Teaching Methods | Discovery Learning

Teaching Styles to Help Your Class

When looking at different teaching methods, a teacher or professor can feel frustrated by all of the different teaching options available. Luckily, when you really break it down, different types of teaching methods are easily understandable. Incorporating multiple methods can help a larger variety of your students understand the material. Let’s take a look at some of the most common teaching methods.

Lectures

Many teachers choose to do lectures, especially in college settings. This is a great way to get factual points across. Unfortunately, some students feel disconnected to the material when it is only presented in a lecture format. When you have a large group of students, this can be an effective way to get the information to them.

Discussions

This type of teaching method is much less organized than lectures. When doing a class discussion, you are specifically asking for the input of the students. Many times, this type of method is used in classes where the material or thoughts on the material may be subjective. The more students there are, the more difficult a discussion can be.

Worksheets

Many teachers choose to give their students worksheets. Usually, this is in conjunction with reading the text book. Work sheets work very well for some students, however, some feel that any type of work sheet is “busy work”, and therefore feel that it is not worth the time.

No matter what type of method you choose when teaching your students, remember that not everyone learns the same way. Because of this, you may find some students that have trouble with your teaching style.

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The Upside of Peer Tutoring

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For parents and teachers of student who are struggling in school or with a particular subject, peer tutoring may be the answer. Peer tutoring by definition allows a learner to be taught by his or her peers. The advantages of such a tutoring strategy far outweigh its downside.

From Intimidation to Relaxation

Struggling to grasp a particular skill or concept is hard enough. When learners feel intimidated by a teacher or a subject matter expert, the tension created complicates the learning process. Peer tutors offer the distinct advantage of being the same age or level as the learner, creating a more natural and easygoing environment. The relaxed atmosphere helps a learner to avoid the fear and tension that sometimes keeps the mind from quickly understanding difficult concepts.

The Convenience of Peer Tutoring

Peer tutors are freely available. In an elementary school environment, there may be half a dozen students in the classroom who are capable of teaching a struggling learner difficult concepts. In an undergraduate college, students who have mastered concepts may be interested in tutoring slower learners as a way of assisting others or making extra money. In general, peer tutors are more easily accessible.

Relief to Teachers and Parents

Teachers and parents can relax knowing that learners are receiving necessary attention in a way that feels natural and supportive. For teachers in crowded classrooms, peer tutoring is an efficient way to manage a large number of students. Parents can also have greater confidence knowing that their children are learning important concepts that they themselves may have long forgotten.

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Understanding Blended Learning and Software Tools

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In a technological era, blended learning strategies are being used more frequently. Blended learning combines independent learning with a teacher’s guidance and assistance. This type of learning leaves room for creativity and a variety of teaching approaches.

Types of Blended Learning

A blended learning environment can contain numerous dynamics encouraging learner independence. A learner may use instructional software to master academic or occupational skills and only call on an instructor in the event of questions. Asking for guidance may take the form of phone calls, instant messages, email messages or in-person meetings.

Blended learning may also take place without technological tools. A student may work at home using books and workbooks and take trips to specific locations for the purpose of learning. Additional instruction may take place by attending weekly or monthly classroom sessions with an instructor.

Blended Learning in the Online Environment

Students may use software or online websites to advance the learning process. Some web-based software products offer a data management capability that keeps students and teachers abreast of the learner’s progress. Online content sites may contain educational curriculum provided specifically by an instructor or a collective list of sites that guide the learner to materials written by subject matter experts.

The self-directed aspect of blended learning creates greater learner independence. A student can move quickly through particular skills or slow down and ask questions from instructors when particular concepts are unclear or difficult to master. Blended learning options are especially convenient for people whose work schedules and life circumstances make it difficult to commute to a learning environment on a daily basis.

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Deciding to Become a Teacher

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Ask veteran teachers how they feel about their jobs and most will tell you that they consider it one of the hardest and most rewarding tasks in their lives. Teaching may be considered both an art and a science. You can go to school and learn how to become a teacher, but is a teaching career the right path for you?

Understanding Your Motivations

In struggling economies, some people choose teaching to pursue job security. After all, as long as there are children in the world, they will have to be educated and teaching jobs will continue to exist. However, excelling and being happy as a teacher requires a great deal of dedication. Getting up early, teaching all day, grading papers after work and planning lessons for the next day can be time-consuming and exhausting. To excel in teaching, you must be dedicated to the challenge of inspiring the minds of learners.

Exploring Your Personality

If you have the dedication to provide such a valuable service to society, the next step is deciding if you have the right personality for teaching. Some introverted personalities struggle with constant social interaction. Speaking, interacting, problem solving and other activities involved in teaching may be too overwhelming for a reserved personality. For an introverted personality, pursuing one-on-one teaching opportunities may be more ideal, allowing for less social stimulation.

With the right level of commitment, dedication and self-awareness, you can pursue a teaching career that feels right for you. Educating the minds of future adults is a noble endeavor.

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How to Encourage Enthusiasm in Learners

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Teaching is an art form, and it may be argued that the ability to educate others is an inherent gift. Talented teachers are capable of capturing their students’ attention. Providing encouragement to students is a vital part of the teaching process. Here are some strategies for increasing learner enthusiasm.

Focus on Individual Students

It’s easy in a crowded learning environment to lump students together in groups. One group may be considered the slow group and another deemed gifted. One group may be the obedient bunch and another may be the students who get into trouble. Students can sense when teachers have judged them and ruled out their potential for growth and overcoming obstacles. Fostering student enthusiasm requires focusing on the potential of individual students and seeing them as unique individuals.

Building Relationships With Students

Studies show that something as simple as referring to students by name can make a difference in feeling respected in a classroom. Teachers in a constantly changing environment and professors in extremely large classrooms often do not even know the names of their students. Making an effort to learn the names of students and addressing them directly can make a difference in building a healthy teacher-student relationship.

Apply Creativity When Designing Curriculum

It can be easy for teachers to get into a routine of teaching the same material in the same manner year after year. Applying creativity means paying attention to the interests of the learners and adjusting the teaching approach to draw out the enthusiasm of learners.

A stimulated and appreciated student will learn more and experience greater enjoyment in the process.

Filed Under: Education, Teaching Methods Tagged With: Education, Learning, Teacher

Teaching a Classroom of Varied Skill Levels

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As all educators know, not all students possess the same level of knowledge and skills. This is true at all levels of learning from pre-school to college. To accommodate varied strengths, weaknesses and learning styles, specific tools and resources can help.

Providing Individualized Attention

When students feel respected, their learning process is enhanced. Research also shows that the brain of a relaxed student tends to learn more quickly and retain more information.

Teaching Assistants

One of the ways that many educational environments deal with a classroom of varied skill levels is by employing teaching assistants. While the teacher is instructing the larger group, an assistant can circle the room and ensure that students are not left confused. Teaching assistants can also work with students who possess similar skill levels to maximize the use of their time.

Using Workbooks

Workbooks are important resources for giving students an opportunity to interact with information. Being asked questions and having to respond in writing stimulates thought and a deeper engagement with the material. For workbooks to be truly effective, teachers must take the time to examine that the work has been completed and that additional questions do not go unanswered.

Technological Tools

With technological advances come numerous software tools that can assist students to proceed at a learning pace that feels right for them. Using instructional software allows a learner to review poorly understood material and advance quickly through mastered content. Many sophisticated software products also deliver scored tests and performance reports that assist in an educator’s assessment of the student’s learning process.