Great teachers are always looking for innovative methods to support student learning. Therefore, it’s critical to always adopt effective practices of great teachers to expand our pedagogical toolkit.
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What makes a great teacher?
- Great teachers are very hard to find. And they are educators who can readily share amazing tips on what makes effective teaching. These are the teachers who, despite the challenges of the teaching profession, still manage to produce well-rounded individuals.
- A great teacher is someone who can adapt their methods to fit the needs of their students and create an environment that is conducive to learning. There is no single formula for success, but rather a mix of different techniques that work together to create a successful learning experience.
Indeed, truly amazing teachers are one of a kind. It is because these teachers offer a part of themselves to make learning more productive and to make a difference in the lives of the students.
I’m sure great teachers have amazing practices that are worth sharing. They have the best attitude and qualities that the teaching profession demands.
Absolutely, teachers, whether seasoned or new, need to learn about the effective practices of great teachers to make learning more successful.
I remember how I formally faced teaching life when I was still a new teacher. I was so overwhelmed by the roles and responsibilities laid out in front of me.
I felt the great need for courage and determination to face them all. Facing my students during this time was indeed very challenging on my part.
Specifically, I got so confused about how to handle the different personalities placed under my care. But then, I wasn’t exhausted. I was challenged and I transformed it into an opportunity for a lifetime.
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<<<Don’t miss the best teaching practices in elementary school. They are spread out below. Read more and get inspired!
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The Essence of Sharing Best Practices
Well, thank goodness! The spirit of sharing best practices worked out for me. I never felt intimidated to ask my superiors and veterans for assistance.
I practiced collaboration and it worked perfectly. I tapped their best practices and I observed how they dealt with their learners.
Initially, I felt inundated with some of the teaching strategies but with my strong determination, my efforts were highly rewarded. I gained the confidence I needed.
Being in the teaching life, I can say that the quality of education that the child receives will highly depend not only on the curriculum but also on the quality of the teacher.
Based on my teaching experience, no matter how sound the curriculum is if it’s not delivered well by the teacher, still, it’s useless. Learning will become superficial and it’s detrimental to a child’s success.
Let’s Meet the Amazing Professionals
Nonetheless, amidst the great troubles in the world, still, we can consider ourselves very lucky because there are willing professionals who offer their great contributions to genuine services. One of these amazing professionals is the teacher.
Yes! We are here to help our students achieve their dreams.
We can’t deny the fact that teaching is very complicated. It requires great sacrifice. For the teachers to be confident in the delivery of the instruction they have to have mastery of the subject matter, a thorough understanding of the curriculum, and in-depth realizations of the ideals of the teaching profession.
Not only that, but a teacher should also possess a caring attitude toward the learners and should be committed to the vision and mission of education. Most of all, a teacher should have a passion to change lives.
Since teachers are some of the most sought-after professionals, the intention of this article is to inspire young teachers out there to ignite the “spark” this profession requires.
It is in this light that I decide to share the best practices of great teachers. Believe me, it creates magic! It is worth your time and effort.
10 Effective Practices of Great Teachers
1. Be organized.
If you value time and efficiency, then getting organized is the best solution. How to get organized as a teacher? I set priorities and enhance my organizational skills religiously.
Being organized is a habit and skill. It’s a matter of having a sense of structure and order. Therefore, making your classroom orderly really demands strong organizational skills.
Aside from getting the best practices of super-organized teachers, it is also highly recommended that you set your own ways of being organized. Your style should make you comfortable in every way.
Personally, I begin with the basics. I organize my desks by placing things where they should be.
Worksheets, graded work, and the output of students are neatly filed in properly labeled boxes. After recording the scores, I return the outputs to my students immediately.
Definitely, routines like checking and recording should be done in a timely fashion to avoid overlapping work in the future. I instruct my students to keep their graded work in their portfolios. This will teach them how to get organized too.
A simple planner in your bag, a to-do list on your desk, and a file of organized folders will work miracles. I cling to my planner all the time to avoid scratching my head in frustration.
I stay on top of things no matter what. Moreover, I manage my time like a pro. I think of the consequences and make alternatives because flexibility really helps.
Think about it. Surely, the organization is a big step toward success!
