Wednesday, 26 October 2011

Finding the Right Nursery Supplies

If you are planning to set a nursery for budding kids then you should search for appropriate supplies needed for this purpose. But before ordering for nursery supplies you should plan for the items and their quantity needed to set a nursery as there are a large number of supplies needed for it. You can find a number of supplies for your nursery which may include nursery school furniture, educational supplies etc. which are essential at the initial stage of setting up a nursery school. While searching for supplies for your nursery, you may come across a number of suppliers that can provide you all or some of the items required by you. Some of these suppliers may supply the goods at concessional prices to suit your school resources.

Some of the suppliers have their websites which can be browsed to search for your requirements for your nursery like classroom storage materials, educational supplies nursery rugs, educational furniture and many other things. You can find a wide range of nursery school furniture, play equipment and other products at these websites to choose as per your needs. You can find several other items here that can help you give a room the shape of classroom such as nursery rugs, play products and school furniture suitable for kids. Complete information about the products displayed on the websites are supplied to give you as a consumer more details and specifications before you decide to order them.

Thursday, 20 October 2011

Learning Styles

You can't teach somebody something in English if all they speak is Spanish. Well, you can if you are showing them, rather than telling them. Likewise, if you want to teach effectively, you need to understand the student's preferred learning style. Some people do really well with wordy explanations, while others don't and would prefer visual type education. Whether you are a parent, a coach, a teacher or a manger, you likely find yourself in a position of having to educate people in your environment. It behooves you to have some understanding of different learning styles.

There are typically four general learning styles:

Analytic. This type of learner prefers to rely on what the experts already know about any given subject or topic. They may read, watch videos or online tutorials by those who are knowledgeable and experts in that respective field. These kind of learners won't want to engage in the actual process of doing anything new until they are well versed in what the experts or authorities have already said about the topic at hand.

Monday, 19 September 2011

ESL Resources for Teachers

Countless ESL resources for teachers are inputted into the widest electronic library to help make things easier for the educators. Teaching English has started to get more in demand since the concept of globalization erupted. However, though they are carefully conceptualized and creatively designed, all of them may not address the students' needs.

Prior Knowledge

Activities that tap the students' prior knowledge should be preferred. This makes the lesson much easier and more stimulating for them. For example, teaching the concept of family members to young learners can be facilitated with a traditional story, a fun comic strip or a popular anime about family. Letting them remember the months of the year can be linked to holidays in their own country.

Sunday, 14 August 2011

Tips for Teaching Preschool Art

Teaching preschool art and crafts should be more about the hands-on experience and creativity than about a perfect project. Here are some tips that may help.

Be aware of the abilities of the children you are working with. It is good to offer a challenge but don't expect something that is beyond their capabilities.

More detailed projects are doable for preschoolers but you will need to do more prep work for the project. Whenever possible, print pattern pieces onto colored paper. Pre-cut project pieces that are detailed, small pieces or multi piece projects. Pre-trace large pieces for preschoolers to cut out; cutting promotes small motor skill development and hand-eye coordination.

Thursday, 4 August 2011

A Young Primary Teacher's Guide To Working With A Difficult Class

All teachers, during their career, will have their fair share of difficult classes. It is part and parcel of the profession to which we belong. Being successful with a 'difficult' class gives most teachers a greater sense of satisfaction than being successful with other classes. Remember that 'Difficult' could mean behaviourally, academically or both.

Often, it is simply the particular combination of students you have in the class that creates the difficult environment. On a day when some students are absent, the whole atmosphere of the class room changes for the better. That will be a clue to those students who upset the working environment of the class.

Recognising this, you can then take measures to lessen their impact. Below are strategies you can consider using.

Tuesday, 2 August 2011

Practical Preparations For Teaching English Abroad Programs

Whether you've already been offered a chance to teach overseas through one of the many teaching English abroad programs now looking for qualified teachers or you're just beginning to explore the idea, you should start preparing to go overseas now. It can take 2-3 months or more to get all your ducks in a row before moving to a foreign country for a year or more, and preparation is the key to a successful temporary relocation.

Getting Proper Documentation

You'll need a valid passport for traveling abroad. It can take a few months to apply for and receive a passport, so be sure to get your photo taken and apply as soon as possible. Many countries also require a visa (and perhaps a work visa to teach), so do some homework by contacting the U.S. Department of State or visiting their website to determine what documents you'll need to travel to your host country. You should also make copies of everything from your passport to your health insurance and life insurance information. Give one set of documents to a friend or loved one you trust and keep another set with you at all times when overseas. A contact sheet listing the information for your accountant, doctor, lawyer and family members is a good idea as well.

Sunday, 10 July 2011

The Basic Principles of the Learning Outside the Classroom Programme

The Learning Outside the Classroom

At its simplest, Learning Outside the Classroom involves young people moving outside their immediate and accustomed environment to learn from first-hand experiences. Wherever young people learn, from the ages of 0 to 19, learning outside the classroom has a part to play as an integral element in that learning. All young people should experience learning outside the classroom and its benefits as a central aspect of the learning experience, the curriculum and the courses they are engaged with.

By stepping outside the classroom the opportunity exists to transform learning and raise achievement. Learning outside the classroom allows participants to learn in context, to learn by practical engagement, and to learn by personal discovery. Students can master new skills, work collaboratively with others and develop a better sense of themselves and their potential. There really is no limit to where the earning Outside the Classroom can take place. Give it a try!

Thursday, 7 July 2011

Benefits of Teaching Art to Preschoolers

Teaching art with preschoolers has many benefits and offers them a fun, hands-on way to explore, learn, and develop.

Art and craft projects offer children an opportunity to express emotions, creativity, and imagination. Additionally, these hands-on activities can foster a sense of achievement. The use of markers, crayons, paintbrushes, and even scissors help to improve small motor skills and develop hand-eye coordination.

Art and craft projects can be a cross curriculum activity; giving concrete learning to conceptual teaching. Art related vocabulary: As projects introduce different techniques and activities; there is also opportunity for the introduction of new vocabulary such as: texture, collage, and pattern.

Learning colors is a preschool focus. Experimenting with primary colors to create secondary colors is fun, hands-on science. A sample of how art reinforces science would be if you were teaching about polar bears, you could offer a coloring page. You could introduce texture to the project by having your preschooler tear a paper towel to glue on as the snow-covered ground, add a layer of wax paper to be the ice, cut out the polar bear and glue it on.

Tuesday, 5 July 2011

Teaching in the 21st Century English Classroom

"Inquiry" and "Project-Based Learning" are some of the catch phrases being thrown around to describe the shift that is happening in some classrooms around the nation. The goal is to deliver more effective learning experiences for our students. For me those terms can be boiled down to one thing, choice- giving students the opportunity to learn what they want, and how they want to learn it. Essentially, these changes will create inquiry and Project-Based learning. Which is something that I wish had occurred to me to do years ago, but I'm dealing with it!

Saturday, 2 July 2011

The Young Teacher's Guide To Internet And Assessment

This article is designed as a starting point for young teachers new to using the internet as a tool in their assessment. Being proficient at using the internet itself, is not a guarantee that you will immediately succeed in using it for assessment. Nor is being inexperienced with using the internet going to prevent you from using it to create an effective assessment task.

The advice that follows is the culmination of my experience introducing the internet as an assessment tool during the late 1990s and the early 2000s. It is important to understand that my staff and I began with varying degrees of experience with the internet.

Below is the advice I would offer to a young teacher joining my staff in the first year of his/her career.