SOME THOUGHTS ON "EFFECTIVE TEACHING"

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“A person, who succeeds in the right way,
is the one who inspires others to succeed.
He appreciates others' problems too and
tells them how to solve them. We should
remember that our children, the future
generation, start from only where we end”.

- Anonymous
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 SOME THOUGHTS ON "EFFECTIVE TEACHING"

1. Types of Teachers
Mediocre Teacher - Gives Information
Good Teacher - Explains Concepts
Better Teacher - Demonstrates
Great Teacher - Inspires

E.g. Aristotle inspired Alexander the Great to

conquer the world at 23 years of age.

→ Major objective of Teacher - INSPIRE STUDENTS

Teaching - Making students learn

→ Teaching - Learning Process - Enjoyable to the

Student & Teacher
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→ Deeper Involvement
i) Strong zeal and ability of Teacher (Total Commitment)
ii) Students must have inclination to learn.
iii) Joint productive Activity (JPA) - Teacher and students
producing together

→ Facilitate Learning Through JPA among

Teacher and Students.
Learning
One fourth → from teacher
One fourth → from self study
One fourth → through discussion with colleagues
One fourth → from own experience

6.2. Creative Teaching

Make the student feel that you are different from others.
i) Why is the subject important to students
ii) Where does this subject leads us? - Potential of
subject - Future'
iii) Who contributed from the development of subject 4
iv). How this subject helps the students' career?
People love stories
- Our brains are wired to store stories!
- Talk stories relating to the concept you are teaching.
- Tell stories about people who developed the concept!

Example: Faraday’s laws of electricity

He invented generation of electric current when a conductor

moves in a magnetic field. Whe he demonstrated this in a town
hall, the amount of light generated was very little. A lady asked
Faraday what can be the contribution of his discovery. Faraday
then remarked, “ Madam! Your question is similar to a question as
what the new born baby will become?” We can appreciate now
that there would not have been so much change in our life style,
comfort progress in civilization.

Justification - is important because it gives students a

reason to listen to the Teacher!
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- Review the pre-requisite, if any, for the current subject
- Introduce concepts as if they are simple. Increase complexity
slowly step by step.
- Repetition sometimes may help!
- Concentration → The key to Success!!

→ Before introducing new concepts, ask students to

concentrate

→ Do not allow them to do anything else other than listening to

the class!
(No human can do two things simultaneously!)

People respond to Personal Attention

- Call students by names asking them if they understood the
concept!
- Greet students!
- Take time to stop and talk to students!

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People Respond better to praise than to criticism
- People respond best to personal praise!
- A pat on the back yields fantastic results!!

Constructive Criticism –
Deliver in a positive environment.

People have natural curiosity

- Work to create assignments and labs that give
students the chance to explore, try new things,
and invent!!!

People do mistakes
- Something learned from mistake - retained
forever!! '" !

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Mistakes

______________________________________________
↓ ↓ ↓
Errors Blunders Unforgivables
(Ignorance or (Repeated error) (Cheating)
by Oversight) Reprimanded Punished

- Failures are stepping stones to success!!!

→ Experience is the BEST TEACHER!

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6.3. What is Good Teaching - Only very few teachers are
remembered.

Why some teachers inspire students to work Three times harder

than they normally would?

Why some others make students to skip class?

Essential Qualities are:

i) Subject and other knowledge
ii) Communication Skills
iii) Interest
Iv) Respect,.Love and Affection for students!

Make students Think!

- Assignments should be oriented towards thinking!
- Analytical and logical reasoning!
- Creativity and Innovation!

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6.4. Importance of questioning

The importance of Questions! - Curiosity!

i) Why and How? - Knowledge
ii) What seems likely? - Comprehension
(Graph / Table))
iii) Predict what would be? - The Applications.

Answering Questions
- A developed skill
- An opportunity to teach something new!!!
- Use questions

i) to stress important points

ii) to introduce new concepts
iii) to promote creative thinking
iv) to bring attention of all students

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6.5. Setting goals for students – arrange content –
subdivide the topics.

Goals - Ensuring the student learns intricacies of the subject, and,

its applications to real-world

Attitude - Positive attitude

- Pay personal attention to the weaker or weakest
student(s)
-e.g. Ekalavya and Drona's Negative attitude
Dishonest Teacher!!

Content - Make sure the student would acquire a set of

i) facts )(
ii) skills )( to use these later and
iii) techniques )(

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Sub-divide topics
→ Reorder them so that students get multiple exposure of the
topics
→ Present the concept the way you wanted your teacher to
have presented it for you!!!

Eliminate the "Elevator Effect"

Class room - Giant Elevator! - Elimination ot the Effect requires
i) Interaction among students → Leads to trusting
each other
ii) Interested → Make them curious

Create “Knowledge holes" for your students to fill

→ Learning by “hole filling"
→ Self-motivated Learners or Researchers!!!

Much more enjoyable than any other type of Learning !!!!!

Children trying to crawl or stand → Enjoy Max.

