Cooperative Learning or Not

Cooperative learning is the mean of interaction between the students  in order to finish a certain task. But is learning always called "cooperative" or it needs some basic elements? Actually for learning to be labeled as "cooperative" it should take into consideration certain elements:

1. Face to Face interaction: during cooperative learning, students should physically be sitting as a circle.
2. Positive interdependence: students need to be working together, so each one should be assigned certain role to work on.
3. Individual accountability: every student should be  responsible for the final result of their work because it is the combination of all roles.

Whenever students finish their task, of course the teacher will assess the work as well as students, and students will get the feedback of the teacher. It is nice when the students work on assessing their work so that they will be able to know what to develop, what to get rid of, and what to develop.

Important point to mention is that the feedback of the teacher shouldn't be a kind of criticism instead it should be constructive feedback that motivates students to work more and develop more.

What makes any teacher skilled?

There are certain characteristics that teachers should be holding in order to be skilled ones. To start with " seeking for development"; skilled teacher should always be in touch with the updated research concerning education, so they develop their abilities and techniques of teaching.Then skilled teachers should be knowledgeable enough concerning the materials they will serve to the students, also they should be aware of their students' level and backgrounds in order to know from where they should begin with them and what techniques to use. So based on this they should have variety of techniques and activities that suit all students.
To add more, skilled teachers should asses themselves so that they can see their weaknesses and their strength so they can work on the weaknesses and develop more what they are strong in doing.
Coming to the personality, skilled teachers should be patient, self-confident,caring, and they should build a good relationship with their students. Like for example showing empathy towards their students, to put themselves in their place, and to feel what their students feel.

Kinds of Grading System:

A grading system in education is a system that is used to assess the educational performance of a child which is entirely based upon points alone. 

1. Percentage Grading:  from zero to 100%;
2. Letter Grading and Variations: from A to F;
3. Mastery Grading students: as "masters" or "passers" when their attainment reaches a pre-specified level.
4. Non-referenced Grading: comparing students to each other usually letter grades.
5. Pass/Fail: using the common scale as pass or fail.
6. Standards or absolute standards Grading: comparing students performance to a pre-established standards.
7. Narrative Grading: writing comments about students.

How To Create A Comfortable and Safe Classroom Climate?


Classroom is considered the students' second home, so as teachers we should create a comfortable and safe classroom climate and this can be done in several ways. 

• Acknowledging students: teachers should pay attention to the small details concerning students. They should tell them that " I see you" or " I hear you in my classroom". They should also greet their students and welcome them whenever they come from long vacation or weekend.
• Communicating Values: in both personal and academic levels. Teachers should show interests to their students throughout knowing their names, listening to them whenever they need to talk, fulfill their interests and needs concerning the activities they bring to them. Also, they should have high expectations concerning their achievement.
• Treat them equally: Teachers shouldn't ignore some students and focus on others. They should treat all students on equal basis in order for them all to stay motivated and able to achieve and be productive. Unless, students will be demotivated. 
• Be real in front of them: teachers should act in real way in front of their students because students should see that teacher is a real person like them, eat in front of them, laugh with them, and talk to them. In this way they will belong more to the classroom.
• Respect students: All teachers want their students to respect them, thus to do that they should also respect their students. If you want your students to tell you " thank you" you should in return tell them thank you whenever they do something or give her something or respond to any question.

Yes, they are simple steps but these steps will have the greatest impact on students.

How to Communicate Standards?

It isn't about having standards in our classrooms, what is much more important is how to communicate such standards in our classrooms? 
First of all, teacher should be direct to the students and explicitly explain the material to the students. Second, she should be specific in telling them what you want exactly from them; you should detail things in particular way.
To add more, teacher should keep in mind that not all students are on the same track at the same time, so it is important to repeat directions to make them able to follow you. Also, because words of the teacher have a great impact on the students, teachers should be aware or eclectic in choosing their words, for example we can tell our students " you can do it", so in this way students would be motivated to work more.
At last,here is an important point to highlight on which is "modeling"; teacher should model things in front of the students because they imitate her and consider her as their role model. So if you want your students to say " thank you" you should do it in front of them.

