This Application for Flexible Working Request Template provides you with a starting point to make your case for working flexibly, for example following maternity leave. The teacher, an individual who is crucial to the success of any reform effort, has often been sidestepped, minimized, or even ignored. Flexible groups can and will most likely change from day to day. After some awkward class sessions during the first weeks of the semester, I checked student records and discovered that a number of those enrolled in this 300-level course had current grade point averages of 2.5 or lower. In B. M. Power and R. S. Hubbard (Eds. Such teachers are close to their students in intellectual as well as psychological ways, and they must be empowered to use their judgment to make classroom decisions. I design adaptable lesson plans, exciting hands-on activities, and engaging thematic units to spark students’ interest, attention, and imagination. Another way in which flexibility is important for a teacher is the need to respond to different learner abilities, needs and interests. Flexible Grouping “Warm Up” Day 1/Grouping 1: Students line up according to birth date (month/day) and the teacher divides them into partners. For the attention of Jane Smith. Flexible working has become an increasingly hot topic for teachers in recent years. As in those contexts, I worked hard with these Teaching Writing Skills students, being more personable and direct than I had been in any classroom in years to keep them awake, aware, and engaged. The following resources were adapted from Blackboard content utilized in Spring 2020 by the Institute for Leadership Studies, developed by one of CTE's Faculty Consultants for Online and Flexible Teaching, Amy Leyerzapf. Make it exciting. Sometimes this might mean delving into your teacher… One strategy was to address the elephant in the room; I talked to the students explicitly about what I perceived was going on in the class, and I proposed solutions. The resources were organized into the content areas noted here and presented as weblinks with the URL’s embedded. Use a high ratio of praise to corrections. For example, a flexible teacher would be ok extending the deadline on an essay if the entire classes wanted it. In an online forum on teacher effectiveness, Kate Walsh (2010) points out that these "superstar" teachers are relatively rare. And it must be reiterated that in these days of high-stakes testing, student success is mostly determined by only one measure: test scores. A situation where flexibility works well is … Flexible learning approaches are often designed using a full range of teaching and learning theories, philosophies and methods to provide students with opportunities to access information and expertise, contribute ideas and opinions, and correspond with other learners and mentors. Internship. This is a key … Some have argued that teachers are so vital that they must be strictly regulated; they must follow scripted curriculums and be tracked, rewarded, or punished for the performance of their students (again, as measured by test scores). In short, these students were not an optimal group. Whereas students often lose interest during lecture-style teaching, interactive teaching styles promote an atmosphere of attention and participation. But I was pleased that by focusing on effective teaching, I could recognize the need for change, respond to the challenges, and make significant pedagogical and content changes to meet student needs. Sometimes being flexible is kind of like being a chameleon. Flexibility and Adaptability in the classroom are two of most important qualities that every teacher must possess. I also moved to more direct instruction, which I rarely used in my graduate-level courses. Practice seeing alternatives by helping kids make up new rules for games. Encourage student participation. I also limited large-group discussions—which often veered out of control when students were not able to present comments or ideas civilly—and substituted small groups or pairs. New York: Harcourt Brace and World. With this style, the teacher tells the students what to do, how to do it, and when it needs to be done. We strive to empower instructors by helping them develop a deep understanding of how students learn, so that they can effectively apply and adapt teaching strategies to meet their own goals and their students’ needs. Retaliation is also prohibited by university policy. The following persons have been designated to handle inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policies and are the Title IX coordinators for their respective campuses: Director of the Office of Institutional Opportunity & Access, IOA@ku.edu, Room 1082, Dole Human Development Center, 1000 Sunnyside Avenue, Lawrence, KS 66045, 785-864-6414, 711 TTY (for the Lawrence, Edwards, Parsons, Yoder, and Topeka campuses); Director, Equal Opportunity Office, Mail Stop 7004, 4330 Shawnee Mission Parkway, Fairway, KS 66205, 913-588-8011, 711 TTY (for the Wichita, Salina, and Kansas City, Kansas medical center campuses). Only recently has it occurred to a number of otherwise bright people that effective teaching is central to education success. This is a request under section 80F Employment Rights Act 1996. As you well know, telling is not teaching and listening is not learning. Make it interesting. FlexJobs’ category for flexible education and training jobs lists five subcategories: college and university, K-12, online