Patience and Understanding

Patience and understanding I believe will be my most important teaching tool. I feel that it is very important to listen and try to understand where students are coming from. I also think that a teacher that is patient and understanding gains the confidence and respect of their students. I always want my students to know that they can approach me with anything and that I am dedicated to being there for them academically, emotionally, etc... All children need to feel that they are important and that what they think and feel is real and that someone cares about them as little people. I hope to provide these qualities to each of my students unconditionally!!!

Confidence Building

Confidence is another tool that ranks at the top of my list of teaching tools. I feel that students can be taught confidence indirectly. A students confidence is key to a great education. When students are confident they tend to become more involved, ask more questions, and improve their overall grades. Students should be encouraged and praised for a job well done! It is important to address each child regularly about the work that they are doing.
Students should be individually commended for their good work and behaviour. I believe that teachers should tell students exactly what they like about their work and immediately give incentives. I think that they should praise students in the presence of their classmates or write a note in their notebooks or diaries. I believe that students achievements should be showcased and that all students should be made to feel significant in the classroom. I think that students should be updated on their progress. Their past and present achievements such as quiz scores or tests should be provided to show improvement. Students interests should be encouraged.Another thing that should be done to help build confidence is to help students deal with difficulty. Students should know that everyone experiences challenges and be encouraged to continue in their efforts to succeed. Also, I feel that it is important to stay involved with parents and encourage them to praise their children for a job well done and offer encouragement to students that may be struggling.
This is a topic that I feel very strong about. I believe that confidence is key to a successful student and I feel that as an educator it will be my duty to help students gain confidence which will help them throughout their entire life!!

ALEX (Alabama Learning Exchange)

ALEX or the Alabama Learning Exchange is a wonderful website for teachers. It is a free resource that allows teachers to search by subject, grade level, and topic. After finding what you are looking for you can easily find lesson plans for that topic. The lesson plans are very detailed. The objective of the lesson plan is stated. The time that it will take to complete the lesson is given. Also, the materials needed for the lesson are listed as well as other resources that may be useful and the things that you need to prepare for the lesson. The procedures to carry out the lesson plan are provided in great detail. Basically it breaks everything that you need down into easy to follow instructions. The website also provides links to other sites that prove useful for the teacher or the student relating to each lesson plan. Another thing that I really like is that as a member you can create you own workspace where lesson plans can be stored and you can submit your own if you like. You can also submit variations to lesson plans if you find something that works better for you and would like to share it with others.
The website is very easy to navigate and the information provided is very useful.I think that this is not only a wonderful resource for teachers but anyone that may work with children or that have children of their own. I will definitely utilize this website in the classroom. What a wonderful resource!!!!

Podcasts

I believe that podcasts can be very effective tools used in today's classroom. They provide a creative avenue for students to share their findings about given topics to a large audience. Also, they would be more inclined to stretch their vocabulary and put forth more effort knowing that they are showcasing their work to such a large group of listeners. They can also review it and make adjustments for future assignments. Students can be encouraged to provide feedback on each others podcasts as well.
I also believe that video podcasts are wonderful for students. There are many video podcasts that are available on a wide array of topics that are covered in the classroom. These can be used to compliment things being taught in the classroom.
The best thing about podcasts is they are FREE! There are so many resources available today that don't cost a thing!!

Blogs

Blogs!! This is by far my favorite technology teaching tool. I found these to be very fun and easy to create and maintain. I really enjoyed reviewing blogs used in classrooms all over the world. I feel that they are a wonderful FREE resource that can be used to keep parents informed about things going on in the classroom, students works can be showcased, homework can be posted... The possibilities are endless! I especially would like to use blogs to showcase students writings. I feel that there are numerous beneficial gains for students when writing for such a wide range of viewers. Another plus is that viewers can offer students instant feedback.
I am a huge fan of blogs in the classroom and intend to put my new found knowledge to use in my classroom!! What a wonderful tool!