It was a fruitful day today. I am grateful for the diversity of teaching practices that my cohort presented. I learned a lot from observing my fellow classmates’ teaching. I have compiled a summary of feedback from the sessions. I have taken out names and any relevant contexts but distilled them down to universal teaching tips which I hope to use as a resource to refer back to for planning and designing.
- Verbal confirmation: It is good to verbally confirm that what the student has done is okay, good, reaffirming the right process. For e.g. “you’re doing great there”, “there is no right or wrong, don’t worry.”
- Co-teaching: to co-opt people in the room to teach with you, verbally rewarding responses from students. For e.g. say thank you to somebody who gave you an answer.
- Admitting mistakes: whenever confusion arises from students, or mistakes being spotted, be very relaxed about the imprecision and confusion. Admitting own mistake has a group bonding and relaxation effect.
- Set ground rules: state your preferences down / set the ground rules, in the first session and early on. For e.g., no phones during session, leave questions at the very end of the session, etc.\
- Accessibility: be mindful of accessibility and inclusivity, in particular invisible disability. Students may not be able to engage in the way you want them to. Always ask before hand and don’t assume.
- Balance: learn to strike a balance between theory and practice. Too much theory makes one lose touch with the practice but practice only without theory lacks substance.
- Physical handouts are a good way of anchoring the sessions
- Timing: think about the time of day or time of year, stage of the students and tailor the balance between interactivity and quiet passive learning.