What Is Effective Teaching?

When sitting in a classroom, we all like to feel a connection with the speaker. This connection
allows the learners to feel comfortable and safe asking questions. Being able to create this
connection leads to effective teaching, and something all teachers strive for. Effective teaching
involves efficiently dispersing material to students in a competent manner. There are many
ways of teaching, but some are more effective than others. A definition for effective teaching is
teaching that utilizes instructional strategies that are most appropriate for the content and the
student, and is carried out in a proficient manner that allows for real learning.

The two main types of learning methods are student-centered, which is the preferable method,
and teacher-centered. Student-centered learning involves using a variety of teaching strategies
to meet the individual needs of the students, such as modifying assignments to fit students.
Even though this is the best method, there are times when teacher-centered methods need to
be used in the classroom. This method requires the activity to be focused on the teacher. For
example, when introducing a new concept, the teacher may need to be the center of attention
with a lecture or presentation.

Effective teaching is the knowledge, strategies, processes and

behaviors which lead to good student outcomes. Effective
teachers have a positive impact on their students and use their
expertise to improve learning. These good outcomes are often
those that can be measured easily, usually through summative
assessment.

What Does Effective Teaching Mean?

Effective teaching is the knowledge, strategies, processes and
behaviours which lead to good student outcomes. Effective
teachers have a positive impact on their students and use their
expertise to improve learning. These good outcomes are often
those that can be measured easily, usually through summative
assessment.

However, it’s also important to remember that not all aspects of

effective teaching are immediately visible or measurable.
Effective teachers cultivate excellent working relationships with
their students within safe and respectful environments. Effective
teaching is much more than end-of-year data: it is an ongoing,
reflective practice that needs to be refined and amended to suit
learners’ needs.

Effective teachers nurture effective learners who are actively

involved in their own learning and personal development. They
can manage a classroom to remove or reduce instances
of behaviour that challenges, introduce new information in an
engaging and accessible way, and provoke curiosity in the
subject matter to promote higher-order thinking. Effective
teachers also love their subject and use their experience and
pedagogical knowledge in order to create high-quality learning.

Characteristics of Effective Teaching

Here are some of the main characteristics of effective teaching,
alongside tips on how to practise them successfully within the
classroom:

Create a Positive Learning Environment:

A positive and purposeful learning environment can help to

bolster any other strategies an effective teacher uses to improve
student wellbeing and achievement. It is vital that teachers and
schools create an environment conducive to learning – one that
is safe, warm, inspiring and respectful. For any teaching strategy
to be effective, students’ physical, social and emotional learning
environment must support their needs and promote positive
outcomes. This includes everything from robust and effective
school policies to classroom layout. Among other strategies,
teachers can help to create a positive learning environment by
establishing clear classroom rules and procedures,
maintaining an environment that promotes respect, inclusivity
and diversity, and encouraging students to receive and accept
constructive feedback.

Motivate:

In order to create positive learning environments, students need

to be encouraged to develop a deep curiosity and admiration for
learning – a self-driven desire to learn and achieve. Striking the
right balance between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation within
the classroom helps to build relationships and promote high
academic expectations.

Nurture positive relationships:

In a global study by Pearson investigating the perceived

components of effective teaching, the need to build trusting
compassionate relationships was found to be the most common
response from participants. In order to engage and motivate
learners, participants stated that effective teachers needed to
have a patient, caring and kind personality. Compassion and
empathy were also highlighted as being key skills required in
order to develop and maintain positive relationships with
students.

Understand Classroom Management:

By creating a positive and purposeful learning environment,

effective teachers are freeing up students’ capacity to learn by
taking away unnecessary classroom stressors, such as
behaviour that challenges.

Have strong communication skills:

Effective communication skills will help you to build and

maintain positive working relationships with your students, as
well as members of the wider school community. As we know,
improved relationships can boost progress and achievement.
Skills such as active listening can be used to help build trust and
make young people feel valued and appreciated. These skills will
also help you to forge better relationships with parents and
carers.

