Teaching “Those who can... Teach”

Learning Learning involves effort. There will be no effort without interest and motivation. – E. Johnson Students will learn if they are interested, if there is an incentive to learn, and if they can see a reason for learning. boring teacher

Food For Thought What is teaching? What is a teacher? What makes a teacher a teacher? letter to a teacher

Basic Principles

Teaching is not an exact science; it is an art Teaching is not an exact science; it is an art. The methods you use will vary according to the age- range, type of students, and disabilities of your students. One basic principle that does not change though, is thorough knowledge of your subject-matter. Combine your knowledge of the subject-matter with the following principles...

Have a clear aim Before planning a series of lessons a teacher must ask the question: What do I want to achieve in these lessons? If you have a clear aim you know what to teach and how to teach it. Which is more clear? The Aids pandemic in Africa Lack of Education and the reduced role of women in African society has lead to an Aids pandemic on the continent

Plan and Prepare Well planned lessons and the preparation of materials will help to make your teaching effective. severe case of stage fright Stage fright can be overcome by a sound knowledge of what you are going to teach, gained through planning and preparation.

3. Evoke Interest As the teacher you must lead your class through 3 stages of learning: To want to learn To learn To understand The following suggestions will help you evoke interest.

Use realism Stimulate Curiosity Living, everyday illustrations are likely to be more interesting than theory. Example: When I press the lever the weight is raised easily. VS Press the leaver, Mary. Watch the weight. What is happening? Tom? … Why? Students remember facts far better when they find the answer for themselves. They will understand the facts and their significance this way.

Introduce variety Encourage learning Boredom is the worst enemy of a teacher. Try to introduce new or different ways to present your material Be encouraging Allow for success early A student who is learning feels a sense of pride and achievement. If they know you are pleased with their efforts, they are keen to learn more.

Keep the class active Be enthusiastic Students love to try whatever they are shown. Students become bored if they have nothing to do but listen to a teacher. “Enthusiasm is infectious” If the teacher is enthusiastic the students are more likely to be interested. enthusiastic teacher

4. Make Use of the Senses 5. Ensure Class Activity Learning takes place through 1 or more of the senses. Mainly sight, touch, and hearing. Different people learn best through different means: Audio Visual Kinesthetic The best way for students to learn is by doing something for themselves and thinking about it. Do this through: questions, problems, tests, discussions, group assignments, visits, projects, and research.

Be Aware of Your Human Relationship With Students Look at your class as a group of individual students, not a group who are all alike. They will all act and react differently. Try to show and to develop the following qualities: Show: firmness, but be sympathetic; That you are approachable; Patience; Confidence without being boastful; No favouritism. Be: Yourself – that is, your natural self; A good example Encouraging by giving praise when it is deserved.

Teaching Aids A picture is worth a thousand words - Confucius

Teaching aids are used to: Emphasize important parts; Make subject matter more interesting; Make it easier to understand. There are 2 main categories: Simple classroom aids: blackboard, diagrams, models, slideshows, etc… Audio – Visual aids: radio, sound-clips, movies, video- clips, smartboard technology, etc…

Your Aids Must Be: Big/Loud Enough: Make sure your visuals and audios can be seen and heard by everyone in the room. Interesting: Use colour, different fonts, short and interesting clips, etc… Simple and Brief: The main points should be simple and brief to be easily understood. Appropriate: Remember who your audience is and choose your aids accordingly.

A classroom full of visual teaching aids is often a distraction. Your visual aids must stress a definite teaching point. They must be clear, simple and easily understood.

How to Use Your Voice

How to use your voice properly Pronounce words clearly and distinctly Vary the tone and pitch of your voice Put emphasis on important words by… Raising pitch and volume speaking slightly slower Speak more slowly than ordinary Speak loudly enough for all to hear, but speak naturally (do not shout) Do not lower your voice at the end of a sentence Pause after important points to give time for students to understand what you have said attendance

How to Ask Questions

There are 2 main reasons why the teacher asks questions. To encourage students to reason things out for themselves. Example: “What do you think happens when I press this lever?” To check that you are teaching what you set out to teach. Example: “What is the next step in solving this type of equation?”

Some basic rules to follow Put the question to the whole class, pause, then name a student to answer. Avoid questions where the answer is merely ‘yes’ or ‘no’, or where there is only one alternative. Make sure your questions are clearly understood. If no answer comes, than simply rephrase it. What did you do to my sign? Do not ignore answers because they are wrong, discuss them. Make sure that everyone can hear the questions and answers. How not to ask questions

Teaching Techniques

Preparing Your Lessons Planning Ask yourself the following questions: What is the aim of my lesson; what am I trying to teach? Do I have the knowledge needed? (If not you must get it) What does my class already know? How long do I have to teach this topic?

Beginning, Middle, End The beginning of any lesson should be properly introduced creating interest in the topic. The middle is where most of the material is presented. Present it in stages, and because you will need to do a lot of explaining, use variety. The end is where you clear up misunderstandings, and confirm what was learned. Allow for questions, practice and tests, and summarize vital points.

Oral Activity Lectures are a necessary part of teaching but remember… to question and discuss. do not include too much subject matter. You cannot teach by telling. to add in practice and class activities as well.

Demonstrations and Experiments Good for arousing interest and showing practical use, but make sure to discuss. A rehearsal is a must. Explain thoroughly, and demonstrate yourself before asking the students to try. alcohol rocket Make sure it is relevant to your lesson. Discuss and summarize main points after completion. Make everyone take part.

Practical Hints for Experiments Have a good introduction to generate interest Stimulate students to think for themselves – if you are going to tell them the answers, why bother with the experiment. When possible, have students carry out the experiments – not possible with the alcohol rocket experiment. Summarize the important facts

Video & Video Clips

Basic Principles to Follow Preview the video to decide if it is suitable Never make your lesson fit a video, the video should be appropriate to what you aim to teach The video should be part of the logical development of your topic – there should be a reason for viewing what you are viewing

Assessment

The aim of assessment is to: Find out what is already known Set a standard to be reached To measure performance in relation to this standard To check to see that you are teaching what you aim to teach To decide what extra teaching may be necessary

Different Types of Assessment Observation and questioning strategies Traditional paper-and-pencil tests Essays, journals, reflective writing, etc… Speeches, presentations, development of videos and or websites, etc… Demonstrations Problem-solving activities Project based learning (active citizenship) Inquiry based learning (research)