Teaching Strategies
Lesson 3 of 6 - Instructional Approaches & 21st Century Methods
Effective Teaching Strategies
Effective teachers use a variety of strategies to engage students and promote learning. The choice of strategy depends on learning objectives, student needs, and content.
Principles of Effective Teaching
- Match strategy to learning objectives
- Consider student readiness and prior knowledge
- Promote active engagement
- Provide feedback and support
- Use variety to maintain interest
📖Instructional Approaches
Deductive Approach
General to Specific (Rule → Example)
- Present the rule/concept
- Explain with examples
- Students apply the rule
- Practice and reinforcement
Best for: Abstract concepts, limited time
Inductive Approach
Specific to General (Example → Rule)
- Present examples/cases
- Students analyze patterns
- Students derive the rule
- Apply to new situations
Best for: Discovery learning, critical thinking
Direct Instruction
Teacher-centered, explicit, structured teaching
I Do
Teacher models
We Do
Guided practice
You Do
Independent practice
Indirect Instruction
Student-centered, inquiry-based, facilitative
- Problem-Based Learning
- Case Studies
- Discovery Learning
- Inquiry-Based Learning
🌐21st Century Teaching Methods
Differentiated Instruction
Tailoring instruction to meet individual student needs
Content
What students learn
Process
How they learn it
Product
How they demonstrate learning
Environment
Where/how learning occurs
Flipped Classroom
Students learn content at home; class time for application
At Home
Watch videos, read materials
In Class
Discussion, activities, practice
Project-Based Learning (PBL)
Students work on real-world projects over extended time
- Authentic, meaningful tasks
- Student voice and choice
- Collaboration and teamwork
- Reflection and revision
- Public presentation of work
Inquiry-Based Learning
Students investigate questions and problems
- Ask questions
- Investigate and gather data
- Analyze findings
- Draw conclusions
- Share and reflect
Cooperative Learning
Structured group work with shared goals
Positive Interdependence: "Sink or swim together"
Individual Accountability: Each member responsible
Face-to-Face Interaction: Direct communication
Social Skills: Teamwork, communication
Group Processing: Reflection on effectiveness
❓Questioning Techniques
Levels of Questions (Bloom's Taxonomy)
Questioning Strategies
Wait Time
Pause 3-5 seconds after asking a question to allow thinking
Think-Pair-Share
Think individually, discuss with partner, share with class
Cold Calling
Call on students randomly to keep everyone engaged
Probing
Follow-up questions to deepen understanding
Socratic Questioning
Dialogue-based questioning to stimulate critical thinking
- Clarifying questions: "What do you mean by...?"
- Probing assumptions: "What are you assuming?"
- Probing evidence: "What evidence supports this?"
- Probing viewpoints: "What's an alternative view?"
- Probing implications: "What would happen if...?"
🎯Active Learning Strategies
Jigsaw
Groups become "experts" on topics, then teach each other
Gallery Walk
Students move around to view and discuss posted work
Fish Bowl
Inner circle discusses while outer circle observes
Carousel
Groups rotate to different stations/topics
Role Play
Students act out scenarios to explore concepts
Debate
Structured argument on opposing viewpoints
Exit Ticket
Quick check of understanding at end of lesson
KWL Chart
Know - Want to know - Learned
Key Reminders
Approach Comparison
- Deductive = Rule → Example
- Inductive = Example → Rule
- Direct = Teacher-centered
- Indirect = Student-centered
Remember
- Wait time: 3-5 seconds
- Higher-order questions = deeper thinking
- Vary strategies for engagement
- Differentiate for student needs