Professional Development For Teachers

 

Hello teacher, did you know that there are some professional practices that reveal your competence as a good teacher? Do not wait until your school plans a training for you,  help yourself and go for self development, as it relates to your profession.

I will outline some of the areas that every teacher should pay attention to, in the course of their professional development.

Planning lessons: Knowing the time allocated to a particular lesson and planning every section of the lesson, to align, is a skill. It organises your lesson, if the different sections are running with a planned pace. Be deliberate as you plan your lesson.

2.   Knowing the subject. There is a kind of confidence that comes on a teacher who knows his or her onion. Invest on yourself and master your subject. It shows that you are competent.

3.   Understand your learners: This is very key. Understanding your learners is relative, because there are things you consider as they relate to your learners. Some of these things are: the age of your learners, their language level, and the best way they learn. Considering and working with these factors in mind, will help any teacher in lesson delivery.

4. Imbibe ICT into your lesson: It is a known fact that tech savvy teachers will eventually replace teachers with out ICT knowledge. It is therefore Paramount that you get professional help in this area and fuss ICT into your lesson. This can take several forms like using power points presentation  to teach, present projects, or make research online. Some tasks can also be done and submitted electronically. Be intentional about this. Use ICT to add colour to your lesson.

5.  Assessment: Assessing your learners helps you to track their progress. There are several ways you can assess your learners, but let’s narrow them to the most common two:

Formative and Summative:

Formative Assessment: Assessing learners to ascertain that learning is taking place is known as Formative Assessment. This can come in the form of a question, either from the teacher or the learner. This type of assessment tells a teacher if the learners are following and understanding the lesson. It also shows a teacher areas to focus on, as a lesson continues.

Summative Assessment: This is the type of assessment that teachers are used to. In this type of assessment, you assess learners based on what had been taught for a period of time. It could come as a midterm test, or termly examinations, after which scores are awarded. After an assessment, a teacher is able to know if he or she is doing well or not, and the next course of action to take. Be intentional as a teacher.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Planning For a New Term

 

Not planning, as most people believe, is planning to fail. If as a school leader, you start planning at the beginning of a term, then you are late and heading for a non focused journey. The role of planning, especially for a new term, cannot be underplayed, because there are a whole lot to consider before activating the calendar of the new term.

Apart from the general operation of a school system, which in itself should be a major factor, there are other things that tighten the grip of any school on their clients. Some of these factors call for serious planning before the start of a new term.  Let's consider some of them:

1.      Curriculum: Most parents like to know if they can entrust the academic lives of their kids into the hands of your school. So as a school leader, there is a need for you to always review your curriculum. Is your curriculum in line with the vision of your school? Is it helping you raise the kind of kids you desire to breed? Is the support provided really working? If not, what do you do to make it work?

2.      Structure: A school without a structure cannot be trusted in terms of sustainability. Structure is like the several branches of a tree that remains green, because they are rooted deeply. Is your school strong enough to maintain a system, in spite of any odd? What can you do differently, to give your school a deeper root? Whatever you do, maintain a system. It makes your clients, believe in your school, even when you are not saying a word.

3.      Consistency: Being inconsistent reveals a weakness that you are indecisive and unstable. A school leader should be visionary enough to see through obstacles and remain focused. So, what is your strategy of remaining focused? How do you still hold your grip on a system, when it is threatened by the resignation of valued teachers, the bad result of a hasty decision, accruing bills, and work pressure?

4.      Standard:  personally, I believe that a good school always sells itself. What are your standards, and how do you measure them? Always compare your school with schools that are ahead of yours in terms of structure, growth and experience. Raise the bar of your school high and you will attract clients who are looking for excellence or nothing else.

5.      Competition. If five top schools are mentioned in your neighborhood and your school is not on that list means that you are not competitive. Most parents who can afford it, take their kids to the school they believe are the best. Note that a school is not good, because of its structure it size, but because it meets the academic needs of learners and makes them better. Be intentional therefore, on the activities that make you measure up to the good schools around you.

6.      Professional development. The primary reason of taking kids to school is so they can be taught by teachers and learn. In other words, teachers are a major factor to be considered at the close of every term. How do you intend to improve on your man power? Trained and competent teachers can sell a school any day, because they spend more time with the kids in school and parents know that. So, train, train and keep retraining your teachers.

7.      Target: If you are looking at result, then you should have targets. What are your academic expectations across the grades? You should set a working system in place for tracking the progress of your learners, and providing new support if targets are not met.

Pay attention to these areas as you plan to advance your school every term,  and you would be glad you did.

