During my 2020 and and 2021 winter practicums, I had the opportunity to teach lessons in several subjects. Through the execution and reflection of these experiences, I learned effective methods for adapting the curriculum in engaging ways suitable for varied instructional circumstances, methods for catering instructions to diverse types of students, and handling unexpected discussions. Below I have highlighted some of the most essential knowledge that I absorbed in more detail:
- Different students will respond to different forms of instruction differently. For example, some students might be more inclined to absorb information from one learning style than another, and another student might simply require extra attention when learning specific subjects due to a myriad of possible reasons, including disabilities or unique prior learning circumstances. For this reason, it is important that teachers make an effort to diversify their instructional style where possible and remain flexible with their teaching. In my grade 6 Social Studies lesson about Canadian Identity, I began the Minds On portion of the lesson with a collaborative brainstorm activity where students voiced their ideas orally, and ended the period with a Consolidation portion that focused on independent writing.
- Use language that is appropriate for the age group of the students you are teaching, keeping it as simple where possible especially when teaching students in the Junior stream. Additionally, it can be useful to provide a copy of the learning goals to students to have within their view during lessons so they remain aware of what they are supposed to be learning.
- With society continuing to expand its reliance on digital technology, and the recent world pandemic, using technology to enhance and facilitate teaching has become more significant than ever. Teachers should make a conscious effort to learn as much as they can about the various digital platforms available to use for their teaching. To facilitate my micro-teaching lessons which both took place in virtual classrooms, I used Google Draw, Google Slides, and Google Jamboard, to help illustrate concepts and share virtual chalkboards with students.
- Interdisciplinary lessons are an excellent way to help students make connections between subjects, and encourage them to think about the multiple real-life applications of the knowledge they are absorbing.
Photo used under Creative Commons from shixart1985