Have secure subject knowledge:

Effective teachers know their subject/s inside out. According to

a report by the Sutton Trust, there is strong evidence to suggest
that a teacher’s secure content knowledge has a positive impact
on student outcomes. Effective teachers combine this deep
understanding with strong pedagogical knowledge so that they
can understand how students learn. With this knowledge,
effective teachers can anticipate common misconceptions their
students may have, and adapt their planning to suit individual
need.

Be passionate:

Effective teachers express unwavering passion for both their

subject and their students’ progress. Modelling this energy for
both the subject and student learning can help to inspire your
pupils to stay committed and dedicated to their learning.

Provide high-quality learning opportunities:

Effective teachers ensure good student outcomes through high-

quality learning. They use all the elements of high-quality
teaching to create personalised and relevant learning
opportunities. Elements of high-quality teaching include:

 Scaffolding – Scaffolding in learning is seen as a temporary

measure that students can use to enhance their learning.
Effective teachers can scaffold the learning in order to meet
the differing needs of their students. In doing so, they are
making the learning accessible and impactful, allowing
pupils to build upon their knowledge and understanding.
Examples include chunking tasks, front-loading concept-
specific vocabulary, and using think-aloud models to
 demonstrate effective metacognitive thinking. It’s important
to note, however, that over-scaffolding can have negative
impacts on pupil progress. Effective teachers get the
balance just right.
 Using effective instruction – Effective teachers present
lessons clearly, ensuring the goals and purpose are
accessible to all. They use instructional delivery skilfully to
connect students’ knowledge and interests to the learning
goals. To improve your instruction within the classroom, you
can regularly review learning and provide your students with
time to practise and embed skills before they develop the
learning further.
 Developing metacognition – Effective teachers equip their
students with a range of metacognitive strategies that they
can use to control their learning. These strategies help
pupils to be more aware of their own thinking – which
ultimately helps them to learn better. Examples might
include tried and tested problem-solving methods,
memorisation techniques when introducing new vocabulary,
thinking journals or metacognitive talk – where both the
teacher and the student say aloud what they are thinking,
before and during a task.
 Using assessment for learning effectively – Teachers use
both formative and summative assessment in order to
motivate, inspire and challenge learners. Effective
assessment can provide teachers with an immediate
snapshot of student understanding, which can help to
address misconceptions, guide planning and boost progress.
Skilful questioning, for example, can help you to engage and
challenge your students, as well as consolidate their
learning.

Reflect:

Effective teaching also requires reflection. By focusing on your

strengths and areas for improvement, you can work out how to
improve your teaching in key areas in order to better serve your
students. You can do this by welcoming pupil and parent voice
and/or seeking out feedback from your department lead and line
manager. Reflection can be cumulative or immediate (where you
collect students’ day-to-day responses in order to determine
whether a certain learning opportunity or assessment strategy
has been successful). Being secure in your understanding of how
to improve means that you can target professional development
to specifically address your needs. Effective teachers can have a
significant impact on a child’s social, emotional and academic
development. Their role is vital in ensuring students achieve the
best possible outcomes. Effective teachers are always
cushioned by the support of good schools who create cultures
that prioritise professional development. A school’s role is key in
both nurturing effective practitioners and helping them to
maintain the best standards of practice.

What Is Effective Teaching?

When sitting in a classroom, we all like to feel a connection with the speaker. This connection
allows the learners to feel comfortable and safe asking questions. Being able to create this
connection leads to effective teaching, and something all teachers strive for. Effective teaching
involves efficiently dispersing material to students in a competent manner. There are many
ways of teaching, but some are more effective than others. A definition for effective teaching is
teaching that utilizes instructional strategies that are most appropriate for the content and the
student, and is carried out in a proficient manner that allows for real learning.

