Now that summer is here (well at least for many of us) I often get the question “What do you teachers do all summer?”

Sometimes this question is presented in a derogatory way as to suggest how easy teachers have it with summers off, weekends, holidays, etc.

Bla, bla, bla…I’ve heard it before and I know I will here it again. My response is simply, “Hey, if it is so easy…why don’t you do it?”

Other times, however, the question is not intended to be derogatory…just simple curiosity…what do teachers do during the summer?

I know for many teachers just knowing that they have an extended break allows them to work harder during the school year (putting in way more hours than they should), but this extended break also allows teachers (for better or worse) to put off any and all projects until summer break.

Personally, I spend a lot of time catching up on all the stuff I put off…

Unfortunately though, many teachers are forced to work second jobs. The pay for teachers is so low that many simply have no other choice, but to find some type of hourly job just to help pay the bills.

That is what I was forced to do…find a second job. However, I did not want just some hourly job that would stop bringing in money as soon as the summer was over.

No, I wanted to start some type of small side business that could continue to make me money during the year and continue to grow year after year.

This is precisely how I started my online ventures that now include three major ebooks, a teaching newsletter, blog, forum, articles, e-courses etc.

It didn’t happen overnight and I still have so much to learn, but each year it builds up a little more.

I now make significantly more money than I ever could with any side “summer-time” job…and that money comes in all-year long.

I wrote a report a couple of years ago about how I got started and how other teachers can do the same. I called the report, “How Teacher Can Make Extra Money Doing What the Love”

I give the report away as a free gift.

This summer I plan on revamping that short 19-page report into full-fledged ebook with an unbelievable amount of resources to help other teachers get past that traditional “summer job”.

However, when the new ebook is completed the old report will be pulled off the shelves and I will no longer be able to offer it for free…there is just too much work involved….in fact, my internet marketing buddies thought I was nuts for even giving the original report away for free, but hey…they’re not teachers

However, in the meantime, you can still download the original report for free. It is still filled with a great deal of information to help you get started.

Hope you enjoy it…

To download the report simply right-click the link below:
http://www.teaching-teacher.com/teachermoney.pdf

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Ok, I did it! Last week on our last full day of school I gave each of my 8th grade students a simple evaluation form and let them evaluate me…the teacher.

Before handing out the teacher evaluation form I explained to my students how important this was for me…that I will read each and every teacher evaluation and that I take this seriously and I hope they do too…that the purpose of what they were doing is so I can become a better teacher next year.

I also explained that it is an anonymous evaluation so they can be as open and honest about their experience in my class as they wish.

The form had 20 statements and students could check one of the following choices: Always, Usually, Seldom, or Never.

Here is a sampling of some of the statements on the teacher evaluation form:
1. I give clear directions.
2. I include a variety of activities.
3. I give you enough time to do your work.
4. I know what is going on in the room.
5. I let you express your opinions.

At the bottom of the teacher evaluation form there is a space for additional comments or suggestions. I put on the board some things for them to comment on such as:

1. How could I have made this class better?
2. What was your favorite unit/project? Why?
3. What was your least favorite unit/project? Why?
4. How could I have made learning U.S. History more fun and interesting?

Finally, I tell students that at the bottom of the teacher evaluation form, I want them to give me grade between an A and an F.

Well, I am glad to say that aside, from one B and one C, I got all A’s (Not bad for 132 students…)

Yes, that is a nice boost for the ego, but that is not the point. The point is to look through the evaluations and look for overall patterns in their answers. Doing so gave me some real insight into how I can be a better teacher next year.

I learned that my students loved the Civil War unit the most, that their favorite projects were designing Colonial brochures on the computer, they also really enjoyed the Timeline project where they pretend to go back in time as a host of a television show and interview someone from the past, I also learned that they found the review games not just fun, but educational.

I also got some constructive criticism about how to post my homework assignments in class and how I should put up more pictures/posters of what we are studying around the room.

