Teaching, I believe, is one the best jobs out there. As a teacher you get to shape young minds, inspire curiosity, and make a lasting impact on the lives of your students while constantly learning and growing yourself.
I spent 15 years in classroom teaching, within the trenches. I had the chance to teach in different grades and across different countries until I finally settled in Canada and got my PhD in educational studies. throughout my years within the classroom and outside and throughout my current role as EdTech researcher and educator, I have had the chance to to navigate the landscape of teaching from multiple perspectives.
In this post, I try to distill the essence of my teaching experience into easily digestible insights that hopefully might benefit those that are still practicing, especially new teachers.
Key Teaching Advice Points
Here are ten teaching advice points to help you in your instructional practice:
1. Build Genuine Human Relationships
Nothing beats the power of bonding. Indeed, I think building strong relations with students is key to effective teaching. Students are more motivated and inclined to engage in learning with teachers with whom they can connect. To build genuine human relations with your students you need to show an authentic interest in students’ lives beyond the classroom.
For instance, devote some time to inquire about your students hobbies, interests, and wellbeing. Show real concern by actively listening to their thoughts and experiences. Celebrate their achievements, no matter how small, and provide encouragement when they face challenges. Simple gestures like remembering their favorite book or acknowledging their efforts can go a long way in building trust.
2. Set Clear Expectations
I can’t emphasize this enough: always make sure that you are on the same page as your students. Clearly articulate to them your expectations for both behavior and academic performance. Talk them about classroom rules and explain the reasoning behind them to foster mutual respect and understanding. When students understand the “why” behind rules and expectations, they are more likely to take ownership of their behavior and learning.
A great way to go about setting expectations is to make it a collaborative and group project. Invite the whole class to discuss and create classroom rules and agreements. Along similar lines, hold open discussions with students on things such as homework, assignments, and quizzes to give them a sense of agency and ownership over their learning process.
The benefits of this collaborative approach are multifarious:it boosts engagement, it teaches valuable skills (e.g., negotiation, compromise, and shared responsibility), and show students that their voice is valued.
3. Encourage Active Learning
The time tested concept of ‘learning by doing’ is still and will always be one of the the effective ways to engage students and boost their learning. Unlike passive learning, active learning invites students to take part in their own learning through hands-on activities such as role-playing, group projects, problem-solving, among others.
As humans, we learn best when we are directly involved. Our information retention improves and our understanding deepens when we actively engage with the material rather than passively consume it.
With technology and especially AI, there are tons of resources you can use to easily generate interactive learning resources to use in your classroom. Tools such as MagicSchool, Diffit, Curipod, Brisk Teaching, Almanack, are among some of the best AI-powered tools to help you easily generate all types of interactive resources for your class.
4. Foster a Positive and Inclusive Learning Environment
Students are much more likely to take risks in their learning when they feel that the setting where they are learning is safe, supportive, inclusive, and welcoming. As a teacher, you need to make sure your classroom is a safe haven where students feel respected, valued, and free to express themselves without fear of judgment or failure.
Inclusivity is an important of safety. An inclusive classroom, I believe, is a place where every student regardless of their race, learning style, needs, and physical ability, is given equal and equitable opportunity to learn and thrive. Yes physical accessibility is key but is not not enough, an inclusive classroom should at all time foster a culture of respect, empathy, and collaboration.
5. Differentiate Your Instruction
It goes without saying that students do not learn in same way and in the same pace. They come to class with differing prior knowledge, skill abilities, learning styles, and interests. As a teacher, you need to recognize that the learning experience of each student is unique and that the one-size-fits-all approach is anything but pedagogical. It definitely does not address the multiplicity of student profiles.
Hence the importance of adopting a differentiated instruction approach, an approach centered on customizing your teaching methods to fit various learning styles and needs. For instance, you can incorporate different delivery means including visual aids, audio recordings, interactive digital tools, hands-on activities, among others.
Differentiating instruction involves tailoring your teaching strategies to meet these varied needs. It might mean adjusting the content you teach, the process through which students engage with that content, or the product that students produce to demonstrate their understanding.
Effective differentiated instruction requires an understanding of each student’s readiness level, interest, and learning profile. It’s about ensuring that each student is challenged just the right amount – not too easy to induce boredom, and not too hard to cause frustration. It’s about giving every student an entry point into the learning and a path to success.
6. Keep Learning
As teachers and educators, we are life-long learners. The quest for knowledge should be never-ending because for one human knowledge is evolving rapidly and also because teaching is a dynamic job with new research and methodologies continually emerging.
Look how much learning we did since the introduction of AI technology in education! Tools like ChatGPT, AI-powered tutoring systems, and adaptive learning platforms have revolutionized the way we approach teaching and learning. We’ve had to quickly adapt, learn new tools, and figure out how to integrate them meaningfully into our classrooms. This wave of innovation has shown us just how important it is to stay curious and open to change.
7. Embrace AI
As is apparent by now, AI is here to stay. Generative AI assistants are not going anywhere, they are actually getting improved and are now becoming indispensable tools across various fields, including education. In fact, AI technology is being insanely integrated into the tools we have been using for years such as Google Classroom, Microsoft Teams, Google Drive, learning management systems, and many more.
I always get resistance from a particular portion of teachers and educators around the topic of AI. undeniably, this resistance often stems from valid concerns—fear of over-reliance on technology, ethical implications, or the potential loss of the human touch in teaching. These are critical issues, and addressing them with transparency is key to fostering open dialogue.
That said, we should not let fear blind us to the fact that the AI revolution is just picking pace. It is like a Tsunami wave that keeps growing bigger and bigger and we have only one choice: to ride the wave.
In fact, AI brings incredible opportunities to enhance teaching and learning. For one, it can save teachers significant time by automating repetitive tasks like grading, scheduling, and content generation. This frees teachers to focus on what truly matters: connecting with students and delivering impactful lessons. It also provides tools to support personalized learning, offering tailored feedback and adaptive learning experiences that cater to diverse student needs.
8. Take Care of Yourself
Taking care of oneself is an often overlooked, yet critically important aspect of being an effective teacher. The role of a teacher can be emotionally and physically demanding, with long hours, high-stakes responsibilities, and the emotional labor that comes with caring for and educating a classroom full of students. Amidst these demands, it is essential for teachers to prioritize self-care and maintain a healthy work-life balance to sustain their well-being and prevent burnout.
Conclusion
Teaching is a human-centered calling, a responsibility, and often times an adventure. We are lucky to be in a position where we can shape young minds and raise future leaders, thinkers, and changemakers. Every day in the classroom brings a new opportunity to inspire curiosity, instill confidence, and ignite a love for learning that can last a lifetime. I hope you found the insights I shared with you helpful and I am looking forward to your feedback on our social media websites.
