Sometimes, teaching can feel like a routine that needs some fresh energy and creativity. Whether you are facing a slump, a challenge, or a new opportunity, there are ways to boost your teaching and make it more engaging, effective, and enjoyable. Here are some ideas to inspire you.
One of the easiest ways to boost your teaching is to experiment with something new. It could be a new tool, a new method, a new topic, or a new perspective. For example, you could use an online platform to create interactive quizzes, games, or videos for your students. Or you could try a flipped classroom approach, where you assign the lectures as homework and use the class time for discussions, activities, or projects. Or you could introduce a new theme or a guest speaker that relates to your subject. Trying something new can spark your curiosity, challenge your assumptions, and motivate your students.
"When enhancing my teaching methodology, I integrate storytelling to elucidate the concepts I aim to impart, supplementing with relevant real-world examples. Additionally, I employ mnemonic devices to facilitate understanding of complex topics. Concluding each session with a comprehensive revision aids in solidifying the learning experience, ensuring students retain the material covered during class."
If your teaching needs a boost, you could try incorporating interactive activities, using multimedia resources, seeking feedback from students, collaborating with colleagues for fresh ideas, or attending professional development workshops.
Follow these steps to boost teaching effectiveness: 1. Engage in continuous professional development. 2. Integrate technology into teaching practices. 3. Use varied instructional strategies. 4. Provide constructive feedback to students. 5. Foster a positive learning environment. 6. Collaborate with colleagues for sharing ideas and resources. 7. Reflect on teaching practices for improvement. 8. Build positive relationships with students.
The first time I realized my students were bored in class, I immediately said, "Let's do something different." They ended up writing amazing song parodies about the most memorable things they've learned in class and ever since then, if I get frustrated about something in the classroom, we change course and we do something else. Sometimes they decide, sometimes I decide, and sometimes it's consensus but the point is: We always end up having more fun, learning more, and liking the class more. <3
Teaching is an art. You must improvise regularly to be a role model and give your students the best. Whatever you teach is surely available at some or other places; however, as a teacher, what you add value to is by giving your students the best content and, at the same time, explaining the same thing in a much easier manner. The best way to boost your teaching is to introduce practical experiments.
Another way to boost your teaching is to ask for feedback from your students, colleagues, or mentors. Feedback can help you identify your strengths and areas for improvement, as well as your students' needs and preferences. You can use various methods to collect feedback, such as surveys, polls, interviews, focus groups, or peer observations. You can also ask for feedback at different stages of your teaching, such as before, during, or after a lesson, unit, or course. Asking for feedback can help you adjust your teaching, improve your performance, and build rapport with your audience.
When teaching needs a boost I believe we should start reflecting what must be changed or improved. Routine is good but we always need some creativity! I would start thinking about some new and interacting activities which involve students’ participation. I have seen the most simple strategies are sometimes the best way to enhance or recover motivation. Asking for advice is always helpful and taking into consideration the students ‘ feedback can ignite our understanding about what else we need to do in the classroom. I believe our attitude while teaching makes a huge difference and this is maybe the first aspect we should consider.
I like to give my MS students “stop-start-continue” surveys. I ask them on a form: -Which instructional practices would you liked to see stopped? -Which instructional practices would you like to see started? -Which instructional practices would you like to see continued? The value from these surveys reliably pays dividends or identifies blind spots each semester.
One thing I have found helpful is to ask for feedback from students and colleagues after the lessons. This helps to get genuine responses.
Feedbacks from your students helps you to identify areas where you need to make improvements. They will also help you reflect on what you need to change, improve or retain.
Solicitar feedback é essencial na metodologia ativa, pois permite ao educador ajustar suas estratégias didáticas e atender às necessidades dos alunos. Isso fortalece a cultura de aprendizado colaborativo. Coletar feedback de várias fontes e em diferentes momentos do processo de ensino n?o só melhora a qualidade da educa??o, mas também demonstra aos alunos que suas opini?es s?o valorizadas, promovendo um ambiente educacional dinamico e adaptativo..