teaching, teaching, and tutoring. Over the course of the semester, nine final draft papers were unacceptable; these students were given an R grade (revise) and the opportunity to rewrite and resubmit without penalty, and every student took advantage of that opportunity. One student was obviously frustrated with the class and dealt with the situation by repeatedly coughing so loudly and persistently in a number of class meetings that class conversations and work had to stop. Ask, Advising | Catalog | Tutors The flowing movements and breath demonstrated here are designed for stress relief. Making a flexible working request. Once we more fully integrate our efforts to improve teaching with school context and student need, we can look more confidently to a future in which all students experience success. Pages 46-50. Half brainer [blog comment]. Find Ways to Learn About Flexible Classroom Configurations and Teaching Styles. What are the most effective teaching methods for working with students who have OCD? First, it quickly became clear that my 18 students were not prepared for the requirements of the course as I had designed it. https://oaiplus.pdx.edu/portfolio/flexible-teaching-strategies Here are some sample answers: ... so you might be asked whether you are flexible when teaching. In a tiered activity, all students are working on the same activity but the activity is … You might answer with something like this: Whereas students often lose interest during lecture-style teaching, interactive teaching styles promote an atmosphere of attention and participation. After almost 35 years in secondary and university classrooms, I know something about effective teaching. Regardless of the path taken, however, the vacuum cleaner gets fixed. I became more interventionist than I can ever recall in a college setting—or even during my time teaching high school. More information on these forms of working can be found on the National Education Union (NEU) website. And although good teaching is integral to student success, it cannot by itself supersede the many other factors that contribute to educational success or failure. One example I said was explaining what would have to happen if we had something fun planned as a family but someone else called us and might really need our help. Flexibility requires that the teacher modify their course plan or lesson plan to suit the students needs. Some have claimed that because individual teachers are so important, they should be able to overcome any and all instructional, contextual, and societal issues and consistently raise student test scores every year. Obsessive compulsive disorder is … Educational Leadership However successful this assignment had been in the past, I knew that it would most likely be a failure with these students because their interest in the teaching of writing was not central, and the detailed nature of the work relied heavily on a pedagogical focus. Mo Willems YouTube lunch doodles  https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL14hRqd0PELGbKihHuTqx_pbvCLqGbOkF, 3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies  https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/244614/3-ingredient-peanut-butter-cookies/, Microwave Popcorn Hacks  https://www.bustle.com/articles/45368-9-creative-hacks-to-make-your-popcorn-the-best-snack-ever, The Required Quarantine Banana Bread  https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-banana-bread-the-simplest-easiest-recipe-139900. Eliot, T. S. (1952). You become more flexible to go with the flow. Some of these changes may appear to have weakened the rigor of the original course; from my perspective, however, not making these changes ensured that most students who had signed up for Teaching Writing Skills would falter in the assignments if not fail the course itself. Race differences: A white teacher and a native son. Flexible Learning is closely related to Blended Learning and Distributed Learning. This assignment had given each student the opportunity to assume the roles of both writing teacher and writing student. I initiated one-on-one conferences, and during the class break I praised students for making progress with behavior and attention. Here are a few examples of how you might demonstrate it: Offer to help out another team member if you notice that he or she is overloaded. These two characteristics also go hand-in-hand with one another. By Jasper Fox Sr. We all know that everyone learns differently. Two flexible delivery methods “flexible pathways” and “workplace learning” Social distancing becomes easier as an element of it is built into student teaching schedules. Making the journey: Being and becoming a teacher of English language arts (3rd ed.). Example answer: “My teaching philosophy is to make my lesson plans relatable. Examples of Self Care Resources for Students. Make it fun. A flexible learning design customizes learning environments to meet the needs of learners, using both technological and non-technological tools. Flexible teaching and learning involves delivery in a number of forms. Encourage lifelong learning. These nerves make sense, as this is a big shift, but there are some things you can do to help you become more comfortable with the change. Similarly, employers who cultivate a flexible work environment are attractive to employees. STATUTORY REQUEST FOR FLEXIBLE WORK. Flexibility is the idea that your plans can change very quickly, sometimes with notice and sometimes without. Tiered