When I was a new teacher, I got a lot of practical teaching tips from veteran colleagues. One tip was to seat kids alphabetically so I’d learn their names quickly. Another was to use a laminated hall pass to avoid writing a new one every time a student asked to go to the bathroom. Most, but not all, of their tips were useful—I decided not to make kids turn their desks around and face the wall if they misbehaved.
As a veteran educator myself, it’s now my duty to share teaching tips, based on what I’ve learned over time, that might be useful to perspective teachers or those just starting their careers.
1. Don’t Grade Everything
When I was a new teacher, I dragged home a briefcase stuffed with students’ work every night. I collected everything—homework, rough drafts, work sheets—and spent my evenings and weekends trying to grade it all.
Further reading: Formative Assessments
Then I went to a workshop that explained that grades should indicate progress toward mastery, not whether kids had done homework. I continued to grade tests, of course, but I learned to use classroom strategies like writing workshops and think-pair-share so kids could share their work and learn together.
2. Let Students Know What’s Going On
I used to just hand out the books and start teaching, but it’s a lot easier to get where you want to go if everyone’s onboard. Students should know what they’re going to learn, why they’re learning it, and how it’ll be evaluated. I also learned to use a rubric so that kids know right from the beginning how their work will be evaluated and, therefore, what they should strive for.