Posted by admin | Posted in Students | Posted on 30-03-2009
Majority of the students have lesser interest in Math. It is a common scenario. If you feel like you are not an effective math teacher and is frustrated of your student’s lack of interest in your subject, do not worry because you are not alone. Teachers all around the world are experiencing the same problem and all of them are struggling in making their students to have interest in math.
Do not lose hope. You need not to be contented with unmotivated students. Listed below are some tips on how you will motivate you students and make math to be one of the most interested subject of all times, and might turn it to be the most awaited class in their schedule.
Incorporating classroom learning with how they receive information outside the school can be an effective way. Today, students are already exposed with various advanced technologies including computers, cell phones, video games and iPods. If you are to relate technology with your class and allow students to access their schoolwork and homework online, you made it easier for them to communicate with you because they need not to exert extra effort to reach you.
Have some math related fun games in between lessons. It would be more exciting if students learn their lessons with fun. By creating some fun math games, videos, and online activities, you were able to break the tension while still being productive.
Real world examples are always easy to understand. Students have different lives outside the school and received numerous information daily. If you have explained as to how math is related into their lives, it would be easier for them to remember their lessons.
Visual aids always keep every meeting an exciting one. The moment you introduce your class to a new unit, why not use a visual aid such as a video or an animation to make both your and your student’s time colorful and lively.
Rewarding your students with arcade-like games may help them strengthen their math vocabulary. The moment your students finish a math unit, you may allow them to play a math game as a form of reward. In this way, they will be motivated to do better on their next math unit. Games are a good tool to enhance your student’s math vocabulary, and by playing math games, they were now able to apply what they learned in a fun way in a less stressful way.
In every class, student’s knowledge level in math is of different level. As a teacher, you wanted all your student to be good in math and will most likely to spend most of your time to those who do not easily understand the concept of math, which on the other hand will take your time away to the gifted ones. To keep your gifted math student up on to the next level, you may provide them with an additional challenge to keep them on the go while keeping the rest of the class up to speed.
Online resources are a great tool as well to help your students especially those who need extra help.
Posted by admin | Posted in Teachers | Posted on 30-03-2009
In Scotland, publicly funded schoolteachers are reducing by 1,000 this year, according to the Scotland Government.
In 2008, there were 53,584 teachers working at pre-school, primary, secondary, and special schools or visiting specialist. This number is 975 fewer as compared to the number of teachers in 2007. However, the numbers of pupils are also falling making the 13:1 child-to-teacher ratio remains the same.
Because of the current situation, opposition parties wanted Education Secretary Fiona Hyslop to be kicked out.
According to the Scottish Government, Glasgow, North Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, and Aberdeen authorities are the ones responsible for more than half of the fall. In addition, the government will take action to discuss the said issue.
The council umbrella group Cosla is doubtful about the accuracy of the figures and wanted to do further clarification before a policy decision will take place.
According to Ms Hyslop, their first priority is to make sure that there were enough teachers in the system. She further stated that the figures show that, the teacher’s numbers are dealing with the historic low pupil-teacher ratio in Scotland, both in primary and secondary, which is already on its second year in a row right now.
The pupil-teacher ratio in Scotland is the lowest in the UK, as well as the primary class sizes, which is also at a record low in Scotland.
Concerning the primary and secondary schools, the numbers of teachers for both levels were also higher except for 2006.
Research shows that mostly of the incident happens in September 2008, wherein the number of secondary teachers dropped from 26,251 in 2007 to 25,767 last year. The primary teachers on the other hand were down by 381 over the same period.
With what had happen, the education secretary Ms Fiona Hyslop had received numerous criticisms from different parties.
According to the general secretary of EIS, Scotland’s largest teaching union, Ronnie Smith, since 2004, the number of teacher working in schools right now is at its lowest. He further said that the pupil to teacher ratio remain unchanged, which emphasizes that the Scottish Government’s strategy of depending on falling pupil numbers and holding teacher numbers to lower class sizes is not working.
According to Rhona Brankin of Labour, it is now time for the secretary to go. Ms Brankin further said that, with Scotland’s lowering number of teachers in the past 12 months, which is under Fiona Hyslop’s watch was a total disgrace.
Lib Dem Spokesman Ms Margareth Smith said that, it is now time to have a new minister and not new excuses.
Ms Liz Smith, the spokesperson of Conservative education said that this issue is a very painful message to thousands of newly qualified teachers. It is now hard for them to find jobs.
Now, councils were going to make undesirable choices according to Cosla education spokesperson Ms Isabel Hutton. This is because of some budgetary pressures that are already beyond their control. She further said that it would be wrong to immediately conclude or criticize the headline figures.