Thursday, 22 September 2016

Montessori Method Encourages Teachers to be “Guide on the Side”

A Montessori teacher is a facilitator. The basic montessorian principal is that teachers should be a guide-on-the –side rather than a sage-on-the-stage. It is such that even a top-down learning environment is non-productive for the student. Education is effective rather successful when the student is an independent learner. In this regards, Montessori teachers must complete teacher training programs to be more credentialed teachers. 


In this Montessori environment, there should be deep respect for the young learners. In such a classroom setting the students can freely flourish in a setting that is supportive and respectful of their individuality, abilities and potential.  Here the students are intrinsically motivated by letting them to work on their interest and goals and not for their external rewards. 

 
The children’s learn at their own pace provided a classroom that is designed in a structure that facilitates students. In this environment, develops the skills to independent problem solving by allowing them to explore, discover, research and learn by themselves. During this phase, the teacher closely monitors the progress of each student, helping her make good choices that support learning and exploration of all subjects within an academic curriculum.

It’s an approximate 3 year cycle when the students remain with the same teachers and thus benefitting the teachers to have intimate knowledge of each individual student’s learning style and potential. It is an add-on to the consistency in a student’s academic life. The curriculum is also such that it is kept in a spiralling manner throughout the three year cycle which develops the greater understanding of the academic subjects.

Similarly, the students are engaged in tasks that relate directly to everyday practical skills. Like, caring for oneself and the environment, organizing and using household materials, are employed in the classroom to help students build critical-thinking, decision-making skills and fine motor coordination skills. 

Another important aspect of Montessori education is thoughtful engagement with others in a respectful manner. These are the building blocks for the peace curriculum that is ever present in a Montessori school. Compassion is characteristics that are held high in the Montessori curriculum. 

 
Learning is thus not simply to complete an assignment or achieve a test score successfully. Curiosity and life-long intellectual pursuit of knowledge is a means for life. Montessori students learn to take risks in their academic work and think creatively without a feat of failure, thanks to the teachers, their mentors. Montessori teacher trainingcourses are prepares the teacher in coordination of a classroom full of children with diverse attention span. Each child’s lifetime learning process begins at school holding hands with the teacher. Surprisingly, the Montessori teacher training has been beneficial for the teachers in a substantial manner. It has proven to work in favour of the school environment and child growth and development.

Tuesday, 13 September 2016

Educational Managers are in Great Demand

There has been much demand for education managers in the recent times with the rise and development of the education system. The infrastructure and other organizational goals need to be met through strategic and conceptual thinking. There are four major functions they need to perform that would lead to organizational success- planning, organizing, leading and controlling. 

Planning: - In this step the education manger will have to create a detailed action plan aimed at achieving some organizational goals. Planning is an ongoing stage and is highly specialized depending on the specific organizational goals, division and departmental goals and also team goals. Now it’s up to the manager to recognize which goal need to be addressed and then plan accordingly.
Organizing: - The second of the managerial functions is organizing. This requires the education manager to determine how he or she will distribute resources and organize her employees according to the plan. While identifying the role the manager must make sure that he or she assigns right amount of employees to carry out the plan that has been chalked before. This will involve delegation of authority, assigning work and their provide direction or monitor their work towards fulfilment of the organizational goals.
Leading: - This is the third function where the leader or manager needs to connect to the employees on interpersonal level. This is beyond simple managing tasks rather involving communicating, motivating, inspiring and encouraging employees towards high level of productivity. This is the skill of the manager to lead and guide the employee and smooth completion of the job. Such will be his or her nature or charisma that employees will voluntarily follow the directions of the leader.
Controlling: - This is indeed the final function of the management. Once a plan is carried out, the manager evaluates the results against he set goals. If that goal is not the met in the process, the education manager will take necessary corrective steps.
All these are not techniques rather the skill of the educational leader to manage and meet developmental goals of an educational institute. As because the running of an educational organization like a school or college requires certain level of capacity and expertise, this has raised the standards and requirement of education managers. Programs on Educational Administration and Management at different levels help to bring out the leadership qualities in running the administration of an organisation.  

