10 EFFECTIVE TEACHING STRATEGIES

1. Acknowledge what children do or say. Let children know that we have noticed by
giving positive attention, sometimes through comments, sometimes through just sitting
nearby and observing. (“Thanks for your help, Kavi.” “You added a lot of detail to that
space helmet.”)
2. Encourage persistence and effort rather than just praising and evaluating what the
child has done. (“You’re thinking of lots of things you can see in the sky. Let’s keep
going!”)
3. Give specific feedback rather than general comments. (“Bear’s shadow is really
short when you hold the flashlight that way. Let’s try moving it this way and see what
happens.”)
4. Model attitudes, ways of approaching problems, and behavior toward others,
showing children rather than just telling them (“Hmm, that didn’t make the shadow go
away and I need to think about why.” “I’m sorry, Ben, I missed part of what you said.
Please tell me again.”)
5. Demonstrate the correct way to do something. This usually involves a procedure that
needs to be done in a certain way (such as using scissors or looking through
binoculars).
6. Create or add challenge so that a task goes a bit beyond what the children can
already do. For example, children are using recycled materials to build a space rover.
To add challenge, you could give them a “mission” to Mars to discover what makes
Martian rocks red. This involves discussing some of the properties of the environment.
Children then incorporate the information into their creative construction, perhaps
adding “scoopers” or “cans” for collecting rocks.
7. Ask questions that provoke children’s thinking. (“Why might astronauts need a
helmet on the Moon? What else might they need to wear?”)
8. Give assistance (such as a cue or hint) to help children work on the edge of their
current competence (“Rovers move around on Mars. How do you think they do that?
How do we get around here on Earth?”)
9. Provide information, directly giving children facts, verbal labels, and other
information. (“I see you are holding the Sun high up in the sky and Bear has a very short
shadow. Do you know what we call the time of day when our shadows are the shortest?
That’s called noon. Can you say “noon”? Noon is about the time when we eat lunch!”)
10. Give directions for children’s action or behavior. (“To turn the flashlight on, push
this button.” “Listen closely when you’re inside the tent. What do you hear?”)
1. Model as you teach

When presenting a new subject to your class, it helps to include a demonstration. While
some students will be able to grasp a new concept by hearing the information alone,
others — particularly visual learners — will need to see it.

In certain classes, this is practically required. For example, when you’re teaching a math
unit, you’ll usually need to display your work on the board, or else your students will be
completely lost. This is how the class can follow along with better comprehension.

Some students will need to see more than one example to get a good
understanding. Make sure that you include several different demonstrations for each
new unit, as repetition is a big part of committing new ideas to memory. You’ll see a big
difference in visual students’ test scores when you implement this method.

2. Make mistakes

Teachers are the ultimate resource for students when it comes to learning. When you
are presenting your lesson plans, you usually show the right way to do things. This is a
great way to introduce a concept, but you also want to solicit a more in-depth
understanding.

A great way to do this is to make intentional mistakes and ask the class to fix them. If
you’re an English teacher, you can write an excerpt on the board and riddle it with
grammar mistakes. Instruct your students to identify these mistakes and rewrite the
passage correctly.

This method requires kids to apply the knowledge they’ve gained in class. It also gives
you a chance to evaluate how well each student comprehends the subject.

Once everyone has completed the assignment, you can review it as a class. Show each
student how the passage should be written and address any questions that may arise.

3. Work as a team

Splitting the class up into different teams to complete an assignment is a teaching

For instance, in science, you can split the class into small groups for lab-based
assignments and give each person a certain job to complete. You might have one
person perform the experiment, other writes notes, and someone else read instructions,
for example. 

Make sure to pair children who need extra support with those who have a better
understanding of the material. This way, those who are stronger in the subject can
share their knowledge to help their peers understand it better.

All in all, group work is a fun and interactive way to teach a lesson. 

4. Encourage learning from experience

The best lessons often happen outside of the classroom. Getting out into the real world
offers a new perspective for children and can help them gain a more profound
understanding of what goes on in the classroom.

