How Do We Teach?

Teachers use several different methods to try and get their students to understand and comprehend material. But there are two essential components that must be addressed in order for a lesson to be successful. The first is, is the lesson effective? In order for a lesson to be effective, the learning design must help learners become more competent and productive at worthy work. An effective lesson helps students to surpass expectations, in addition to developing greater understanding and self reflection. The second component is, is the lesson engaging? Students find an engaging lesson to be though provoking, fascinating, and energizing. The lesson should be about big important ideas that are relevant to the students' lives. 

When both of these components are combined, teachers find that their lessons are more successful. Some common elements that both of these components share are: setting clear performance goals, a hands-on approach, a focus on interesting and important ideas, obvious real world application, a powerful feedback system, and a personalized approach for different learning styles. 

It is important to let students know where the lesson is headed and why. It is equally important to hook students in the beginning and hold their attention throughout. Students should be provided with time to rethink, revise, and reflect on their ideas. And each lesson should be tailored to meet the needs of all students. 

We should teach using essential questions, and there are four phases in applying the use of essential questions. First, introduce a question designed to cause inquiry. Next, listen to different responses from different students and question these responses. Then, the teacher should introduce and explore new perspectives. Finally, the teacher should reach closure by asking students to generalize their findings and new insights. 

I can remember when I was in high school, my favorite and most meaningful lessons were ones where the teacher used a hands-on approach and then asked us questions at the end of the activity that made us think about what we had learned and reflect on what the activity meant in the bigger picture. I think that allowing students time to reflect is important because it gives them time to process and remember the material.