Over the years, throughout my experience in the classroom, I would constantly admire teachers and the methods they used to engage their students. I would watch from the sidelines, making note of the methods they would implement to grab the student's attention, and the games they would play to incorporate learning into lessons. Later, I would sit back and wonder how I would engage my own students and pull at their heartstrings when I became a teacher.. Until I stumbled upon Tribes.
What is Tribes? - a versatile way to foster a classroom community that promotes safety, inclusion and participation through various classroom management strategies. This is a definition that my Tribe members and I came up with during our recent Tribes workshop, along with many other useful and collaborative ideas. Tribes allows you to develop a mindset that is inclusive of every learner in your classroom, and provides you with the confidence and courage you need to successfully teach each and every one of your students - is this a Godsend or what?
If you want more information on Tribes, visit www.tribes.com!
For me, finding my "teacher voice" and developing the confidence I needed to be able to successfully engage and hold the attention of my students was tough - I was always the quiet and timid one, who found it easier to connect with students on a one-to-one level. How will I catch the interest of my students? How will I foster a sense of order in my classroom? How can I provide an environment that is accepting and inviting for all learners? How will I be a good teacher? These are all thoughts that ran through my head on a daily basis, which caused a permanent sense of nervousness within me. Naturally, I began to ask my fellow peers and professors about their experiences, looking for guidance and a little bit of help, which is wheeeen.. TRIBES. It appeared in an e-mail one day, and I was instantly intrigued. I had heard good things about this program, especially for it's unique and inclusive teaching strategies - so I decided to sign up.
One of THE best decisions I have made throughout my entire Lakehead journey - and I mean it. Throughout the four sessions in which I attended, I learned more about classroom management and inclusive teaching strategies than I had ever dreamed. Games, lessons, energizers - you name it, and we learned it. Not only did I learn a lot about teaching, but I also learned a lot about my fellow teacher candidates (who also attended the workshop) and myself - as an individual, and as an educator.
One of the many effective strategies shared with us this weekend, and also one of my favourites, was something called energizers. A cool and innovative teaching tool that provides you with a wealth of engaging student activities that get the gears a turnin'.
What is Tribes? - a versatile way to foster a classroom community that promotes safety, inclusion and participation through various classroom management strategies. This is a definition that my Tribe members and I came up with during our recent Tribes workshop, along with many other useful and collaborative ideas. Tribes allows you to develop a mindset that is inclusive of every learner in your classroom, and provides you with the confidence and courage you need to successfully teach each and every one of your students - is this a Godsend or what?
If you want more information on Tribes, visit www.tribes.com!
For me, finding my "teacher voice" and developing the confidence I needed to be able to successfully engage and hold the attention of my students was tough - I was always the quiet and timid one, who found it easier to connect with students on a one-to-one level. How will I catch the interest of my students? How will I foster a sense of order in my classroom? How can I provide an environment that is accepting and inviting for all learners? How will I be a good teacher? These are all thoughts that ran through my head on a daily basis, which caused a permanent sense of nervousness within me. Naturally, I began to ask my fellow peers and professors about their experiences, looking for guidance and a little bit of help, which is wheeeen.. TRIBES. It appeared in an e-mail one day, and I was instantly intrigued. I had heard good things about this program, especially for it's unique and inclusive teaching strategies - so I decided to sign up.
One of THE best decisions I have made throughout my entire Lakehead journey - and I mean it. Throughout the four sessions in which I attended, I learned more about classroom management and inclusive teaching strategies than I had ever dreamed. Games, lessons, energizers - you name it, and we learned it. Not only did I learn a lot about teaching, but I also learned a lot about my fellow teacher candidates (who also attended the workshop) and myself - as an individual, and as an educator.
One of the many effective strategies shared with us this weekend, and also one of my favourites, was something called energizers. A cool and innovative teaching tool that provides you with a wealth of engaging student activities that get the gears a turnin'.
For me, this tool was a lifesaver. With over 100 possible activities, this tiny little box meant I could actively engage my students, in over 100 ways. And that's not all - not only can I use these activities as games to get my students moving, I can call on prior knowledge to start of a lesson, as well as consolidate my students learning at the end of a lesson. And cue picking your jaw up off the floor.
Overall, the Tribes workshop was an eye-opening experience that built my confidence as an educator, and allowed me to open up to my peers in a way that led to new friendships, and long lasting memories. Something that we need to keep in mind through the busy hustle and bustle of post secondary education, is the time we allot ourselves to have fun, and let loose. Tribes was an awesome way to incorporate both learning and fun, which led to an incredible overall experience. I would, without a doubt, recommend this workshop to anyone who is interested in working with children or promoting inclusive collaboration - the wealth of information you will obtain is amazing, and you won't be sorry!
For more information, visit Tribes.com and check out their site! And for all you bloggers out there, Tribes also has a blog which provides you with important events and information regarding their program and their initiatives. Become involved, and check it out!
Overall, the Tribes workshop was an eye-opening experience that built my confidence as an educator, and allowed me to open up to my peers in a way that led to new friendships, and long lasting memories. Something that we need to keep in mind through the busy hustle and bustle of post secondary education, is the time we allot ourselves to have fun, and let loose. Tribes was an awesome way to incorporate both learning and fun, which led to an incredible overall experience. I would, without a doubt, recommend this workshop to anyone who is interested in working with children or promoting inclusive collaboration - the wealth of information you will obtain is amazing, and you won't be sorry!
For more information, visit Tribes.com and check out their site! And for all you bloggers out there, Tribes also has a blog which provides you with important events and information regarding their program and their initiatives. Become involved, and check it out!