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Bring your Research into the class room
- Makes the students think
- Makes the students appreciate the potential of subject!

Make your office hours more productive

i) Pay attention to the Psychology of Student's situation
ii) Understand your students' problems.

Encouraging participation in the class room

• Discussion - Questions
• Focusing on Reading
• In class writing - Note taking – Importance of – If we have to write
letter ‘a’, electrical signals are sent from brain – Nervous system
carries the signals to muscles – Muscles contract and cause moment
of fingers wrist, lower arm, upper arm etc. Deep impressions are
made in memory – Once writing equals ten times reading.
• Outside resources → Field trip
• Brainstorming
• Small group discussions

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6.6. The Five Standards for Effective Pedagogy

i) Joint Productive Activity!

ii) Developing Language and Literacy across the curriculum!

Develop competence in the Language and Literacy of Instruction

across the curriculum

iii) Making Meaning

Contextualize Teaching and curriculum in the experiences and

skills of students' homes and communities.

iv) Challenge students toward cognitive complexity.

v) Teachinq through conversation

- Engage students through dialogue, especially instructional

conversation!

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6.7. Fundamental Attributes of a Teacher
i) Exceptional clarity of thought
ii) Exceptional clarity of speech
iii) Strong zeal and ability to Inspire students
iv) Enthusiasm for continuous Learning (new always)
v) Willingness and enthusiasm to share knowledge with
anyone
vi) Enthusiastic to be creative and Innovative vii) Highly
focused .
viii) Firm belief that a Teacher has Responsibility towards
society and only a teacher can reform society
ix) Love and Affection for students
x) Perseverance and Patience (Goal oriented!!!)

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6.8. An Extract from Mr. Abraham Lincoln’s letter to his
Son’s Teacher
He will have to learn, I know, that all men are not just all men are
not true. But teach him also that for every scoundrel, there is a
hero, for every selfish Politician; there is a dedicated leader.
Teach him to learn to lose and also to enjoy winning. Steer him
away from envy, if you can, teach him the secret of quiet
laughter. Let him learn early that the 'bullies are the easiest to
lick.
Teach him, that for every enemy, there.is a friend. It will take
time, I know, but teach him If you can, that a dollar earned IS of
for more value than five found.
Teach him if you can, the wonder of books, but also give him
quiet time to ponder over the eternal mystery of birds in the sky,
bees in the sun and flowers on a green hillside.

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In school, teach him it is far more honorable to fail than to cheat.
Teach him to have faith in his own ideas, even if everyone tells
him they are wrong. Teach him to be gentle with the people and
tough with the tough.
Try to give my son the strength not to follow the crowd when
everyone is getting on the bandwagon. Teach him to listen to all
men but teach him also to filter all that he hears on a screen of
truth and take only the good that comes through.
Teach him if you can how to laugh when he is sad. Teach him
there is no shame in tears. Teach him to scoff at cynics and to
beware of too much sweetness. Teach him to sell his brain and
brown to the highest bidder but never to put a price on his heart
and soul. Teach him to close his ears to a howling mob and stand
and fight if he thinks he is right.
Teach him gently, but do not cuddle him, because only the test of
fire makes final el. Let him have the courage to be impatient, but
also let him have the patience to be brave. Teach him always to
have sublime faith in himself so that he will have sublime faith in
mankind. This is a big order, but see what you can do.
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He is such a fine little fellow, my son.
Some Tips
• Traits of good teaching
• Being well prepared for class
• Demonstrating comprehensive subject knowledge
• Motivating students
• Being fair and reasonable in managing the details of learning
• Being sincerely interested in the subject matter and in teaching
itself.

Three characteristics especially appreciated by students are

• Enthusiasm and willingness to make the course worth
• Objectivity (fairness)
• Systematic attitude towards student problems
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Hints for maintaining good classroom climate
• Plan routines carefully to help classes function with
minimum effort
• Establish channels of communication with students
• Get to know students
• Set forth clear and achievable objectives
• Evaluate student performance according to the objectives
• Preview assignments with students and indicate what is
expected.
• Give students periodic feedback about their progress
• Be encouraging to students
• Use group activities.

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Tips for helping students succeed
• Create an atmosphere of trust and mutual respect in your
class.
• Influence students in positive ways by displaying warmth,
patience, tolerance, interest and concern.
• Make sure that the class is well organized
• Listen to students carefully
• Have realistic estimation and expectation of students
• Include variety in reinforces / rewards (verbal, written,
responsibilities, activities)
• Learn what is reinforcing. Through careful observation, learn
what is more reinforcing for individual students; match
rewards with individual needs and preferences
• Use praise carefully
• Use immediate, task specific feedback to help students learn
from their mistakes. Give positive and collective feedback
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Tips to include students in Lecture

Use visual aids - Make your lecture less abstract

• Encourage and use questions
• Guide students in note taking
• Encourage discussion among students in the class by
assigning group tasks
• Use role play and/or simulation, wherever appropriate
• Structure a lecture to solve problems
• Use brain storming
• Organize quiz

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