Teachers Need Training Too!

Yes, it’s true teachers need training like the rest of us. With the introduction of the No Child Left Behind act more and more teachers are finding themselves requiring more training and education. The bar is much higher as each school district is held accountable for the performance of their students on statewide tests. This fact alone has led schools, teachers, and administrators to focus on training teachers to improve the education and test results of students. There are several ways that teachers can attend training. In this article we will cover Teacher Workshops, Continuing Education Options, and Seminars that teachers can leverage to improve their performance.

One of the most common training methods for teachers are workshops. Often these workshops focus on a very specific topics such as Mathematics, Science, English, etc.. One of the most common types of workshops is the teacher-to-teacher workshop. These are very useful for teachers to share what is working and what is not working with each either. This method is very hands on and can be leveraged successfully within a school or school district. A second option is by leveraging the internet and taking online workshops. One place to find useful online training workshops is http://www.learner.org/ Many teachers leverage this resource to enhance their teaching skills.

In addition to workshops, many teachers opt to take continuing education through master’s or other graduate level programs. It is becoming more common for teachers to seek Master’s degrees in their field. Many school districts will help subsidize the expense and offer pay incentives for those teachers who achieve a Master’s or higher education and degree. Many teachers find the online options very valuable in achieving their Master’s degree. These can be mostly done online and can fit very nicely into the teacher’s schedule even during the school year. One option for teachers is Phoenix University http://www.phoenixdegreesonline.com/ Their Masters in Education has been highly regarded for an online university.

A third popular option for teachers is off site seminars. These seminars are different than workshops as they can extend over several days and cover many topics related to education. Many of these seminars focus on very specific areas of improvement for teachers such as increasing student achievement, creating a positive classroom atmosphere, motivating students, and improving parent and teacher relations. Many of these seminars focus on the softer skills that are important for teachers to become more effective. By implementing these techniques, many teachers find an improvement in student performance. In addition, improving the classroom culture all students can receive the education they deserve with less disruptions.

The bottom line is that training for teachers is a must. With the globalization of the economy and the growing competition from abroad, it has never been more important to improve the US educational system. To succeed, teachers will need to continue to becoming for effective in the classroom. If you are a teacher looking for training there are many options. Best of luck…and a special thanks to all those teachers who dedicate themselves to educating our future!