 
The success of an organisation greatly depends on the leadership quality of the managers. The courses strengthen their skills and help them overcome their shortcomings in handling various situations in an educational set up. Often the above mentioned functions don’t work in a situation of crisis. The manager now acts upon his or her own skills to handle such a situation. It is the prime goal of the education manager to deal with all situations arising within the organisation. He or she must have the patience, control and dynamic personality that every order of his or her would be followed with obedience. Give a chance to yourself and learn the tricks to handle an educational organisation efficiently.

Thursday, 1 September 2016

Teaching ESL in Vietnam Can be An Amazing Experience

The quality of life for an ESL teacher in Vietnam is fantastic.  Vietnam has significantly increased the value of its gross national product and endeavouring to raise its standard of living, reducing poverty in the rural areas and making steady progress in the education sphere.
Vietnamese schools and educational institutions are on the lookout for qualified and trained teachers who have exceptional knowledge and skills to handle students leading to their success. This is because getting a teaching English job in Vietnam is the easy part. Learning how to teach, control a class of approx fifty noisy kids and dealing with living and working is the biggest challenge.


Vietnamese students speak very little or even no English at all. There will be provision of Vietnamese teaching assistant who will translate instructions for the teacher, learning how to communicate and teach language to this students are incredibly challenging yet quite an experience in itself. The ESL teacher must involve various activities in order to grab their attention.
Similarly due to huge cultural differences the Vietnamese schools are different from usual schools. One of the most shocking things is that at these schools the teachers are allowed to hit the kids if they misbehave specially issues related to sensitive topic in Vietnam. Even children with learning disabilities are placed in regular classes without any adequate support. Even at times educational resources are not available which are essential for teaching in a classroom. These difficulties have to be overcome with a broad smiling face as there are large opportunities besides these few disadvantages. You must also be multitasking in handling all sorts of situations in large classes where kids look upon the teacher for ‘fun time’. 
The Vietnamese kids will surprise you with their charm. They are easily attached to the teachers. They never annoy or frustrate as they are prone to discipline. But only thing is that you have to take the charge. There is lot more expected from an ESL teacher. He or she must have the skills to make the organisation a place where not just the kids but also their parents would feel free and happy to send their child for learning with fun.
Advanced TESOL certification prepares you to teach English as Foreign Language in a foreign Land. The comprehensive program is your guide in becoming a successful teacher, trainer, guide or mentor. With course completion the TEFL Job Projects are an added advantage as employers are easily pleased when a teacher has prior experiences. That’s the benefit of pursuing a course with us, as we know what fits you perfectly and develop your confidence in handling most difficult classrooms. 
Vietnam can be your dream destination with wonderful places to explore. The learning environment is also welcoming. There is so much to contribute for betterment and development as a whole while working for the educational institutions. With rising demand for ESL teachers in Vietnam, there has been scope for employment of teachers from across the world. You are the makers of tomorrow, creator of generation next, way to go.

Thursday, 25 August 2016

Montessori Method is a Child Centred Method of Education

Montessori is an innovative, child-centred approach to education. Herein given developmentally appropriate materials and the freedom to follow their interest, they joyfully teach themselves. This approach fosters child’s natural inclination to learn. The Montessori teacher guide rather than monitor or instruct, linking each student with activities that meet his needs, interest and developmental level. The classroom thus designed to allow movement and collaboration, as it also promotes concentration and sense of order.
Montessori education offers our children opportunities to develop their potential as they step out into the world as engaged, competent, responsible and respectful citizens with an understanding and appreciation that learning is for life-
a.    Each child is unique individual- Montessori education recognizes that children learn in different ways and accommodates all learning styles. Students are also free to learn at their own pace, each advancing through the curriculum as he is ready, guided by the teacher and an individualized learning plan.

b.    Beginning at early age, Montessori students develop order, coordination, concentration and independence- Classroom design materials and daily routines support the individual’s emerging self-regulation by ability to educate one’s self from toddlers through adolescents.

c.    Students are a part of close and caring community- The multi-age classroom typically spanning 3 years recreates a family structure. The older students enjoy stature as mentors and role models. And the younger ones feel supported and gain confidence about the challenges ahead. Teachers model respect, loving kindness and a belief in peaceful conflict resolution.

d.    Montessori students enjoy freedom within limits- working within parameters set by their teachers; students are active participants in deciding what their focus of learning will be. Montessori approach understands internal satisfaction that drives child’s curiosity and interest and thus resulting in joyous learning that are sustainable for a longer period of time.

