Top 10 Teacher Tips, Part I

This week's post is from an article by Kimeiko Hotta Dover. Click on a link for the complete discussion.

1. Be Prepared
Before you set foot in the classroom, make sure you have a plan for the course and class. Share your plans with your class.

2. Use a Variety of Approaches
Plan a variety of approaches and activities for each session. Varying teaching strategies appeals to learning style differences and keeps participants attentive and engaged. Aim to get participants out of their chairs and interacting at least once per class.

3. Encourage Interaction
Have students work in pairs or small groups whenever possible. Not only does interaction acknowledge and draw upon the tremendous experience and knowledge adults bring to the classroom, but students gain confidence as they check and confirm answers with their peers.

4. Address Students by Name
Addressing students by name helps build rapport.

5. Use the Board Effectively
Bring your own whiteboard markers and/or chalk and an eraser to every class. Monitor the size, pressure and legibility of your writing. Use a variety of colors for emphasis and clarity.

Next week we will post the remaining five tips. They relate to visual aids, handouts, student feedback, etc.

Ten Principles of Learning

1. We learn to do by doing.
2. We learn to do what we do and not something else.
3. Without readiness, learning is inefficient and may be harmful.
4. Without motivation there can be no learning at all.
5. For effective learning, responses must be immediately reinforced.
6. Meaningful content is better learned and longer retained than less meaningful content.
7. For the greatest amount of transfer learning, responses should be learned in the way they are going to be used.
8. One's response will vary according to how one perceives the situation.
9. An individual’s responses will vary according to the learning atmosphere.
10. One does the only thing one can do given the physical inheritance, background, and present acting forces.

From: Edwards, Lea. "Interventions for Health Promotion", Health Education, 1981, Chapter 9.