Effective Teaching reflects a combination of sound teaching techniques, knowledge of the subject, enthusiasm for teaching, and sensitivity to one’s own personal characteristics.
Preparation for teaching. Being prepared to teach involves knowing what to teach and knowing how to teach it. In general, knowing what to teach will come from a combination of one’s expertise in the subject, content outline or syllabus, and careful pre-class preparations. Knowing how to teach will come from a study of effective teaching methods.
Dimensions of effective teaching. These include knowledge of the subject to be taught, organization and preparation for teaching, instructional delivery skills, evaluation skills, and enthusiasm for teaching. The first four dimensions are learned through formal study. Enthusiasm for teaching is very sensitive as personal attitude. It can be enhanced through the study of teaching theory and methodology.
Knowledge of the subject. Three subjects related prerequisites for effective teaching are breadth of knowledge, being up-to-date in the subject field, and the ability to analyze and present concepts.
Organization and preparation. The ability to organize information in a course syllabus considers constraints of time, place, student expectancies, available resources, and/or teacher limitations. To provide for flexibility, class preparation should focus on most important topics, enrich the topic with materials and activities, and allow reasonable time for student questions. Class morale is generally highly sensitive to teacher preparation and punctuality.
Instructional delivery skills. Adequate knowledge of the subject and sufficient class preparation are critical factors to effective teaching. The attentiveness of the students, the accessibility of the teacher for giving individual assistance, the physical comfort of the learning environment, the creative classroom participation of the students through questioning skills, and the sophisticated instructional aids increase the effectiveness instruction. (http://www.twice.edu/o-grad/gtamanual/teaching.html#other).
Parkay (1998) added that some characteristics of effective teaching are that it focuses on outcomes which are the results or consequences of teaching. Outcomes include clear goals, objectives, and performance tasks that students are to master. Teachers modify their instruction based on assessments of students’ understanding. In addition to traditional tests, teachers use authentic, portfolio, and performance assessments.
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