Now the trick is to make sure I incorporate some of their ideas into next year’s curriculum to help myself become a better teacher next year.

I know many teachers are reluctant to do this, but who better to evaluate you then those you have been teaching all year. I also know many teachers are afraid that their students will not take it seriously, but I am happy to say that it appears that every single one of my 132 students answered honestly.

Again, I know it is the end of the school year and teachers have a tremendous amount of work to do before school lets out…but taking 10 minutes out of that busy schedule to have your students complete a teacher evaluation form can really help teachers reflect on the year and become better teachers next year.

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If you’d like to discuss this some more or see what others have to say about this idea visit this thread on the Teaching Tips Machine Forum:

http://www.teaching-tips-machine.com/forum/index.php?topic=205.0
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Someone on my forum just posted a link to an NEA website that is asking teachers to take a professional teacher’s pay pledge…thought I’d pass this post along…I think it is something every teacher should take alook at…

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The NEA website has a form that people can fill out to show their support of teachers receiving professional pay in public schools. You needn’t be a teacher, you can be a parent or community member and lend your support as such: http://capwiz.com/education/mlm/signup
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If you’d like to discuss teacher pay scales and taking the teacher pay pledge some more you can read the original post on the Teaching Tips Machine Forum here:
http://www.teaching-tips-machine.com/forum/index.php?topic=218.0

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I know teaching at the end of the school year can be crazy at times…it seems as if teachers are given more and more to do with less and less time.

For this reason it is easy for us teachers to set our sights on our upcoming extended vacation and try to just cruise right on into summer, but it is much more important for us teachers to take some time to reflect on this past school year.

A couple of weeks ago I posted an article that my principal sent to her teaching staff…If you have not read the article you can do so here: http://teaching-tips-machine.com/blog/?p=34

While the article had many end of the year tips for teachers, the one that stood out the most for me was…Decide how you are going to be a 10% better teacher next year.

Since next week is the last week of school for Manatee County teachers I decided I am going to give my students a teacher evaluation form for them to fill out…

Yes, I am going to have the students evaluate the teacher. It will be anonymous and will have roughly 20 questions with space at the end to add more comments. Similar to something you may fill out for your professor at the end of a college course.

I will then use the information provided by my students to make myself a better teacher next year!

I’ll let you know how it goes

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If you’d like to discuss this some more or see what others have to say about this idea visit this thread on the Teaching Tips Machine Forum:

http://www.teaching-tips-machine.com/forum/index.php?topic=205.0
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Motivating students is ongoing challenge that all teachers face, but now that it is the end of the school year this task becomes even more difficult for teachers to accomplish.

I teach 14 year-olds and this is the challenge I face everyday. In fact, as I stress in my classroom management course (www.Classroom-Management-Tips.com) student motivation is one of the key components in effective classroom management.

It is important for teachers to spark student interest at the beginning of every lesson…especially now.

Here are some simple teaching tips for motivating students:

1. Use critical thinking questions that don’t necessarily have a right or wrong answer and have the student support their argument.
(ex. Do you think President Truman was justified in dropping the atomic bomb to end WWII? Why?)

2. Use music to teach. (ex. I play the Bob Marley songs “Buffalo Soldier” and “Catch a Fire” before starting my lesson on the slave trade and the middle passage)

3. Use video. Not whole movies, but clips from movies can do a great job in motivating students to want to learn more about the topic. I use video clips at the beginning of lessons rather than the end to spark interest. Hollywood movies are great for this, but you can also use unitedstreaming.com to download short clips from documentaries.

4. Relate what students are learning to what is going on in the “real world”. This is obviously easier done with some subjects than others, but can be done.

5. Relate what students are learning to what is important to them.

6. Use technology…or rather, have the student use technology to learn. Have them create podcasts, videos, web sites etc.

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If you’d like to learn more about teaching with a proactive approach to classroom management make sure to sign up for my free Classroom Management e-course @ www.Classroom-Management-Tips.com
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