1) Tell us a bit about your background. (Ex: where you’re from, how long you’ve taught and where, some of your hobbies/interests, etc.)
My name is Hana, I have been teaching for 15 years. I started teaching as soon as I graduated from university. I’m married and have two daughters. As for my hobbies, I enjoy going on walks and following the latest interior designs trends.
2) Explain one new approach to teaching and learning that you have undertaken (or are currently undertaking) this academic year. (What did you/students do, for how long, and what was the (intended outcome/impact?)
a) Students really enjoy the concept of traveling virtually to countries as they study them. Through watching real footage and documentation introducing that country, It feels as though they’re on a real trip and they look forward to their next destination.
During the online learning, I ask them to bring their favorite food or drink. Before the video is played, I tell them that the plane is about to take-off and that they must be prepared, and I show the image of the plane during take-off. Students watch the video and “sight see” as they enjoy their favorite meal.
b) Some of the successful strategies included:
Asking open-ended questions at the beginning of the lesson to grab students’ attention and provoke them to think and guess the topic of the lesson. Listening to their answers, I find that they always come up with innovative ideas, as the questions encourage them to think critically and creatively.
Question example: If you were asked to build a historical palace, which country would you build it in, what would you name it, and why?
c) I was really impressed with one of the suggested ideas, where students would use a small whiteboard during zoom classes to share their answers. Using this strategy, allowed me to achieve various goals including: a) improved participation, b) writing skills and c) movement.
3) Tell us one moment from your teaching experience that was particularly powerful, interesting, or funny.
I ran into a student that I taught previously and asked him what he’s studying at university and he answered: “You used to tell me I should be a pilot and that’s actually what I ended up pursuing!"
4) What teaching and learning goal are you most excited to achieve by the end of this school year? Please explain.
My goal for this year and every year is to develop my teaching methods and adopt new ones. Social Studies is a cultural subject and there are many fun and creative methods to deliver the information. This allows students to stay engaged in the classroom and look forward to different activities.
5) Do you have any inspirational words and/or specific sites, organizations, strategies, or links that you’d like to share with other teachers?
Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/
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