Effective Teaching Strategies for Educators

EFFECTIVE TEACHING BY DR. WILLIAM A. ODUH STAFF TRAINING PROGRAM 17-19 DECEMBER, 2018

EFFECTIVE TEACHING • At the end of this presentation, participants should be able to: • 1. define teaching; • 2. identify any three elements that qualify an activity to be described as teaching; • 3. explain the meaning of effective teaching; • 4. mention 5 red flags of ineffective teaching; • 5. list 5 characteristics of an effective teacher; • 6. mention 2 results of effective teaching ; and • 7. list at least three (03) laws of learning.

Teaching • Teaching is a basic concept in the education process but has been variously defined by scholars in the field of education. Clark & Starr cited in Osokoya (2011:1) state that “teaching is an attempt to assist students in acquiring or changing some skills, knowledge, idea, attitude or appreciation”. On his part, Osokoya (2011:1) defines teaching as “the systematic series of activities through which the teacher seeks to interpret his specific task in relation to modification of the learner’s state of knowledge”.

It is the action of an individual to make learning possible. Thus, the goal of teaching is to facilitate learning. • What Qualifies as Teaching? • Professionally speaking, an individual’s activity can only be described as teaching when it meets the following conditions: • 1. it must be methodical; • 2. it must be well planned; • 3. it must result from resourcefulness on the part of the teacher; • 4. it must be activity- based; • 5. it must be related to the learner’s experience; and • 6. it must be undertaken by teachers who possess the requisite competencies and qualities.

Methodical • Teaching is a systematic process that demands the use of several methods of approaches. To envisage a successful teaching the teacher should be insightful in selecting the most appropriate method for a group of students taking cognizance of their level, age or quality. Acknowledging the learners’ characteristics of level, age and quality enables the teacher to adopt either an individualized or group approach in problem solving. Array of methods is available to the teacher from which to select. It should be emphasised that no single method would suit all categories of students.

Sometimes, eclectism may be required in to get the expected results. This calls for insightfulness and flexibility on the part of the teacher. • Planning the Teaching • Planning teaching entails the following. • i Determine the entry behaviour. • ii State the instructional objectives in behaviourali.e, state the action____ under what condition______ standard of attainment. • Example: at the end of the topic, students should be able to:

(a) state the etymology of psychology; • (b) define psychology from the Watsonian perspective. • iii Get feedback through evaluation which may be in the form of: • formative • diagnostic • summative • iv Basic teaching aids needed for the lesson • v. through planning the teacher determines the scope and sequence of units.

Resourcefulness • Resourcefulness refers to the teacher’s ability to create resources for his teaching, especially where such resources are not available. In that the teacher should improvise in addition to whatever resources that are available. Teaching aids are vital in stimulating the interest of learners. Besides, visual materials aid learners in recalling learned experience.

Activity- Based Teaching • Students tend to learn best when they are actively involved by way of allowing them to make contributions during teaching. Teachers should allow learners to ask or respond to questions and to make contributions where necessary. This way, formative evaluation is achieved by the teacher. • Learner’s Experience • A good teacher must learn from learners’ resources by tapping from their experiences. Though they seem very young but their contributions, sometimes, may be confounding or perplexing.

Teaching should be the job of Professionals • Teaching should be the business of professionals with requisite competence and quality. Such individuals have been certified through training having been exposed to, and have acquired education in the “normative” sense rather than the “descriptive” sense. Training in developmental psychology, philosophy of education, curriculum development, educational psychology, sociology of education, teaching methodology, just to mention a few, has imputed in them tools needed for effective performance in the classroom.

This training enables the teacher understand the learner’s characteristics at different stages of human development as well as how students act singly and in group. • Effectivedescribes a particular teacher who had been the most successful • in helping respondents to learn. • Effective Teaching • Teaching is considered effectiveif it accomplishes the planned goals and objectives of the school.

The objective of the school is to train the mind of the young one by imparting knowledge in them in order to attain excellence. • Thus, the objectives of education and the definitions of the quality and effectiveness of education are closely connected. This means that defining effective teaching must be done in relation to understanding the objectives of education. Promoting students’ cognitive development can be seen as one of the prime purposes of education and teaching, though there are also likely to be other important social, behavioural and affective current and future oriented purposes and goals of education.

An effective teacher can avoid devaluing messages, may make decisions to motivate the students and can overcome the pitfalls of excessive authoritarianism and permissiveness. • Laws of Learning • Laws of Learning Honey M. Turqueza & Edward Thorndike • Law of Readiness• The degree of preparedness and eagerness to learn • Law of Action Tendency • Individuals learn best when they are ready to learn, and they will not learn much if they see no reason for learning.

Educational Implications • The teacher should arouse curiosity for learning, so that the pupils feel ready to imbibe the new experiences. • The teacher should, before taking up the new lesson arouse the interest and desire of the students to learn. • Law of Exercise• Things that are most often repeated are best remembered • Law of Use and Disuse – Law of Use: the learning isstrengthened with repeated trial or practice – Law of Disuse: learning isweakened when trial or practice is discontinued.

