Teaching is an incredibly rewarding yet challenging profession. As a teacher, you have the ability to truly make a difference in your students’ lives. While there is no one-size-fits-all approach to teaching, here are 10 key pieces of advice for teachers to help guide you in your classroom:
1. Build Strong Relationships with Your Students
One of the most important things you can do as a teacher is build strong, positive relationships with your students. Get to know them as individuals and show them you care about more than just their academic performance. When students feel a personal connection with their teacher, they are more likely to be engaged and motivated to learn. Take time to have real conversations with students, learn about their interests, and find ways to relate curriculum to their lives. A strong teacher-student relationship fosters trust and an environment where students feel comfortable asking for help.
2. Create an Organized, Structured Classroom Environment
Students thrive in classrooms that are well-organized and have clear routines and procedures. Set up your classroom in a deliberate way with thought given to traffic flow, seating arrangements, and resources. Establish clear rules and daily schedules. Routines and structure help students know what to expect, allowing them to focus on learning. A disorganized classroom can lead to off-task behaviors and wasted time. Take time to train students on classroom systems until routines become habit.
3. Make Your Lessons Relevant and Engaging
Students are more attentive when they understand the purpose behind what they are learning. Make lessons meaningful by relating concepts to students’ interests, lives outside of school, current events, and future goals. Incorporate hands-on activities, group work, games, visual aids, technology, and open-ended questions to get students actively participating. Engaging multiple learning modalities keeps students focused and motivated. Bored, apathetic learners will find it hard to succeed.
4. Differentiate Instruction to Reach All Learners
Students come to you with various backgrounds, skill levels, and learning needs. Effective teachers differentiate instruction to meet the needs of all learners. Strategies include tiered assignments, flexible grouping, learning stations, varied pacing, supplements like visual aids or translation devices, and 1-on-1 remediation. Recognize that fairness is not giving every student the same thing but giving each student what they need to thrive. Observe your students closely to identify when to differentiate.
5. Model Enthusiasm for Learning
As a teacher, you set the tone for the classroom. When you demonstrate enthusiasm for your subject area and for learning in general, your passion is contagious. Get excited about what you teach and let your natural curiosity shine through. Share inspiring stories and anecdotes that bring lessons to life. Your zeal motivates students to get excited as well. Make learning fun and celebrate those “aha!” moments with students. Your attitude impacts your students’ attitude.
6. Promote Critical Thinking, not Just Memorization
While memorization has its place, true learning occurs when students think critically. Pose probing questions that push students beyond basic recall. Have them apply concepts in new contexts, analyze information, evaluate sources, synthesize ideas, infer cause and effect, make predictions, problem-solve, compare and contrast, etc. Higher-order thinking skills help information stick. Ensure assessments evaluate critical thought in addition to content knowledge. Develop thinkers, not just test takers.
7. Give Regular Feedback and Offer Ways to Improve
Students thrive when they receive frequent, specific feedback versus only getting a grade on an assignment. Provide constructive critiques that detail what they did well and areas needing improvement. Point out strong paragraphs or problem-solving techniques. Share exemplars. Give time in class for peer review. Allow do-overs on certain assignments. Help students set learning goals to build growth mindsets. Feedback, when presented positively, helps students continuously progress.
8. Employ Cooperative, Interactive Learning Structures
Lecturing non-stop is unengaging and ineffective. Incorporate evidence-based cooperative and collaborative approaches where students interact and learn together. Group projects, peer tutoring, Socratic seminars, jigsaw activities, think-pair-share, and gallery walks are just a few examples. Social learning improves communication skills and gives students ownership. Keep groups small and assign roles to ensure accountability. Interactive learning leads to deeper understanding.
9. Maintain High Expectations for All Students
Both low and excessively high expectations negatively impact student outcomes. Maintain high expectations that are realistic yet push students slightly beyond what they think they can achieve. Scaffold challenging concepts and differentiate to support student success. Convey your confidence in students’ abilities but have them take responsibility for their learning. Demand effort, participation, persistence, and a growth mindset. With your guidance, students learn they are capable of more than they realized.
10. Reflect on Your Practice and Seek Improvement
Excellent teachers constantly reflect, evaluate, and strengthen their practice over time. Videotape yourself teaching to spot strengths and areas to refine. Survey students anonymously for constructive feedback. Regularly analyze student work products and assessment data to see where more instruction or reteaching is needed. Seek help from instructional coaches, veteran educators, and online teacher communities. Attend trainings; read books, articles, and teacher blogs to grow professionally. The best teachers know there is always more to learn.
Teaching is incredibly complex. From lesson planning and classroom management to interacting with students and assessing their progress, there are countless components. While teaching requires continuous effort and problem-solving, these 10 key pieces of advice can guide you towards becoming your best as an educator. Focus on what is within your control. With dedication to your students, passion for your craft, and reflective habits to hone your skills, you have the immense power to make a lifelong impact.
