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The following list of people put a negative connotation to the teaching profession. Popular culture really does a good job at defining the bad but not the good.

1. Ms. Dolores Umbridge, Harry Potter

No one can really top this teacher who raised havoc on her pupils at Hogwarts. Her misbehaving students do not write lines with ink; they wrote them with their blood. She shuns those who do not agree with her and murders those who are not pure blood.

2. Ms. Edna Crabapple, The Simpsons

She is an alcoholic teacher who does not know how to separate her personal life from her job. In one episode, she and the principal kidnap Bart Simpson and hold him hostage to make a point clear to the Superintendent. Who can forget how she was caught making out in the janitor’s closet with the principal by her students? She is a shame to the teaching profession.

3. Mr. Cannon, 90210

This man really is a piece of work. He is a pedophile who prays on teenagers, especially those who are his students. He date raped Erin Silver and raped Naomi Clark, who were both his students. Turns out, he had a colourful past before moving to Beverley Hills as well. In England, he was wanted for the same charges.

4. Ms. Agatha Trunchball, Metilda

This principal is a nightmare. She antagonized her students, beat them and took them by the curls and threw them out the window. She had no connection to her students and all her students feared and hated her.

5. Ms. Elizabeth Halsey, Bad Teacher

What does this teacher not do? She curses at her students, drinks alcohol in front of them, smokes marijuana and sleeps in class. Is that a good role model teacher? Absolutely NOT!

Many teachers do not use convention in their methods. They use their unique knowledge and skills to better equip their children for the future. Some do it well, others fail due to restraints. Here are 10 situations where teachers used unconventional teaching methods. You would not believe me if I never gave examples; with names.

1. Giving everyone an A+:

Professor Dennis Rancourt, Physics Teacher at University of Ottawa was suspended for his unconventional teaching methods. This teaching method included giving everyone an A+. The only problem was the University who suspended him for doing so. He believed that he had no right to evaluate the skills for future employers.

2. Improper Judgment/Marking:

My law/English teacher in high school was a likeable teacher not for the reasons many think. He was an easy marker and usually used his like/dislike for people to determine the grade. Comments on papers returns had only check marks: 1 for satisfactory points, 2 for good points and 3 for excellent. The whole course was based on spontaneity and nothing else. He came to class every day with ideas he though off a minute before. Worst was when he asked his students to get scruples from the office.

3. Songs, Chants and Games to Memorize:

Harriett Ball taught in the Texas public school system for 20+ years. Her teaching methods have known to be rambunctious. She continuously uses songs, chants and games to expand her students’ knowledge and learning.

4. Cash tips:

A University of Western Ontario professor, Ariff Kachra, uses cash tips to help MBA students get an extra class as well as job recommendations. Those who are willing to pay are able to reap rewards. Kachra earns about $500/student for this.

5. Diaries:

The perfect example of this is The Freedom Writers Diary. Erin Gruwell did what no other teacher could. She engaged her students in a scholarly environment through the use of journal writing. She was unconventional in her ways as she was able to change her students’ thinking and make them appreciate life more, with the use of the Diary of Anne Frank as a read.

April fools seems to be a constant event in schools. Students try to annoy and antagonize their teachers in colourful ways. Many do this to get attention; others do it for fun. Decades ago, students believed that if they behaved inappropriately, they could actually get the teacher to quit or fired. Here are just 10 case scenarios I’ve witnessed inside the classroom. P.S. No.1 really did happen and is meant to prep you for the other 9 horrifying scenarios.

Case Scenario #1:

Students are attending a grade 9 gym class. The teacher has no control over her classroom. A student arrives late, with a note in her hand. Another asks to go to the washroom. The teacher is angered by the interruption and yells at both students to go to the office. When I say yell, I do mean it in a rooster way. You can see the teacher’s neck veins become visible as she is yelling. The teacher did not last more than a semester in the school.

Case Scenario #2:

A teacher has prepared overhead notes for students to copy. The notes are only 4 pages long with graphs and photos and double spaced. One student decides to anger the teacher by taking pages away and hiding them. The teacher scrambles to find the notes, then goes to photocopy a new overhead. When he comes back…the notes are back on the overhead.

Case Scenario #3:

This is a classic annoyance. Students have chitchats in the middle of a lesson. The chitchats trail to the front of the classroom. It is annoying and antagonizing as well as rude to speak when others speak. It goes against the Tribes program which emphasizes respect.

Case Scenario #4:

It is the last day to hand in papers for high school students. Grade 12 students are scrambling to print out their papers at the library and to fix minor errors. Technology sometimes does not work with humans. All of the sudden 20 minutes before class starts, 10 of the 25 students are standing at the teacher’s office saying that they cannot print out their assignments. The teacher, of course, is angered and does not expect that from students on their way to university. 25 minutes of valuable exam prep time is taken to save work on the teacher’s USB key.

Case Scenario #5:

Teachers get frustrated when students use the following phrases: “I don’t know” and “I cannot do this”. Most teachers have the philosophy that everyone can achieve the same expectations and the same results with the right amount of assistance and the right amount of resources. There is no need for students to give up so easily, unless the teacher is not willing to meet them half way. Teachers face these expressions day in and day out.

Case Scenario #6:

A teacher is in the middle of a lesson. He is being evaluated by an administrator on his teaching methods and skills. All of the sudden…a cell phone rings with Bart Simpson pranks ringtone. The student decides not to pick it up, fearing they will be caught. It is annoying, in a sense that it disrupts others’ learning.

