'Effective Teaching'

Do you want to be an effective teacher? If so, you have to follow the routine set by most effective teachers.

First, you must review the previous lesson. Reviewing frequently will strengthen learning. Spend between 5 and 10 minutes at the start of each class reviewing. The method is of your choosing. Either oral or written.

When teaching new material, go slow. That is, stop after each step and check for class comprehension. It is best to present small steps at a time, rather than one complete big concept. Our brains can only grasp a few things at a time fully. Help your students succeed by using this teaching concept.

Always ask questions of your students. You need to know right away how many are getting the material. Asking questions frequently keeps your students engaged and actively learning.

You as the teacher are the expert. You must model the behavior desired. Do as many detailed examples as you can. Again, always asking for feedback and comprehension. Remember, the best one to help your students grasp the material is you!

Students must be allowed to do independent practice. Students need to work alone. But this doesn’t mean you always need to leave them dangling without a life line. Leave examples on the board. Give hints as you walk around the room, Encourage the students. You can even leave written notes and prompts on the board. With independent practice, a guide is always needed. That guide is you, the teacher. Try and visit each student and check where they are going wrong or right. Steer them in the correct direction.

The smaller the steps you give and ask for practice, the better the overall understanding will be. Students will build, sometimes refered to as “scaffolding,” to the next level.

Veteran teachers know the mistakes their students will make. An effective teacher will point these out as they present the material. When you come across a part where many students go wrong, point out things to watch out for. Anticipate where your students will make errors.

As bad as it sounds, practicing something is the only way to get good at it. The best place to practice is in your classroom. So, when you assign homework, beware of this fact and do not give homework that requires an expert on the first day.

The last part of an effective teacher, but not the least, is by checking for mastery. This must be done on a weekly, bi-weekly, and monthly basis. It comes in the forms of quizzes and exams.

The above steps are not hard for any teacher. Be determined to be the most effective teacher you can be!