Technology Enhanced Learning

The world has moved and so has everything with it. The Covid Pandemic has brought a lot of changes, especially to the educational sector. A lot of schools have found out ways of still being relevant despite the shutdown of schools for  months.

It is now a survival of the fittest, not just for schools, but also for teachers who want to be relevant in a post covid era. It is obvious that things would not remain the same for schools and the best way to tackle this challenge is to move with the time. The best way is to embrace blended learning, which has come to put a permanent stamp on educational activities globally. 

So, how would you fit in as a post covid teacher? The answer is move with the train, upgrade and find out ways you can still do your thing and be relevant. Schools have gone virtual and so have instructional materials. 

In order to still stand out as a 21st century educator, you must find ways of improving your teaching skills which includes planning  your lessons to be suitable to meet the educational need of a post covid world.  As more instructional materials are transferred online in virtual  classes, the need to also work to have more engaging lessons for students who might be physically separated from their teachers rises.

Technology has finally made itself a necessity in the global educational system. Don't be left out, upgrade your teaching skill. 

Subscribe to our blog to get materials that will help you  enhance your digital teaching style. 

Download this lesson

Improve on Your Writing Skill

What is the difference between one writing piece and another? What makes a reader stay glued to one written text and ignores the other? It is simple; the way in which language is used to communicate the ideas. 

Did you know that that there are traits every good writing should have which makes it stand out from the norm? One of such traits is the choice of words of the writer. Good writers deliberately choose and use words for special effects.

Nachy Writing Academy is born not just to discover the writer in you, but to also help improve your writing skill. We are committed to discovering, training and helping you write better.

Are you a teacher, school owner, student, or even a businessman? Then, you might just be one call away from improving your writing skill.

NACHY WRITING ACADEMY:  raising the next generation of writers!

The Rising Star by Uche Osondu

A Chapter by Chapter summary

Chapter 1

The result of the first school leaving certificate of the primary six pupils in Itutu Educational Destrict is out. The news of the result spreads and is everywhere, some pupil did well while some did not.  The district head, Mr Akpabio, promises a scholarship of one hundred and fifty thousand naira to any pupil who does well in all the papers. Bassey who  is from  Ikot Ansa primary school, was the lucky pupil who wins the scholarship with his brilliant performance, as a result of his determination.

Chapter 2

Bassey is at home with his friends when his mother calls him. He spends some time joking with his mother before his father joins in on their joke. Bassey ‘s mother tells Bassey how  his father worked so hard to marry her. They all talk for a while about uncle Richard’s visit to the village with his new wife. When Ekaete, Bassey’s mother left. Ubong continues to talk with his son, and he advises him about women.

Chapters 3

Bassey’s parents are not in agreement of Bassey  travelling with his uncle to the city. They both argue about it. Bassey however doesn’t agree with his mother because he wants to go to the city. Finally his father decides that Bassey would go and he advices  Bassey to behave well and keep good company.  Bassey’s mother is sad about it.

Chapter 4

Bassey’s father  unfolds the visit of Bassey’s uncle to the village with his wife. Uncle  Richard  gifts for a lot of people and promises to buy a bicycle for Bassey, because of his excellent performance in the first school leaving certificate examination.  Bassey cannot  wait to go to the city where he would see many things.  His uncle spends ten days in the village before leaving the village.  

  

Chapters 5 Bassey is packing  excitedly to go to the city. He spends  some time  with his friend Mfon, and they both talk about the city. Mfon  tells Bassey how his uncle Udofia went to the city and forgot about the village.  Bassey’s mother is sad that Bassey is going away, she advices ...

Subscribe by email to get the complete summary straight into your inbox

EFFECTIVE STRATEGIES FOR INSTRUCTIONAL IMPROVEMENT BY NELSON AYODELE

 

Picture from www.sheknows.com

The 21st century educators are those ones who move with time in the academic system, and strive to find modern ways of teaching and impacting knowledge. Below is a summary of some of the ways a teacher could effectively improve on his or her teaching in the classroom.

IDENTIFYING SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES

1. Most times when a subject appears to be too concentrated, it takes a longer time for a teacher to be able to drive home his point to the students put under his care to impact on, this is where identifying the similarities and differences comes in, in  teaching any given subject. Being able to break a subject down and taking the parts in turn goes a long way to making it simple for students to understand what a teacher is passing across.

2. SUMMARISING AND NOTE TAKING

Until a student understands and is able to put in his or her own words what has been taught, it cannot be said that a teacher has succeeded in transferring knowledge. This is because most times, students do not go back to their notes, but if they are able to form their notes using their own words, what is taught sticks because it is from their understanding of the subject. This doesn’t mean however that a teacher should not prepare his or her own notes.

