Excel in Education: 7 ways to improve your teaching skills and lessons

Becoming an excellent teacher takes time and effort. You don’t just need a good knowledge of different subjects. You will need to acquire various other skills to make teaching fun and engage students. However, once you understand the “tricks of the trade,” you will ace your lessons in no time. Following are six easy yet effective tips to enhance your teaching skills. 

1. Learn Compound Teaching Methods: 

Compound teaching is an excellent method to promote active learning. While most teachers focus on one teaching style, you can get an edge by learning compound teaching strategies. 

You can use models, scrabble, documentaries, and flashcards, depending on your subject. You can also introduce the Prompt Teaching Method, where students have to reach the correct answer by solving the given hints. Service Learning is another strategy where students learn by engaging in social or volunteer activities. 

You can also introduce games such as one-word stories, hangman, scavenger hunts, and skits to improve your students’ creativity. 

2. Upgrade Your Certifications:

Professional development for teachers is essential. Only an upgraded teacher can understand the rapidly changing world students live in. It is why many institutions nowadays ask for additional certificates and degrees. 

Furthermore, many courses help you with additional skills, broadly divided into personal and professional. Personal Skills are Self-Centered and teach you time management, patience, and confidence. On the other hand, professional skills aim towards teaching collaboration, leadership, and communication. Many courses, like Master of Science in Education in Curriculum & Instruction help you learn both personal and professional skills. You can also attend conferences, workshops, and seminars to keep yourself updated with the current educational trends.

3. Adopt a Student Centric Approach: 

Many schools follow the old “Teacher Centric” approach where the teacher is solely in charge of the class. In such cases, students are less likely to participate and nod at everything their teacher says or asks them to do. While it seems easy, your class is likely to lose interest in what you are saying or the subject you are teaching. 

An ideal way to make your lessons captivating is to adopt a “Student-centered” approach where they feel like an active class participant. 

Start your class with an interactive discussion, ask them what topics they would like to study, and in the end, and take a rewarding quiz. Also, teach interactive activities, such as conflict resolution activities for kids. This will teach important skills, boost their motivation, and they are more likely to understand your subject. 

4. Learn From Senior Faculty:

One of the best ways to improve your teaching skills is to learn from senior faculty. Most schools practice faculty meetings every week to know the progress. Grab this opportunity and interact with the senior teachers of your domain. Observe how they communicate with their students or what tools they use. Discuss your curriculum with them and ask them for their feedback. You can also invite them to your classes and review your teaching methods. Ask them for their positive suggestions and what areas need improvement.  

5. Get Valuable Feedback:

Positive critiques can help you greatly in enhancing your lessons. It can be feedback from your peers, students, or even their parents. One way to get feedback from your students is by taking a class assessment at the end of every lecture. Ask your students to write down three things that have helped them in the class, along with three things they would like to improve. You can also introduce a survey form to rate the usefulness of the topics taught. Each feedback will allow you to see how students process the lectures and what teaching techniques require modifications. Similarly, interacting with parents will aid you in figuring out the problems your students face with the subjects and how you can provide solutions. 

6. Know Your Assessment Criteria: 

Every school has its criteria for assessing teachers’ performance. Some focus on curriculum completion within time, while others prioritize student engagement, quality teaching, empathy, and patience. Therefore, it’s imperative to know the assessment criteria. Make a list and evaluate yourself periodically. This will help you identify your weak spots, and hence you will be able to work on them before getting highlighted by the management. 

Also, Check – Tips For Every Parent Preparing Their Children Back-To-School

7. Keep Up with the technology:

Like any other field, technology has taken over education departments as well. For example, many teaching software can make your lessons fun. For example, programs like electronic flashcards, 3D atlases, and encyclopedias can increase the understanding of your lessons. Graphic software can help you create interesting presentations and games. Similarly, free resources are available online to design and streamline your course. Some online management tools allow you to divide their curriculum according to the number of classes. 

If your school uses the hybrid learning model, it’s vital to learn using software like Google Classroom, Zoom, and Microsoft Team. 

Conclusion: 

Extensive knowledge of your subjects is not the only skill you need to become a good teacher. There are several areas of interpersonal relationships and leadership skills that you need to master. By taking small yet effective steps each day, you can master your teaching skills within no time and excel in your career.