A classroom consists of students from various walks of life. Each student has a unique personality and a distinct way of thinking and learning new things. A classroom is a dynamic place.
To make learning effective, a teacher has to understand the class and find out creative and innovative ways of teaching. It is impossible to have one strategy that is suitable for all students but a teacher needs to find proper techniques that will be effective for all.
It is often seen that students learn better with interactive lessons - lessons that provide hands-on experience. Nobody likes a boring class, so teachers are often encouraged to make their lessons interesting by adding practical learning experiences.
To create an effective learning experience for students, a teacher must come up with a blend of different kinds of interesting activities. Creating an intriguing lesson can be challenging, so finding trendy ways and implementing them will help teachers deal with difficult situations.
Before beginning practical classes, think about what your students are looking forward to learning from those sessions. Also, pay attention to what you might think is important for students to learn from a specific lesson.
Here are 7 tips that will help you make your class interactive.
1.Visualization
Bringing boring academic concepts to life will change the mood of the whole classroom. Add visuals and practical learning experiences to show your learners how things are in the real world.
Use photos, videos, and audio clips to show students stories related to concepts. Plan a field trip and encourage your students to participate in class activities.
2.Cooperative Learning
Group activities are the best option for practical teaching techniques. Students with mixed abilities come and work together towards one goal, which results in an interactive learning experience.
Discussion of ideas in front of the class or groups also helps in improving self-confidence, communication and critical-thinking skills.
Give the students a chance to solve mathematical puzzles or conduct short dramas and scientific experiments to help incorporate the cooperative learning method in class.
3.Inquiry-based Instruction
Questions are like the stepping stones to success. A curious mind always learns more, and inquiry-based instruction encourages students to think for themselves. It is a practical teaching technique that improves problem-solving skills of learners.
This strategy involves math- or science-based questions. But, it can also consist of subjective questions which relate to expressing one’s unique views on a specific topic.
4.Differentiation
A classroom is filled with students with different learning abilities. Differentiation is a practical teaching method that ensures that every student feels included - planning classroom activities or creating worksheets as per a student’s learning needs. For example, you can be providing appropriate support to individuals who are struggling and adding complexity for individuals who have higher academic capabilities.
5.Technology in Classroom
We live in the 21st century, and adding technology to the classroom will only increase the effectiveness of practical teaching. Instead of blackboards, teachers can use mobile devices to display videos and images. This method also helps in the visualization of academic concepts.
Devices like mobiles and tablets can be used by students to take notes and photos, record videos or watch them.
6. Behavior Management
A teacher can have an effective practical teaching class only when strong behavior management strategies are put in place. Behavior management also helps in giving equal chances to every student so that they reach their full potential.
Noise and disruption in a classroom will hinder the development of a good learning environment. A facilitator must have a good combination of discipline and reward, as this will benefit both the student and the teacher.
Behavior management examples include reward charts for younger students or golden time can also be used for students of all ages.
7.Professional Development
It is important that teachers also engage in professional development programs to enhance their skills and learn new things.
As educational policies are constantly changing, gaining inspiration from other teachers and learning some of their tricks and tips will be helpful. Practical teaching experience will be enhanced if a teacher keeps learning too.
The pandemic has ushered in many changes in the educational system and almost everything has gone online.
Here are a few tips on practical teaching for online classrooms.
1.Choosing the Right Platform to Conduct Your Class
Online teaching totally depends on the use of technology. There are several platforms that can be used for teaching. With the pandemic, a large number of apps have been released for conducting practical classes online.
Choosing the right platform depends on your requirements. A few parameters that you should consider while picking the right platform for you are the size of your class, chatbox, mute and unmute features, screen-sharing ability, breakout room feature, and so on.
2.Ensuring Communication Is Clear
Communication is the most challenging part of an online classroom environment. To make an online class successful, the facilitator has to make sure there is clear communication throughout the session.
Make sure that the microphone is connected properly. Try to speak slowly and clearly to ensure everyone can listen and understand.
3.Creating an Engaging Environment
It is crucial to keep your learners engaged throughout the online session. Keeping the class interactive will help overcome this issue. There are many platforms that help in encouraging interaction among students.
4.Using Diverse Content
Only one type of content will bore the learners after a point of time. The use of diverse content always helps in keeping students engaged, be it in a physical or online classroom. Using storybooks, games, visuals, and cartoons will be great additions to any online lesson.
5.Providing Feedback
Along with grading students, it is always a good thing to provide personalized feedback to each of them. Try conducting time-based, one-on-one feedback sessions for each student. This encourages students to know where they need improvement.
These tips on practical teaching are sure to add the necessary colors to your classroom. Stay tuned to this space for more interesting tips and tricks for teachers.
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