3. REINFORCING EFFORT AND PROVIDING RECOGNITION

Every student needs to be motivated to work, and as result not just the students that do well should be appreciated, but even the ones that are believed to be backward. Introducing a kind of incentive for good performance, as well as driving other students by awarding them gifts, even when academically, they may not deserve it, would go a great length to helping a teacher achieve a positive result with his work.

4. HOMEWORK AND PRACTICE.

Apart from keeping a child busy outside school with homework, a teacher should also ...


Subscribe by email to get useful materials from us straight into your inbox . You cannot afford to be left behind in this 21st century. 

Success Story

Mrs Philomena Afeonkhai

The Director of PHINOVIA DAY SCHOOL, Philomena Afeonkhai, is a simple down to earth woman, who hails from Edo State. She holds a Bachelor of Science Degree, in Microbiology from the great University of Benin, and a Masters Degree, in Environmental Management from the prestigious University of Lagos.

Her love for children, and resentment for child abuse of any kind made her leave her promising career in Cormart Nigeria Limited, where  She worked for five years, and Tripple Gee plc, where She worked as the  Quality, Safety, Health and Environmental Manager. After leaving Tripple Gee in 2013, she started the journey and finally set up a Creche/Daycare centre in 2015. In her words, she shows the fulfillment of progress in her school business.

As a solution to every woman, mother and family, who needed a proper hygiene conscious creche, to leave their babies and not be worried about infection, while they go about their daily work, "Phinovia Creche and Aftercare" as it was known then, was birthed. Phinovia Day School, so far, has given quality service to clients. However, in 2017 with parents loving our services more, the Nursery Section of PHINOVIA DAY SCHOOL was introduced.

The journey has not been easy, but the continuous drive for quality service, and seeing our little ones who joined Phinovia Day school at two months old, displaying a high sense of growth, in weight, a few inches taller and months wiser, more responsible and mature than  when they first joined, has been the  strength beneath our wings. It has been a pleasure and a privilege to see their personalities grow day by day!                                                                       

Philomena Afeonkhai who is also a member of the Nigeria Red Cross Society is quietly involved in voluntary work. She is a service minded, and a "quality" conscious lady. She is happily married to Henry Afeonkhai, and they are blessed with a son, Prosper and a daughter, Olohi.

A FREE ASSESSMENT TEST ON CREATIVE WRITING FOR YOUR SCHOOL

Phinovia Day School

Creative writing  goes  beyond writing. It is first about creativity, before exploring with words to produce a master piece.

To help young minds to be creative is to actually spur their creativity, which somehow is inherent in every man, because everybody is unique and can do things in their different ways.

To get started with the whole idea of creative writing is to "catch them young" and nurture the writing process until every potential writer is able to write independently.

Remember, Rome wasn't build in one day, make a move, let your pupils and students partake in the  free assessment test presently going on. let us together, raise the next generation of writers.

WORKING WITH A TEAM SPIRIT

It is a true saying that many hands make light work. We cannot fully grasp the full meaning of this statement until we have practically been involved in something that required everyone giving their quota, and achieving a common objective at the end.
Although the background here is academics, it takes more than just academics to be successful and to be  a person of impact . Beyond the four walls of a school, every student is expected to be a positive influence at home, in the school and the society at large. This requires a joint effort from every one who is involved in the development of the human mind.

The idea of working as a team to achieve success in the lives of students cannot be ruled out. We all have our parts to play. The team spirt is one that should  exist among these three; parents, students and teachers. Parents playing their roles in the lives of their children, give teachers more time to focus on academics more, and not more on morals. Although teachers are also saddled with the responsibility of helping students with their moral lives, it is not the primary objective of a teacher. This is because teachers are concerned with their primary assignment of teaching before working on another assignment along the way.

The general objective is to help a student to develop mentally and have good morals. So as parents and teachers lay hold of their joint responsibilities and fulfil  them, it is now left for the growing child to learn to stand up for the good values that have imbibed in him or her, from the home front and the school.

Every student has the potential to be great. They must learn that  those expected to teach them good values cannot do all the work for them. They must learn to also create a positive atmosphere for success around them. This include choosing their peers, and standing for what they believe in  the society.

Building this team spirit among parents, students and teachers, and also having a  goal of raising good future leaders, will no doubt lead us some where above the average mark. Our aim is success, and it is very achievable if we all play our roles well.