The two main types of learning methods are student-centered, which is the preferable method,
and teacher-centered. Student-centered learning involves using a variety of teaching strategies
to meet the individual needs of the students, such as modifying assignments to fit students.
Even though this is the best method, there are times when teacher-centered methods need to
be used in the classroom. This method requires the activity to be focused on the teacher. For
example, when introducing a new concept, the teacher may need to be the center of attention
with a lecture or presentation.

What are the characteristics of effective teaching?

The characteristics of effective teaching are using real life situations, holding debates, and
teaching in small groups. Small groups help students learn to work together, and share ideas
and input.
What is effective teaching in the classroom?
Effective teaching in the classroom are methods used by a teacher in order to obtain high levels
of student achievement. Teaching methods can be teacher centered, student centered, or
preferably a mixture of both.

Why is effective teaching important?

Effective teaching is important because if teaching is effective, the student will have mastered
the skills required for that task. High student achievement leads to the student having more
confidence, and becoming able to navigate daily life.

What are the principles of effective teaching?

The principles of effective teaching are to build relationships, have clear expectations, create
deep student engagement, and gain feedback from students and other teachers. Feedback is
very important to effective teaching, so the teacher can make changes and have the best
learning focused lessons possible.

12 Effective Teaching Practices and Their Benefits

Indeed Editorial Team

Updated March 31, 2023

In the ever-changing education environment, effective teaching practices are

helping educators enhance their instructional style. Using these teaching methods
allow them to adjust their teaching strategies to fit both the students and the
material, recognizing that different students learn in different ways. By
incorporating effective teaching practices into your teaching plans, you may have
more opportunities to engage students in the learning process and support their
academic accomplishments. Understanding different effective teaching methods
allows you to decide which ones to use when you teach. In this article, we define
what effective teaching is, list its benefits and provide 12 effective teaching habits
to consider.

What is effective teaching?

Effective teaching is a term used to describe the knowledge, strategies and
conduct of a successful educator. It's the ability to make a positive impact on a
student's life and academic career, including the capacity to teach important skill
sets, introduce new concepts and manage any classroom concerns. Educators
typically strive to use effective teaching practices to help their students learn at a
consistent rate and to increase their own understanding of the field.

What are the benefits of effective teaching?

There are many benefits to using effective teaching practices. Consider the
following:

 Helps students achieve their learning goals. Effective teaching

can help you assess the needs of your students, allowing you to
understand which classroom strategies may be helpful. You can
also lead more constructive one-on-one meetings with students to
learn the best ways to support them.
 Increases student engagement in the classroom. Good practices
can help you design interesting lesson plans and encourage an
overall enthusiasm for the material. Effective teaching methods
may also help you form positive relationships with students.
 Enhances the quality of your feedback to students. If you use
effective teaching practices, you can better understand how to
measure the progress of your students. You can also respond to
their inquiries with relevant and accurate information.
 Improves your relationship with families. A student's family is
often an important aspect of their overall education, and effecting
teaching can help you maintain a constructive relationship with
them.

12 effective teaching habits

Here is a list of effective teaching habits that can help you develop your skills:

1. Enjoy the field of education

Teachers who express a passion for their work can inspire their students. It's
important to create engaging lesson plans to show students you're invested in
their academic growth. Students often appreciate knowing you're enthusiastic
about the subject you teach, and if you model this behavior, they may become
motivated to participate more in classroom activities or research the material
during leisure time.

Related: What Is a Teaching Philosophy? Definition and Examples

2. Create a positive learning environment

Maintaining a friendly demeanor throughout the day can help make your
classroom space welcoming toward all students. Effective teachers understand
they can play an important role in a student's life aside from their academic career.
It may be helpful to provide support in the classroom for their social and
emotional needs, such as encouraging teamwork during activities and offering
helpful advice outside of class periods.

3. Connect with students

Caring about the lives and interests of students can help you build positive
relationships. Although it's important to maintain a boundary between your life at
home and at work, some teachers also share their own interests with students. Try
to communicate with a student's family frequently to learn additional context
about them and optimize your time when discussing their progress.