e.     Students becoming active knowledge seeker- Preschool Teachers provides freedom and an environment wherein the students get freedom and tools to pursue answers to their own questions.

f.    Self correction and self assessment as a part of Montessori approach- As they mature, students learn to look critically at their works and become adept at recognizing, correcting and learning from their errors.
Read More: A Montessori Teacher Acts as a Guide
Given complete freedom and support at the same time, to probe deeply, and to make connections, Montessori students become confident, enthusiastic and self directed learners. Montessori methods thus create the strong base of the learners to lead a successful life in the future to come.
Montessori teacher training is quintessential for any preschool teacher to adapt to modern day teaching techniques and methodologies. They need to organize classroom with adequate resource materials and provide students freedom with mix of guidance in a cordial manner and everything that will make up a great learning environment.

Thursday, 18 August 2016

Story Telling is a Great Way to Develop the Expressive Skills of Kids

Storytelling is a great skill to teach kids. It improves the language skills, instils a love of reading and stirs the imagination. There are few effective ways to teach kids how to tell stories:-


1.    Expose them to good storytelling- Professional storyteller often work in local libraries or appear at festivals or cultural events. They can be appointed to take classes. Such an exposure will be good for kids. They will tell stories with completeness i.e, with a beginning, middle and end which make the kids to laugh, cry and feel fear or sadness.

2.    Choosing story by themselves: Expose kids to greater number of short books and magazine short stories, and let them choose to tell the one they love the most. If you are going to have children memorise the text, you look for stories that don’t rely on illustrations to fill in the gaps.

3.    Have fun with stories that are string-a-long: Practicing story telling in any form is helpful and more fun activity when telling a string-a-long story, which can be done with any number of people. This helps to understand various parts of the stories and make use of the imagination and think about what might come next.

4.    Be very expressive: Make the students feel that they must involve their entire body in storytelling. As good storyteller uses body language, expression in their voices, varying volume and eye contact with the listeners. Teachers play an important role in generating a comfortable ambience wherein the kids could express themselves freely with their peers.

5.    Wordless Books: What is most intimidating is a blank piece of paper without any pictures. While pictures plays an important role which is worth more than simple written books. The value of a wordless pictures book is that it provides a setting, characters and some visual cues that inspire their imagination.

6.    Keep focus on practice: Children will become more comfortable with storytelling by practicing in front of mirror or videotaping themselves while telling the stories. Also practicing in front of fellow kids is also helpful particularly if the audience are coached to give constructive feedbacks. This helps in memorizing an easy task for the kids. In all these effort what is important is to have fun doing this task.

7.    Take classes: Check your locale to find acting, writing or illustration classes are available. Invite trainers from those to consult and assist in the storytelling practice through body language. They tell a story in an interesting manner to help students step out of their comfort zone to expand their imagination.
Nursery teacher training courses help and guide you to create an environment of learning which is joyful and comfortable which focus on optimum child development and helping them achieve their learning goals.

Read More: Stir Up the Love for Language Learning Among the Kids
 
Both teaching and learning have witnessed rapid developments and this requires development of skills through course in nursery teacher training. You will gain mastery over the teaching techniques that are mentioned above that will help young learners to develop their skills of learning and become expressive with their body language and vocabulary. As preschool teacher your prime task continues to be that of mediator creating an environment of flexibility and creativity.

Wednesday, 10 August 2016

Land an ESL job in Japan and Explore Japanese Culture

The land of the Rising Sun is a great place to explore. The cosmopolitan cities, the high mountains and respectful students should be reasons for landing a teaching job in Japan.  There are also high demands for TEFL teachers all over Japan. It is a valued and popular profession in there. Most of the cases people get attracted to work in Japan due to high salaries, interesting culture and cheap travel expenses throughout the rest of Asia. The larger cities of Tokyo, Osaka and Yokohama have great teaching opportunities for TEFLers as there are larger number of schools and a higher concentration of international businesses. 


