I took a break from my teaching at one point to pursue further studies. While studying, I worked part-time as a waiter. I missed many things about the teaching environment: interacting with colleagues, watching students learn, preparing for class, and sometimes even grading. Yet, there was one thing I did not miss at all: I […]
Transitioning to online lessons has been hard for all students and teachers, but even more so for ESL students. They don’t always have the language to express their needs, and now there is even more distance and disconnect between them and their teachers. Fortunately, there are ways you can support your ESL students and close […]
Students learn better in context, and they take what they are learning more seriously when they can clearly see the value in the skill you are teaching. One way to help students value individual skills is to connect them to real-life experiences, problems, or topics. While concept-based learning is not a new strategy, it is […]
Transitions are a regular part of life for everyone: changing classes at the end of each year, moving houses, or having a pet die. However, they are more regular and significant for children who are living cross-culturally (or in their own culture but with people from other cultures). The sheer number of changes can be […]
I was interested to see an announcement from the Canadian government that they were initiating a transformation contest.[1] Applicants are to submit a practical proposal to transform society by creating a significant positive change. Perhaps TeachBeyond should enter. Grants are available…it is the government after all. If I were to enter this competition, my project […]
(Note: This article is a sequel to our last article. Click here to read that one.) The planning involved in creating concept-based interdisciplinary units is intense, so why would you bother? It may sound great in theory, but in practice, is it actually worth the work? This is a question I have asked myself on those late […]
Hopefully I don’t lose credibility with what I’m about to admit, but here it is: I cannot properly pack away my tent after camping. Whenever I try to put it back into the storage bag, it never fits right. I’m not sure if the case has shrunk or the tent has grown, but I do […]
Both demonstrate the work of a BioSand water filter, invented by David Manz in the early 1990’s. Since then, these simple, durable filters have been used all around the world for water purification. The glass on the left is what the water at the top of the filter looks like; the glass on the right […]
Lesson plans shape how your students learn, and while sliced up differently, the approaches to planning are often similar. For years, a favourite approach of mine was this: Students: Know your learners. Consider previous learning, abilities, disabilities, culture, attitudes, etc. Outcomes: What are you trying to have the learner know (cognitive), feel (affective), and do […]
Transformational education – from a Christian perspective. Isn’t that what we’re about in TeachBeyond? Seeing God work through education to transform individuals and societies to be what He designed them to be? Absolutely! Part of that “Christian perspective” on transformational education is teaching from a biblical worldview and helping our students develop such a worldview. […]