Case Scenario #7:

Students anger teachers by becoming tough. They would use swear words, try to intimidate the latter and sometimes become physical. After bringing an extendable baton to school and getting caught, one student threatened to use it on anyone standing in their way. They even admitted it in their expulsion hearing. It is frustrating and not only angering to see students waste their education on such things.

Case Scenario #8:

A homework assignment is given to all students in the class. The teacher does not tell the students that the assignment will be collected. When the teacher comes to collect the assignment the next day, students give the excuse that they did not complete it. Teachers are angered by this because students are not taking responsibility for their work.

Case Scenario #9:

A teacher spends day and night trying to prepare her lessons and unit plans. She designs learning strategies and activities which utilize all intelligences. When students go to do the test, they fail. The average is below standard. The annoyed teacher must now go back to reteach the material. She merrily picked up from where another teacher left off before going on maternity leave.

Case Scenario #10:

Primary students regularly use the phrase, “You are not my mother and you are not the boss of me” to their teachers. Teachers are hurt by the comments, especially when their students are at a young age.

Traditional books, resources and textbooks are now costly. Many schools try to save the environment by utilizing wider resources; on cyberspace specifically. Here are the top 10 online resources for teachers and written by teachers.

1. www.TumbleBooks.com:

The resource provides access to picture books for students in Kindergarten to Grade 3 in English, French and other languages. The books are interactive and animated. There are sample lesson plans teachers could use as well.

2. www.Smarttech.com:

Almost every school board in Canada and the United States has one form of smart technology. Smartboards are popular tools in the classroom. Many teachers are still getting to know how to use the technology. SmartTech provides lessons and presentation templates for teachers.

3. www.coolmath4kids.com:

Teachers could reinforce learning through the use of this website. The website has a tone of games, lessons and activities students could utilize in the classroom and at home. Students love interactive games and they may learn concepts faster by participating in hands on activities.

4. www.raz-kids.com:

This is another resource teachers could use for guided reading. They have a wide selection of eBooks to choose from. There is a teacher`s corner where teachers can borrow lesson plans for their classroom.

5. www.tumblereadables.com:

This resource accesses grade 3-8 students to picture books and novels. They have a huge selection of classic books, such as those written by Shakespeare. This resource is a perfect tool for guided reading exercises. The program is compatible and works well with Smartboard.

The following videos are exemplary for  new teachers who are struggling with their careers or in the classroom. You may want to watch some of them to get the gist of what to do on the first day of school. My favourite is Rick Lavoie’s Poker Chips Analogy.

If you love satire and do not suffer a lack of humor, watch YouTube videos of Gerry Dee.

1.

Title: First Day of School: How To Be An Effective Teacher

Hosts: Harry KC. Wong & Rosemary T. Wong

Description: Complimenting his book, Harry Wong looks at how teachers need to set up everything from grade books to their classrooms. He stresses the importance of establishing routines and procedures to classroom management from day 1 (First Day of School).

2.

Title: When the Chips are Down:

Host: Rick Lavoie

Description: Richard Lavoie provides practical advice to teachers on how to deal with behavioral problems swiftly and effectively. He examines how preventative discipline forestalls many problems before they start. He provides alternatives for teachers and parents to use, in order to make the classroom more predictable and flourishing.

3.

Title: Educating Peter

Director: Geraldine Wurzburg

Description: Peter Gwazdauska is a person with Downe Syndrome. For many years he attended classes with children like himself. The film, EDUCATING PETER, examines Peter’s strife in first year in a mainstream classroom. Teachers can examine the strategies, Mts. Stallings and her students used to accept and trust Peter.

4.

Title: Misunderstood Minds Searching for Success in School

Director: Michael Kirk

Description: The 90-minute documentary follows the life of five families with children who struggle with learning disabilities

5.

Title: Beyond the F.A.T. System

Host: Rick Lavoie

Description: F.A.T. (Frustration, Anxiety, Tension) are characteristics which describe many students with learning disabilities. In this video, Lavoie helps parents and teachers understand the source of the characteristics He also helps them move and see beyond; examining the forest and not the trees.

Teachers have seen just about everything when it comes to students cheating. Students are becoming creative and will resort to anything and everything to cheat on tests, papers and in school. They fail to realize the consequences of their actions and the impending dismay that can ensue as a result of unfairness and academy dishonesty. Here are the top 10 ways students decide to cheat.

1. Cheat sheets:

In the past students were clever to bring their own paper to their tests and exams. They know that each teacher will not inspect every single page to make sure that cheat sheets are not included. Now students are more resourceful. They download cheat sheets on mp3 players, cell phones and other media devices. A teacher can never know unless they confiscate the item from the student.

2. Talking:

Either through whisper or by talking when the teacher is away, this is common in cheating practices. When unsure, students will ask for answers from their neighbour when given the chance.

3. Glare:

All it takes is a simple glare at another test or paper to copy the essentials down. Teachers and professors now separate students by leaving one extra seat between them. Will that be enough to stop students from glaring? Students are now more tactful and use excuses such as a drop of pen to glare.

4. Buy papers online:

Many students buy their papers online or from firms. They believe that they could trust the company to write “customized” papers tailored to their needs. Many papers are often plagiarized and are not cited. They mostly store reused papers that are circulated on the internet. Teachers and professors have plagiarism detectors such as Turninin.com which compares a paper to a wider database of papers for similarities.

5. Washroom breaks:

Washroom breaks are now supervised by staff members who closely monitor student activities. Many students would use the washroom to open up their cell phone and call up a friend to give more detailed information on a certain question they are stuck on. Having a personal chaperon, helps eliminate such chances. It is sad how low students will stoop.