How To Get On Board With Historical Fiction in Your Classroom?

Hissing steam pours over a train car as a war-weary soldier in a faded Union blue uniform bids his girl a tearful goodbye; the train slowly pulls away taking the young man to the coming massacre at Antietam. At the Versailles palace, jewels from a nervous young queen's elaborate gown scatter light around a room full of onlookers. Horse-drawn carriages clomp over cobblestone streets of 18th century London as icy sheets of rain crash around young children shivering outside a factory.

The American Civil War lasted from 1861-1865 and resulted in 620,000 deaths. Marie Antoinette was married on May 16, 1770 at Versailles. Child labor flourished in the United Kingdom during the 18th and 19th centuries.

Which of these sentences captured your attention? Which provides an image that will interest students? The first paragraph contains sentences from historical fiction. The second shows the types of sentences in a historical text.

Historical fiction is an entertaining and, more importantly, effective educational genre that can be used to great effect in social studies classrooms. When most students become adults, they'll glean their knowledge about history from historical fiction in both books and film. Social studies teachers who take advantage of this fact and teach students how to evaluate historical fiction will be helping students attain skills to use for a lifetime.

Incorporating historical fiction into the social studies classroom is easy. Books and films exist for nearly every historical topic imaginable. Whether the class is studying the Suffragists, World War II, or the Dalai Lama, teachers can captivate students with historical fiction. Use novels to bring specific events to life, or finish a unit with a historical fiction film. Worksheets for historical fiction leads students to analyze the work from the perspectives of both history and fiction. The can show how the genre uses the elements and devices of fiction, drama, and cinema.

Have students compare the realities of the era or the event being studied with the fictionalized version. What was accurate? What wasn't? This can be done by students working alone or in groups, in-class or as homework, as a writing or as a creative project culminating in a class presentation.

By teaching students that books and films are never the final word on any situation, teachers will be giving students one of the most important life skills around: a critical eye. By requiring students in middle school or high school to use a scholarly approach for analyzing historical fiction, teachers will give their students the skills needed to become an engaged and interested learner.

Planning an Effective Lesson

As an ORDIT registered driving instructor trainer for one of the driving schools in Nottingham I regularly teach prospective driving instructors how best to teach learner drivers. This series of articles is written for driving instructors who wish to improve their teaching performance and also for trainee instructors who are preparing for the part 3 examination of instructional ability. In this article we will look at planning an effective lesson.

As a driving instructor it is essential that lessons are properly planned in order to make the best use of available time and ensure that the pupil is making their way through the syllabus thoroughly. It is helpful for trainee instructors to write out a lesson plan using bullet points to make sure all main elements of the subject are covered. This can be secured to the dashboard for easy reference.

If this is your first lesson with a pupil make sure you greet them and check their provisional driving licence. If they don't have one then you are not insured so don't forget to check. Ask if they are nervous and try to put them at ease by discussing any issues they may have, make eye contact with the pupil and be upbeat. Let them know that it isn't unusual to be nervous on a first driving lesson.

It is important to state the aims and objectives for the lesson. Make sure they are realistic and within the pupil's ability. A more experienced pupil will require greater challenge so make sure there is a thorough recap of the last lesson to set the benchmark for the current lesson. If no aims and objectives are stated then the pupil may regard the lesson as just driving about and wasting time. Make sure the pupil is focused on something specific.

If the lesson is about a new topic then a briefing will be required. Make sure the brief is reasonably short as pupils are usually keen to get on the move. All important elements of the topic should be covered with a few questions thrown in to make sure the pupil is involved and that the information you give is understood. Visual aids and diagrams are particularly helpful during briefings.

Once on the move it is important to select a route which matches the abilities of the pupil and gives opportunities to cover the topic discussed in the brief. If you are teaching roundabouts then head for where the roundabouts are. Avoid routes that are too busy or complex but also avoid ones that are too simple for experienced pupils. This requires a good amount of forward thinking by the instructor. On route make sure the main topic is covered as much as possible but be flexible enough to change the focus of the lesson if the pupil is having difficulties in areas previously covered.

At the end of the lesson give a thorough debrief with plenty of pupil involvement. The debrief is the part that the pupil takes away with them and judges the success of the lesson by. If they have done well give plenty of positive feedback, If they have difficulties then make sure these are discussed in a positive light. Nobody wants to leave a driving lesson feeling down about it.

Teaching English in India

India is a country of many religions and beliefs. It is one of the most majestic countries of this world. There are many languages that are spoken in this part of the world like Hindi, English, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu and Marathi etc. People who have a good knowledge of English are treated with utmost respect in India. The demand for English speaking persons is increasing day by day. The demand is due to the mushroom growth of many multinational companies.

