10 

effective teaching practices you can use right now

Photo: Google Edu

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
strategy that works wonders, especially at age groups where students insist on always
working with their tight-knit circle of friends. Group assignments encourage
teamwork and help your class to succeed.

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, another write 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.”

Photo: Google Edu

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.
Implementing it in the classroom means allowing the students to identify questions
that interest them and to explore those questions in an educational setting.

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.
Teaching Methods and Strategies: The
Complete Guide
Written by Dr. Kris MacDonald, reviewed by EducationCorner.com Team

You’ve completed your coursework. Student teaching has ended. You’ve

donned the cap and gown, crossed the stage, smiled with your diploma and
went home to fill out application after application. Suddenly you are standing
in what will be your classroom for the next year and after the excitement of
decorating it wears off and you begin lesson planning, you start to notice all of
your lessons are executed the same way, just with different material. But that
is what you know and what you’ve been taught, so you go with it. After a
while, your students are bored, and so are you. There must be something
wrong because this isn’t what you envisioned teaching to be like. There is.

Figuring out the best ways you can deliver information to students can
sometimes be even harder than what students go through in discovering how
they learn best. The reason is because every single teacher needs a variety of
different teaching methods in their theoretical teaching bag to pull from
depending on the lesson, the students, and things as seemingly minute as the
time the class is and the subject. Using these different teaching methods,
which are rooted in theory of different teaching styles, will not only help
teachers reach their full potential, but more importantly engage, motivate and
reach the students in their classes, whether in person or online.

Teaching Methods
Teaching methods, or methodology, is a narrower topic because it’s founded
in theories and educational psychology. If you have a degree in teaching, you
most likely have heard of names like Skinner, Vygotsky, Gardner, Piaget, and
Bloom. If their names don’t ring a bell, you should definitely recognize their
theories that have become teaching methods. The following are the most
common teaching theories.
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Behaviorism

Behaviorism is the theory that every learner is essentially a “clean slate” to

start off and shaped by emotions. People react to stimuli, reactions as well as
positive and negative reinforcement, the site states. Learning Theories names
the most popular theorists who ascribed to this theory were Ivan Pavlov, who
many people may know with his experiments with dogs. He performed an
experiment with dogs that when he rang a bell, the dogs responded to the
stimuli; then he applied the idea to humans. Other popular educational
theorists who were part of behaviorism was B.F. Skinner and Albert Bandura.

Social Cognitive Theory

Social Cognitive Theory is typically spoken about at the early childhood level
because it has to do with critical thinking with the biggest concept being the
idea of play, according to Edwin Peel writing for Encyclopedia Britannica.
Though Bandura and Lev Vygotsky also contributed to cognitive theory,
according to Dr. Norman Herr with California State University, the most
popular and first theorist of cognitivism is Piaget.

There are four stages to Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development that he

created in 1918. Each stage correlates with a child’s development from
infancy to their teenage years.

The first stage is called the Sensorimotor Stage which occurs from birth to 18
months. The reason this is considered cognitive development is because the
brain is literally growing through exploration, like squeaking horns, discovering
themselves in mirrors or spinning things that click on their floormats or
walkers; creating habits like sleeping with a certain blanket; having reflexes
like rubbing their eyes when tired or thumb sucking; and beginning to decipher
vocal tones.

The second stage, or the Preoperational Stage, occurs from ages 2 to 7 when
toddlers begins to understand and correlate symbols around them, ask a lot of
questions, and start forming sentences and conversations, but they haven’t
developed perspective yet so empathy does not quite exist yet, the website
states. This is the stage when children tend to blurt out honest statements,
usually embarrassing their parents, because they don’t understand censoring
themselves either.

From ages 7 to 11, children are beginning to problem solve, can have
conversations about things they are interested in, are more aware of logic and
develop empathy during the Concrete Operational Stage.

The final stage, called the Formal Operational Stage, though by definition
ends at age 16, can continue beyond. It involves deeper thinking and abstract
thoughts as well as questioning not only what things are but why the way they
are is popular, the site states. Many times people entering new stages of their
lives like high school, college, or even marriage go through elements of
Piaget’s theory, which is why the strategies that come from this method are
applicable across all levels of education.