Kinds of Standards:

 At the beginning of the dynamics course we took the kinds of the standards that the teacher communicates in her classroom.

• Quality and Quantity of work: it is about the effort that students put in their work in order to make it acceptable; for example when someone answers a complete answer.
• Work Habit and Work Procedure: it is about how students' work would look like. For example, when they review the directions carefully before starting any task.
• Business and housekeeping Procedure: it is kind of how to organize the classroom as soon as you arrive and leave it. For example, washing the glasses after leaving chemistry lab.
• Interpersonal Behavior: it is abut how students treat each other in the classroom. Saying thank you or you are welcome...etc.

Motivation and its two faces!

Motivation is the most essential key that teacher would use in order to allow her students to achieve more and be more productive. As we all know we have two types of motivation the intrinsic and the extrinsic one. Teachers should focus on the intrinsic one more than the extrinsic one but at the same time she should know how and when to use the extrinsic motivation. 

Not every time the students achieve or do further step the teacher should give him/her sticker or gift unless they will not process. However, when the teacher make the students aware of the importance of why they are learning and the importance of materials in hand they will achieve without things in return. 

Using praise according to me is the most beneficial way to motivate my students, it would increase their self-confidence and progress. Another important point to mention is "scaffold"; one way to motivate students to achieve more is scaffolding which means helping them to complete the task and remove this help little by little in order for the students to be able to achieve it all alone. 

Concerning this, teachers should take into consideration the level of the activities they give to the students. They should follow i+1; suit the students level and a little bit high. 

So, motivation is effective in our classrooms but when we know how to use it and when to use it and when we don't over use it.

Types of  Knowledge:

What attracted me the most when Dr Rasha was explaining during dynamics session is the types of  knowledge. We usually apply such knowledge in our classrooms but without being aware of it.

First of all we have the content knowledge: where the teacher should be knowledgeable enough about the material that she wants to deliver to her students so that things will go clearly and smoothly.

Second of all we have the content pedagogical knowledge: where the teacher uses authentic and real materials in order for students to understand and make connections between the prior knowledge and the new one.

Third of all we have the general pedagogical knowledge:  no matter what the subject is or what the teacher is teaching, but hat matter is the general concepts the teacher should follow like the classroom management, monitoring the classroom...etc.

Then we have knowledge of learners: where the teacher should know what knowledge her students have and based on it she would build the new knowledge.

Last of all we have the knowledge of the school: where the teacher should be aware of the school's policies, religion(sometimes) and also beliefs and history in order to know if she will be able to teach in this school or not. 

New Stage In My Life: TD

 Whenever I graduated, I was wondering whether to continue TD or to have some time to relax and then I would continue. When I talked with my parents and family and even friends in what I'm thinking about, they all had the same answer or opinion which is to continue TD because whenever I stop I will not continue anymore. Everyone encourages me to continue immediately after my graduation. 

I thought about what they said and I found that it is right 100% but at the same time I felt that I need more time to relax because I'm exhausted.

Days had passed and I went with my father to register for my TD degree. The first few weeks were okay, because the teachers are the same as well as some materials (repetition). But whenever we continued, I started to miss my best friend Ryan because we were together 4 years, studying together, and making projects together. Yes I knew  new friends and I became much more close to my friends that I've graduated with but I'm still missing Ryan. 

I thought that everything will be repetition to what we took when we were undergraduates. However, at this stage I felt that I was completely transferred to more advance work, techniques, that would make from me an excellent teacher. Yes the materials aren't easy, and there is lots of work but you can feel that change, and taste the flavor of success whenever you end up with certain project. 

It is a stage in which you discover something new concerning your abilities and achievements too, discover new you. 

I discovered that every stage in your life has a special and different flavor!