Tips to develop modern teaching skills

Improving on your teaching skills can be quite rewarding. It can help you keep your students’ attention, keep them receptive, interactive and engaged. You magically transform a dull topic into a lively and exciting session. When you possess appropriate teaching skills, students will always look forward to your lessons and passing tests for such students becomes much of a norm, and this leaves you highly motivated. Below are the eight ways you can advance your teaching skills:

Embrace technology

Technology has brought about changes that play an integral part accomplishing significant improvements on the overall level of productivity. The internet has limitless educational resources for anyone wishing to improve their teaching skills. Digital assisted learning tools such as software programmmes, educational apps, and handheld devices can help to increase students’ motivation and engagement.

Identify instructional objectives

Write down some observable activities that your students should be able to accomplish at the end of the content/lesson. The action should be directly observable. Keeping instructional objectives in mind is a proven way to facilitate the construction of in and out of class activities and tests. When students are explicitly aware of what is required of them, they will rise up to meet your expectations.

Use co-operative learning

Divide your students into teams. Members of each team should have a face to face interaction, positive interdependence, and individual accountability. Research shows that cooperatively taught students tend to be more analytical, innovative, creative, and critical and have a better understanding of learned materials than the conventionally taught students.

Ask about students’ experience

In a class, you will always have advanced and less prepared students. The common ground for them is that each category faces some challenges when learning. Asking them about their learning disabilities is the first step towards developing a teaching method that appeals to all. Ask them about their weak and strong areas but remember always to keep this information confidential. You may then give them supplementary learning materials.

Meet other teachers

They may be teachers from your school or other schools. You never know what they have to offer. Grab every opportunity and interact with them. Some may have more teaching experience than yourself and might give you invaluable tips on how to improve your teaching skills. If you get an opportunity, attend teachers’ seminars.

Learn to handle unruly behaviours

Connecting with your students is imperative. You can always do this by engaging them in a small talk. However, when doing so, beware of students who have unruly behaviours. These are the types who will always want to create unnecessary disruptions. A majority of them are attention seekers, and there are proven techniques and methodologies involved for managing them effectively.

Take courses

Taking courses is one of the best ways to improve your teaching skills. A good example is the NCFE Level 3 Certificate in Supporting Teaching and Learning in Schools (which is for teaching assistants and newly qualified teachers), and the Level 4 Certificate in Education and Training (designed for new teachers) teaching qualifications.

Use of portfolios

Portfolios can provide a meaningful technique of evaluating the learning outcomes. It involves the use of student-generated questions, opinion polls, audio tapes, concept maps, knowledge checklists, and minute papers to access their progress and effectiveness of teaching methodology.

Teaching is a special calling. Not many professionals are privileged in moulding future generations. Teachers have the power to not only teach their students, but to motivate and inspire them. By following the tips above, you can improve your teaching skills, and ensure that your students are better prepared for the future.

Research link

http://www4.ncsu.edu/unity/lockers/users/f/felder/public/Papers/TQM.htm

Tips to develop modern teaching skills

Embrace technology

Identify instructional objectives

Use co-operative learning

Ask about students’ experience

Meet other teachers

Learn to handle unruly behaviours

Take courses

Use of portfolios

Research link

Why is it important to identify and meet individual learner needs when teaching?

Scenario planning

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