Learning how to teach, teaching how to learn

As a student, we’ve always thought that we have the hardest life, considering all the essays we had to write, reports we had to turn in, plus the quizzes and exams we had to take, among other student concerns. Teachers then seemed to be stern taskmasters out to make life hell for us. “Nice” teachers were hard to come by.

But now that I work in a university and on the other side of the proverbial teacher’s table, I’ve come to realize that a teacher’s life is not as easy as it seemed. Teachers have a thousand and one responsibilities- from putting together lesson plans, to executing these teaching strategies; from preparing examinations to grading them; from managing rowdy students to managing difficult co-teachers.

Good thing there is Teacher Lingo, an “educational community to connect teachers from every level.” This is an online one-stop shop for tips and tricks to handle the challenges any teacher might face in and out of the classroom.

The strength of the site is in its wide array of teachers’ blogs where teachers can learn from each other how to handle classroom crises like making calculus interesting or controlling cheating during exams. There are also blogs by other stakeholders in the education sector like parents, PTA’s, teachers of students with special needs, and even retired teachers.

For teachers with more specific needs, sample lesson plans are also shared in Teacher Lingo. They can learn which methods work (and do not work!) which will hopefully lead to a more significant classroom experience for both the teachers and students.

As a way of recognizing those selfless mentors who continue to share their lesson plans for others to gain knowledge from, Teacher Lingo will be giving away two $50 gift cards from either Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble this coming March. So keep uploading those lessons plans and help more teachers and students learn!

Teacher Lingo is indeed a valuable online resource for any individual or group who believes in the great value of education and is committed to make learning a meaningful but still fun experience for everyone- whatever side of the teacher’s table s/he/they maybe sitting on.