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
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.

Case Method. Providing an opportunity for students to apply what they learn in the classroom to
real-life experiences has proven to be an effective way of both disseminating and integrating
knowledge. The case method is an instructional strategy that engages students in active
discussion about issues and problems inherent in practical application. It can highlight
fundamental dilemmas or critical issues and provide a format for role playing ambiguous or
controversial scenarios.

Discussion. There are a variety of ways to stimulate discussion. For example, some faculty begin
a lesson with a whole group discussion to refresh students� memories about the assigned
reading(s). Other faculty find it helpful to have students list critical points or emerging issues, or
generate a set of questions stemming from the assigned reading(s). These strategies can also be
used to help focus large and small group discussions.

Active Learning. Meyers and Jones (1993) define active learning as learning environments that
allow �students to talk and listen, read, write, and reflect as they approach course content
through problem-solving exercises, informal small groups, simulations, case studies, role
playing, and other activities -- all of which require students to apply what they are learning� (p.
xi). Many studies show that learning is enhanced when students become actively involved in the
learning process. Instructional strategies that engage students in the learning process stimulate
critical thinking and a greater awareness of other perspectives. Although there are times when
lecturing is the most appropriate method for disseminating information, current thinking in
college teaching and learning suggests that the use of a variety of instructional strategies can
positively enhance student learning. Obviously, teaching strategies should be carefully matched
to the teaching objectives of a particular lesson. For more information about teaching strategies,
see the list of college teaching references in Appendix N.

Cooperative Learning. Cooperative Learning is a systematic pedagogical strategy that

encourages small groups of students to work together for the achievement of a common goal.
The term 'Collaborative Learning' is often used as a synonym for cooperative learning when, in
fact, it is a separate strategy that encompasses a broader range of group interactions such as
developing learning communities, stimulating student/faculty discussions, and encouraging
electronic exchanges (Bruffee, 1993). Both approaches stress the importance of faculty and
student involvement in the learning process.

Integrating Technology. Today, educators realize that computer literacy is an important part of a
student's education. Integrating technology into a course curriculum when appropriate is
proving to be valuable for enhancing and extending the learning experience for faculty and
students. Many faculty have found electronic mail to be a useful way to promote
student/student or faculty/student communication between class meetings. Others use
listserves or on-line notes to extend topic discussions and explore critical issues with students
and colleagues, or discipline- specific software to increase student understanding of difficult
concepts.

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.

4. Cooperative Learning
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.

 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.