The Top 5 Teaching Tips

Education is one of the cornerstones of a child's future and the methods of teaching that are used will be instrumental in the absorption of the material being taught to a child. Teaching a child is a significant responsibility and requires both patience and dedication. If you are looking for ideas on how to effectively teach a child, follow these 5 tips:

1. Use Multiple Teaching Approaches

Children all learn in different manners. So, when you are working with your student, use a variety of approaches and activities for each session and each subject matter. Consider lectures, small group discussions, written assignments, videos or online trainings, and even art projects to teach.

2. Be Well Prepared

Teaching requires a substantial amount of preparation ahead of time. Ensure that you have well thought out lesson plans and activities that will engage the student in the learning process. Think about the message that you are trying to communicate and what you would like the student to learn during the session. Also, ensure that you have enough of the required materials and activities ready before you begin teaching.

3. Use Audio and Visual Aids Effectively

In addition to the written assignments and lectures, use audio and visual aids to help students with the comprehension of the materials. You can be creative with overhead slides, movies and the chalkboard to break up a lesson and to emphasize learning objectives. Not only will these materials help to make the lesson more interesting to the students, but it will also work to improve retention and understanding of the subject matter being taught.

4. Use Handouts and Homework

Handouts can be a way to help students to follow along with a particular lecture. Some students learn well with a partially completed handout that requires them to pay attention to what is being verbally communicated. Also, homework can be a great way to continue the learning process and to enhance retention of the material taught during the classroom session. Choose homework that will test understanding and that will add to the material that you taught earlier. Reinforcement of ideas will help to improve academic retention.

5. Check Consistently for Understanding

As you are teaching, be sure to check in with your student to ensure that they are understanding the materials. You can do this by asking open ended discussion questions, by engaging the students in group exercises or other interaction activities and by giving out short comprehension quizzes. Many students will not speak out if they don't understand a particular topic, so the more that you can check in for their understanding, the more effective you will be at teaching a subject matter.