If you have a passion for teaching abroad then India is the place where you should explore the teaching opportunities. There are plenty of teaching opportunities available in India and for most of these; a TEFL certificate is a must. TESOL or TEFL Certification Course is a Three week intensive onsite initial Teacher training course. This is a widely popular course which would equip you with all the necessary education to handle the responsibilities of a teaching job abroad. If you love teaching, love to mix with people of different religions then India is the place for you.

English teachers are in great demand in India and people treat the teachers with a lot of respect. Besides getting a job in the government sector, qualified EFL teachers can get a job with the help of various voluntary placement agencies. To get a good job, one must have a degree in the field of education or a good deal of teaching experience, as well as a TEFL or similar certificate is usually necessary.

TEFL certificate holders can get a good salary depending on the kind of experience he/she possesses. Several schools offer furnished accommodation to the qualified persons. There are usually 6 working days in a week so if you planning to come to India then be prepared to teach for six days a week.

If you are not in a mood to get a permanent job then there are several contractual job opportunities which you can find with the help of the placement agencies in India. Time period of the contract can extend up to 1 year or more. A minimum experience of two years or more is required in most of the cases.

The working conditions in India are good and you can be placed mostly in the rural areas or villages. The wonderful scenery of Indian villages, its mesmerizing culture and friendly people will make your stay here some thing to remember all your life. The best thing you will find in India is the Indian food. India is famous for its spices and as a result Indian food is prepared with lots of spices and tasted spicy and delicious. Besides you can enjoy a wide variety of foods. Indians have a great culture and while living in India, you can be a part of the important Indian festivals like Holi, Diwali, Id, Dusshera, Christmas etc.

Teaching English As a Second Language to Adults

If you will be working with adult learners of English, start by assessing their needs. Many English as a Second Language students know what they want to learn. At the beginning their needs will most likely be "survival" phrases (i.e. Where is the bathroom? How much does it cost? Traffic sign reading.). Then they will need basic functional English for filling out job applications, getting medical care, and signing their child up for school.

Ask your students to identify what they want to learn by using any of the following methods or a combination of them.

1. Have the students look through their textbook or picture dictionary and place Post It Notes on five pages with the information they think is most important. 

2. Have students check off things they want to learn on a pictorial list depicting different activities (grocery shopping, reading a note from school, filling out a driver's license application, job applications, etc). 

3. Show students a pictorial strip illustrating three reasons why Antonio wants to learn English; then brainstorm with the class and substitute their reasons for learning English.

This gives the students a voice in their instruction and makes the content relevant to their lives. It also gives you a chance to evaluate what skills your students have already and what they need to strengthen.

Once you know what your students hope to achieve, use the principles of adult learning. Adults are problem solvers, self-directed, and disciplined. They already know how to think and they know how to learn new things. They will want to know why something needs to be learned and that it is applicable to their life.

Language tasks involve integrating the four language skills of reading, writing, speaking and listening. Plan your classroom time such that all four skills are used in every class session. Learners find this engaging approach reinforces each skill. Include field trips to give your students a chance to practice with you close at hand for assistance. Visit a museum, grocery store, post office, restaurant, or library.

There are a number of classroom activities which provide useful practice prior to class outings. Try an assortment of these activities to stimulate interest and discussions.

Dialogues associated with key activities. Start with simple scripted three-line dialogues.

Example:

I would like a hamburger, please. 

With pickles? 

Yes, thank you.

Next, have students substitute vocabulary in the dialogue, on cloze worksheets, during role play, or dictations. For more information on cloze worksheets and how to use them, see my article titled "Cloze Worksheets - What They Are and How to Make Them".

Build Vocabulary. Practice vocabulary with flash cards, concentration games, labeling, vocabulary journals, picture dictionaries, and bingo activities. Homework exercises can include other word games. Word searches build word recognition and standard letter pattern recognition. Crossword puzzles match definitions to words.

Class Surveys. Class surveys involve students questioning their fellow students and recording the information on a form. Questions can be of this type, "What is your last name?", "Where do you live?", "What month were you born?" Or students can be directed to find someone who likes ice cream or who comes from South Korea. In this case, students must ask class members questions in the form "Do you like ice cream?" or "Do you come from South Korea?" Answers can be collected and presented on a graph or list as appropriate. Lists can be alphabetized.

Can You Teach Your Toddler to Read? Should You?

At four years old I was primed and ready for the world of academia. I loved books - an inheritance from my wonderfully bookish Mom. I knew enough of the letters to write my OWN name on the Library Card Application! And, well, I had new shoes. What more does a lil lady need? Kindergarten was going to be my oyster.