Studying the different types of fish in a local pond is an excellent example of learning
from experience. You would start in class, going over the different species and how
each animal contributes to the environment around it.

Once you’ve completed the lesson, take the class to the local pond. Have them search
for the different animals you discussed in class. After locating each animal, they will be
able to observe the roles discussed earlier in class.

Field trips like this offer valuable, real-world experiences to students. They’ll gain
confidence and motivation in class since they will be able to see that everything, they
learn has a connection to the world around them.

5. Let the students teach

Letting students lead the class in teaching requires preparation and a deep
understanding of coursework. You can assign this task individually or break up students
into groups.

The goal of this strategy is to get your students to display the knowledge they have and
to share it with their classmates. In order to give a quality lesson, they will need to put
extra time into making sure they fully comprehend the project. If they struggle in some
areas, they will be motivated to ask questions in order to get the grade.

You can help students prepare for this assignment by offering a rubric that outlines the
areas in which they’ll be graded. You might give points based on lesson length,
preparation, and creativity. The weight of each section will depend on the project and
your preferences. Some teachers also allow the class to grade a section of the
assignment. If you choose to go this route, it can be helpful to pass out a scoring guide
to the class. This way, each student knows how to grade the “teacher.”

6. Integrate technology into the classroom

Technology is perhaps the most powerful tool you have at your disposal. It’s an
essential part of modern jobs and has a lot to offer in the way of education.

Computers, laptops, and tablets can allow you to enhance your lesson plans with online
educational activities. There are several free resources that you can access with a
simple Google search. Try looking up educational videos or playing free math and
science games.

Your students will not only enjoy the time they spend online but also gain a deeper
understanding of your classwork. Use all the resources you have at your disposal to
your advantage — you’ll have a more engaged and motivated group of students as a
result.

7. Try graphic organizers

Graphic organizers such as pie charts and Venn diagrams are a great way to display
information visually. When you ask your class to create one, your students will have to
apply their knowledge in a visual way. This will also help them form connections and
understand similarities and differences.

8. Emphasize behavior management

Behavior management is a big part of being a teacher. Teaching strategies often give
you plenty of structure regarding how to teach a class, but not how to control it. If you
are experiencing some behavioral problems in class, programs like Classcraft can
help.

Built by a teacher, Classcraft blends games and storytelling to motivate students and
make learning more fun. Included in its many features is the ability to deliver teacher-
designed curriculum in the form of games and Quests; a choose-your-own-adventure.
With this game, teachers can align the objectives with the desired behavior in class. For
example, if you want to solicit higher grades on homework, you can offer experience
(XP) rewards within the game.

With XP, students can level up their character and acquire new accessories and
abilities. This incentivizes the positive behavior you are looking for. If you’d like, you can
also discourage negative behaviors by locking students out of the game or taking away
XP points.
This method is a great way to get students excited about doing well in class. It makes
following the rules fun and solicits long-term behavioral improvement for many students.
Teachers can also let their students play the quests at their own pace, so no one feels
left behind or forgotten and teachers can easily give students extra support.

9. Utilize visual aids

Visual aids such as smartboards and projectors can ramp up your lesson in class.
Some children can absorb information and have a deep understanding of it from hearing
a lecture alone. Others are visual learners and need a little something more.

Since you need to appeal to those learners as well, a visual guide will be your best
friend. Try displaying informative graphics that relate to your lesson on the board or
projector. Reference these illustrations as you speak to allow everyone in your class to
get what they need out of the lesson.

10. Implement inquiry-based learning

Inquiry-based learning is a technique used to appeal to your students’ curiosity.

Once your students have identified a topic of interest, they’ll need to research their
chosen subject and deliver a presentation to the class. You must be there to offer
support, such as by helping your students identify reliable online sources for research.

After the presentation is over, ask your students to reflect on the project as a whole.
You want them to evaluate what went well, what didn’t, and what could be done
differently in the future. Moreover, you want your students to focus on not only what
they learned but also how they learned it. This builds independent, confident learners
who have a clearer path to success.