Teaching - Chunking

Teaching Strategies for Mathematics.

Chunking

Depending on your age the teaching strategies used in math when you went to school would have varied from learning the written algorithm or doing mental math calculations.

Place Value - A Perfect Math Lesson

Place value is one of those important concepts in mathematics. Teachers (and when you are relief teaching) simply can't afford to get this math skill wrong.

Place value is essential to success in mathematics. 

Quotation Marks

Punctuation Marks - Quotation Marks

When I was a kid (oh good grief - did I just say that?), punctuation was a regular feature of my day.

Relief Teaching and Word Games

Relief Teaching pay is good. But you can't go and purchase hundreds of resources for your job.

I am very selective about where I spend my money. Some would call my a tight-wad (or worse).

Fishing gear - YES.
Relief teaching resources - NO.

Reading Comprehension.

There is nothing like a well designed reading comprehension passage to create active engagement. When I am relief teaching active engagement is my single most important goal.

PLUS putting together a good exercise take heaps of YOUR time - you want kids to spend 10x the effort you put into the activity.

What dinosaurs?

Walking with Dinosaurs

I have to say I LOVE the teaching opportunities that this series offers.

Kids LOVE it and it makes for a productive relief teaching activity where effective learning occurs AND the kids are totally engaged.

Did you read the last section? KIDS ARE TOTALLY ENGAGED - even the turkeys! Hoo-rah!

Why shouldn't they know?

I was relief teaching at a school today. Well it wasn't so much relief teaching, I was asked to help prepare a group of year students for their upcoming NAPLAN tests. It was like the old fashioned cramming that got me through university.

Power Writing for Relief Teachers

Heads Down and Power Writing

Power Writing is a comprehensive teaching opportunity and a great strategy to keep in your relief teaching arsenal.

I like it because it takes the pressure off you and places it onto the kids. You are just the flag waver. I start my relief teaching day like a bull at a gate so I keep this for after lunch time when my energies are lower. (Hey, I miss my Poppy nap when I work!)

Relief Teaching and Reading

As a student, I loved reading. Nerdy for a boy, I know. But it didn't feel nerdy at the time.

Dick and Dora were the coolest guys in town and those Happy Venture Readers were just fabulous.

That was then...

Peer Tutoring - A powerful teaching tool

It never fails to amaze me how powerful peer tutoring can be in a classroom.

I was working in a classroom today, teaching a percentage concept to a group of year 6 & 7 students. Two kids were having trouble and try as I might I couldn't get the concept through. I had exhausted my repertoire.

How to Teach - Split Quotation Marks

This is a short punctuation exercise on the teaching of split quotation mark. This is a skill that needs to be taught directly so this little PowerPoint might give you  a start. CLICK HERE to download the file.

Reading Comprehension

Developing Reading comprehension skills is about depth. Little is achieved if the kids are just reading or saying words. You need them to think. This is a little reading comprehension activity which is quite an easy read - but quite complex when it comes to inferential thinking. It is suited to middle to upper primary. CLICK HERE

One Complete Day of Relief.

This is one complete day of relief teaching including lesson plans, notes, access to files, Powerpoints and tips for the day. CLICK HERE

NAPLAN for Relief Teachers

There are few teachers who would hold NAPLAN in high regard - but it is a necessary systemic imperative. This is a small one-page pretest that could be used as a teaching tool.

Top Math/Language worksheet

This is a great worksheet (even if I do say so myself). It is based on a word search grid. The only difference is, to find which words are in the grid, students must do a math operation.

A Learning Investigation into Probability

An introduction to probability. A multi-media PowerPoint. Click the image for the file. (NB It is quite a large file so make a cup of coffee while it downloads)

How to Develop Cooperative Learning Skills

There are some strategies that support cooperative learning. If you are new to this game, take baby steps first.

Another 10 Ways to Use a Shopping Catalogue

Following on from this site's MOST POPULAR POST.

Shopping catalogues are fabulous resources for relief teachers because they are free, easily available and provide inspiration for a range of lessons.

Stand ON THE LINE!

Every one needs to have an opinion for this issue. You might have to coax the students who need support when expressing theirs.

Active Reading

This is activity can be as easy or as complex as you like. But you need a couple of short stories that you can cut up. Check East of the Web for some great one page stories so print out about 10 -15.