Teaching Tips and Tools for Modern Educators

Nothing lasts forever, even in educational institutions. Staying ahead of the curve is necessary to create real impacts in the classroom, and that means finding better ways to impact knowledge. 

Teaching Tips and Tools

In this article, you’ll find practical strategies and efficient tools that will help you teach better. These tips will get your students interested in learning, as well as create professional opportunities that’ll keep you at the top of your field.

Innovative Teaching Methods to Breathe New Life into Your Lessons

Active Learning

If your students are still rewriting notes, rereading textbooks, or memorizing lines, you’re failing as an educator. One of the best ways to learn anything is to make the process as active as possible. 

Active learning turns students from passive listeners into engaged participants. So, instead of just lecturing for hours with simply words (from your mouth and on a board or projection), you should try mixing things like group discussions, problem-solving tasks, or even role-playing exercises. 

These activities will help your students learn quicker than you’re used to because they’ll be actively involved in their learning process rather than let you talk the entire time. 

Also Read: 6 Tips to Find Balance as a Teacher and Mom

Blended Learning

Learning shouldn’t end within the four walls of your classroom. Actually, you need to push for outside-school learning. Which means promoting online resources to your students, which could be in the form of specific videos or podcasts or tools.

Students can perform hands-on activities or in-depth discussions in class, while watching video lessons at home.

This mix of traditional in-class learning and online resources outside the classroom is perfect for catering to different learning styles and paces. 

Flipped Classroom

When I say flip, I don’t mean acrobatics. It’s a technique of active learning. You’ll provide lecture materials to your students to review at home before class that week, so during class, they just have interactive and problem-solving activities. 

Students interested in actually learning would be looking forward to each day because they get to learn how to apply the new information rather than just getting introduced.

Professional Development: Keeping Your Teaching Skills Sharp

Continuous Professional Development (CPD)

As an educator, you need to find ways to keep growing and sharpening your skills. Continuous Professional Development is key. Get yourself into workshops, seminars, or online courses that are in line with your interests and teaching goals.

There’s a lot of schools that offer in-house training, but your biggest opportunity could be in your wider professional community. 

Peer Coaching

One of the best ways to improve at anything is to have someone you can grow with. You could bounce ideas off this person, and compare strategies with them. That’s why study buddies are so effective for learning in school.

As a teacher, you could team up with a fellow teacher to observe each other’s classes and find room for improvement. It’s a great way to build a supportive network within your school. 

Mentorship Programs

If you’re just starting your teaching career, mentorship programs are indispensable and literally game-changing. If you use that with an experienced educator, you’ll get incredible guidance and support that’ll really help you navigate the early years of your career. 

You don’t have to be a newbie though. Even veteran teachers should consider becoming mentors. That way, you’ll be giving back and probably learn a thing or two from the experience. 

Chrome Extensions: Your New Teaching Assistants

There are some amazing chrome extensions out there that can make your life as a teacher so much easier. They include:

  • Google Classroom: This is perfect for streamlining assignments and communication with your students.
  • Kami: Use this to annotate PDFs and documents, which is perfect for giving detailed feedback on student work.
  • Grammarly: Great for catching those tiny grammar and spelling errors in writing assignments. 
  • Edpuzzle: Use this to create interactive video lessons with questions embedded.
  • Mote: You can use this to leave voice notes on assignments, which will save you time and provide more personal feedback. 
  • Grade Calculator: You can quickly and accurately calculate grades for your assignment and tests, which will help you save time and reduce the risk of errors. This easy grade calculator, although not a Chrome extension, offers features like grade weighting and custom grading scales.

Also Read: 4 Tips for Parents to Instill a Love for Learning in Kids

Conclusion 

Don’t get lost in all the shiny new options presented in this article though. You have to just find which one works best for you and your students. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different methods and tools too.

If you implement these tips and techniques, you’ll be building relationships with your students because they’ll feel much more connected and supported in the dynamic, learning environment that is your classroom. 

And lastly, take care of yourself. Teaching can be rewarding, but it can also be hella demanding. Set time aside for yourself to reflect and relax. When you can’t bring your best game, your students play terribly!