1. How Can I Become a Successful Teacher to All Students? Highly Effective Learning By Samantha Schuhmann

2. Creating a Positive Learning Climate  Positive Learning Climate? The classroom climate refers to the prevailing mood, attitudes, standards, and tone that you and your students feel when they are in your classroom. (www.cfchildren.org)www.cfchildren.org  How do I create a positive Learning Climate? Greet the students at the door by name. Respect and support all students. Avoid labeling students or having favorites. Develop and reinforce rules for the classroom. Give meaningful praise to the students (either individually or as a group). Example: Great job class! Everyone turned in their homework today.  These are just a few examples, but if the students feel safe, respected, and loved they will be more willing to learn for you!

3. Classroom Assessment and Reflection  “Used with skill, assessment can motivate the reluctant, revive the discouraged, and thereby increase, not simply measure achievement.” by Chappuis, Chappuis, & Stiggins (Love this Quote!)  Create assessments that were not were not meant for one type of learning style. May want to try different assessments in the classroom. Not only pencil and paper tests are assessments. Assessments come in many forms.  Our students are smart! They just may not all do well with written assessments.  Examples: Oral assessment of math facts, Oral spelling test, Building a model of a spider and label parts, and using math manipulatives to assess addition and subtraction.  Student Self-Reflection is also necessary. Students should have goals and be able to assess how they did in that area. (See Self-Reflection Sheet Under Time Saving Materials)

4. Instructional Rigor and Student Engagement: How do I know if my students are “getting it?” Negative Indicators  One student responds to questions  Two or three student discuss content  Teacher asks students if they understand, and they answer with a simple yes or no. Positive Indicators  All Students respond  All students discuss content in small groups  All students write a response in a journal or exit slip. Tip: Look for those students who are not doing these things and find out why through a learning inventory sheet or one-on-one time.

5. Instructional Relevance  Is what you are teaching relevant to real world experiences? The more that you can relate what you are teaching to real life, the more engaged your students will become.  Example: When teaching math lessons dealing with counting money, you could set up a store in the classroom and have students take turns being the salesperson or the customer. There are many ways to relate lessons to real life settings. You can incorporate math and science into a cooking lesson. There will be many more lessons and ideas coming soon on the website.

6. Knowledge of Content  Teacher demonstrates an understanding and in-depth knowledge of content and maintains an ability to convey this content to students.  Teachers uses and promotes the understanding of appropriate content vocabulary.  This may take time to go back and study new material. Sometimes special education and elementary teachers teach more than one subject. It is difficult to become an expert in every subject.  How do I know if I am successful? Students demonstrate growth in the content area. Students connect their knowledge to real life circumstances. Student uses ideas in realistic problem solving situations. http://education.ky.gov/curriculum/docs/pages/characteristics-of-highly-effective- teaching-and-learning-(chetl).aspx