Module 2: Effective Teaching
Planning and organization is of the upmost importance in the classroom, as it influences all aspects of the class, including the effectiveness of the lessons. Important factors also include the learning environment, student learning, and student motivation. These are some of the most important topics that I have learned in Module 2, as found in Learning & Teaching by Kauchakand, D. and Eggen, P and the TExES Competencies 3, 4, and 8.
Planning is important in the classroom for both the teacher and the students. There are many benefits to planning, which include: clarifying learning objectives, anticipating instructional needs, interaction with students, and providing emotional and psychological security for the teacher. While it sounds simple, planning is a complex process. Factors influencing the planning process include: the teacher, learners, materials and resources, time, context, content, and motivation. The teacher is the most important factor because his or her beliefs influence the teaching style and expectations from the students. Planning also includes the formation of daily lesson plans, weekly plans, long-term planning, and unit plans.
The classroom environment plays a big role in education. Before learning can begin, students must have a positive learning environment. This must include accepting and caring teachers, a safe and orderly environment, and a learning-focused classroom. Some ways that teachers can promote a positive environment is to learn students’ names quickly and address them by their first names, greeting students as they enter the classroom, making eye contact, smiling, referring to the classroom as belonging to the group, spending time with the students, and maintaining expectations and standards for all students.
Another important topic was that of effective teachers. What is an effective teacher, and what characteristics does he or she demonstrate? Effective teachers are those that have a high personal teaching efficacy, use modeling to encourage student motivation and learning, have expectations of the students, and have effective communication skills. Their language is clear and precise, and emphasizes words to portray significance. They use transitions to go from one idea to the next. The use of time is also very important for effective teachers, as each minute is of significance.
Students must be involved and motivated for them to effectively learn. The first thing that is necessary for this goal to be accomplished is clear learning objectives, especially for standards-based learning environments. Student involvement can also be encouraged through the use of demonstrations, models, and graphic organizers. Teacher questioning is another method to get students involved in the class; it also can be used as an assessment tool. These questions must be of equitable distribution if they are to be effective.
An effective teacher is the key to student learning. Effective teaching techniques influence the classroom environment, the assessment techniques, and the student involvement and motivation, among other things. When all of these topics are combined, they create a very positive learning environment, one in which students are actively involved and learning.
Works Cited
Kauchak, D., & Eggen, P. (2012). Learning and teaching: Research-based methods (6th ed.). Boston: Pearson.
Planning is important in the classroom for both the teacher and the students. There are many benefits to planning, which include: clarifying learning objectives, anticipating instructional needs, interaction with students, and providing emotional and psychological security for the teacher. While it sounds simple, planning is a complex process. Factors influencing the planning process include: the teacher, learners, materials and resources, time, context, content, and motivation. The teacher is the most important factor because his or her beliefs influence the teaching style and expectations from the students. Planning also includes the formation of daily lesson plans, weekly plans, long-term planning, and unit plans.
The classroom environment plays a big role in education. Before learning can begin, students must have a positive learning environment. This must include accepting and caring teachers, a safe and orderly environment, and a learning-focused classroom. Some ways that teachers can promote a positive environment is to learn students’ names quickly and address them by their first names, greeting students as they enter the classroom, making eye contact, smiling, referring to the classroom as belonging to the group, spending time with the students, and maintaining expectations and standards for all students.
Another important topic was that of effective teachers. What is an effective teacher, and what characteristics does he or she demonstrate? Effective teachers are those that have a high personal teaching efficacy, use modeling to encourage student motivation and learning, have expectations of the students, and have effective communication skills. Their language is clear and precise, and emphasizes words to portray significance. They use transitions to go from one idea to the next. The use of time is also very important for effective teachers, as each minute is of significance.
Students must be involved and motivated for them to effectively learn. The first thing that is necessary for this goal to be accomplished is clear learning objectives, especially for standards-based learning environments. Student involvement can also be encouraged through the use of demonstrations, models, and graphic organizers. Teacher questioning is another method to get students involved in the class; it also can be used as an assessment tool. These questions must be of equitable distribution if they are to be effective.
An effective teacher is the key to student learning. Effective teaching techniques influence the classroom environment, the assessment techniques, and the student involvement and motivation, among other things. When all of these topics are combined, they create a very positive learning environment, one in which students are actively involved and learning.
Works Cited
Kauchak, D., & Eggen, P. (2012). Learning and teaching: Research-based methods (6th ed.). Boston: Pearson.