School Mom and Student

by Dane Masters

Teachers and education are synonymous. Considering that their teachings can change so many lives, it is essential that all available resources be on hand for them. After all, one becomes a teacher just for two reasons–one, a love of the profession and love for spreading knowledge, and the other, love for students. Many school teachers who have spent their entire lives in this arena feel overwhelmed and unable to cope with the advanced teaching methods and great technological advances. They claim that they are too old-fashioned to fit in with today’s era!

The teaching profession has changed a great deal over the past fifteen years. Fortunately, there are teacher resources available to help educators keep up with the changes. Although many teachers still rely on textbooks and lectures in their lesson plans, researchers have found that some students do not benefit from this traditional approach. Professionals have developed many teacher resources to address the diverse students in today’s classroom.

According to Gardner, who has written “Eight Intelligences”, eight types of learning styles exist today. The first style described is “auditory learner” This sort of students are dependent on their “ears” for their learning and retention of what they have learned. They benefit through their keen hearing–speeches and lectures are their best sources of information.

Pictures speak louder than mere words. This holds true for “visual learners”. Charts and diagrams, even just a single picture–form the basis of their learning abilities. The educator who explains ideas and concepts via visual pictures has definitely gained the attention of these type of learners.

Many educators may feel lost when it comes to addressing visual students, but there are teacher resources that point them in the right direction. A professional educator can browse through a number of ideas that help visual learners maximize their strengths. These include Power Point presentations, charts, graphs and visually-based worksheets.

Another style is “learning by doing”. These action-oriented students learn via kinesthetics. Their methodical activities aid them in retaining information. Recipes and science experiments are a great hit with them. So modern teaching materials deal with kinesthetic activities too. And most of these activities are quite interesting!

Not only do these resources aid in teaching students, they also keep educators abreast of the latest developments in the field. So it is a sort of training for them. As a matter of fact, some places require their teachers to undergo fresh training each year–get all the latest information regarding various subjects and keep track of technological advancements. There are laws like the Act 48 in Pennsylvania that actually demand all these. Teachers have to give attendance at various seminars and classes organised for these purposes, for which they are awarded credits. Each teacher has to get a certain number of credits per year. Some resources give educators the freedom to earn credits from home also; their free time comes in useful for this.

Teaching and learning are directly linked. A teacher should treat the profession as a process of ongoing education. Even his/her students are teaching him/her something. Despite the numerous challenges offered by this profession, the teacher can expect the experience to be a very rewarding one. Thus, one who loves to learn, will also love to teach!

About the Author:

Dane Masters is an accomplished niche website developer and author. for more about purpose for a college education, please visit education clipart for current articles and discussions.