Teaching Practices That Are Effective for All Students

Teachers provide direction and inspiration.

"When a person does not know what harbor he or she is making for, any wind will do," goes an old adage. Great teachers will challenge and inspire students to have an interest in the path they are following. Great teachers put practices in place to help students find what they are to become. Practices that make a difference in the lives of students are engaging and supporting all students, creating and maintaining effective environments, understanding and organizing subject matter and planning instruction and designing learning experiences.

Engaging and Supporting All Students

Students come in all shapes, colors, and levels of ability.

From the student who grasps every concept easily, to the student who struggles with grade-level concepts, the role of the teacher is to support them all. Some students will need more assistance and time to obtain the objectives. The teacher needs to find that time and aid for him, while at the same time, keeping the more capable student challenged and motivated. By focusing on the individual needs of each student, challenging and motivating them to perform at their best level, creating a curriculum that includes all and believing in the success of all, the teacher will engage and support her students.

Creating and Maintaining Effective Environments

Provide an environment to promote learning.

When visitors walk into a teacher's room, they should be able to recognize that much learning is going on. The structure of the room provides opportunities to show the students' learning, with many student-generated displays. A displayed daily schedule informs students of the expectations of the day. Students know the rules of the room, which the teacher has posted. Each schedule allows time for reflection. Structured for learning, the rooms allows students to have access to items. The teacher also has time and a place to take care of managerial duties.

Understanding and Organizing Subject Matter

Before teaching a subject, a teacher needs to understand it.

To teach a subject, teachers need to have knowledge and a valid grasp of the subject matter. The teacher organizes the subject matter by building on the prior knowledge of students, giving them access to new concepts. Teachers also need to provide different and interesting approaches to teaching to keep the students motivated and interested. Additionally, a teacher's goal is to provide chances to apply critical thinking skills in every curriculum area.

Planning Instruction and Designing Learning Experiences

By planning goals for her class, a teacher has a greater chance of achieving them.

Planning instruction involves planning and establishing short-term and long-term goals for students. Inform the students of these goals through the daily agenda and student planners. Teachers need to incorporate lessons that provide support and learning for all students, mindful of lessons that support second language learners and that fit the complexity of the lesson. Establishing lessons that expose the students to diverse viewpoints will provide many opportunities for learning.

References

• Whitman College: Three Cheers for Great Teaching; Thomas Cronin
• Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment: California Standards for the Teaching Profession; 1997
• National Council of Mathematics Teachers: Tips on supporting All Students: Equity and Diversity
• Teachers Network: Focus: An Eyewitness View of the Professional Teaching Standards; Rosemarie Baker-Moore, et al.