Teaching Techniques and Strategies: The Ways I Choose to Teach

Problem: Pure lecture assumes that students are passive receivers of knowledge, blank slates with no prior knowledge. Using only one teaching method assumes all student learn effectively in one way.

My strategies have largely been outlined in previous entries. Some general teaching strategies included interdependent group projects, connecting content with real problems found in the community, having a concept focus of units, using various modes of learning (multiple intelligences) to ensure every student has access to info, using whole class dialogue/discussion, students learning from one another in various ways. All of these are strategies to differentiate my lesson planning to connect with different groups of students, and they make up my tool bag of teaching techniques. Underlying my use of all of these strategies are two main understandings that I must have in mind when choosing my teaching strategy:

1. Knowledge is constructed by the students, so they must be actively involved with any learning activity I prescribe. If students are not learning, it is my job to figure out a way they can connect and learn.
2. Every student has different needs, some of which need more specific strategies within a lesson plan designed to connect with different students. These specific strategies are called accommodations, and may be planned for students with disabilities, students who are learning English as a second language, or students who are gifted and get bored. Accommodations may also be spur of the moment decisions to change a plan for one student to facilitate his/her learning.

While specific accommodations abound for making the learning accessible for all students, I cannot address them here. What I can address is the mind frame that a teacher must have when deciding on instructional strategies. Teachers must believe every student can learn (high expectations) and that it is the teacher's job to ensure that happens. This goes back to the relationship of a teacher with students. It was summarized by the phrase 'caring.' Well, one instructional strategy with all students is a non-example of care. A teacher who cares about students and their learning will reflect on a strategy used and always seek to revise it to connect more fully with all students. Strategy selection, then, is fluid and based on how to engage the students most fully with learning.

My self-assessment Rubric: Does my Strategy engage students in Learning?

Problematic

• I use one strategy that seems to work for a lot of my students

Working on it

• I attend to student preferences and use various strategies that connect with various students

Transformative

• I intentionally teach to the various modes of learning of my students
• I accommodate for specific needs of students with disabilities, ELLs, and gifted students
• I reflect on my strategies and revise based on student learning