But no! Day ONE! There he was... "Kebin" could read! He was trotted up to the front of the room, every two seconds it seemed, to read the 'small print' for the class. Boy, oh BOY, that burned me up! It still does all these years later.

The fact of the matter is that old 'Kebin' had older brothers, and during the previous year, while the younger brother had been laid up for quite some weeks, parents and older brothers had read to him. Kev was a bright toddler with few distractions, so he paid attention. Once the family realized he was getting it, they worked in earnest. By the time September arrived, Kev was reading fluently at a 2nd or 3rd grade level.

Kev was never bored. It seemed to me that every day there was something he read. He 'always' got to hold the pointer as the class worked its way through Spot and Puff. We went to Catholic School, so there were prayers and stories of the saints to read, and Kev 'always' got to do it. He was the one appointed to the "Task of Honor" - opening the classroom door and politely greeting visitors. Every time he said, "Good Afternoon and Welcome," I'd cringe.

I was so jealous my fingernails must have turned green! I indignantly demanded to know why I hadn't gotten sick so they would have been forced to teach ME to read. Mom fed my angry insistence on learning right NOW. She got out the books, the pencils and the paper and set about to teach me. By Halloween I'd caught up - and could handle those letters and words as well as Kev.

To tell the truth, in the thirteen years Kevin and I went to school together I never DID get a clear lead on him academically. None of us did. Heaven KNOWS we tried! He was a good, conscientious student [who got the lead in the play EVERY year, the bum!], and now he is a busy lawyer, a good Dad and still a great friend.

Jobs Teaching English Overseas

obs teaching English overseas are plentiful for college graduates with a TESOL certificate. TESOL is an abbreviation of Teaching English to Speaker of Other Languages.

The highest paying jobs are university jobs and go to the people with some teaching experience and a teaching degree. However, there are plenty of jobs for those with a bachelor's degree and a TESOL certificate. There are even some jobs where only a TESOL certificate will suffice.The best jobs are given to teachers with experience and a teaching certification, however there are many good jobs which do not require teaching certification if a TESOL certificate is obtained. The preferred age is between 20 and 30 although 50 years is not too old. Many countries expect you to retire in your 60's so it is harder to get a job at this age. Some countries prefer women to teach young children, but again gender is not always a factor. A country which pays well and has a great demand for teachers is China.

There are government schools, private schools, language schools and corporate training classes in most countries with jobs teaching English overseas. The government schools do not pay as well as the private schools, but the jobs are easier to get. Asia is known for paying higher salaries, but sometimes the cost of living is also higher there than other places.

The schools which provide TESOL certification often can help with job search as well as work visas and other requirements for getting in the country. It is important to research the requirements for a work visa; most countries require a bachelor's degree, although in countries where there is a great demand, this may not be a requirement. There are a few places which do not require a bachelor's degree for jobs teaching English overseas, however, most of the desirable employers will.

A Guide On Teaching English Abroad

All over the globe, there is a great demand for people who can teach English as a second language. Many individuals have experienced the benefits of teaching English in an overseas country. The advantages of helping other people gain knowledge of the English language at the same time as immersing yourself in another country's life| will make any uneasiness you may feel concerning packing up and flying to a different country quickly fade away.

One of the greatest aspects to living as well as teaching English abroad is the level of experiences and observations you will benefit from as you learn from another vibrant culture. Spending time with the local people along with learning about their history, culture, in addition to the traditions, is the most effective way to experience a culture and its people. The knowledge you will acquire is enormous. You will be taking part in every day local events which will involve interacting with locals and you will shop, tour the country, and see all of the sights. As well, you will gain knowledge about how people live, work, and play. You will also be exposed local and national celebrations, holidays, art and culture, artisans, festivals, and more. You will also be able to taste the local cuisine. Teaching English overseas is a terrific way to have fun and learn about another culture.

Another great benefit of teaching overseas is earning an income while living in a foreign land. English teachers will often teach in the mornings or afternoons and the other part of the day is theirs to do what they want. There is time take in all of the local activities and attractions. Traveling and teaching in another country will allow you to meet people from all over the world. The teachers you meet will become great friends that you keep in contact with for a long time. Experiencing new countries and their people will result in great personal growth. You will appreciate other cultures and their traditions and you become a more rounded individual with more confidence and skills. You will overcome any challenges and learn new skills which will look great on a resume. English language teachers feel proud as they observe their students learning the English language. It is a personally rewarding experience to assist others in learning the English language.

