Some teachers downplay the importance of joining teacher discussion forums. New teachers, for instance, have a lot to gain from the activities of discussion forums.
What is a Teacher Discussion Forum? A teacher discussion forum includes a thoughtÂful consideration of thoughts, ideas, and theories involved in a specific topic. Most teacher discussion forums can include colleagues and in some cases students. As a new teacher, you can use discussion forums to stimulate critical thinking, engage students and overall to simplify your teaching process.
Benefits of Teacher Discussion Forums
Discussion forums have plenty of benefits for new teachers, for instance, as a new teacher, you can use discussions to test the understanding of your students on certain topics.
Obviously, there is much more to gain from discussions about career, student-teacher relationships, etc.
We consider some of the benefits of having teacher discussion forums, especially for new teachers.
Lets have a look at a few benefits.
Promotes Professional Development
Discussion forums can help new teachers to improve their professional development.
Schools and other learning institutions usually encourage new teachers to consider using methods help promote professional development levels (source).
One of the best tools you can use to help improve your professional ratings includes incorporating discussion forums in your teaching schedule.
Such a forum makes it easier for you to establish a rapport with your students and simplifies your ability to disseminate complex topics.
You can consider using teacher discussion forums, if you are just starting out as a teacher, or want to improve your professional development levels.
Prevents Teacher Stress, Anxiety, and Burnout
Teacher burnout, anxiety, stress can greatly affect the teaching process. New teachers can face anxiety, stress, and other psychological issues as they start their careers.
As a teacher, you can use discussions to reduce instances of stress, anxiety, and burnout (source).
For instance, if you experience signs of stress and burnout, you can form discussion groups where you can ask your students to contribute their ideas, thoughts, and opinions on the topic of study.
This will not only make it easier for them to understand the topic much more easily but also help you to overcome such psychological ailments.
It is important to ensure that your mental health remains a priority as you teach; you can occasionally include discussion forums to help you unwind after a long busy day.
Enhances Critical Thinking and Innovation
Discussion forums stimulate critical thinking among the parties involved. Teachers and students all get a chance to contribute and share their thoughts on specific topics of interest that may become complex to understand or in some cases to teach.
You can use the same to develop your students’ critical thinking skills. Studies show that class discussions are constantly being used to improve the critical thinking abilities of students in different schools across the country.
As a new teacher, having fruitful discussion forums between you and your students will have an effect on performance, ability to solve problems and many other positives.
Makes Teaching Easy
Teaching can be quite difficult. Especially if you are a new teacher and have only a little experience to go with. There are some methods you can use to simplify your teaching experience including using discussion forums.
Some teachers use discussions to try and explain difficult or complex concepts.
Discussion forums also make it easier for students to ask questions on some of the topics, which may be difficult to understand.
This also includes creating strong relationships within the learning environment (source).
New teachers who want to simplify teaching can opt for discussion forums as long as the discussions remain relevant and under the guidance and supervision of their superiors.
Promotes Peer Relationships
Engaging in discussion forums helps to promote peer relationships. This can be between classmates, teachers, etc. In a school environment, such relationships can prove to be quite essential (source).
For instance, you can create a discussion group involving three to four people. As they interact and raise queries or give opinions, the group members are more likely to form close bonds that can become important later in life.
Such forums can also help new teachers to form close working relationships with colleagues, making them much better acquainted with the way the institution functions among other things.
It is important for new teachers to engage in fruitful discussion if they want to improve their relationship with peers, colleagues, students, etc.
Helps You Identify Your Strengths and Weaknesses
Let’s face it.
No one really knows everything, you have to understand that there are some areas that some of us may lack some crucial knowledge and there are some that we are well versed with information.
It is important for you to understand and appreciate your known strengths and weaknesses.
One of the best ways that you can use to identify your strengths and weaknesses is by using discussion forums to share knowledge, ask questions, and give your opinion on certain topics.
As a new teacher, you can use discussion forums to help you to improve on your weak areas while also helping others out if you are in a position to do so.
Offers New Teaching Ideas
Discussion forums can help you formulate new teaching ideas for your students. New teachers can engage in discussions with their much more experienced colleagues and come up with new ideas and strategies to deliver information to their students.
For example, as a new teacher, your teaching strategy will be influenced by what you have learnt from your teaching manual, school, etc.
As you engage with your colleagues, you are likely to get some new tips and ideas on how you can improve your teaching skills, improve your students’ performance and a lot of other stuff that relates to your teaching profession (source).
If you are just starting out, you can use discussion forums to identify new teaching ideas from your colleagues and students.
Enables You Stay Updated
Discussion forums are a great way for you to stay updated and in touch with what are happening.
People will freely share information on discussions forums as long as their ideas and opinions remain free and unbiased.
You can use discussion forums as a tool for communication.
For instance, if there is a policy change in your school, you might be most likely to hear the news on discussions that take place after the announcement.
You are also more likely to get more details from these forums than from the school, state and other education officials.
That said, it is also important to note that not everything you hear on discussion forums is true and factual.
Sometimes you might need to conduct a little research on the matter. Either way, discussion forums are an awesome way of getting information and keeping updated.
Improves Your Overall Wellbeing
Most people ask how discussion forums improve your overall health especially if you are a teacher.
Discussion forums can have a positive effect on your physical and mental wellbeing (source).
For instance, some teachers face challenges in their home and workplaces, when they fail to open up and speak on these problems with their colleagues, friends, and family they fall into depression, burnout stress, and anxiety. This can affect their performance and attitude towards work, etc.
Discussion forums can help improve your emotional and mental wellbeing. Discussing topics and issues within a relaxed environment can prove to be healing to the mind that can translate to a much more positive view of life.
Related Questions
Which are the best Teacher Discussion Forums? Teacher discussion forums are rather dynamic, therefore it is difficult to term one discussion forum as better than another or as you put it, the best. However, it is important to understand that these forums can either occur online or in tight institutional groups that may involve face to face conversations.
When is the best time to join a Teacher Discussion Forums? The best time to join a teacher discussion forum is at the start of your teaching career, ideally, you can join a teacher discussion forum at any time you feel like, as long as you fulfil the requirements. If you are a new t4acher, you can receive plenty of benefits by joining such forums.
Can I join many Teacher Discussion Forums? Yes, you can join two or more teacher discussion forums that relate to your topics of interest for instance as a chemistry teacher you can join multiple chemistry discussion forums where you can engage with other teachers, students, scholars on similar topics of interest.