The Multiple Intelligences Theory

The Multiple Intelligences Theory states that people don’t need to be smart in

every single discipline to be considered intelligent on paper tests, but that
people excel in various disciplines, making them exceptional. Created in 1983,
the former principal in the Scranton School District in Scranton, PA, created
eight different intelligences, though since then two others have been debated
of whether to be added but have not yet officially, according to the site. The
original eight are musical, spatial, linguistic, mathematical, kinesthetic,
interpersonal, intrapersonal and naturalistic and most people have a
predominant intelligence followed by others. For those who are musically-
inclined either via instruments, vocals, has perfect pitch, can read sheet music
or can easily create music has Musical Intelligence. Being able to see
something and rearrange it or imagine it differently is Spatial Intelligence,
while being talented with language, writing or avid readers have Linguistic
Intelligence. Kinesthetic Intelligence refers to understanding how the body
works either anatomically or athletically and Naturalistic Intelligence is having
an understanding of nature and elements of the ecosystem.

The final intelligences have to do with personal interactions. Intrapersonal

Intelligence is a matter of knowing oneself, one’s limits, and their inner selves
while Interpersonal Intelligence is knowing how to handle a variety of other
people without conflict or knowing how to resolve it, the site states. There is
still an elementary school in Scranton, PA named after their once-principal.

Constructivism
Constructivism is another theory created by Piaget which is used as a
foundation for many other educational theories and strategies because
constructivism is focused on how people learn. Piaget states in this theory that
people learn from their experiences. They learn best through active learning,
connect it to their prior knowledge and then digest this information their own
way. This theory has created the ideas of student-centered learning in
education versus teacher-centered learning.

Universal Design for Learning

The final method is the Universal Design for Learning which has redefined the
educational community since its inception in the mid-1980s by David H. Rose.
This theory focuses on how teachers need to design their curriculum for their
students. This theory really gained traction in the United States in 2004 when
it was presented at an international conferece and he explained that this
theory is based on neuroscience and how the brain processes information,
perform tasks and get excited about education. The theory, known as UDL,
advocates for presenting information in multiple ways to enable a variety of
learners to understand the information; presenting multiple assessments for
students to show what they have learned; and learn and utilize a student’s
own interests to motivate them to learn, the site states. This theory also
discussed incorporating technology in the classroom and ways to educate
students in the digital age.

Teaching Styles
From each of the educational theories, teachers extract and develop a
plethora of different teaching styles, or strategies. Instructors must have a
large and varied arsenal of strategies to use weekly and even daily in order to
build rapport, keep students engaged and even keep instructors from getting
bored with their own material. These can be applicable to all teaching levels,
but adaptations must be made based on the student’s age and level of
development.

Differentiated instruction is one of the most popular teaching strategies, which

means that teachers adjust the curriculum for a lesson, unit or even entire
term in a way that engages all learners in various ways, according to Chapter
2 of the book Instructional Process and Concepts in Theory and Practice by
Celal Akdeniz. This means changing one’s teaching styles constantly to fit not
only the material but more importantly, the students based on their learning
styles.

Learning styles are the ways in which students learn best. The most popular
types are visual, audio, kinesthetic and read/write, though others include
global as another type of learner, according to Akdeniz. For some, they may
seem self-explanatory. Visual learners learn best by watching the instruction
or a demonstration; audio learners need to hear a lesson; kinesthetic learners
learn by doing, or are hands-on learners; read/write learners to best by
reading textbooks and writing notes; and global learners need material to be
applied to their real lives, according to The Library of Congress. There are
many activities available to instructors that enable their students to find out
what kind of learner they are. Typically students have a main style with a
close runner-up, which enables them to learn best a certain way but they can
also learn material in an additional way. When an instructor knows their
students and what types of learners are in their classroom, instructors are
able to then differentiate their instruction and assignments to those learning
types, according to Akdeniz and The Library of Congress.

Learn more about different learning styles.

When teaching new material to any type of learner, is it important to utilize a

strategy called scaffolding. Scaffolding is based on a student’s prior
knowledge and building a lesson, unit or course from the most foundational
pieces and with each step make the information more complicated, according
to an article by Jerry Webster. To scaffold well, a teacher must take a
personal interest in their students to learn not only what their prior knowledge
is but their strengths as well. This will enable an instructor to base new
information around their strengths and use positive reinforcement when
mistakes are made with the new material.