It is not a difficult task to become an English language teacher in a foreign country. Teaching English as a Second Language Certificate (TESL) is required but you do not always need a university degree although it will help you get a better teaching job. TEFL/TESL certification courses and programs are available. Teaching English abroad is a fantastic way to make money while living in a foreign country. Paid teaching positions allow you to earn an income while seeing the world. Teaching the English language in a foreign country is a rewarding career that is definitely worth exploring. When you teach English abroad you will make a lifetime of great memories.

Youth Sunday School Curriculum Teaching Styles

As you look for youth Sunday school curriculum you will find that there are two main teaching styles. These are the master teacher format and the small group format. If you are new to the curriculum world this insider lingo can be confusing and a little misleading. That is why in this article I want to clear up what these two phrases mean and show you that they are not that complicated. They merely describe two ways to teach curriculum.

The first phrase that you will come across more often than not these days is the master teacher format. This phrase can be intimidating when you think about the pressure of having to be a master teacher. But it does not mean that you have to be a master. What it means is that you will start in a large group format with your entire student ministry together. This could also be just your middle school or just your high school ministry depending on how you divide your ministry. While in this setting you have a single teacher, that for some reason is called the master teacher, that relays all or a portion of the curriculum to your students. Then after 15-30 minutes the students will be broken up into small groups. These groups are usually divided by age and gender but how you divide them is completely up to you. In these small groups your students will either go over more of the curriculum or more than likely they will go through some small group discussion questions.

The second style of youth Sunday school curriculum you will see is written in the small group format. This type of curriculum is for your traditional Sunday school format. In this format your students start out broken up into small groups, again by whatever criteria you prefer to divide them by, and then they stay in that group with their teacher the entire lesson. This style will have a mixture of teaching and discussion and is what most churches have used for years and many continue to use.

There is not really a style that is best. It really comes down to your needs and what your church is used to. For example, if your church has traditionally used the small group format it may not be worth rocking the boat and changing to the master teacher format. Not to mention that the master teacher format can involved finding more leaders and some of your long time teachers may not like just leading small group discussion. On the other hand the master teacher format is nice if you struggle to find people who truly love to teach and are gifted in it, but you have more than enough people ready to simply love on and build relationships with students. Ideally, a very good youth Sunday school curriculum will be formatted in such a way to give you flexibility to go back and forth between both options. This way you can adjust as you have need.

Why Supplemental Curriculum Helps Teachers?

In order to help students learn and achieve academic success, it's important for teachers and tutors alike to have the best supplemental curriculum resources available. These resources have proven to be a helpful resource for teachers and an even better resource for students. The benefits to using supplemental material are endless, but the following are four major reasons why it helps teachers.

Building Skills. Combining the regular curriculum with a supplemental curriculum can help teachers better engage with their students while helping students build skills they otherwise wouldn't have been able to cultivate. In addition, supplemental curriculum provides multiple options for formative assessment and different ways for students to demonstrate their knowledge.

Supporting current Instruction. A superior education is one that addresses the social, intellectual, emotional, and physical needs of various learners. However, meeting the goal of providing quality education to every student is not an easy task. Many children come to school with various backgrounds and needs. As the student population's diversity increases, so do the challenges teachers face to be receptive to all students. For students that may need a little extra instruction, utilizing supplemental curriculum is the perfect solution. It gives the teacher extra instructions to support the needs of those students that require a little more guidance than others.

Enhancing Existing Curricula. Supplemental curriculum helps to fill gaps and enhance the effectiveness of the teacher's existing curricula. While the original lesson plans may be exceptional, having supplemental curriculum will only make it that much better. It is specifically designed to help teachers better assess general education content and encourages students to meet the standards and benchmarks that apply to all students. Not to mention, it helps support teachers' lesson plans and provides educational resources to help teachers improve class participation.

Raising Test Scores. Superior supplemental curriculum can help dramatically increase student's test scores. It not only helps provide a review of the basic skills taught by the teacher, but it also offers complete and precise review of lessons taught by subject and question type. Some supplemental curriculum materials even have practice tests that help the teacher better explain correct answers.

Why Teaching Character Must Start Early?

It's never too early to begin teaching children how to become caring, confident and respectful of those around them. While parents are, of course, a child's first teacher when it comes to lessons about character, it's also important for teachers to reinforce those lessons at school. When kids see their most influential role models showing respect, kindness and other positive traits, they gain strong values as a result.

Positive Learning Environment

Teaching character in schools creates a happy, safe classroom environment which in turn promotes a positive learning experience. Instead of spending countless hours handling adolescent problems, the teachers have more time to focus on teaching and the students have more time to focus on learning. This will not only foster a sense of success for the students academically, but it will also improve their confidence socially.

