Becoming a better teacher isn't just about the students you teach, it’s also about increasing your own work satisfaction. That’s why so many educators constantly strive to improve their teaching skills not only as a way ofdoing abetter job producing well-educated members of society, but to build theirownself-esteem through improved work quality. Below are 6 things teachers and educators can do to enhance their personal professional development practices...
1. Focus on the Subject Matter and the Students’ Learning
The main idea of your job is to transfer your knowledge to students in a way that enables them to retain that same knowledge. The best way to improve this is to remember that this work is about the student. Make sure every lesson is focused on each individual child.
2. Try Something New
Don’t restrain yourself from trying a new approach or a new method of teaching. Your students' reactions will help you determine if your approach is working or not. Not only is it the simplest form of enhancing your teaching performance, but it’s also another great way to show your students a side to you they didn’t know existed, keeping things lively and fresh in the classroom.
3. Make Use of Tutoring
Teachers don’t have unlimited time to teach. So relying on good tutors to supplement a student’s educational career can be critical for parents, teachers, and students alike. Finding a quality tutor or tutoring job to supplement your work is always a worthwhile investment.
4. Improve Your Performance
Three ways you can improve your performance include:
Reading & participating – Just as students learn through reading homework assignments, so too should teachers strive to do homework by picking up a good book of their own. Even the best teachers can learn new things through reading and testing various approaches to find what works best for them!
Joining a group to observe &BE observed by your peers – Do you know what fellow teachers at your school are doing? Observation can be key to professional development. Sometimes the best feedback comes directly from the people who know the students in your community best...your peers. Don’t underestimate this essential feedback.
Sharing – Don’t have the opportunity to join an observation group? Simply talking to other teachers, tutors, and professors about your experiences and challenges can reap great rewards. Take advantage of staff meetings and lunch breaks to share what’s working in your classroom to help create a collaborative environment among your colleagues!
5. Don’t Be Afraid of Taking Risks
Loosen up. If you never try something new and exciting, you will never be able to improve your teaching skills. Stepping outside of your comfort zone can be scary, but with great risk comes great rewards. Take a lesson from Thomas Edison when he said, “I didn’t fail...I just found 2000 ways NOT to make a lightbulb!”
6. Present Better Content
The last tip in today’s blog is to focus on how you show and explain the knowledge that you want to transfer to your students. Don’t just rely on the same outdated powerpoint you’ve used year after year. Instead, opt for more hands-on activities or a more modern approach that incorporates the technology they’re already captivated by.
These may not be revolutionary tips that we’ve never heard before, but they’re tips many of us strive to work on in our classrooms day in and day out. Challenge yourself to be a better teacher every single day, and then, tell AAE your success stories so that we can share them with our growing community of professionals.
What tip do YOU have to become a better teacher?
Share it with us in the comments below!
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