Name: Dean Yoder
School & District: Marietta Middle School, Marietta City School District
Job: Seventh grade Social Studies teacher and department chair
What's the most innovative idea you've tried in your classroom? I have set up SKYPE sessions this past year with Kasule Memorial High School in Kampala, Uganda. It allows students on both continents to gain a better understanding of each other's worlds.
Tell us about the best teacher you ever had and what made them special? My 11th grade English teacher showed me that teaching was not relegated to just book learning, but more to real world experiences.
What can parents do to prepare their children for learning? Stay actively involved and start reading to them as soon as possible. As they progress into the educational system, parents must always have open and continued communication with their children and their teachers
What are the obstacles to getting all kids to achieve? Educators need to recognize that outlying factors may inhibit a student from doing their best. Secondly, and most importantly, many students feel intimidated in the classroom, and do not realize that they possess a great deal of understanding already. Teachers must be able to pull that understanding out to give the student the confidence they need to be successful in the classroom.
Do you know a metro Atlanta teacher or college professor that would be good to feature in this column:? Send your nomination and the educator's contact information to ednotes@ajc.com. We also need a high resolution jpeg photo of the teacher.
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