There is an unfortunate concept in teaching called “teach to the middle” where

instructors target their lessons to the average ability of the students in their
classroom, leaving slower students frustrated and confused, and above
average students frustrated and bored. This often results in the lower- and
higher-level students scoring poorly and a teacher with no idea why. The
remedy for this is a strategy called blended learning where differentiated
instruction is occurring simultaneously in the classroom to target all learners,
according to author and educator Juliana Finegan. In order to be successful at
blended learning, teachers once again need to know their students, how they
learn and their strengths and weaknesses, according to Finegan. Blended
learning can include combining several learning styles into one lesson like
lecturing from a PowerPoint – not reading the information on the slides -- that
includes cartoons and music associations while the students have the print-
outs. The lecture can include real-life examples and stories of what the
instructor encountered and what the students may encounter. That example
incorporates four learning styles and misses kinesthetic, but the activity
afterwards can be solely kinesthetic.

A huge component of blended learning is technology. Technology enables

students to set their own pace and access the resources they want and need
based on their level of understanding, according to The Library of Congress. It
can be used three different ways in education which include face-to-face,
synchronously or asynchronously. Technology used with the student in the
classroom where the teacher can answer questions while being in the
student’s physical presence is known as face-to-face. Synchronous learning is
when students are learning information online and have a teacher live with
them online at the same time, but through a live chat or videoconferencing
program, like Skype, or Zoom, according to The Library of Congress. Finally,
asynchronous learning is when students take a course or element of a course
online, like a test or assignment, as it fits into their own schedule, but a
teacher is not online with them at the time they are completing or submitting
the work. Teachers are still accessible through asynchronous learning but
typically via email or a scheduled chat meeting, states the Library of
Congress.

The final strategy to be discussed actually incorporates a few teaching

strategies, so it’s almost like blended teaching. It starts with a concept that
has numerous labels such as student-centered learning, learner-centered
pedagogy, and teacher-as-tutor but all mean that an instructor revolves
lessons around the students and ensures that students take a participatory
role in the learning process, known as active learning, according to the
Learning Portal. In this model, a teacher is just a facilitator, meaning that they
have created the lesson as well as the structure for learning, but the students
themselves become the teachers or create their own knowledge, the Learning
Portal says. As this is occurring, the instructor is circulating the room working
as a one-on-one resource, tutor or guide, according to author Sara Sanchez
Alonso from Yale’s Center for Teaching and Learning. For this to work well
and instructors be successful one-on-one and planning these lessons, it’s
essential that they have taken the time to know their students’ history and
prior knowledge, otherwise it can end up to be an exercise in futility, Alonso
said. Some activities teachers can use are by putting students in groups and
assigning each student a role within the group, creating reading buddies or
literature circles, making games out of the material with individual white
boards, create different stations within the classroom for different skill levels or
interest in a lesson or find ways to get students to get up out of their seats and
moving, offers Fortheteachers.org.

There are so many different methodologies and strategies that go into

becoming an effective instructor. A consistent theme throughout all of these is
for a teacher to take the time to know their students because they care, not
because they have to. When an instructor knows the stories behind the
students, they are able to design lessons that are more fun, more meaningful,
and more effective because they were designed with the students’ best
interests in mind. There are plenty of pre-made lessons, activities and tests
available online and from textbook publishers that any teacher could use. But
you need to decide if you want to be the original teacher who makes a
significant impact on your students, or a pre-made teacher a student needs to
get through.

1. Modeling
After telling students what to do, it’s important to show them exactly how to do it. Model
how you expect them to complete an assignment, so they understand what they’re
supposed to do. This will help your students who are visual learners, too.

2. Mistakes
If you’ve ever accidentally spelled a word wrong on the board, you know that students
love to identify mistakes. When you’re teaching a new skill, make an example riddled
with mistakes. Let students practice the skill by identifying and fixing the mistakes for
you.

3. Feedback
Students don’t always know if they’re doing a good job without you telling them so.
Regularly provide written or verbal feedback for individual or group assignments.
Also, it can be beneficial to turn the tables sometimes. Let the students provide you
feedback to tell you how you’re doing, too.

