Professional Documents
Culture Documents
1. Visualization
2. Cooperative learning
3. Inquiry-based instruction
4. Differentiation
6. Behaviour management
Examples include fun and interactive reward charts for younger students,
where individuals move up or down based on behaviour with the top
student receiving a prize at the end of the week. ‘Golden time’ can also
work for students of all ages, with a choice of various activities such as
games or no homework in reward for their hard work.
7. Professional development
Engaging in regular professional development programmes is a
great way to enhance teaching and learning in your classroom.
With educational policies constantly changing it is extremely useful to
attend events where you can gain inspiration from other teachers and
academics. It’s also a great excuse to get out of the classroom and work
alongside other teachers just like you!
Effective teachers are always on the prowl for new and exciting teaching strategies that will keep
their students motivated and engaged.
Whether you’re a new or experienced teacher, you may feel inundated by all of the new educational
buzzwords, theories, and new strategies that are out there.
With all of this information available, it’s hard to decide which strategies are right for your classroom.
Sometimes, the old tried-and-true ones that you have been using in your classroom just happen to
work the best, and that’s OK. Teaching strategies that are considered “new” may just not fit into
your teaching style.
Here are a few teaching strategies that have been a staple in most classrooms. Depending upon
your style, preference, and your students, choose the ones that suite your needs.
1.Cooperative Learning: The Jigsaw
Cooperative learning gives students the opportunity to work with others and see different points of
view. Research shows that students learn more effectively when working together rather than apart,
and it is also known to improve self-confidence in students. The jigsaw technique is especially
effective because each student is responsible for one another’s learning, and students find out really
quick that each group member has something equally important to contribute to the group in order to
make the task a successful one. Students are exposed to and use many skills throughout this
strategy: Communication, problem-solving skills, cognition, and critical thinking -- all of which are
essential for a successful academic career.
2.Inquiry-Based Instruction
Inquiry-based learning implies involving students in the learning process so they will have a deeper
understanding of what they are learning. We are born with the instinct to inquire -- as babies we use
our senses to make connections to our surroundings. Inquiry-based learning strategies are used to
engage students to learn by asking questions, investigating, exploring, and reporting what they see.
This process leads students to a deeper understanding of the content that they are learning, which
helps them be able to apply these concepts they are learning in new situations. In order for our
students to be able to be successful in the 21stcentury, they need to be able to answer complex
questions and develop solutions for these problems. The Inquiry-based learning strategy is a great
tool to do just that.
4.Graphic Organizers
Graphic organizers are a simple and effective tool to help students brainstorm and organize their
thoughts and ideas in a visual presentation. Simply put, they help students organize information so it
is easier for them to comprehend. Graphic organizers can be used for any lesson; to structure
writing, brainstorming, planning, problem solving, or decision-making. The most popular organizers
are the Venn diagram, concept map, KWL chart, and T Chart.
Integrating technology into the classroom is a great way to empower students to stay connected in
this technological era. Technology-rich lessons have been found to keep students motivated and
engaged longer. Some examples of utilizing technology in the classroom is to create web-based
lessons or a Webquest, multimedia presentations such as a video, animation, or some type of
graphic, utilizing a tablet or an iPad, taking your class on a virtual field trip, participating in an online
research project, or even creating a class website. Any of these technology integration strategies will
have a positive impact on student learning.
An experienced teacher knows that not every teaching strategy that you use will be an effective one.
There will be some hits and misses, and depending upon your teaching style, and the way your
students learn, you will figure out which strategies work and which do not. It may take some trial and
error, but it doesn’t hurt to try them all.
What are your top 5 teaching strategies to use in the classroom? Do you have a favorite that
works well in your classroom? Share with us in the comment section below, we would love to
hear your ideas.
Janelle Cox is an education writer who uses her experience and knowledge to provide creative and
original writing in the field of education. Janelle holds a Master's of Science in Education from the
State University of New York College at Buffalo. She is also the Elementary Education Expert
for About.com, as well as a contributing writer to TeachHUB.com and TeachHUB Magazine. You
can follow her at Twitter @Empoweringk6ed, or on Facebook at Empowering K6 Educators.
TEACHING STRATEGIES
Institutions of higher learning across the nation are responding to political, economic, social and
technological pressures to be more responsive to students' needs and more concerned about how well
students are prepared to assume future societal roles. Faculty are already feeling the pressure to lecture
less, to make learning environments more interactive, to integrate technology into the learning
experience, and to use collaborative learning strategies when appropriate.
Some of the more prominent strategies are outlined below. For more information about the use of
these and other pedagogical approaches, contact the Program in Support of Teaching and
Learning.
Lecture. For many years, the lecture method was the most widely used instructional strategy in
college classrooms. Nearly 80% of all U.S. college classrooms in the late 1970s reported using
some form of the lecture method to teach students (Cashin, 1990). Although the usefulness of
other teaching strategies is being widely examined today, the lecture still remains an important
way to communicate information.
Used in conjunction with active learning teaching strategies, the traditional lecture can be an
effective way to achieve instructional goals. The advantages of the lecture approach are that it
provides a way to communicate a large amount of information to many listeners, maximizes
instructor control and is non-threatening to students. The disadvantages are that lecturing
minimizes feedback from students, assumes an unrealistic level of student understanding and
comprehension, and often disengages students from the learning process causing information to
be quickly forgotten.
The following recommendations can help make the lecture approach more effective (Cashin,
1990):
2. Focus your topic - remember you cannot cover everything in one lecture
3. Prepare an outline that includes 5-9 major points you want to cover in one lecture
6. Present more than one side of an issue and be sensitive to other perspectives
Case Method. Providing an opportunity for students to apply what they learn
in the classroom to real-life experiences has proven to be an effective way of
both disseminating and integrating knowledge. The case method is an
instructional strategy that engages students in active discussion about issues
and problems inherent in practical application. It can highlight fundamental
dilemmas or critical issues and provide a format for role playing ambiguous or
controversial scenarios.
Course content cases can come from a variety of sources. Many faculty have
transformed current events or problems reported through print or broadcast
media into critical learning experiences that illuminate the complexity of
finding solutions to critical social problems. The case study approach works
well in cooperative learning or role playing environments to stimulate critical
thinking and awareness of multiple perspectives.
Active Learning. Meyers and Jones (1993) define active learning as learning
environments that allow �students to talk and listen, read, write, and reflect as
they approach course content through problem-solving exercises, informal
small groups, simulations, case studies, role playing, and other activities -- all
of which require students to apply what they are learning� (p. xi). Many
studies show that learning is enhanced when students become actively involved
in the learning process. Instructional strategies that engage students in the
learning process stimulate critical thinking and a greater awareness of other
perspectives. Although there are times when lecturing is the most appropriate
method for disseminating information, current thinking in college teaching and
learning suggests that the use of a variety of instructional strategies can
positively enhance student learning. Obviously, teaching strategies should be
carefully matched to the teaching objectives of a particular lesson. For more
information about teaching strategies, see the list of college teaching references
in Appendix N.