2. Show mastery of the subject matter.
Why is it important to be prepared before the class starts? Why is being prepared really essential in teaching? The classroom is an arena of different minds, and some students are gifted with the “art of questioning”. Dozens of learners with different personalities and learning styles are there.
Are you ready for them? Being prepared in the sense that you have mastery of the subject matter is a must. Yes, you’ve got to show mastery of the subject matter. Your in-depth knowledge of the subject is one great element for effective teaching.
Effective teaching necessitates a thorough understanding of the subject matter and of the curriculum. Aside from a genuine showcase of enthusiasm and love for teaching, you should know exactly what and how to teach.
Before entering the classroom, great teachers prepared for what to give and how to give it. If you desire to make a difference, in the lives of your students, then you should make the best preparation each day. Arm yourself with the best strategies to cater to any group of students.
Preparation is an essential part of learning. As a teacher, I always aim for positive results. The achievement of learning goals is impossible if I am not prepared with my lessons, learning materials, and best teaching strategies. I spend hours out of work planning things out.
I get into the essentials. I begin by planning the lesson for the effective delivery of instruction. I study and research. It’s one of the best ways of being prepared.
I can’t teach thoroughly what I don’t know. Absolutely, entering the classroom with enough preparation will give the students more opportunities to learn.
3. Set Learning goals and expectations clearly.
For learning to be productive, learning objectives should be made clear to the students. It definitely always pays to determine learning goals and objectives. It begins with crafting your effective lesson plan.
Students should know where they’re going. They should be certain of what to achieve after the learning session.
On my part, I make it a practice to present to my learners the learning objectives which should follow the KSA (Knowledge, Skills, Attitude) scheme in lesson planning. This practice helps me clarify the learning goals and will make my students even more participative.
My students are also informed of the expected outputs. I would usually say, “at the end of the learning activities, you are expected to …”. It’s ideal to let the learners know what to expect in a particular learning activity. It will somehow make them ready and interested.
Also, before the assessment stage, it’s important to present to the learners how they are graded. Yes, your prepared rubrics take center stage in the assessment process.
Essentially, you should make your students understand how the activity should be done by discussing the rubrics with them.
4. Make class discussions interactive.
How do you deliver learning instructions? Can you monopolize the discussion? Do you talk more often? If so, what are the results? Are you satisfied? If not, then there must be something wrong!
Effective teachers are facilitators of learning. They have numerous ways of doing it. I do it by making myself out of the spotlight.
I am offstage more often and I let my students take center stage. I involve them to create successful learning outcomes. For me, using small group discussions and pair activities will make learners more active and independent.
In the study of Rodin T. Bye, entitled “The Teacher as a Facilitator of Learning”, it is clearly emphasized that a teacher must facilitate learning activities to help the students achieve the desired learning outcomes.
The constructive alignment of the intended learning outcomes, teaching methods, and assessment was also emphasized.
By making classroom discussions exciting, students are less likely to get bored in class. Do you know the scenario of bored students?
It is somewhat stressful and will bring us self-doubt. It is quite an agony on our part if we unintentionally become soporific agents to our students.
Yes, as effective teachers we are not the ‘sleeping pill’ of our students. If students are bored, they tend to get to sleep in your class and this will give us an undesirable reaction I suppose.
The students should not just pay attention but also become active participants in the teaching-learning process. I will keep them engaged. When I ask questions, I always involve everybody. How do I do it?
I make use of small group discussions. A group of 3 to 5 students will surely work. They will help one another to come up with the answer.
5. Be an innovative teacher.
Having taught for more than a decade, I’ve had the best chances of using innovative actions in my classroom. Being innovative doesn’t only mean integrating technology into your classroom activities.
It’s all about exercising your creativity to help the students become attentive, participative, and positive in the learning tasks.
I have made sure that my pedagogical bag of tricks is filled with innovations and great ideas to make teaching and learning successful.
What’s in your pedagogical box? Is it full of new ideas and captivating essentials that make the learning experiences of students lasting and productive?
The best teacher always innovates. With the best intention of teaching, one can really achieve something really spectacular. Across classrooms, I have witnessed various teaching approaches that either succeeded or failed.
I give my students a real-world scenario that will ignite their best interests. The eagerness and the ability of my students to be active participants in learning have a particular space in the classroom.
