Teachers are students too. Yes, you heard that right: even teachers are always learning.
They do so both formally and informally. Teachers engaged in continuing education become better at their job. To discover three ways in which teacher learning can help you excel at your job, read on.
- Learn How to Best Teach Remotely
In this coronavirus era, many teachers find themselves – like other professionals – working remotely.
Even if you still teach in-person, odds are that you teach remotely at least some of the time.
Put yourself in your students’ shoes. How can you deliver a learning experience that’s uniquely tailored to the online experience? Ask your students about that.
Research how virtual instruction differs from the real-world kind. Establish new rules and expectations for students to follow when learning remotely. Practice your new remote teaching style and ask for feedback on it.
While the venue might have changed, your skills haven’t. Trust in the strength of your abilities and try not to doubt yourself.
- Do Some Professional Development
Growth as an educator never stops. While professional development is frequently touted as an avenue for growth, some kinds of development are better than others.
Better professional development courses stand out in a few ways.
They’re collaborative, with teachers sharing knowledge among themselves. They’re experiential, challenging teachers to practice what they learn. They’re also intensive and sustained, supported by coaching, modeling, and problem-solving.
The more innovative professional development courses feature peer coaching and observation; mentoring; and local networks and study groups for specific subjects. Keep an eye out for teacher academies with seminars and a school leadership certificate. Check out school-university partnerships with inter-school visitations and collaborative research.
- Differentiate Your Lessons
Students learn differently from one another. While one student may be a visual learner, another may be an auditory learner. Go beyond the usual spatial, visual, and auditory presentations to accommodate all kinds of learning styles.
Your students want to learn. It may not always seem that way, but children are naturally curious, thirsting for intellectual stimulation. If your class is too unengaging, one-dimensional, or too hard, you’ll stunt your students’ learning potential.
In a remote learning environment, it’s tempting to revert to the less engaging frontal teaching model. Resist that temptation, and instead engage your students with vocabulary scavenger hunts, dressing up, the thumbs-up/thumbs-down game, and more. Why not challenge your class(es) to some riddle-solving or even put on a play with them?
Remote teaching presents difficulties, but with an adaptable and engaging spirit, you shall overcome them.
The Irony of Teacher Learning
Teacher learning is an ironic, paradoxical concept if you ask us.
Teachers are supposed to be the ones, well, teaching, right? So what business do they have learning? Shouldn’t they already know enough to not have to assume the role (student) that they’ve already mastered?
As it turns out, even teachers can be students. Learning like a student makes you a better teacher…how about that?
For more ways to learn and improve, check out our site’s Education section.
