable Goals

To engage your students throughout the semester, you want to set challenging yet attainable goals for them. Work with them to determine goals that they’d be happy with and how you can work together to achieve them. This can help hold your students accountable and allow them to reach their potential.

Encourage their Involvement in Academic Groups

Some students can really struggle with a strenuous workload and could benefit from interacting with other scholars on a regular basis. An example of this type of group is NSHSS, which is committed to serving the highest-achieving scholars worldwide. Involvement in these groups can allow your students to develop new insights and study methods that really help their results.

About NSHSS

Since 2002, NSHSS has supported young academics on their journey to college and beyond as they prepare to become the leaders of tomorrow. The mission behind NSHSS is to recognize academic excellence and honor high-achieving students, providing them with the resources and network to excel in college, career and community. In doing so, NSHSS connects members with global events, scholarships, college fairs, internships, career and leadership programs, partner discounts, and more. Discover what makes NSHSS worth it to student members and how you can get involved. 

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