Comprehensive Approach

The objective of character education is not to overtake the parents' role in teaching values. Rather, further emphasize core values such as respect, civic awareness, fairness and justice, and responsibility for self and others. The responsibility to teach our students about character should be shared among parents, teachers, and members of the community. This combined effort helps to teach children how to live and work together as students, friends, family and neighbors, and highlights the importance of being a contribution to our nation and the world.

For most schools, this type of character education should be developed using a comprehensive approach that offers multiple ways for kids to understand character. The following are three goals that schools should concentrate on in order to effectively implement character education into their classrooms:

- Gather ideas and develop a strategy. When formulating a character development program, it's best to include staff, parents, students, and any members of the community that are interested. This partnership is crucial not just because it brings more well-rounded ideas to the table, but it also sends a consistent message to the students from all the people involved in their lives.

- Provide students with positive role models. Teachers must lead by example and integrate character education into every aspect of their teaching.

- Consistency and commitment are key. Everyone involved in planning and executing a character education program must work together to help maintain character education as a fundamental part of all educational plans.

Five Tips To Successful Children's Education

Being a modern day parent is so much different and more difficult than the past. Don't you agree? While working hard in the day and spending whatever time left with your kid, parents go through so much hardship for one of the most important reasons: to give their children a proper education which would open up avenues of success for them in the future. In a fast paced society where time is of the essence, we tend to assume that children will absorb and understand whatever we throw at them and make sure they learn as much as possible because we believe that it will be beneficial.

It is said that the brain of a child is like a sponge and it'll absorb anything, everything and this is why they tend to ask endless amount of questions and if we want our children to be well mannered and learn the right stuff, must we cater something different just for their curious minds? I believe we do.

I'm not a parent nor a child educator myself but I've been a kid once, well, in fact everyone was a kid once but as we age and mature, we lost touch with our kiddy behavior and mentality because it is not acceptable in the society and when we communicate or teach our young, we often lose our patience resulting in undesirable outcomes. Now, the below 5 tips are what I've observed, read, studied and gathered from child educators and I personally believe that if you teach yourself to have these qualities while educating your young, it will definitely lessen your burden and at the same time bring a whole lot of fun and joy to you and your kids! I understand that you're all grown up and mature now but let's all hear what the younger generation has to say, shall we?

Tip 1 - Always assess the ability of the child before proceeding to teach something new. It is important to understand the learning capabilities of the child (i.e. strengths, needs) before you begin to educate them. As every child is different and possesses different IQ levels, it is essential to find out what their pace of learning is especially for children with intellectual disabilities. Children with such disabilities will take a longer time to learn or pick up new skills as compared to a normal child. Therefore, it is very important to teach the child things that suit their cognitive level.

Tip 2 - Conducive learning areas. To enable a child to learn effectively, a child is best placed in an environment that allows them to fully concentrate on whatever they are supposed to learn. Set up areas for play and learning separately, this is also useful in letting them know that there is a different time for studying and playing.

Tip 3 - Create a safe environment for progressive learning. For instance, you can encourage inquisitiveness and allow them to make mistakes in order to learn. Allowing your children to learn from their mistakes is more effective than spoon-feeding them. Progressive learning also helps in building a solid foundation for the child and not giving too much information at one time which can result in them losing interest.

Tip 4 - Be consistent in setting your expectations. You have to expect that the child is able to learn and each time, set an expectation slightly above the child's ability so as to push them to achieve greater heights. However, this will only be effective by doing it consistently.

Tip 5 - Have care and patience towards the child. You have to be genuine in wanting the child to learn. Teach the child for the sake of his/her learning and not for the sake of teaching. One way will be to care for the child constantly, and this will gradually help you in building a bond with them, thus enable the child to respond effectively and readily to you.

12 Surefire Ways to Teach Successfully!

Have you ever watched cheerleaders at a football game doing stunts? They often have a flyer, the person up in the air, and two or three bases, the cheerleaders supporting or catching the flyer. For the flyer to perform to the best of her ability, she needs her bases working together to support her and keep her safe.

Now, imagine that the flyer is your student and that you and your co-teacher are the bases. Just as it is critical for the bases in a cheering squad to work together, it is critical for co-teachers to collaborate. It's not easy working with another teacher, yet it is important for your students to have the sturdiest support possible.

So to help you out, here are 12 surefire ways to co-teach successfully! We hope that these ideas come in handy and that you have an excellent rest of the year!

12 Surefire Ways to Co-Teach Successfully!

1. Introduce each other's roles in the classroom as equal but different. For example, the general education teacher is introduced as the content area specialist and the special education teacher is introduced as the learning strategies specialist. Other co-teaching teams choose to not identify role differences and simply introduce themselves as "the teachers" of the class.

