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Friday, March 13, 2009

Five Habits For Effective Teaching*

photo by dcJohn

Found these tips in an old folder from college (from one of my education courses). I think they're great, so I wanted to share. Perhaps some of you have already heard these, but I think they're worth repeating. 

Whether you're a classroom teacher, a homeschooling parent, a stay-at-home-mom, a babysitter... I think these five habits are applicable in many circumstances.

Here they are:

1. Recycle: Make it Stick. What do you want to make sure they never forget? (Identify the basic truths that need to be repeated weekly or monthly.)

2. Impress: Make it Big. What is the one thing you want them to understand? (Make sure everything keeps pointing to the main thing.)

3. Transition: Make it Flow. How are you going to keep them engaged? (Use strategic words and tools to connect each segment.)

4. Personalize: Make it Real. What can you model for them? (Show them a lesson or struggle from your personal life.)

5. Apply: Make it Fit. What do you want them to walk away and do? (Give them a clear and easy next step.)

"If certain truths really have life-changing potential then we need to be intentional about how we communicate them."

* These five habits are quoted from 252Basics


1 comment:

Mary Katherine Moreland said...

I think these are great five habits for effective teaching. They are all good ways to make sure the students remember what is being taught and learn the main point of a lesson. Recycle is still one way that helps me learn new concepts. If an idea is repeated to a student for a while it is more likely for them to remember it. I also like transition. Although it may be hard to keep all of the students' attention, if the students are not engaged, they are most likely not going to get anything out of it. I think its important for teachers to work on ways to keep kids engaged to their lessons so that they will be more eager to learn. I like personalize, as well. Hearing life experiences are always intriguing and will help the students understand the point more clearly. As a college student majoring in Education, I try hard to implement these five habits of effective teaching.