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4. Cooperative Learning

Photo from Defne Goncu

Students learn effectively when they’re working together. Plan activities that require
students to work together and learn from one another. In the process, they’ll also learn
critical thinking skills, communication skills, problem solving skills, and more.

5. Experiential Learning
Students learn by doing, so create experiences for them to see the concepts in action.
Let them practice the concepts in a safe environment. Then, they should reflect on the
experience and discuss what they learned from it. Classroom activities that you could
do for experiential learning include fun games, experiments, or simulations.

6. Student-Led Classroom
When students get to be the teacher for the day, they learn things that they wouldn’t
have learned otherwise. You could have students team teach or work in groups to teach
a new topic. You’ll find that other students will learn from their peers’ unique take on the
subjects, too.

7. Class Discussion
Another way for students to teach each other is through class discussions. As students
take turns discussing the subject, you can assess their knowledge and discover which
students grasp the concepts and to what extent.

8. Inquiry-Guided Instruction
By asking questions and working together to solve the problems, students get to be
involved in the learning process. The class can work together to determine the answer
and report it. As students do the work to discover the answers on their own, they
remember the concepts better and more fully.

9. Lesson Objective Transparency
Rather than letting your students figure out what they should be learning on their own,
just tell them. Clearly state your lesson goals or objectives. You could announce it in
class or write it on the board. Just make it simple and clear for all of your students to
understand. Then, they know what they’re working towards and what they should know
by the end of the class. This also really helps to reduce student anxiety come test time.

Photo by Jimmie

10. Graphic Organizers

Graphic organizers summarize the information in a concise manner. Using a flow chart,
Venn diagram, or web, students get to see the information in a new light. This helps
them organize the information in their minds, so they can better grasp the new concepts
The classroom is a dynamic environment, bringing together students
from different backgrounds with various abilities and personalities.
Being an effective teacher therefore requires the implementation of
creative and innovative teaching strategies in order to meet students’
individual needs.

Whether you’ve been teaching two months or twenty years, it can be

difficult to know which teaching strategies will work best with your
students. As a teacher there is no ‘one size fits all’ solution, so here is a
range of effective teaching strategies you can use to inspire your
classroom practice.

1. Visualization
Bring dull academic concepts to life with visual and practical learning
experiences, helping your students to understand how their schooling
applies in the real-world.
Examples include using the interactive whiteboard to display photos,
audio clips and videos, as well as encouraging your students to get out of
their seats with classroom experiments and local field trips.
 

2. Cooperative learning

Encourage students of mixed abilities to work together by promoting

small group or whole class activities.

Through verbally expressing their ideas and responding to others your

students will develop their self-confidence, as well as enhance their
communication and critical thinking skills which are vital throughout
life.
Solving mathematical puzzles, conducting scientific experiments and acting
out short drama sketches are just a few examples of how cooperative
learning can be incorporated into classroom lessons.
3. Inquiry-based instruction

Pose thought-provoking questions which inspire your students

to think for themselves and become more independent learners.
Encouraging students to ask questions and investigate their own ideas
helps improve their problem-solving skills as well as gain a deeper
understanding of academic concepts. Both of which are important life
skills.

Inquiries can be science or math-based such as ‘why does my shadow

change size?’ or ‘is the sum of two odd numbers always an even
number?’. However, they can also be subjective and encourage students
to express their unique views, e.g. ‘do poems have to rhyme?’ or ‘should
all students wear uniform?’.
4. Differentiation

Differentiate your teaching by allocating tasks based on

students’ abilities, to ensure no one gets left behind.
Assigning classroom activities according to students’ unique learning
needs means individuals with higher academic capabilities are stretched
and those who are struggling get the appropriate support.

This can involve handing out worksheets that vary in complexity to

different groups of students, or setting up a range of work stations around
the classroom which contain an assortment of tasks for students to
choose from.
Moreover, using an educational tool such as Quizalize can save you hours
of time because it automatically groups your students for you, so you can
easily identify individual and whole class learning gaps (click here to find
out more).
5. Technology in the classroom

Incorporating technology into your teaching is a great way to

actively engage your students, especially as digital media surrounds
young people in the 21st century.
Interactive whiteboards or mobile devices can be used to display images
and videos, which helps students visualize new academic concepts.
Learning can become more interactive when technology is used as
students can physically engage during lessons as well as instantly
research their ideas, which develops autonomy.