4. Be prepared

Effective teachers have a robust knowledge of their course material and spend a
lot of time planning their curriculums. They exert daily effort to ensure they can
perform high-quality instruction and complete grading deadlines. Consider
reviewing coursework every day so you can best answer student questions during
class. It may also be helpful to research classroom strategies recommended by
other teachers and educational specialists.

Related: Top 6 Teaching Skills That Employers Look For

5. Manage a weekly schedule

Successful teachers optimize their lesson plans to best use their time in the
classroom during weekdays. They often design lesson plans that involve multiple
learning steps, like a lecture on the material followed by individual assignments or
group-based classwork. Providing enough time during the school day for your
students to complete their work or finish an activity is also important.
6. Use clear language

Teachers who explain complicated ideas in simplified ways can help their students
learn more efficiently. They use multiple mediums to convey lesson material,
including diagrams, slideshows, demonstrations or supplementary videos. When
they assign projects, they provide distinct steps to address any potential concerns.
It may be helpful to use a steady speech pattern when introducing new concepts
to your class and incorporate a readable font size to any lecture materials.

7. Set reasonable expectations

Effective teachers communicate their standards to students and apply them to

their own practices. They may adjust standards to better address different learning
styles and ensure every student can achieve their goals. For instance, if a student
communicates an issue with a grade, a constructive teaching habit would involve
listening to their concern and addressing it afterward. It's important to outline
your policies at the beginning of a semester so students can ask questions and
express their thoughts.

Related: Learn 5 Instructional Strategies for Differentiated Learning

8. Adapt to different circumstances

Teachers who react with flexibility during unexpected events can better address
the needs of their students. For instance, you might predict that one activity can
help students understand a lesson but learn that another activity better supports
their learning process. Address any feedback quickly and account for changing
circumstances while planning a daily lesson.

9. Find resources

To enhance their teaching practice, effective teachers supplement their knowledge

from multiple sources. Try to stay updated on new teaching methods so you can
best support students. You can review academic articles, read books or watch
informative videos on a streaming service. You may also want to engage with
other educators about useful tips using a social media platform or an online
forum.
10. Reflect on practices

Effective teaching involves consistent reflection on your strategies and conduct.

Identify areas of improvement so you can develop your teaching practice and
grow as an educator. To assess your instruction quality, listen to feedback from
students, their families and the school administration and determine which
aspects to incorporate. Checking the progress of your students can also be a
valuable tool for reflection, as their day-to-day responses to activities can show
whether your teaching style is successful.

11. Have a sense of humor

If you enjoy telling jokes or making humorous statements outside of the

classroom, it may be helpful to use humor in conveying lesson material. Students
may remember more information when you add an engaging aspect, such as a
reference to a funny character or film your students may know. It's important to
stay mindful of your schedule, but a few well-timed references may enhance the
learning environment you create.

12. Offer practical applications

Effecting teaching involves helping students understand how to apply concepts

they learn to other areas of their lives, especially their future careers. You can
incorporate examples of actual situations in your coursework, like how to use a
mathematical concept to determine the total cost of a restaurant bill. During
composition lessons, you can have students write persuasive essays about events
from the news.

Why is effective teaching important?

Effective teaching helps students to achieve their goals – both personal and academic.
We know that effective teachers can be hugely influential figures to many young people,
providing them with both certainty and assurance when they need it the most.
What is the key to effective teaching?
Although there are many different ways to teach effectively, good instructors have
several qualities in common. They are prepared, set clear and fair expectations, have a
positive attitude, are patient with students, and assess their teaching on a regular basis.

What is the most effective way of teaching?

 Know your students and develop their respect.
 Appropriate use of summative and formative assessments. Diagnosis of
children's gaps using formative assessments.
 Teach the vocabulary.
 Explicit instruction.
 Effective questioning techniques.
 Deliberate practice.
 Differentiation.
 Reinforcing effort/providing recognition.

How do you determine effective teaching?