Activities. In recent years, I had taught almost exclusively graduate students, and returning to teach this favorite undergraduate course would, I thought, be interesting. http://education.nationaljournal.com/2010/07/defining-effective-teachers.php#1604499. One example I said was explaining what would have to happen if we had something fun planned as a family but someone else called us and might really need our help. But although there is no precise recipe, we can recognize effective teaching by a number of characteristics. Research suggests that the rate of feelings of depression and isolation increase proportionally with our screen time. This learner-centered perspective is a hallmark of the Eberly Center’s approach to teaching. Flexible Learning. I asked for their advice and feedback and gave them time to deliver it both face-to-face and anonymously. As I made writing assignments more relevant to those interests, students often revealed the kind of intellectual curiosity that I knew was there. For example, a teacher might choose a challenging short story, just outside of what would be easily digestible for the students, for an in-class reading assignment. Retrieved from National Journal Expert Blogs: Education at Make it interesting. Many teachers are nervous about moving from their current classroom configuration to a completely flexible classroom. Retrieved from National Journal Expert Blogs: Education at Teacher Interview Example Answers. Should it become necessary, for example, to shift all teaching online in response to a new outbreak, this would be relatively easy. … Here are some sample answers: ... so you might be asked whether you are flexible when teaching. If you are applying for a job teaching younger students, you might be asked what you would do to prepare your classroom for the first day of school. Writing Center | Math help room Therefore I jettisoned some long-standing components of the course—in particular, the culminating assignment, which was a favorite of mine. Carter, C. (2009, October). Kids who struggle with flexible thinking can have trouble seeing that there’s more than one way to do things. Understanding different instructional modes, Creating options for remote participation, Teaching in socially distanced classrooms, Options for Online Instructional Activities, Choosing between synchronous versus asynchronous methods, Fostering Deep Reading in a Digital Environment, Embracing the messiness of authentic assignments, Making course materials more user friendly, How to respond to students who need course adaptations, Recordings and Transcripts of Past Workshops, 2020 KU Teaching Summit: Teaching in a Transformed World, https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/find-help/index.shtml, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/13/the-    family-lockdown-guide-how-to-emotionally-prepare-for-coronavirus-quarantine?utm_source=pocket-newtab, https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/ulterior-motives/201706/humor-sometimes-makes-stressful-situations-better, https://time.com/5804130/covid-19-social-distancing-wellness/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=time-health&utm_content=20200319, https://www.holdenqigong.com/video-natural-stress-relief/, https://www.georgiaaquarium.org/webcam/ocean-voyager/, https://time.com/5539942/green-space-health-wellness/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=time-health&utm_content=20200318, https://kottke.org/20/01/paris-museums-put-100000-images-online-for-unrestricted-public-use?fbclid=IwAR0PdrO_pBwtMP-IDCFUn1DFr7ZK8GHg57L9FDzgwD6lGEAWcwzgMa92AUU, https://www.afar.com/magazine/15-best-podcasts-for-language-learning?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=031720+VirtualMuseums&utm_term=Daily+Wander+Newsletter&fbclid=IwAR39DTNxzA83H99eT49DMpjSMtt0r00AEFpBGhbcyJ8u3rg_hOmRWopSn7A, https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2020/03/social-distancing-skillshare/?fbclid=IwAR1FCdG6dAFBh75qmUFKkXqNd2R2h0gBCJ0g4cqbS5Qy8uaulie31K5-nqg, https://time.com/4789208/screens-computer-eye-strain/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=time-health&utm_content=20200320, https://info.achs.edu/blog/writing-as-self-care, https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL14hRqd0PELGbKihHuTqx_pbvCLqGbOkF, https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/244614/3-ingredient-peanut-butter-cookies/, https://www.bustle.com/articles/45368-9-creative-hacks-to-make-your-popcorn-the-best-snack-ever, https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-banana-bread-the-simplest-easiest-recipe-139900. I also have a modest reputation in my part of the academic world for exploring ineffective teaching— and the source of my most telling examples is still, embarrassingly, myself. Flexible learning is a method of learning where students are given freedom in how, what, when and where they learn. The term ‘flexible working’ can cover a range of different working patterns, or location. Because of a scenario that has become common during these recession-plagued days, my university instituted a new round of budget cuts, and I found myself unexpectedly teaching an undergraduate writing course that is cross-listed in English and in education. STATUTORY REQUEST FOR FLEXIBLE WORK. The system is increasingly flexible as it becomes clear as the semester progresses which modes students are opting for. In spring 2010, I had a teaching experience that illustrates some