2. Gain an understanding of personality styles. This knowledge can change your life as well as improve all your collaborative relationships. Co-teaching is like an arranged marriage. How you deal with your colleague's personality can make or break the relationship.

3. Plan daily lessons, activities, tests, assignments, etc. in collaboration with each other.

4. As much as possible, make sure the entire team is working together, including the teacher, co-teacher, paraprofessional, parents, and students.

5. Work with each other to effectively implement adaptations, modifications, and accommodations required by the IEP without reducing content.

6. Collaborate with each other to develop a discipline policy and determine the roles you will play when discipline is necessary.

7. Make sure both teacher and co-teacher work with all students on an individual and group basis.

8. Teach, and re-teach, specific learning skills to students that need them. Reinforce alternative learning techniques.

9. Prep time is minimal and precious, and is not always the same for both co-teachers. Therefore, share as much information beforehand as possible through your school's teacher mailboxes or email so your planning time can be used with maximum benefit.

10. Partner with colleges and universities to have students who are studying to be teachers present activities, provide demonstrations, review with games, and help with test prep to free up time for co-teachers to plan. Teachers will need to plan in the room because of liability issues; however it's a viable option when planning time is scarce.

11. Use email and Microsoft Word's "Insert Comments" and "Track Changes" (under "Tools") features to collaborate on accommodations and adaptations.

12. Be flexible, identify and focus on each co-teacher's strengths, adopt a "They are ALL my students" attitude, and consider the impact of personality, gender, and culture differences on your relationship with your co-teacher.

Teaching British Abroad

There is something important to consider when Teaching English Abroad...

Do you like to save or do you like to spend money?

The standard of living you can attain in the country you plan to teach in and the value of that currency is relative to the question of...

Do you like to save or do you like to spend money?

If you usually spend all of your income, you may spend even more if your income is doubled. You may want to travel, eat at fancy restaurants and enjoy your teaching English abroad experience fully or if you can live on a tight budget and save, you will do that anywhere you live.

How do you know if you're being offered a good income or not?

Your standard of living teaching English abroad in comparison to the rest of the population in a country is a major factor. Check into other jobs on the internet to see what is being offered in that particular country, be sure to talk to people who've taught in that country before. That will help you to establish if you've been offered a fair salary to teach in that country.

Can you afford to work there?

That question can be tricky. If you're being paid 4500RMB ($650 US) per month to teach English abroad in China, it may scare you at first because well...let's face it, the cost of living in the US can get expensive, however in China, you can rent a furnished apartment for 230 RMB and feed yourself for under 150RMB a month. You will have money to "play" with an you will be able to explore China and enjoy a good local standard of living. If you have financial responsibilities back at home, you may have trouble exploring China to the fullest.

How can I make money teaching in an English-speaking country?

It's not easy to make a good living in an English-speaking country these days. Most of the jobs are temporary and very casual. TEFL teachers are usually paid a small hourly rate and teachers move between jobs and may be working 2 or 3 jobs at a time. Student numbers vary and TEFL instructors are sometimes asked to move on.

Locking in a full-time position brings in a regular income and permanent position can be difficult to obtain as many teachers are in search of these types of jobs.

Can You Make Money Teaching English Abroad?

You won't become rich teaching English abroad, but you can make a pretty good living and you will have a chance to see the world. You will make friends from all parts of the world and that can be a huge plus when looking for accommodations for a few days. Teaching English abroad isn't done necessarily for the money but you just may find it to be a rewarding career!

Teaching Students How To Gain Greater Success In Formal Examinations

I grew up in the years when the scholarship examination was still an important step in the education process. Each Friday morning, the scholarship classes, the final year in primary school had a two hour test examination on English, Mathematics or Social Studies. At high school, there were many 2 and 3 hour exams at the end of each term leading to the formal external Junior and Senior examinations. Most of my first degree assessments at University of Queensland were 3 hour exams. As an evening student, it was essential to develop good exam technique. This article reflects these experiences.

PREAMBLE

Up to 50% (sometimes more) of the test instruments used in Schools are the traditional pen on paper examination held under strict examination conditions. For many students this can be a stressful situation where they do not perform at their best. Apart from a good study program, the best preparation is to teach the student how to best do the actual examination/Test. Below are the steps I teach my students from Term 1, Year 8. I repeat it prior to every examination/test right through to the end of Year 12. This procedure can be used in all year levels and subjects successfully. In primary school, teachers might introduce these ideas slowly and actually go through a practice exam explaining to the class how to do these steps. I have even done this with my secondary classes. Remember it is an on-going process.

