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Kimberly Radostits, a Spanish teacher at Oregon High School, was named 2022 Illinois Teacher of the Year in March. Sauk Valley Media asked her to share her six tips for effective teaching.
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1. Greet your students at the door every period, every day.
It might seem silly, but the reality is that you, the teacher, create the culture in your classroom. Make sure your students know you are excited to see them and to grow alongside them every single day.
2. Help students realize their potential by letting them know when you see them doing good things.
These can be public or private acknowledgments. Sticky notes with a few words of praise go a long way for your students, and fill your bucket, too. When you start taking the time to acknowledge all of the amazing things happening in your classes, you’ll see it those things more often. That’s because students will do more of those things and because you will be more focused on the positives.
3. Communicate, communicate, communicate.
Keep parents in the loop about what you are up to. I have no doubt you are doing some outstanding work in your classes! Share your course expectations and desired outcomes so that parents can have conversations at home about what is happening at school. It will help your students feel supported on all fronts.
4. When planning a unit, follow the ARCS model of motivation — attention, relevance, confidence, satisfaction.
Work on catching and sustaining the attention of your students throughout your lesson, make your content relevant to their everyday lives and plan opportunities for students to experience feeling successful beyond just the end product.
5. Work closely with colleagues that share the same students you have in your classes.
These are my favorite conversations, because they are focused on students instead of content. There is no better way to get a true view of the whole child than by listening to others describe how a student is performing in alternative settings.
6. End every day on a positive.
If it was a rough day, consider how you can make the next day better. Perhaps it’s by strengthening relationships, introducing something you are passionate about or finding some other ways to bring joy into your classrooms. Each and every one of us got into education with a purpose. On the tough days, refocus and reconnect to that purpose. If you can’t, reach out to a colleague who will help you do so.