Teaching Strategies and Techniques

Abstract

Pertinent Points for Professing Be a facilitator of learning Know how to develop learning skills and teach students to learn and to organize their materials. You are an actor or actress on stage. You are responsible to your audience. Your appearance, conduct, communication techniques, your voice and physical traits are constantly under scrutiny. You are the star of the show. Vary your teaching activities. Change format to keep students interested. Use a variety of teaching aids; films, videos, demonstrations, guest speakers, and field trips. Be sensitive to barriers. a. Be alert to early signs of difficulty and provide assistance and referrals. b. Be aware of time commitments for the course. Be realistic about amount of time required of the student. c. Be knowledgeable of college policies and procedures concerning activities such as the library, dropping and adding classes, student ID's, etc., that can be passed on to the students. d. Try to recognize and assist students with limitations in areas such as writing, reading, and math. They should be referred for appropriate help before it affects their class standing. e. Be aware that students may be under significant stress. Avoid confrontations. Be considerate of such students. f. Disabled students may not wish to share their limitations publicly. Be sensitive to this as well as the need to assist them. At the beginning of the class, it is advisable to simply comment, “if anyone needs special seating, etc. please see me after class.” Keep in touch with students throughout the class sessions. Reflect upon “where we started”, “where we are”, and “where we’re going.” Always introduce yourself at the beginning of the first class. Prepare for your class over a period of time. Start preparation weeks before class starts, review one week before, and finalize the day before the first class. Respond to student questions and comments directly. This indicates that they are important part of the class and important to you. Don’t say, “we’ll cover that later”. When assigning group work, specify outcomes expected; otherwise, group work may become simply a conversation. Refer irrelevant questions (distracters) to the goals and objectives of the course. Ask a colleague who has a reputation as a good teacher if you may observe his/her class. Read literature and books about teaching. You will be surprised how much there is to know about successful classroom instruction. Use icebreakers. This technique works not only in the first class but in other sessions as well.