Confessions from the Couch » What are your best teaching strategies?

What are your best teaching strategies?

My department chair (as ordered by our principal) has asked everyone to write down their best teaching strategies/practices. I don’t know what mine is. I am desperately struggling on this. So here is what I am planning on submitting:

Review Games—I design games/activities in which students are motivated to recall the information in class. Students get active After these games, students score drastically better on exams.
Graphic Organizers—I use them to help student organize information taught in the lessons
Q & A—Students use dry erase boards to answer questions about the lesson.

To me these strategies don’t seem like they are something that are best practices. These are things that work for me and keep my children engaged. I am hoping that they are happy with these responses.

I am sick of school already. I can’t wait for May. I can’t wait for cheer season to be over. I am desperate for this year to roll by quickly.

______________________

In other news:

Although, I am planning to say no to marriage; I can’t get this man off my mind. I loved him when we were dating. I imagine the rekindling we’ve been doing is making me love him again. I still can’t say I’m passionate about him or head over hills, but I think about him a lot! Maybe, it is just infatuation—maybe I should make a list about it! LOL.

a personal life?, lesson planning | Miss Teacha | August 27, 2007 4:28 pm

8 Comments

By Margaret, August 27, 2007 @ 5:47 pm

Games work great for me too, as do warm-up or bell work activities. I give participation points, so the students have to use or discuss the material. I’m already sick of school and I haven’t even started, except for teacher days!
By Repairman, August 27, 2007 @ 9:46 pm

What are best instructional practices but those classroom activities that engage students and give frequent opportunities for processing of information and student-involved classroom assessment?

At the risk of sounding like your doctor prescribing a stress reliever, be fearless and contribute what works for you.

Some of the biggest surprises I ever got as a teacher were when an administrator, doing the drop-in thing, would write me a note telling me how fantastic this [insert instructional term du jour] was, and how effective that [insert another one] was. I wasn’t always current with the jargon, but I knew I was effective.

I’m not advocating letting your craft stagnate, but never sell yourself short.

Those strategies you listed above are top-drawer. (I’m a big fan of mind-mapping for everything from ideating to taking notes, and problem-solving.)

In the “Other News” department, well, life’s unpredictable, isn’t it. Be happy, but keep your lists handy!
By HappyChyck, August 27, 2007 @ 11:59 pm

We had to list some of our best practices last year, too. I think it may have been for some accountability report. The things you listed were also on our lists.
By Repairman, August 28, 2007 @ 12:42 am

I suppose I should have said, when the admin dropped in, I generally didn’t know what they were talking about, but if they were happy, great!

It took me a while to catch up, but now I understand what they were talking about.
By frumteacher, August 28, 2007 @ 3:35 am

So maybe you need some more time to decide about what you want from Mr. Preacha? The proposal shouldn’t cause you to force a decision that you are not yet ready to take!

As for teaching styles, today I used to student information cards you put on your blog. It struck me how many different learning styles children in one class on one level have. It also amazed me that many of them actually prefer to work alone, in stead of in a group. I guess there isn’t one teaching style that will please all students. What I want to try this year is use various styles, so that every student will have something that helps him or her learn better.
By Eileen, August 28, 2007 @ 8:20 am

It sounds to me like one of your major teaching strategies is to make learning FUN. (through the use of games, and whatnot).

Eileen
By Cristy, July 28, 2010 @ 12:24 pm

I wold say that there is more structure needed in your classroom. Our kids already know how to play games. Cristy
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