A third way to boost your teaching is to collaborate with others who share your passion and goals. Collaboration can help you learn from others, share resources, generate ideas, and solve problems. You can collaborate with other teachers in your school, department, or network, or with other professionals or experts in your field. You can also collaborate with your students, by involving them in co-designing, co-teaching, or co-evaluating your lessons. Collaboration can help you expand your network, enhance your skills, and enrich your teaching.
I talk to my colleagues and ask for their feedback. I invite them to come to my class and observe certain aspects of my teaching. Peer-to-peer evaluation should be used to provide formative and summative feedback for teacher performance, as long as there is a process for improvement and evidence of growth.
La colaboración entre colegas es fundamental en cualquier ámbito; sin embargo, algunos sistemas educativos no la favorecen. Cuando las autoridades escolares hacen evaluaciones individuales de los profesores y consideran individualmente valores como la innovación o el "control de grupo", generan una competencia sin sentido entre el personal docente. Los profesores protegen sus mejores prácticas antes que compartirlas, lo cual va en detrimento de todos. Es mejor establecer metas comunes y celebrar a las personas por compartir y formar a otros, antes que favorecer las practicas individualistas.
Collaborating with all the stakeholders of academic processes is one of the most effective methods, in such cases. It really helps one a lot to identify the causes of problem origination amd the possible techniques to address those to eradicate or eliminate those.
In my experience, working with colleagues to both motivate and modify my practice is the best way to move static practice in both leadership and teaching.
The greatest asset a teacher can tap into are their colleagues. I think also a visit to another school with clear intention of what you want to learn will also boost morale, energy, and provide great professional learning.
A fourth way to boost your teaching is to reflect on your practice regularly and systematically. Reflection can help you examine your beliefs, values, and assumptions, as well as your actions, outcomes, and feedback. You can use various tools to facilitate your reflection, such as journals, portfolios, blogs, or podcasts. You can also use various models or frameworks to guide your reflection, such as the What? So what? Now what? cycle, or the Gibbs reflective cycle. Reflection can help you gain insights, make connections, and plan for change.
Set clear learning objectives:clearly define your learning objectives for each lesson to help students understands what is expected of them. Reflect on your teaching style :Consider what worked well in the past and areas where you could improve. Also check on student's feedback. Professional development Seek feedback Use active learning strategies Peer observation
I've been thinking this year about this exact question. I needed to bring a spark into teaching, helping and encouraging my teams. So, I decided to go back to the basics and become a student again in a few things, diving into something completely out of my comfort zone. Experiencing the challenges and excitement of learning firsthand has really helped me see things from a different perspective. It's sparking a lot of new ideas and approaches for me personally.
Reflecting on your practice is important for growth and improvement in teaching. When you systematically review your methods, outcomes, and feedback, you can uncover insights that might not be apparent in the day-to-day flow of teaching. Using tools like journals or blogs can make this process tangible and trackable over time. Reflective models, such as the "What? So what? Now what?" cycle, provide a structured way to break down experiences, analyze their impact, and plan actionable changes. This approach not only helps in honing your teaching strategies but also in aligning them more closely with your students' learning needs, ultimately leading to a more effective and engaging educational experience.
Reflection is key. Debreif on critical incidents as frequent as possible. When possible, debreif with another person who was apart of the experience or is aware of the experience you are reflecting on. Only through lessons/reflection of our past can we be better.
I like to pay attention to the feedback from participants and align that with current data trends. This allows me time to reflect on new approaches, while assessing the current techniques that I use.
A fifth way to boost your teaching is to seek professional development opportunities that suit your needs and interests. Professional development can help you update your knowledge, acquire new skills, or explore new trends. You can access various forms of professional development, such as courses, workshops, webinars, podcasts, books, or articles. You can also choose various modes of professional development, such as online, face-to-face, synchronous, or asynchronous. Seeking professional development can help you stay relevant, confident, and inspired.