The intellectual growth of my students has to be the considering factor in the overall setup of learning instruction. The more innovative and creative I get, the safer and more conducive the classroom for learning.
<<< Watch the video below and snatch great teaching techniques from Dr. Pravin Bhatia, co-founder of Creative Education.
6. Promote and maintain a positive culture in the classroom.
The classroom is the safest place where we can interact with our students. Hence, effective teachers set the mood and tone very carefully to make the classroom a really welcoming learning environment.
It has a big part in the whole plan of making the classroom a place of learning.
Having and maintaining a positive culture in the classroom is the key to effective teaching and learning. To keep my students motivated to learn, I should be passionate enough about the subject matter to teach.
This is to keep the student’s connectivity. A positive culture will linger if students share the same optimism with their teachers.
Furthermore, highly competent teachers should consider the diversity of learners. There’s no one-size-fits-all strategy in teaching and learning.
If teachers respect this in a sense, more likely, students will get really motivated and excited to learn. It is a lot easier to reach out to students if they are motivated.
As my students come with the natural desire to learn, I get more passionate to give them my support and dedication to inspire them to reach greater heights of learning.
With my positive attitude, I am encouraging my students to express themselves and to share their opinions and ideas. I showed them that I process their answers.
It should not end only with the question and answer portion, but I should do the process to make learning more meaningful and to stimulate their curiosity.
7. Support students in their extra-curricular activities.
One way of helping students gain confidence is by showing that you are their supportive teacher. I let my students know that I am with them every step of the way. Encouraging them to participate in different extracurricular activities helps them boost their confidence.
I have been a teacher-adviser for years and it’s been my practice to be with my students if they have activities outside the classroom. I have been a mother and a teacher to them. I have noticed that my presence really created a greater impact on their performances.
8. Find time to communicate with the parents.
As responsible parents send their children to school, they are expecting that teachers take responsibility. Therefore, it is a must to communicate with them from time to time. Personally, I set specific dates and times to meet the parents. I deem it very necessary.
As a teacher who is highly concerned about my students’ well-being, I always include in my schedule a conference with the parents. I am also a parent and I also have kids in school. That is why I understand how these parents feel.
Frequent communication with parents will help monitor the student’s progress. I believe that a parent-teacher conference is an ideal opportunity to discuss ways of promoting desirable learning outcomes.
The involvement of the parents in the education of the child is crucial. The joint efforts of the teachers and parents will create a meaningful impact on the child’s progress in school.
On my end, I usually send letters to parents whose children need much help and attention. I conduct conferences in a timely fashion.
You know, these parents have the right to know their child’s class standing. The brief meeting is an opportunity to talk about enrichment and intervention strategies for students’ learning.
9. Always attempt something new.
Although many teaching strategies can be used in any classroom, regardless of students’ interests and age, it still counts a lot to try something new.
Students will have more learning opportunities if you use a variety of effective teaching tactics.
If your teaching approach doesn’t work, you should not lose a meaningful connection with your learners. Consider their learning styles and be innovative in your way of handling them.
Some approaches are really creative and innovative so that learners can create their own patterns of learning.
A teaching strategy that excites students plays an essential role in effective student learning.
Interestingly, new things in the classroom, whether it’s on the bulletin board or seating arrangement, always have a positive impact on the teaching and learning process.
But, for this to be effective, you have to be excited yourself! Yes, being excited about teaching is a stepping stone to always attempting something new in the classroom.
10. Use visual presentations.
Students are generally excited about what they see in the classroom. Hence, using visual aids in teaching is really appealing to them.
Interactive whiteboards, manipulatives, realia, and PowerPoint presentations are examples of visual materials that might help you improve your lessons.
Visual learners usually navigate the classroom. Thus, using visual aids in your lessons can help them absorb knowledge and get a thorough understanding, especially of complicated concepts.
In essence
Great teachers always have their students’ best interests at heart. They want their students to succeed and are always looking for ways to help them reach their potential.
As teachers, is there anything more satisfying than seeing our learners grow and succeed? Therefore, the sharing of best practices in the teaching profession is very necessary. We move as one in the name of education. We aim to educate and inspire young people.
Now, do you have anything to share that makes teaching-learning really productive? The ball is in your court. Pass on your best practices in teaching and make them stand out! I hope we can collaborate!
