As a teacher, it’s important always to ask yourself questions and challenge how you teach–not only for your development in the field but also to foster meaningful growth in your students.
This post will provide some tips on questions teachers can pose to themselves as they embark on their teaching journey.
Whether you’re a career teacher or just starting, these key prompts should be asked regularly so that you stay accountable for providing the best possible learning experience for your students!
Related: For more, check out our article on The Connection Between Teacher Well-Being And Student Success here.
10 Questions Teachers Should Ask Themselves About Behaviour Management
- Am I establishing clear and consistent expectations for the behaviour of my students?
- Do I communicate these expectations effectively with my students and reinforce them regularly?
- Am I promoting positive behaviours and acknowledging them in my students?
- Do I have a system to address negative behaviours when they occur?
- Am I treating all students fairly and consistently when addressing behaviour issues?
- Am I providing adequate support and accommodations for students with behavioural challenges?
- Am I modelling the behaviour I expect from my students?
- Do I frequently evaluate the effectiveness of my behaviour management strategies and adjust as needed?
- Am I partnering with parents and guardians to address behaviour concerns at home and school?
- Am I regularly seeking feedback from my colleagues, students, and parents about my behaviour management practices?
10 Questions Teachers Should Ask Themselves About CPD
- What are my goals for professional development?
- How do I prioritize and plan for my professional development opportunities?
- Am I taking advantage of all the available resources and opportunities for professional development?
- Am I seeking opportunities for professional development in areas where I have identified a need for improvement?
- How do I evaluate the effectiveness of the professional development I have completed?
- Am I sharing my learning and knowledge with colleagues and integrating what I have learned in my practice?
- How can I ensure that the professional development opportunities I attend support a diverse, equitable and inclusive learning environment?
- Am I willing to step out of my comfort zone, try new strategies and take risks in my learning and teaching?
- How can I incorporate the feedback from my students and colleagues into my professional development goals?
- Do I have a long-term vision for my professional development, and how can I achieve it?
10 Questions Teachers Should Ask Themselves About Lesson Planning
1. Have I analyzed my students’ needs and interests to create relevant and engaging lessons?
2. Am I aligning my lesson plans with the curriculum standards and objectives?
3. Do my lesson plans include measurable learning outcomes and assessment strategies?
4. Am I integrating various teaching strategies and resources to accommodate learning styles and abilities?
5. Have I considered the classroom resources and facilities when planning my lessons?
6. Am I providing adequate scaffolding and support for students to achieve the lesson objectives?
7. How can I incorporate student-led learning and inquiry opportunities into my lesson plans?
8. Do my lesson plans provide opportunities for assessment of and for learning?
9. How can I differentiate my lesson plans to accommodate diverse learners?
10. Am I reflecting on my lesson plans after each lesson to evaluate their effectiveness and identify areas of improvement?
10 Questions Teachers Should Ask Themselves About Assessment
1. Am I using various assessment strategies to evaluate my students’ learning?
2. Do my assessment strategies align with the objectives of the curriculum and lesson plans?
3. How am I communicating assessment results and feedback to students and parents?
4. Have I considered my students’ cultural and linguistic backgrounds when developing assessment strategies?
5. How do I use assessment information to inform my teaching and adjust lesson plans?
6. Am I providing opportunities for student self-assessment and reflection?
7. How am I accommodating diverse learners in my assessments?
8. Am I using technology effectively to enhance and support my assessments?
9. How am I ensuring the validity and reliability of my assessments?
10. How can I continuously improve my assessment strategies to meet the changing needs of my students and curriculum?
10 Questions Teachers Should Ask Themselves About Timetabling
1. Have I allocated sufficient time for each subject or topic, based on their importance and difficulty level?
2. How am I accommodating extracurricular activities, events, and other school-wide commitments in the timetable?
3. Am I considering the needs of diverse learners when scheduling different subjects and activities?
4. How can I balance instructional time between mandatory subjects and areas of student interest?
5. Am I ensuring that breaks, lunch periods, and transition times are adequate for student needs and safety?
6. How can I use the timetable to support collaboration, planning, and professional development with colleagues?
7. Have I considered classroom availability, staffing, and student transportation when creating the timetable?
8. How can I incorporate flexibility into the timetable to respond to changing student or staff needs?
9. Can I effectively manage transitions and disruptions during the day, such as changes in schedule or unexpected absences?
10. How can I gather feedback from students, colleagues, and parents to review the timetable’s effectiveness and identify improvement areas?
10 Questions Teachers Should Ask Themselves About Communication
1. Am I communicating effectively with my students to ensure their understanding of the material?
2. How am I maintaining open and continuous communication with parents and guardians?
3. Am I using various communication methods to engage with parents, including face-to-face, email, and phone calls?
4. How am I integrating technology into my communication strategies to increase accessibility and efficiency?
5. Do my communication strategies align with my students’ and families’ diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds?
6. How can I use communication to support collaboration and colleague partnerships?
7. Am I actively listening to and incorporating student, family, and colleague feedback in my communication strategies?
8. How can I use communication to promote a positive and inclusive classroom environment?
9. Am I modelling effective communication strategies to my students as part of their social-emotional learning?
10. How can I continuously reflect on and improve my communication strategies to meet the changing needs of my students, families, and school community?
10 Questions Teachers Should Ask Themselves About Leadership
1. How am I promoting a culture of inclusion, respect, and collaboration in my school?
2. What strategies can I use to inspire excellence and creative problem-solving in my students?
3. How can I lead by example to ensure that my peers and colleagues share and uphold my expectations?
4. Am I setting achievable goals and taking constructive feedback to ensure continual improvement?
5. Am I aware of the latest educational trends, legislation, and best practices to stay ahead of the game?
6. How can I empower my students to become leaders among their peers?
7. Am I actively seeking out opportunities for professional development for myself and other teachers?
8. How am I addressing student behaviour issues with fairness and consistency?
9. In what areas am I delegating responsibility while maintaining control over the school’s overall direction?
10. What tools or techniques do I need to effectively troubleshoot difficult situations within the school community?
Reflecting on the questions presented in this blog post can help us remind ourselves of our critical role as teachers. We help foster students in their academic pursuits and engage them in meaningful experiences that lay the foundation for life skills like critical thinking and problem-solving.
We have an incredible opportunity to provide a platform for our students to gain insight into their passions and dreams.
As teachers, we should strive to build relationships of trust with our students, To create supportive learning environments that encourage risk-taking and motivation. We need to lead by example – to practice the values and morals that will shape the character of our students.
Ultimately, it is up to us as educators whether these questions become part of our lives. Without considering these ideas, however, it will be difficult for us to create classrooms that inspire lifelong learning in our students.