This is one key area to NEVER NEGLECT. This is because the classroom is never static, you will get to encounter different types of learners and it takes a really informed instructor to cater for the needs of learners with diverse needs and learning styles. Now, let me add that the aim of professional development is not to teach better per say, but to become a better person yourself in order to lead your learners effectively through the teaching-learning process.
One thing I've found helpful is attending conferences and events where I can connect with other educators and share best practices and strategies for success in the classroom as we continue to grow and learn.
Boosting my teaching isn't just about delivering lessons; it's about constantly evolving and learning alongside my students. Despite my extensive experience spanning nearly two decades, I'm always hungry for new knowledge and fresh perspectives. That's why I'm currently diving into two different courses, eager to explore innovative teaching methods and strategies. By immersing myself in ongoing professional development, I ensure that my teaching remains dynamic and impactful, empowering my students to thrive in an ever-changing world. Not to mention the networking capabilities that come from a community of teachers learning together.
I update my teaching materials by including more engaging activities in my lesson plans. Sometimes, it's not just the students who get bored – I find myself losing interest too. Using the same study material repeatedly tends to dull its appeal for me. I truly enjoy teaching when it challenges both my students and myself. To keep things fresh, I regularly experiment with new teaching methods and approaches to ensure that my classes remain interesting and stimulating.
Once I find out my teaching needs a boost, I deliberately invest in Studying more, consulting with industry actors in my field to align my thoughts on key concepts to conventional realities to sharpen my engagement skills and I also apply freshly acquired techniques/ strategies ( flip learning). Another key is building acceptable professional networks
A sixth way to boost your teaching is to celebrate your achievements, both big and small. Celebrating your achievements can help you acknowledge your efforts, appreciate your progress, and reward yourself. You can celebrate your achievements in various ways, such as by sharing them with others, displaying them in your workspace, or treating yourself to something special. You can also celebrate your students' achievements, by giving them feedback, recognition, or incentives. Celebrating your achievements can help you boost your morale, motivation, and satisfaction.
Avec ma collègue responsable du département d'espagnol, nous réalisons en fran?ais et en espagnol le festival du court métrage réalisé par les étudiants BBA internationaux et Master dont le thème varie chaque année. Cette année. C'est le 7ème festival. Nous avons commencé le premier en 2018 Michel VERNEUIL
Celebrate your achievements: Acknowledge and celebrate your wins, big or small. A positive mindset fuels motivation and inspires continued growth.
Celebrating achievements, both big and small, boosts morale, acknowledges progress, and fosters a positive teaching environment.
I have taught students my whole career. I have been human that whole time as well. To be honest, I’m sure there have been days/weeks of lessons that were lack luster due to my own insecurities, stresses and self doubt. Just YESTERDAY of me writing this post, I was in a special education meeting where the over worked instructional strategist nearly burst into tears claiming she is failing. We are so hard on teachers. If a doctor makes a mistake, it’s implied they did all they could to help. When a student is falling behind, we pile on the guilt? I wonder how our teaching lives and students learning would be impacted by teachers who supported each other & celebrated wins of all sizes regularly and often? Probably pretty good!
Celebrating ones achievements is a vital tool in boosting teaching as well as A motivation to keep doing ones best. Either small wins or Big wins, I never stop celebrating them.
A proper Feedback --- Deep Analysis ---- Roadmap to update self ---deliver the change---- gets a growth---- gets a success ----- that's final progress
Don't forget self-care: Prioritize your well-being. Schedule breaks, recharge outside of work, and engage in activities that bring you joy. A refreshed educator fosters a more positive learning environment.
Asking a professional and trusted colleague in your area to come and observe your class can in most cases help. It’s also good to ask him or her to review your syllabus and lesson plans for a constructive and practical feedback.
Ask your students! I love research, developing new content knowledge, and honing instructional practice. But ultimately we don’t teach subjects, we teach students. We have just as much to learn from them as they have to learn from us.
Another point that should be considered to boost your teaching is to draw connections between course material and its real-world application.This approach not only captivates students’ interest but also fosters a deeper understanding of the subject matter. By integrating real-life examples that resonate with students’ experiences or current events, you can illuminate the relevance of academic concepts.?