As well, I remind them of these issues:

(1) Get a good night's sleep. 

(2) Have a good breakfast/lunch, etc. 

(3) Drink plenty of water. 

(4) Don't study "madly" during the last 30 minutes before the test.

All these ideas are to ensure the student is in the best physical condition possible to do the exam.

STEP 1 Read the examination/test paper at least twice.

Decide which questions are easy are harder. Mark them hard or easy.

Decide on the order that you will do them.

Do the easy questions FIRST.

Why? - They take less time; therefore you gain extra time for the more difficult questions.

- Success creates confidence. 

- You don't miss out on marks you can get. 

- You give the impression to your marker you know your subject.

Write out a short plan of how you are going to answer the question.

STEP 2 Work out a time/mark allocation. This give you a rough estimate of the time required per question. Use the first few minutes to plan; the last few to check over and edit where necessary.

Allow time at the beginning of the exam for reading and at the end for checking.

If you are doing a more difficult question; DON'T spend all of your time on it if you are not succeeding.

Go on to others. When you return; read the question afresh and what you have done before you continue.

Continue to try all unfinished questions to the end of the exam/test time.

STEP 3 Checking is a compulsory part of every test. There are several ways to check:

1. Check you have copied down all the correct data for the question. 

2. Check that your answer (its size, etc.) fits in a practical sense into the scenario of the question. 

3. Check, in fact, that you have actually answered the question fully. 

4. Towards the end of the exam time, check you have done or tried every question and every part of each question. 

5. In Maths questions or questions involving calculations, check every step as you do it.

STEP 4 Make sure you have been:

- Neat 

- Tidy 

- Organised 

- Logical 

- Clear 

- Concise

Young Teacher's Guide to Problem Solving in Mathematics

The key to teaching Problem Solving in unfamiliar contexts in Maths is to begin as early as possible with all students. Give your students as much experience as possible as often as possible. This experience does not need to be for extended periods but should contain many short, sharp exercises in a great variety of contexts.

What we need to do is to build up our students' confidence by giving them lots of opportunities, rewarding them, not so much for a correct answer but for being involved in 'having a go'.

It is important that you, the teacher, must become a problem solver if you are to be an effective teacher of problem solving.

Here are themes/ideas that I use to develop this confidence:

• Adopt the premise that problems are 'easy'. Teach your students to start by looking for a simple approach.

• The word 'problem' has a negative connotation. Perhaps the word 'challenges' is a better way to speak about our 'problems' in unfamiliar situations.

• Mistakes are to be welcomed. They are learning experiences.

• Finding a dead end in an exercise should be regarded as a success not a failure. You have just proved you cannot do it that way.

• The seeds of the solution are always in the problem but often students overlook the obvious. So teach students how to interpret questions.

• I would often model verbally and on the board how I approach a problem and work towards a solution.

• I encourage my students to find and share different ways to solve the problems.

• Persistence is an important habit to develop. Include in your work, occasionally, long problems to solve. They don't need to be difficult but just have many steps.

• We need to give students greater opportunities to follow through with a problem. Give hints rather than solutions initially. Solutions should be given when all else has failed. Allow successful students to explain the solution to the class or group.

• Charles Lovitt, a well-known Australian researcher into Mathematics teaching, has a thesis that goes like this: "It's not the question that is important BUT how you ask the question." Mental Arithmetic in Middle and Junior High School is a great way to ask the same question in a variety of ways. I use it often.

The Young Teacher's Guide to Parent

Your first parent/teacher meeting will be one where you will want to make the best impression. You will want the parents to see you as an experienced professional and someone who really knows their child and wants only the best for the child.

It is important to go to the meeting expecting to enjoy meeting the parents and finding ways to help them help their child. That way the meeting will 'get off on the right foot' and can achieve a positive outcome.

My first parent teacher evening was at a new high school where I taught every student Mathematics. I was still interviewing at 11 p.m. when the principal turned out the lights to get people to go home and, I suppose, to rescue me. However, I had a great experience. There have been many such meetings in my career. This article will detail the way I conduct these meetings.

1. Collect all test instruments the student has done.

2. Have copies with answers of all assessment instruments, assessment programs and a work program summary.

3. I have a summary of what I see as the strengths and weaknesses of the child. I refer to the test instruments to support these issues. I explain how the results could have been improved and what to do for the future, e.g. learning basic rules, having a better checking procedure.

4. Have, if possible, examples of the child's class work and work pads.

5. Consult the student's records from previous years for comparison purposes for all aspects of what you do, e.g. achievement in class work, behaviour, health and attendance problems.