Mobile devices, such as iPads and/or tablets, can be used in the

classroom for students to record results, take photos/videos  or simply as
a behaviour management technique. Plus, incorporating educational
programmes such as Quizalize into your lesson plans is also a great way
to make formative assessments fun and engaging.
6. Behaviour management

Implementing an effective behaviour management strategy is

crucial to gain your students respect and ensure students have an equal
chance of reaching their full potential.
Noisy, disruptive classrooms do no encourage a productive learning
environment, therefore developing an atmosphere of mutual respect
through a combination of discipline and reward can be beneficial for
both you and your students.

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!

Sessions can include learning about new educational technologies, online

safety training, advice on how to use your teaching assistant(s) and much
more.
Being an effective teacher is a challenge because every student is unique,
however, by using a combination of teaching strategies you can address
students’ varying learning styles and academic capabilities as well as
make your classroom a dynamic and motivational environment for
students.

Every teacher has her or his own style of teaching. And as traditional teaching styles
evolve with the advent of differentiated instruction, more and more teachers are
adjusting their approach depending on their students’ learning needs.

But there are a few fundamental teaching styles most educators tend to use. Which one
is yours?

You’ve Got Style

These teaching styles highlight the five main strategies teachers use in the classroom,
as well as the benefits and potential pitfalls of each.
The Authority, or lecture style
The authority model is teacher-centered and frequently entails lengthy lecture sessions
or one-way presentations. Students are expected to take notes or absorb information.

 Pros: This style is acceptable for certain higher-education disciplines and auditorium
settings with large groups of students. The pure lecture style is most suitable for subjects
like history, which necessitate memorization of key facts, dates, names, etc.
 Cons: It’s a questionable model for teaching children because there is little or no
interaction with the teacher. Plus it can get a little snooze-y. That’s why it’s a better
approach for older, more mature students.

The Demonstrator, or coach style

The demonstrator retains the formal authority role by showing students what they need
to know. The demonstrator is a lot like the lecturer, but their lessons include multimedia
presentations, activities, and demonstrations. (Think: Math. Science. Music.)
  Pros: This style gives teachers opportunities to incorporate a variety of formats including
lectures and multimedia presentations.
 Cons: Although it’s well-suited for teaching mathematics, music, physical education, or
arts and crafts, it is difficult to accommodate students’ individual needs in larger
classrooms.

The Facilitator, or activity style

Facilitators promote self-learning and help students develop critical thinking skills and
retain knowledge that leads to self-actualization.

 Pros: This style trains students to ask questions and helps develop skills to find answers
and solutions through exploration; it is ideal for teaching science and similar subjects.
 Cons: Challenges teacher to interact with students and prompt them toward discovery
rather than lecturing facts and testing knowledge through memorization. So it’s a bit
harder to measure success in tangible terms.

The Delegator, or group style

The delegator style is best suited for curricula that require lab activities, such as
chemistry and biology, or subjects that warrant peer feedback, like debate and creative
writing.

 Pros: Guided discovery and inquiry-based learning place the teacher in an observer role
that inspires students by working in tandem toward common goals.
 Cons: Considered a modern style of teaching, it is sometimes criticized as eroding
teacher authority. As a delegator, the teacher acts more as a consultant rather than the
traditional authority figure.

The Hybrid, or blended style

Hybrid, or blended style, follows an integrated approach to teaching that blends the
teacher’s personality and interests with students’ needs and curriculum-appropriate
methods.

 Pros: Inclusive! And it enables teachers to tailor their styles to student needs and
appropriate subject matter.
 Cons: Hybrid style runs the risk of trying to be too many things to all students, prompting
teachers to spread themselves too thin and dilute learning.

Because teachers have styles that reflect their distinct personalities and curriculum—
from math and science to English and history—it’s crucial that they remain focused on
their teaching objectives and avoid trying to be all things to all students.

