Teaching Tip #20

Sing &/or Dance

I'm serious.  Even if you're a bad singer, as long as you're not tone-deaf, they'll get a kick out of it.  Until you start singing along with them.  Usually at that point they'll stop and tell you something along the lines of, "No.  It's not cool when you do it."

Well, you got them to focus on you.

I do it for a few reasons.  I began to do it while student teaching to cut down on talking.  That backfired and resulted in 8th grade boys standing on their seats and singing in one class.  In another class, I got the above response and the singing stopped and attention was on me.

I sing now for prayer (I work in a Catholic school, and it's just something different) and to get their focus.  I sing real songs and made-up songs - like "And the limit approaches infinity, huzzah, huzzah" (to the tune of "The Ants Go Marching."

Sometimes along with my tunes I do a little "dance."  Again, it's a focusing agent but it does sometimes backfire. 

As with all things, don't do it too often, else the students will stop responding to it.  But if you're doing it for fun, then go ahead.  Students like to see that their teachers are people too (as weird as that may sound).

(I mean...at a family night my girls taught me and about 1/3 of the faculty to two-step to a club song.  They got a kick out of it.)

Teaching Tip #13

Don't Take Things Personally

Students will be angry at you, won't like a subject/topic, or won't respond well.  Don't take it to heart.  You could have caught them on a bad day or they could just not want their parents involved.  Not everyone will like you all the time.  You just have to be patient, not take it personally (even if they're upset at you, don't let it nag you), and move on.