6. Check attendance at class and for exams and other assessment tasks.

7. Check your diary for homework and behaviour problems.

8. Review the student's bookwork in advance and interview the student as you do it to get to know him/her better and seek to find out if there are any problems.

9. I have copies of how to study and do homework to give parents to help them help their child.

10. Exam technique is another issue for students so I give parents a handout on this also.

For Students At Risk

1. Suggest ways in which you can help outside the classroom: 

• Your availability 

• Tutors 

• Student mentors 

• Special needs teacher 

• Tutorials in lunch periods

2. Mention, where necessary, the following issues that may impact on student progress: 

• Lack of equipment, texts, pencils, and so on 

• Frequent lateness to class 

• Lack of attention in class 

• Slow to get on task 

• Easily distracted 

• Sits with the wrong crowd 

• Homework poorly done or not attempted 

• Will not seek help or ask questions 

• Is reluctant to answer any questions, even easy ones

3. I may suggest that the student be put on a contract or a behaviour card. I show copies to the parents.

4. I also suggest that they could sign the child's homework each night until we are happy it has become a habit again.

5. We decide which of 3 and 4 above we will do and I arrange to report to the parents on progress in the future weeks.

6. Don't forget to mention all the positives you can about the child especially if he or she is present.

7. Stress to the parents that you are only interested in helping the child reach their best potential.

8. Some parents will want tutors. I don't try to deter them but I tell them they need to get an undertaking from their child that they will work hard in class and at home and do everything the tutor tells them to do. I explain that the tutor should be able to increase their self-confidence and should be able to find problems that need to be addressed. I will give the parent a work program summary for the tutor. I usually have a list of tutors who live locally which I give the parents but I do not recommend anybody. I just tell them the list contains people who have offered to tutor. I suggest that they 'try before they buy' making sure their child is comfortable with the tutor first.

Young Secondary Teacher's Guide To Preparing For An Absent Day

All teachers will have days away from their class. These days should not interrupt the learning process. Therefore, if you believe you are likely to be away sick tomorrow, then plan today, the work that you will leave for the relief teacher. Make sure you leave clear, detailed instructions on your desk where it is easy to find. Worksheets need to be based on the current work units which will help consolidate the students' learning.

If it turns out you are not sick and you return to your classes tomorrow, use this work to ease your day and aid your full recovery.

Planned school meetings or personal appointments are often known well in advance. Therefore, it is possible to work your teaching program around it so that the absent period can be used for revision tests and/or consolidation work. Leave more work than can be completed by the students for the period you are absent.

Included below are a series of strategies designed to help young teachers keep the learning process going forward during their absence.

• If you know you will be absent well in advance, plan your program so that you can prepare a practice test or activity.

• Ensure there is more work than can be done in the period to keep the class busy.

• If you leave a revision test, it should contain a variety of questions/activities that vary in difficulty from easy to hard. They must be directly related to your latest teaching unit and, if necessary, to other units to be tested in the next exam. You might like to include answers so that the relief teacher can give some guidance to students as to their success in the practice test. It will also help fill in the period time. It might also be important to suggest a time limit on the practice test so the less able don't get restless and misbehave. (This is a good ploy for less able secondary classes).

• Set some critical thinking exercises to extend your best students.

• Include an activity related to your work unit that can be an extra exercise for those who can do no more of the set work or have finished.

• If you expect the class to work on their assignments, you must give the relief teacher detailed instructions on the assignment plus copies of the assignment to provide for those who don't turn up with what is required.

• Leave practical work only if you know you have a relief teacher who has expertise in your area. If you don't know what relief teacher is coming, add an alternative set of activities. Remember to include advice as to where the equipment is and how to obtain a key.

• Include a class roll for each class and any advice the teacher needs to know about students.

• If there are room changes, specify them. Indicate where the relief teacher might find the students if they don't arrive.

• Above all, give activities that are on the topics being studied for the next exam. Ensure there is much to do and that every student has work that will occupy him/her for more than the whole period.

• Attach homework that the relief teacher would give to the class and follow up by checking and correcting during the next period. This homework could be to complete the revision test. Set a time limit on the homework.

• Indicate where the relief teacher can get help, both subject and discipline wise.

• Leave the relief teacher a fun consolidation/easy problem solving exercise that all can try to finish the lesson after the answers are given to the practice test or other set activities.

When you return to school, you must check what has been done, answering any questions and reteaching any problem areas so that students see you are serious about work to be done during your absences. If you don't do this, then your students will not treat work that you leave when you are absent seriously. This will make the relief teacher's day more difficult than it should be.