On the 5th of October 2014 was the official World
Teachers Day. So we decided to put our focus this month to the same topic and
appreciate the art of teaching.
There are different ways in educating a child and students
learn in very different ways. So as a teacher it is important to know different
teaching techniques, in order to reach all students. All of our seven classes
in Flora Tristan are in the afternoons, so the volunteers need to know how to
get their students motivated that late in the day. The following five tips may help anybody who
is considering starting a volunteer teaching position or who has already started one.
1. SIMPLY EXERCISE
It helps to do a little bit
of exercise before the classes start. A few jumping jacks or stretches will do
and will aid to stimulate the brain effectively.
2. ROUTINE BREAKER
Do not have the same routines in your classroom every day, as students may loose their interest and get bored easily. Just changing seats every time, as well as changing the way of teaching will help. The main idea is to shift between lecturing, reading, audiovisuals, demonstration, discussion and teaching others, to create a different and exciting routine every single day.3. PROFESORITA - COOPERATIVE ENVIRONMENT
Let the kids help and work with each other. This way the students can show their learned skills and memorize through collaboration. Instead of getting bored, really good students can show their leadership and perform skills as a little assisting teacher, a profesorita.
4. MAKE ME A BETTER TEACHER
Everybody feels more appreciated if you play with open cards. So why not let the kids teach you and ask them directly for an evaluation on your teaching methods. They may have suggestions that you have not even considered. Getting feedback from students can be a great way to change your teaching to the best.5. RESPECT UNIQUE TALENTS AND DIFFERENT WAYS OF LEARNING
There are three different learning types: auditory, visual, and kinesthetic. Students most likely learn best through a combination of all three of them. But still, not everybody is the same. Consequently it is essential that teachers know different techniques and steps to reach every student. Teachers have to balance time wise and not tailor the students to the slowest and fastest kid. Slow students still have the opportunity to catch up through homework help or practice sheets.
Written by Charlette Voss