Educational Implications • • The teacher should provide different opportunities for learners to practice or repeat the task. (recall, manual drill, review etc.) • • The teacher should have constant practice in what has once been learnt. Delayed use or long disuse may cause forgetfulness. • Law of Effect• Learning is strengthened when it is accompanied by a pleasant or satisfying feeling • Learning is weakened when it is associated with an unpleasant feeling. • The emotional state of the learner affects learning.

Educational Implications • • As a failure is accompanied by a discouraging emotional state, it should be avoided. • • Reward and recognition play a great role in encouraging the pupil. • • Punishments should be avoided as far as possible. Punishment produces a negative effect, and it causes discouragement • Law of Primacy • ‘Learning that takes place in the beginning is the best and lasting’. • Learning should be done correctly for the first time since it is difficult to “unlearn” or change an incorrectly learned material.

Educational Implications • • The learning on the first day is most vivid and strong. The teacher also should be most serious on the first day of teaching. • • For the instructor, this means that what they teach the first time must be correct. It is more difficult to un-teach a subject than to teach it correctly the first time. • Law of Recency• Things most recently learned are best remembered, while the things learned some time ago are remembered with more difficulty

• frequent review and summarization help fix in the mind the material covered. • Educational Implications• Instructors recognize the law of recency when they plan a lesson summary or a conclusion of the lecture. Repeat, restate, or reemphasize important matters at the end of a lesson to make sure that learners remember them instead of inconsequential details. • Law of Intensity• The law of intensity states that if the stimulus (experience) is real, the more likely there is to be a change in behavior (learning)

• A vivid, dramatic or exciting learning experience teaches more than a routine or boring experience. • Educational Implications • • A learner will learn more from the real thing than from a substitute. Demonstrations, skits, and models do much to intensify the learning experiences of learners. • Law of Multiple Response• Confronted with a new situation the learner responds in a variety of ways arriving at the correct response. • Trial and Error • If the individual wants to solve a puzzle, he is to try in different ways rather than mechanically persisting in the same way.

Law of Set Attitude • Learning is guided by a total set or attitude of the learner, which determines not only what the learner will do but what will satisfy him/her. • The learner performs the task well if he has his attitude set in the task. • Law of Analogy and assimilation• According to this law, the individual makes use of old experiences or acquisitions while learning a new situation. There is a tendency to utilize common elements in the new situation as existed in a similar past situation.

Law of Associative Shifting• According to this law we may get a response, of which a learner is capable, associated with any other situation to which he is sensitive. • Sometimes, a reaction to a certain stimulus might shift to a different one • Pre- potency of Elements: • According to this law, the learner reacts selectively to the important elements in a field and neglects the other features or elements which may be irrelevant

Red Flags of Ineffective Teaching • The teacher: • believes that teaching is just a job; • arrives late to school and class on a regular basis; • has classroom discipline problems; • is not sensitive to a student’s culture or heritage; • expresses bias (positive or negative) with regard to students; • works on paperwork during class rather than working with students; • has parents complaining about what is going on in the classroom;

uses inappropriate language; • demeans or ridicules students; • exhibits defensive behavior for no apparent reason; • is confrontational with students; • lacks conflict resolution skills; • does not accept responsibility for what occurs in the classroom; • experiences student behavior problems; • has unengaged students (e.g., bored, off-task, asleep); • has poor student performance in class and on assessments;

gives vague instructions for seatwork, projects, and activities; • unresponsive to students’ cues that the delivery of instruction is ineffective; • lacks variety in instructional methods used; • has difficulty individualizing instruction; • uses outdated material or terminology; • fails to implement needed changes pointed out by peers or supervisors; • tells students to “know the material”; • does not apply current strategies or best practices;

uses poor examples of or improper English; • transitions slowly between activities or lessons; • displays unwillingness to contribute to the mission and vision of the school; • refuses to meet with parents and guardians or colleagues outside of contract hours; • resents or is threatened by other adults visiting the classroom; • does the minimum required to maintain certification or emergency certification status; • submits reports late;

submits grades late; • writes inaccurate or unclear reports; and • does not update grade book or it is inaccurate. • Walker (2008) conducted a study on Twelve Characteristics of an Effective teacher • Characteristics of Effective Teachers: • Characteristic 1: Prepared • The most effective teachers come to class each day ready to teach. • 1. It is easy to learn in their classes because they are ready for the day. • 2. They don’t waste instructional time. They start class on time. They teach for the entire class period.

