Chanie Monoker

What To Teach Part 2

What To Teach Part 2

We discussed in an earlier post that both the teacher and student have responsibility in the learning process.  The teacher, as the successful climber at the top of (or at least higher up) the mountain knows what the student must learn.  Therefore, Timeless Teaching must have a double focus.         1) Just what is it that the student must know?                    2) How best to teach these skills? Just what is it that the student must know?  I have grouped the items into 4 categories Self-discipline What allows for …

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Learner as the Listener

Learner as the Listener

In the last post (see here https://www.timeless-teaching.com/learning-its-a-communication-thing/ )we were discussing what the responsibility of the teacher as a communicator is.  But as we said, you can only facilitate learning, you cannot force anything. On the learner-listener’s part there has to be a willingness to listen and a desire to get it right. As a listener there are certain steps you want to take to try to improve successful communication. All these steps hold true for the learner-listener. They include: Being prepared – this may include readings, homework, etc. Be rested – listening is hard work, if you are tired you can’t listen …

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Learning:  It’s a Communication Thing

Learning: It’s a Communication Thing

First I think we need an understanding of what actually is occurring during teaching. Learning is a communicative event.  As any speech therapist can tell you, this means there is a speaker, a listener, and a message.  The presumption is that the teacher is the speaker, the student is the listener (we hope 😉 ) and the teaching you are trying to convey is the message.  In truth it must be a reciprocal relationship, hence the two arrows in the graphic.  The teacher must minimally spend enough time listening to effectively check for understanding, but I am getting ahead of …

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Of Fidget Spinners and Fake Education

Of Fidget Spinners and Fake Education

“Fidget spinners are going to enable ADHD students to focus” “Fidget spinners are creating ADHD and must be banned from school” At the time of this writing the owning of a fidget spinner has gone viral, and with hundreds of schools banning fidget spinners, it looks like the spinner ban will go viral soon too.  I must be missing a key piece of information because I do not understand the ban.  What is notably absent is the scientific research demonstrating either claim. But even more importantly the educational opportunity is being missed. Is there a physical danger to fidget spinners? …

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What To Teach

What To Teach

Is that really a question? You were given a curriculum! While this might seem to apply only to teachers, in fact this applies to parents too.  You may not be consciously aware of it but you have been given a curriculum by society on what your children must do at home by certain ages.  Items such as toilet training, bike riding, household chores, bathing, independent dressing etc. and the items and ages vary in different societies. (I can’t help but think that if we told society to speak a little slower, instead of diagnosing people with auditory processing disorder for …

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Don’t Be A Pedagogue

Don’t Be A Pedagogue

 It might seem strange to say that to teachers who spend years learning how to be one.  This is where education was first hijacked by a too narrow perspective. One of the most important ideas I learned from neurolinguistics programming (NLP) is how to find a good teacher.    Their definition of a good teacher is someone who not only can do the task well, but also knows HOW they do it. Obviously only someone who knows how to do a task can be considered to teach the skill to others.  If I want someone to teach me how to …

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