“A good teacher can inspire hope, ignite the imagination, and instill a love of learning.”
As teachers, there are multiple things that you have to take care of. Student engagement, classroom management, teaching strategies, and a lot more. Innovative teaching methods have to be employed in the classroom to ensure that the efforts that you put in do not go in vain. Teaching without having a clear plan or strategy is like trying to fill a broken pot. No matter how much you try to make it full, it will always leak out. Innovative teaching methods help to seal the broken pot and make teaching effective.
The impact of innovation in education has been huge. The inclusion of technology has redefined education in more ways than imaginable. Today, we will be looking at some innovative teaching methods that teachers can use in their classrooms to make their lessons more meaningful and interesting. Without further ado, let’s take a look at some of the innovative teaching methods.
Innovative Teaching Methods
1. Technology
Technology in education is a vast topic with a lot of possibilities and opportunities. It is education technology that has made it possible for teachers to make classes more fun and interesting. We know that things are better done than said. Suppose I say that triangle is a figure with three sides, for someone who doesn’t know what a triangle is, they will only get a vague idea. At the same time, when I draw it on the board, understanding is better. With technology, this triangle can be animated, and its 3D figure,i.e., the pyramid can be shown and the understanding will certainly be better. With the use of technology in education such as online teaching tools, animations, etc, teachers can make their classes interactive and make sure that students stay engaged. It helps students to understand the concepts better. The different types of educational technology have made this possible. These types of innovative teaching methods are required to make classes lively.
2. Puzzles and games
The importance of innovative teaching goes beyond words. As mentioned, one of the major issues that teachers face is low engagement from students. Lack of attention and lack of interest brings down the efficiency of learning. Game-based learning is one of the different teaching methods that teachers use to cultivate interest among students. As the name suggests, it is a teaching method that involves games to teach a particular concept or lesson. With the advancement in technology and the numerous online teaching tools available, it is easy to gamify the classroom and lessons. You can include quizzes, buzzer games, and more to ensure that learning is effective. We have discussed in detail mobile applications that are useful for teachers, read it here.
3. Interactive sessions
The biggest mistake a teacher can make is not making their classes interactive. Some teachers find it difficult to interact while taking classes. If you feel that your focus is getting distracted, you can keep aside a different day just for interaction. You can incorporate some interactive activities. You can use brainstorming sessions, group discussions, debates, peer evaluations, or other activities for students to increase the interaction in your classroom. As a teacher, you have to understand the pulse of your students and how they respond to different scenarios and situations. Only then, you can alter your teaching strategies accordingly to cater to each individual student in your classroom.
4. Creative pedagogy
Creative pedagogy is nothing but using creative methods to teach. There are five different approaches to creative pedagogy and they are:
Constructivist pedagogy in teaching is when students construct their understanding of the lesson based on previous knowledge and wisdom along with the teachings that they get from their teacher.
Collaborative pedagogy stresses the notion that students will better engage with writing, critical thinking, and understanding the concepts if they engage and collaborate with others.
Integrative pedagogy is where the theoretical knowledge, practical skills, and self-regulation of the students come together and are merged.
Inquiry-Based Learning urges students to ask questions, inquire, research, and learn by themselves while the teachers guide them, direct them, and give the necessary push and guidelines whenever it is necessary.
5. Storytelling
Stories have a way of penetrating the students’ minds and staying with them for longer durations. No matter what grade you teach, incorporating the storytelling method into teaching will show a marked increase in understanding the concepts better. They will be able to connect with the lessons and relate to it. A complex mathematics problem can be made easy if you build a story around it and as discussed, you can make use of technology and various online teaching tools to animate and visualize your lessons.
Conclusion
There are a lot of teaching methods and depending on the kind of students, you will have to change your approach and strategy. We cannot say that one is better than the other. Choosing the right teaching methodology is important because that decides the effectiveness of learning in your classroom. As teachers, you have to ensure to choose the right innovative methods of teaching. You can choose from the different types of teaching methods based on the demographics of your students, the subject that you teach, and the intensity of the lesson.
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