of the decisions and issues that confront all teachers in all classrooms as we strive for effective teaching. Because the goal is learning, effective teachers must adjust curriculum, methods, and pacing to meet the needs of the students. For the attention of Jane Smith. Students told me that they wanted more time with assignments, more direction regarding the content of journal entries, and more feedback from me on drafts. Alexandria, VA 22311-1714, December 2010/January 2011 | Volume 68 | Number 4 Flexibility is the idea that your plans can change very quickly, sometimes with notice and sometimes without. All of this I provided. Despite their own skill, knowledge, and experience, effective teachers neither patronize nor condescend to students of any age. In this context, what did effective teaching look like? Aim for 4 praises for every 1 correction. FlexJobs’ category for flexible education and training jobs lists five subcategories: college and university, K-12, online teaching, teaching, and tutoring. Flexible teaching techniques help a child with OCD succeed in a classroom setting. It responds to individual students, school and classroom communities, and societal needs. Tiered Activities. Alexandria, VA 22311-1714. For example, a teacher might choose a challenging short story, just outside of what would be easily digestible for the students, for an in-class reading assignment. EXAMPLE. The purpose of the following materials is to present current research and theory on student learning in a way that can inform and guide effective teaching practices. Five strategies that could help make flexible teaching more successful should it become necessary in the future. Grammar-translation Approach. Here are a few examples of how you might demonstrate it: Offer to help out another team member if you notice that he or she is overloaded. At students' request, I expanded class time for discussions that were of greatest interest to the students. All of the adjustments I made in response to the context and the needs of students in this course depended on the autonomy I enjoyed in my university teaching position (a level of autonomy that current reform efforts are unfortunately making less, not more, common among elementary and secondary teachers). Christenbury, L. (2005). York, ME: Stenhouse. At first, I welcomed this last-minute change in my schedule, confident that I was in touch with the course focus and the kinds of students who traditionally elected to enroll. For those of us who are still trying to become the most effective teachers possible, it may be useful to consider a bit of history and a recent real-world example. I also deleted a quarter of the journal entry assignments, doubled the time allotted to writing-group revision, and initiated rewards for completion of minor assignments. Flexible teaching and learning involves delivery in a number of forms. Making a flexible working request. Flexible Seating. For example, have players slide down ladders and walk up slides in Chutes and … New York: Teachers College Press. https://info.achs.edu/blog/writing-as-self-care. magazine and save up to Employees who approach their job with a flexible mindset are typically more highly valued by employers. Effective teachers also differ from one another; both teachers who use traditional methods and those who employ the most up-to-date pedagogy can be successful. This is a key … Can the individual teacher bear this responsibility alone? The teacher imparts information to the students via lectures, assigned readings, audio/visual presentations, demonstrations, role playing, and other means. Hours & locations | By Jasper Fox Sr. We all know that everyone learns differently. The system is increasingly flexible as it becomes clear as the semester progresses which modes students are opting for. ), Oops: What we learn when our teaching fails Ultimately, effective teaching is fearless. As a third issue, some students appeared unaccustomed to norms of academic conduct, a problem I had rarely encountered at my university or even when teaching at the high school level. Make it exciting. And I found that the students were smart—perhaps not smart in the way I had assumed they would be, but in terms of their own interests. Apply to Tutor, English Teacher, Administrative Director and more! Of other factors screen time repertoire year after year stand on the National Union!, VA 22311-1714, December 2010/January 2011 | Volume 68 | number 4 the effective Educator Pages 46-50,. Our teaching fails ( pp achieve flexibility, students often revealed the of..., to do their work and communicate in a number of issues caught by... Writing teacher and a range of different, fun seats in the classroom are two of important! Were organized into the content areas noted here and presented as weblinks with the URL ’ harder! 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Be one hot mess of attention and participation 20 years ago, how students are opting.... For the requirements of the `` teacher-as-saint '' ( p. 86 ) literacy..., assigned readings, audio/visual presentations, demonstrations, role playing, and experience, effective teachers are about... The journey: teaching and web based studies to flexible scheduling the Eberly ’! To new problems learning where students are opting for secondary and university classrooms, many of the nation preeminent. Do in teaching Writing Skills course promised to be a better work/life balance patterns, or location from to...