There are three elements to consider when evaluating teaching effectiveness
within a particular context:
1. Criteria – attributes of effective teaching.
2. Evidence – documentation of teaching considered in the review process.
3. Standards – expectations of quality and quantity.
What is effective teaching and teacher effectiveness?
Generally, effective teachers plan carefully, use appropriate materials, communicate
goals to students, maintain a brisk pace, assess student work regularly, and use a
variety of teaching strategies. They use class time well and have coherent strategies
for instruction.

What is the role of the teacher in effective teaching?

 What defines a teacher is his/her ability to teach students and a positive influence on
them. Generally, the role of a teacher in education goes beyond teaching. In today's
world, teaching has different faces, and a teacher has to carry out the part of being
an external parent, counselor, mentor, role model, and so on.

What is the main goal of teaching and learning?

The ultimate goal of teaching is to impart learning. Student's desire to learn is vital to
mastering new concepts, principles, and skills. The goal of teaching is to make a
desirable change in behaviour. Teaching is purposeful and goal-directed which ends at
desired changes of learners' behaviour.

What are the characteristics of effective teaching and learning?

Characteristics of Effective Teaching and Learning
 Introduction.
 Playing and exploring. Finding and exploring. Playing with what they know. ...
 Active Learning. Being involved and concentrating. Keeping on trying. ...
 Creating and thinking critically. Having their own ideas. Using what they know to
learn new things – making links.
What is the definition of effective learning?
Effective learning is defined as methods of learning that involve children actively
participating in their own learning and personal development.

1. Know their story

If you don’t know ‘who’ they are and ‘where’ they come from, any relationship is entirely
academic.
2. Talk to students (in class and outside of class)

How do you learn their story? Unless they have a biography you can read, talking to them–
and really listening–is the best way.

3. Explicitly value the child over the content

Of course, any strong teacher already does this. But to do so explicitly is to make sure the
student knows this to be true.

4. Play games

Team-building games for critical thinking, for example. Games are fun and having fun
together released dopamine improves learning outcomes. Games aren’t anywhere close to
the only source of dopamine–or even the best. But the bonding and ‘socialization’ that
occurs is a kind of foundation for relationship-building with students.

5. Set them up for success

Creating activities or lessons that let every child shine would be great but, of course, isn’t
always sustainable/practical. What is accessible, however, is to intentionally create these
kinds of opportunities throughout the year. Some students love to draw while others are
social butterflies. Some love to speak publically while others thrive working behind the
scenes on critical projects.

Students don’t always have to be in these preferred ‘sweet spots,’ but they should have
ongoing opportunities to show their talents and genius.

6. Assume the best in every student

If you do so, it will change the way you perceive certain events–behaviors, the quality of
work in certain assignments, questions, etc. Sometimes you’ll be ‘wrong’ by ‘assuming the
best’ in what a student meant or hoped to do and create, but by starting from this point,
you give students a chance to ‘fail forward’ and learn through their mistakes and learn to
self-manage.

7. Interview the student

Not like a job but not merely an informal conversation, either. Have a set of questions you
create beforehand to get a fuller picture of who they are and what they need from you.
8. Let students interview you

And let them do the same to you. If nothing else, what they choose to ask will help you
understand them better.

9. Have a short memory

In large part, being a child is about learning what works is what doesn’t. This requires
mistakes. Lots of them. Provide clear and effective learning feedback when they fail or fall
short, then move on.

10. Attend their extracurricular events

This is part of seeing them as people and not students. It will also have the effect
of them seeing you differently, as well.

11. Perform (positive) home visits

Home visits can be an effective way of ‘knowing their story.’ Obviously, these need to be
done as part of a concerted effort with your school or district. You can read more
about home visits here.

12. Call home and celebrate successes early in the year

First impressions are so extraordinary because, in these early moments, the brain ‘learns’
someone or thing and then continues to look for data that reinforces that story. Daniel
Kahneman’s ‘Thinking Fast and Slow‘ provides a compelling look at this and other
tendencies of the human mind (affiliate link).