What you need to know about your

teaching style
Although it is not the teacher’s job to entertain students, it is vital to engage them in the
learning process. Selecting a style that addresses the needs of diverse students at
different learning levels begins with a personal inventory—a self-evaluation—of the
teacher’s strengths and weaknesses. As they develop their teaching styles and
integrate them with effective classroom management skills, teachers will learn what
works best for their personalities and curriculum.

Our guide encapsulates today’s different teaching styles and helps teachers identify the
style that’s right for them and their students. Browse through the article or use these
links to jump to your desired destination.

 What is a teaching style inventory, and how have teaching styles evolved?
 What teaching method is best for today’s students?
 How does classroom diversity influence teachers?

Emergence of the teaching style

inventory
How have teaching styles evolved? This is a question teachers are asked, and
frequently ask themselves, as they embark on their careers, and occasionally pause
along the way to reflect on job performance. To understand the differences in teaching
styles, it’s helpful to know where the modern concept of classifying teaching methods
originated.

The late Anthony F. Grasha, a noted professor of psychology at the University of

Cincinnati, is credited with developing the classic five teaching styles. A follower of
psychiatrist Carl Jung, Grasha began studying the dynamics of the relationship between
teachers and learning in college classrooms. His groundbreaking book, Teaching with
Style, was written both as a guide for teachers and as a tool to help colleagues,
administrators and students systematically evaluate an instructor’s effectiveness in the
classroom.

Grasha understood that schools must use a consistent, formal approach in evaluating a
teacher’s classroom performance. He recognized that any system designed to help
teachers improve their instructional skills requires a simple classification system. He
developed a teaching style inventory that has since been adopted and modified by
followers.

 Expert: Similar to a coach, experts share knowledge, demonstrate their expertise,

advise students, and provide feedback to improve understanding and promote learning.
 Formal authority: Authoritative teachers incorporate the traditional lecture format and
share many of the same characteristics as experts, but with less student interaction.
 Personal model: Incorporates blended teaching styles that match the best techniques
with the appropriate learning scenarios and students in an adaptive format.
 Facilitator: Designs participatory learning activities and manages classroom projects
while providing information and offering feedback to facilitate critical thinking.
  Delegator: Organizes group learning, observes students, provides consultation, and
promotes interaction between groups and among individuals to achieve learning
objectives.

Although he developed specific teaching styles, Grasha warned against boxing teachers
into a single category. Instead, he advocated that teachers play multiple roles in the
classroom. He believed most teachers possess some combination of all or most of the
classic teaching styles.

How does differentiated instruction affect teaching styles?

Carol Ann Tomlinson, a professor at the University of Virginia, is an early advocate of
differentiated instruction and a pioneer in the development of learning-based teaching
styles. If Grasha laid the groundwork for 20th-century teachers to adopt styles tailored
to match their personalities and strengths, Tomlinson has advanced this theme into the
21st century by focusing on differentiated instruction.

In the simplest terms, differentiated instruction means keeping all students in mind when
developing lesson plans and workbook exercises, lectures, and interactive learning.
These student-focused differences necessitate instructional styles that embrace diverse
classrooms for students at all learning levels and from various backgrounds without
compromising the teacher’s strengths.

What teaching style is best for today’s

students?
Whether you’re a first-year teacher eager to put into practice all of the pedagogical
techniques you learned in college, or a classroom veteran examining differentiated
instruction and new learning methodologies, consider that not all students respond well
to one particular style. Although teaching styles have been categorized into five groups,
today’s ideal teaching style is not an either/or proposition but more of a hybrid approach
that blends the best of everything a teacher has to offer.

The traditional advice that teachers not overreach with a cluster of all-encompassing
teaching styles might seem to conflict with today’s emphasis on student-centered
classrooms. Theoretically, the more teachers emphasize student-centric learning, the
harder it is to develop a well-focused style based on their personal attributes,
strengths, and goals.

In short, modern methods of teaching require different types of teachers—from the

analyst/organizer to the negotiator/consultant. Here are some other factors to consider
as teachers determine the best teaching method for their students.