Most first time TEFL teachers in Japan could get a secured job as assistant language teacher. The rest acquire teaching jobs in private language schools or other adult learning schools helping Japanese students to learn the language effectively and break the commercial barrier across the globe.
Read More: Learn Mandarin and Tai Chi while TEFL in China
Cost of living is moderate in Japan. You don’t have to worry about your accommodation as the TEFL employer will organise free apartments for you or an apartment allowance in your tenure of TEFL contract. The cost of food will be sufficient enough with your wage. In fact foods are quite cheap and fresh for daily use. To adopt a healthy way of life head to ‘Shotengai’ markets located at every major city. The night lives are surprisingly reasonable and interesting.
Japan is also known for food and beverage. Best known for sushi and there are a huge variety to choose from.  If you like seafood some of the best items to choose include squid, prawns and tuna. It’s a common cultural practice that the TEFL employers to take their foreign teachers out for a dinner party with drinks on a monthly basis. This can be a real perk for those teaching English in Japan.
Japan suffers from extreme weather with temperatures soaring above thirty five degree celsius in summer and dropping significantly in winter sub-zero temperatures are a regular occurrence in Japan. The TEFL teacher will have the opportunity to wear both your summer and winter clothes while teaching in Japan.
Public transport in Japan is extremely efficient, with the metro the favoured route amongst the locals in Tokyo. The metros in Osaka and Yokohama are also of very good standard. Taxi drivers in Japan are trustworthy; they do not take you long way just to increase the fare. But you must know or write down the name of the destination as most of the drivers do not know English. 
Read More: ESL Teaching Takes You to Exotic Locations
During your time teaching English in Japan, you will have plenty of time to get out and explore. During your teaching in Japanese public school throughout the week, you will get weekends free. Japan has an astonishing 21 national holidays and there will be vacation time built into all reputable TEFL contracts. It you are looking to travel a lot during your time in Japan and with a high salary in mind, you could try and look out for teaching in a Japanese university.
Diploma in TEFL course is the best option for you to get certified and employed in Japan. This course builds your teaching skills and approaches, and helps to bring in creativity to the lessons and better understanding of your learners’ needs. Japan offers a welcoming classroom for teachers across the globe with TESOL certified courses.

Wednesday, 3 August 2016

Organization of Classroom Materials is a Challenging Task

teacher training course,A well organized classroom is difficult to achieve but are practically beneficial to children engaged.  A classroom where files, supplies, forms are systematically kept, where a student record can easily be picked up at any moment a substitute teacher can come in and start from the point where it has been left off without any hitches. Few steps can be followed to achieve organised classrooms.


a.    Resources and Materials to be organized: - Begin with putting colour code for everything. Use colour papers or coloured labels on resource books for students so that they can return to the right notebook. Also place your teacher resource books in three-ring binders using plastic sleeves. And then colour code this binders according to the subjects. Store all the items like holiday projects, art projects, special books and supplies in plastic tubs or cardboard file boxes. And then label these boxes with the name of the each project.

b.    Organise student records: - As you receive the students list, set up a system that will allow you to access student records quickly and easily.
Assign the same numbers to each student that you have marked in the grade book. Make sure student write his or her number on every assignment. Now use this corresponding numbers to label all student materials even the mailboxes. It is preferable to have online grade books to automatically assign students and record their grades.
For every new student be prepared in advance with packets of information when that kid enters the classroom in the middle of a session or lesson.
The seating arrangement should be charted as soon as the class list is final. Thus you will be able to remember students’ name and help keep some order in the classroom.


c.    The students need to be trained:  When your students have adequate knowledge about the classroom rules and procedures which they have to maintain throughout the school session.
Besides include classroom standards such as cooperation and routines, assignment turn-in and work standards. She or he should always become familiar with the district rules like suspension or school behaviour codes.
Explain students about class organization to students. Make sure they know where to find materials and supplies and know how to put those back. Encourage them by rewarding for following directions of the teacher.

Classroom material management involves active participation from the students. Teacher’s role to prepare everyday activities by planning ahead, and check that minimal amount of stress can be produced during those activity performances. Teacher should create a substitute teacher folder or binder in advance in case of his or absence due to health conditions like flu etc. Includes notes on students to assist in certain areas. And finally, label your cabinets so that the substitutes can easily find supplies or materials they need. 

Elementary teacher training prepares you to handle diverse classrooms most effectively. The ideas are very simple, cost effective and an endeavour to use re-cycled everyday materials commonly found. The USP of the course is that it puts together the materials in one place- thus saving time and energy in looking for ideas from internet and other sources. This course will be immensely helpful for aspiring and experienced teachers as this course focus on areas that will make learning effective and teaching memorable.