Effective Teaching Essay Example for Free

Effective Teaching Essay One of the professions that could be interesting on one side yet challenging on the other side is the teaching profession. Many people see teaching as an enterprise where people who are knowledgeable in a field of study transmit what they know to others who know little about that field of study. Generally, this is a misconception as this limits teaching to the content and does not consider actual learning. In the real sense, teaching is all encompassing as it deals with what is being taught, how it is being taught and the entire process of knowledge acquisition. As a teacher or an instructor, one must apply the right methods in disseminating information. There are different instructional methods that work for different set of people. Personally, I would not say that one is better than the other because I believe that all these instructional methods work, depending on the targeted students/participants and how the instructor or teacher can effectively use them. To speak on the whole, teaching is about imparting knowledge or skill and no matter the instructional method you use, the most important thing is that knowledge is being passed across the right way. Therefore, as an instructor, one must understand the student’s need and identify/develop specific methods in order to create an atmosphere that is conducive for learning and that allows the impartation of knowledge and skill. In my years of teaching and instructing, I have come to discover some methods that have worked for me. I have come to identify these instructional methods as vital and thus applied it in my style of teaching. As a teacher, I have come to identify withy these principles as effective and vital to the teaching profession. Although there are many principles that I have incorporated in my style of teaching, I would discuss the ones that I consider the most vital in the following paragraphs. Personally, I am of the notion that effective teaching should take a student centered approach where focus shifts from the instructor to the student. In my classes, I create an atmosphere where the students feel at home and are more involved in the learning process. I have discovered that this helps in the building of their cognitive abilities. I make sure that I do not present myself as the boss in the class, rather I encourage them to participate and allow them make decisions on the pace we go and what is studied. Topics that are treated in class are chosen according to the student’s needs and perceptions. I have monitored the effect that this has on the overall learning process and I have discovered that the students develop better problem solving skills. Furthermore, as a follow-up to the above method, I ensure that students participate more in the learning process. I am able to achieve this by seeking for their opinion about a topic in the start of each class. Apart from this, sometimes I initiate a debate in the class and play the role of an umpire as I hear their opinions. I then pick out relevant points from what they have said and use it as a starting point in introducing the topic to the class. I stipulate it in the class syllabus that class participation will be graded at the end of the course and this will add up to the points. In addition to this, I sometimes break the students into small groups and organize a mini class competition. This has worked greatly as it gives me an insight into their idea about the topic and thus I can be able to correct their misconceptions based on what I have heard them say. This encourages collaborative and group learning and this creates a warm atmosphere in the class. Another thing I do in my class is that I build a sense of curiosity in the students. This gives them the desire to learn more and look forward to what would be taught in the next class. At the end of each class, I give rhetorical questions that are open ended in nature, such that it builds suspense in them and makes them want to know the answers to the questions I give. I also ask them thought provoking questions and sometimes make a captivating statement about what will be introduced in the next class As a teacher, I have recognized that fact that there are different types of students. Some are naturally want to learn and are always ready to explore new possibilities. However, as this is true of some students, some other students are passive learners. When I spot this, a method I use is supporting these types of students to leave their comfort zones and create new possibilities for themselves. I achieve this by guiding their thoughts and making them participate in class. Some students are rather timid because they are scared of contributing the wrong thing in class. This makes them stay in their comfort zones and they seldom participate in class. In such a case I strive to build the confidence of such students and aid them in their thinking process by providing clues for them to hit the right ideas. This method helps them to develop confidence in themselves and come out of their shells to participate in class. In my years of teaching, I have seen students who are timid transform to become major contributors in class. Finally, I have discovered that learning requires a settled mind. Therefore I make sure that I do not becloud the students only with academic work. I make sure that I teach these students how to be successful in life as well as in school. I make them know that I am concerned about them and their welfare but I do not involve myself directly in their affairs. I always give my students a listening ear and operate an open door policy where they can relate better with me. Summarily, teaching could be challenging but there is a joy that comes from the fact that I am imparting knowledge to them. The fulfillment of a teacher or an instructor is exemplified in the good performance of his/her students. Nothing makes me happier than seeing my students perform well and develop mastery in the topics which I have taught them. Reference: Edwards, R. (2001). â€Å"Meeting individual learner needs: power, subject, subjection†. In C. Paechter, M. Preedy, D. Scott, and J. Soler (Eds. ), Knowledge, Power and Learning. London: SAGE.