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Feature Stories

Cover Story | Delivering Instructions Effectively | Phrasing Questions Appropriately | Good to Great
Learning by Doing | Why Do Teachers Ask Questions

Cover Story: Increasing Educator Effectiveness

By Jeri Mattics Omernik

As the world’s knowledge base expands at exponential rates, the role teachers play in our society is more important than ever. To be effective, today’s teachers must continuously update and upgrade, not only their knowledge of technical content, but also their teaching skills and techniques.

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Kris Elliott works with his students outside of the classroom.

The good news is that recent advances in understanding how we learn are providing helpful insight into the techniques teachers can implement to more effectively engage learners, thus increasing their learning potential. We have witnessed an explosion of information from the fields of cognitive science, neuroscience and educational research over the past three decades that, when applied to education, can have a powerful impact on our effectiveness as educators.

However, to reap the benefits of this information, teachers must take purposeful steps to improve their skills and techniques. Educators must reach out and seek coaching and other forms of feedback that highlight what they’re doing well and where improvements can be made, which presents an interesting dichotomy.

Teachers are used to being in the “authority” position and often find it difficult, not to mention intimidating and uncomfortable, to intentionally put themselves in the “learner” role and proactively seek critical input. Bridging this very human barrier is often the key to continuous improvement.

Kris Elliott, who teaches agriculture in Hanford, Calif., says, “Seeking feedback on my teaching skills wasn’t easy. However, swallowing my pride and asking for input has been very beneficial for me. That’s how we as teachers can hone our skills.”

Think about it this way: The world’s best athletes don’t just get out of bed and have championships handed to them. They rely on coaches to help them in their training to build both outer and inner strength. Even Tiger Woods has a coach, and he purposefully invests significant time and effort in practice and training.

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“I refuse to let anyone outwork me. That's the reason I log so much time on the practice range. Besides, hard work is the only way to maintain a competitive edge, and I enjoy the process. The key, though, is to practice with a purpose.

“My philosophy has always been to identify the weakest part of my game and focus on turning it into a strength. That approach will work for you, too. Make an honest assessment of your game, and determine where you're losing most of your strokes. Find a professional to help you identify your flaw and provide the correct instruction to fix it. Then tailor your practice sessions so most of your time is spent on improving that part of your game. That's the fastest way to get results.” Tiger Woods, Source: Be honest: Where does your game need help?

What teacher out there feels he or she is as proficient at teaching as Tiger is at golf? Can we, as educators, take a page out of Tiger’s playbook and apply it to our profession? By purposefully seeking out coaching and consciously investing time and effort in improving our teaching skills, the answer is a definitive, “Yes, we can!”

This edition of Making a Difference focuses on teacher effectiveness and provides proven tips and techniques from teachers in the field to help you improve your “game.”

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Let’s take Tiger’s advice and identify areas in need of strengthening. Do your students usually understand the instructions you give, or do you constantly find yourself answering questions about the instructions you just delivered? If this sounds familiar, click here to learn more about Delivering Instructions Effectively.

What about how you ask your students questions? Do you consciously think about Phrasing Questions Appropriately? Here are some additional ideas that can help you move your teaching skills along the continuum from “Good to Great.”

Ready to tackle a whole new way of teaching? Inquiry-based teaching techniques can take you and your students to a whole new level of learning. Find out more by reading Learning by Doing.