3. Time flies in their classes because students are engaged in learning—i.e., not bored, less likely to fall asleep. • Characteristic 2: Positive • The most effective teachers have optimistic attitudes about teaching and about students. They • 1. See the glass as half full (look on the positive side of every situation) • 2. Make themselves available to students • 3. Communicate with students about their progress • 4. Give praise and recognition • 5. Have strategies to help students act positively toward one another

Characteristic 3: Hold High Expectations • The most effective teachers set no limits on students and believe everyone can be successful. They • 1. Hold the highest standards • 2. Consistently challenge their students to do their best • 3. Build students’ confidence and teach them to believe in themselves • Characteristic 4: Creative • The most effective teachers are resourceful and inventive in how they teach their classes. They

1. Wear a clown suit • 2. Agree to participate in the school talent show • 3. Use technology effectively in the classroom • Characteristic 5: Fair • The most effective teachers handle students and grading fairly. They • 1. Allow all students equal opportunities and privileges • 2. Provide clear requirements for the class • 3. Recognize that “fair” doesn’t necessarily mean treating everyone the same but means giving every student an opportunity to succeed • 4. Understand that not all students learn in the same way and at the same rate

Characteristic 6: Display a Personal Touch • The most effective teachers are approachable. They • 1. Connect with students personally • 2. Share personal experiences with their classes • 3. Take personal interest in students and find out as much as possible about them • 4. Visit the students’ world (sit with them in the cafeteria; attend sporting events, plays, and other events outside normal school hours)

Characteristic 7: Cultivate a Sense of Belonging • The most effective teachers have a way of making students feel welcome and comfortable in their classrooms. • 1. Students repeatedly mentioned that they felt as though they belonged in classrooms taught by effective teachers. • 2. The students knew they had a good teacher who loved teaching and preferred it to other occupations.

Characteristic 8: Compassionate • The most effective teachers are concerned about students’ personal problems and can relate to them and their problems. Numerous stories established how the sensitivity and compassion of caring teachers affected them in profound and lasting ways. • Characteristic 9: Have a Sense of Humor • The most effective teachers do not take everything seriously and make learning fun. They

1. Use humor to break the ice in difficult situations • 2. Bring humor into the everyday classroom • 3. Laugh with the class (but not at the expense of any particular student) • Characteristic 10: Respect Students • The most effective teachers do not deliberately embarrass students. • Teachers who give the highest respect, get the highest respect. They • 1. Respect students’ privacy when returning test papers • 2. Speak to students in private concerning grades or conduct • 3. Show sensitivity to feelings and consistently avoid situations that unnecessarily embarrass students

Characteristic 11: Forgiving • The most effective teachers do not hold grudges. They • 1. Forgive students for inappropriate behavior • 2. Habitually start each day with a clean slate • 3. Understand that a forgiving attitude is essential to reaching difficult students • 4. Understand that disruptive or antisocial behavior can quickly turn • a teacher against a student, but that refusing to give up on difficult students can produce success

Characteristic 12: Admit Mistakes • The most effective teachers are quick to admit being wrong. They • 1. Apologize to mistakenly accused students; and • 2. Make adjustments when students point out errors in grading or test material that has not been assigned • Other Characteristics of Effective Teaching • The teacher: • assumes ownership for the classroom and the students’ success; • uses personal experiences as examples in teaching; • understands feelings of students; • communicates clearly;

admits to mistakes and corrects them immediately; • thinks about and reflects on practice; • dresses appropriately for the position; • maintains confidential trust and respect; • is structured, yet flexible and spontaneous; • is responsive to situations and students’ needs; • enjoys teaching and expects students to enjoy learning;

looks for the win-win solution in conflict situations; • listens attentively to student questions and comments; • responds to students with respect, even in difficult situations; • communicates high expectations consistently; • conducts one-on-one conversations with students; • treats students equally and fairly; • has positive dialogue and interactions with students outside the classroom; • invests time with single students or small groups of students outside the classroom;

maintains a professional manner at all times; • addresses students by name; • speaks in an appropriate tone and volume; and • works actively with students. • Strategies of Effective Teaching • Application of reinforcement • Positive reinforcement • Negative reinforcement • Continuous reinforcement • Intermittent reinforcement • - ratio- fixed ratio; variable ratio • - interval- fixed interval; variable interval

-Individualised attention– For example in the sciences, mathematics and other practical-oriented courses demands that students be guided when carrying out class exercises, especially where some of the students are having difficulty. Guide students who are weak in the topic to get it right. • -Use of appropriate teaching methods • Lecture method • Discussion method • Demonstration method

Project method • Role play method • Group discussion • Field trip method, etc. • Results of Effective Teaching • Effective teaching produces the following results. • Easy evaluation of the objectives of teaching- whether or not the objectives of the lesson have been achieved. • Since teaching is systematic it is easy for students to follow the teaching. • Students easily approach the teacher for further clarifications in areas of doubt.

Students are ever willing to attend classes because they are motivated to learn • Students’ expectations are usually met. • The teacher is intrinsically motivated having discharges his/her role creditably. • Students feel welcome and comfortable in their classrooms. • Most students believe in their teachers and accept them in loco parentis. • Students tell their parents and friends about their school. • This, eventually, translates to increase in enrolment for our university.

Conclusions • In conclusion, it could be said that promoting effective teaching is not the task of the teacher alone but the business of all stakeholders in the school system. While teachers try their best to ensure that learners learn, the enabling environment must be provided by the school management. • References • Osokoya, I. O. (2011). Introduction to secondary school teaching skills. Ibadan: Laurel Educational Publishers. • Walker, R. J. (2008). 12 Characteristics of an effective teacher. NC: Lulu Publishing.

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Effective Teaching Strategies for Educators