Empty vessel: Critics of the “sage on the stage” lecture style point to the “empty
vessel” theory, which assumes a student’s mind is essentially empty and needs to be
filled by the “expert” teacher. Critics of this traditional approach to teaching insist this
teaching style is outmoded and needs to be updated for the diverse 21st-century
classroom.

Active vs. passive: Proponents of the traditional lecture approach believe that an
overemphasis on group-oriented participatory teaching styles, like facilitator and
delegator, favor gifted and competitive students over passive children with varied
learning abilities, thereby exacerbating the challenges of meeting the needs of all
learners.

Knowledge vs. information: Knowledge implies a complete understanding, or full

comprehension, of a particular subject. A blend of teaching styles that incorporate
facilitator, delegator, demonstrator, and lecturer techniques helps the broadest range of
students acquire in-depth knowledge and mastery of a given subject. This stands in
contrast to passive learning, which typically entails memorizing facts, or information,
with the short-term objective of scoring well on tests.

Interactive classrooms: Laptops and tablets, video conferencing, and podcasts in

classrooms play a vital role in today’s teaching styles. With technology in mind, it is
imperative that teachers assess their students’ knowledge while they are learning. The
alternative is to wait for test results, only to discover knowledge gaps that should have
been detected during the active learning phase.

Constructivist teaching methods: Contemporary teaching styles tend to be group-

focused and inquiry-driven. Constructivist teaching methods embrace subsets of
alternative teaching styles, including modeling, coaching, and test preparation through
rubrics scaffolding. All of these are designed to promote student participation and
necessitate a hybrid approach to teaching. One criticism of the constructivist approach
is that it caters to extroverted, group-oriented students, who tend to dominate and
benefit from these teaching methods more than introverts; however, this assumes
introverts aren’t learning by observing.

Student-centric learning does not have to come at the expense of an instructor’s

preferred teaching method. However, differentiated instruction demands that teachers
finesse their style to accommodate the diverse needs of 21st-century classrooms.

The ‘sage on the stage’ meets the ‘tiger

mom’
The objective of blending teaching styles to leverage the teacher’s strengths while
meeting the demands of diverse students has become increasingly difficult, as parents
take a decidedly proactive role in child-learning techniques.

The traditional authoritative/expert, or “sage on the stage” lecture style, has come under
attack by some parents—and contemporary educational leaders—who emphasize that
a more diverse approach to teaching is necessary to engage students. This is
compounded by the rise of “tiger moms,” a term made popular by parents devoted to
improving the quality of education with laser-precision focus on A-list schools and a
highly competitive job market.

Age of the proactive parent

Regardless of what style a teacher adopts, it’s important for teachers to develop positive
attitudes, set goals, and establish high expectations for students.

“Assume students can excel!” education authors Harry and Rosemary Wong declare.
As former teachers with a combined 80-plus years of educational experience, the
Wongs emphasize in their best-selling book, The First Days of School: How to Be an
Effective Teacher and their more recent, The Classroom Management Book that
successful teachers share three common characteristics:

 effective classroom management skills

 lesson mastery
 positive expectations

All instructors, when developing their teaching styles, should keep in mind these three
goals, as well as the primary objective of education: student learning.

How does classroom diversity influence

teachers?
It is abundantly clear that today’s teachers are responsible for students with a diverse
range of learning abilities. The 21st-century teacher does not have the luxury of “picking
the low-hanging fruit” and then leaving the rest of the tree for experts who specialize in
children with behavioral issues or learning disorders.

Today’s teachers must develop instructional styles that work well in diverse classrooms.
Effective teaching methods engage gifted students, as well as slow-learning children
and those with attention deficit tendencies. This is where differentiated instruction and a
balanced mix of teaching styles can help reach all students in a given classroom—not
just the few who respond well to one particular style of teaching.

The wonderment of teaching, what author/educator Dr. Harry Wong refers to as “that a-
ha moment” when a child “gets it,” is one of the most rewarding and seemingly elusive
benefits of becoming a teacher. This transfer of knowledge from expert to student is an
art form and a skill. Fortunately, both can be learned and perfected.

Knowing how to engage students begins with selecting the teaching style that’s right for
you. And remember, even though you may prefer one teaching style over another, you
must find the style that works best for your students! Try different styles to meet
different objectives, and always challenge yourself to find ways to reach each student.