Teaching is a huge commitment and to be an effective teacher, a lot of us are strongly focused on knowledge sharing, but the core aim of teaching is also providing a comfortable and interactive environment. While teaching, knowingly or unknowingly we may delicate mistakes that may affect the kids.
Make sure you avoid making these mistakes while teaching:
1. Yelling
No one likes being yelled at. Yelling at students will result in them developing dislike for the teacher slowly and may result in distrust. If you want effective communication, you need to talk in a normal but stern voice and this would make teaching less complicated and a fun task.
2. Teasing
It is a top-notch talent in case you are able to use humor in the study room and make students laugh, however targeted comic stories or remarks that may seem like teasing can harm the students’ self-confidence. Avoid teasing or making fun of the child on the basis of voice, movement, appearance or family background.
3. Being corporeal
Unless you are a parent, it’s important to avoid physical interaction with students. And even if you’re a parent, avoid physical interaction while you’re teaching. More Importantly, moves like wrestling, tickling, thrill, and other physical expressions should be avoided. A teacher must always sit subsequent to a student rather than over them.
4. Display of favoritism
As we're humans, there'll be students you may like more than others but ensure that you don’t deliver any special consideration to him/her that you are not providing to other students. Whatever might be the situation, keep away from partiality or bias towards students.
5. Loss of control
For learning to take place efficiently, the decorum and discipline should be taken care of. The learning environment should be quiet and peaceful. Encourage students to use gestures such as raising hands to ask questions etc.to avoid indiscipline.
6. Teaching without an objective
Teacher/Parent must have a clear objective and a purpose to help students to stick with the lesson. This is also beneficial in setting up the right expectations.
7. Unable to connect the content to the real world
A great manner to motivate the students is to establish a connection between their experience and what you are teaching. Successful teachers realize that it's crucial to discover students’ goals, and connect it to what they're coaching and make it applicable to their lives.
8. Wrong attire
If you are a teacher, then you are judged on the basis of your appearance, and during the session, your appearance is something that will reflect your personality. So while taking a session make sure that you are dressed properly. If possible, put up a formal attire.
9. Teaching without preparation
Half cooked meals don't taste good, similarly, unprepared lesson plans don’t work well in teaching. It reduces your credibility amongst students. In fact, premeditated preparation turns out to be extra useful. If you plan your upcoming assignments earlier, it will encourage kids to be better prepared for the lessons.
10. Sticking to bookish knowledge
Students lose their interest in gaining knowledge of something new, if they are taught directly from textbooks. It is crucial that one makes use of visuals to accompany the lessons.
11. Setting unrealistic goals
Setting the right expectations is a very powerful way of boosting confidence, so share with the kids, what is it that you want to accomplish but don’t set unachievable or unrealistic goals. Make sure your goals are relevant and S.M.A.R.T. (Specific. Measurable. Achievable. Realistic. Time Based) goals. Setting a wrong goal may result in students’ disappointment or loss of self-confidence. Overburdening the students just to accomplish your goals is also not the right thing to do. The goal setting should be according to the students’ potential and not the teacher's ability.
Albert Einstein said “It is the excellent artwork of the teacher to rouse pleasure in innovative expression and knowledge.” Teaching is an art, but it comes with a rulebook and lots of responsibility. Access your behaviour while teaching and take a pause if you have been doing any of the mistakes listed above. Always remember it’s never too late to stop doing the wrong things and start doing the right ones.
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