Welcome To Teachers’ Corner

In this issue of Education UAE, we introduce a new section, ‘Teachers’ Corner’, which will incorporate all kinds of news, analysis, features and fun. We are launching this because you have our gratitude for selecting such an honourable profession. Many people don’t consider it to be as crucial as doctors and engineers. But who creates them? It’s the teachers!

So, this is our way of saying ‘thank you’.

It is said that teaching is the profession that makes all other professions possible. Teachers are the ones who alter students’ lives for the better by making learning pleasant and exciting for them. Teachers are the people who mentor our young people, assist them in creating goals, support them in all circumstances and create opportunities for them to speak up and be heard. Teachers are a crucial factor in all of our lives. They shape and mould each and every person into who they become.

Everyone, at some point, has felt like they weren’t doing well enough or that they absolutely could never learn that tricky maths equation. Teachers don’t accept “I can’t” as an answer, and they help students get through any blocks that are thrown up.

If people started to underestimate the importance of teachers in our society things would start to go very, very wrong, very, very quickly! We would have no society without them. The sick would not be treated by doctors. Engineers needed to develop infrastructure wouldn’t exist. What’s more, no great minds would contribute to the advancement of society in the absence of university lecturers. Even though this may seem obvious, it needs to be reiterated from time to time because, as a species, humankind has the habit of taking things for granted after a while. Just think how exciting going into space was 50 years ago; now it doesn’t even make the headlines.

We consider ourselves fortunate in the UAE to have such gifted and qualified individuals among us as teachers. We are so appreciative of your decision and belief in the significance of this profession. We hope you enjoy this new section of Education UAE.

Teachers don’t accept “I can’t” as an answer

THE SCIENCE OF LEARNING: 99 STUDIES THAT EVERY TEACHER NEEDS TO KNOW

The Science of Learning summarises 99 of the most significant and influential studies on the subject of education into clearly readable summaries to assist teachers in their efforts to support students’ learning as effectively and efficiently as possible. With 22 additional studies in this second edition, covering important topics that include cognitive-load theory, wellbeing, and performing well under test pressure, this fascinating book digs deep into the realm of research to explain what aids student learning. Taking a very simple and transparent path, The Science of Learning decodes and presents information in a way that even teachers who are not familiar with academic reading could understand. Each paper is also presented with illustrations that aid in the processing of the information.

This unique resource gives teachers the essential details and implications of each study, including large and small-scale studies, quirky and renowned studies, and everything in between. Each overview asks essential questions, describes relevant research, incorporates images and text, and weighs practical consequences.

The Science of Learning makes it very easy to access and act on the concise summaries of educational research study findings, related research, and classroom implications, including explicit cross-referencing to other studies in the book. For educators looking to either shift their current practice to something with more than simply anecdotal support or to ensure that what they are doing is rigorous and valid, this is unparalleled. As Jonnie Noakes, Head of Teaching and Learning at Eton College in the UK, said: “This is the educational research book I have been waiting for!”

The Science of Learning makes it very easy to access and act on the concise summaries of educational research study findings

Each paper is also presented with illustrations that aid in the processing of the information

EACH OVERVIEW IS ATTRIBUTED TO ONE OF SEVEN KEY CATEGORIES:

 Memory: increasing how much students remember  Mindset, motivation and resilience: improving persistence, effort and attitude  Self-regulation and metacognition: helping students to think clearly and consistently  Student behaviours: encouraging positive student habits and processes  Teacher attitudes, expectations and behaviours: adopting positive classroom practices  Parents: how parents’ choices and behaviours impact their children’s learning  Thinking biases: avoiding faulty thinking habits that get in the way of learning

The Science of Learning ought to be available to every teacher.