Toolkit for Teachers - a compendium of useful tips and practical tools
This training provides a catalogue of hints, tips and techniques for effective teaching and learning. It is especially useful for part time staff or those new to teaching (who can sometimes feel overwhelmed, or even a little 'left out in the cold'). The emphasis is on what works - in this way the course is highly pragmatic.
It is intended to encourage staff to take a pride in the design of their lessons, and enjoy devising teaching and learning strategies. The day will comprise of those things an experienced teacher would help a less experienced teacher with.
The scope of the Toolkit includes practical advice and tips in the following areas:
- Communication - enjoying the interaction
- Class Management - relishing the leadership
- Lesson Structure - making it logical, but fun
- Learning Styles - using Visual, Auditory and Kinaesthetic (rather than just knowing V.A.K.)
- Multiple Intelligences - using them in lesson planning and delivery
- Differentiation - the best teachers teach to each (but how?!)
- Constructivism - students are not fact buckets, but meaning makers
- Documentation - what is essential, and how it should serve you
- Assessment - involve them, and they'll be involved (so obvious they named it twice!)
- Observation Checklist - can you prepare for an observation (what's false, what's not, why you should be ready, and what you need to do to be ready)
Each of these headings examines an aspect of teaching that can be improved and enriched.
For example in the case of Communication it will include How to:
- reach everyone in your group
- develop rapport easily
- explain clearly
- remember names easily
Other areas like Constructivism, will focus on how students learn more readily when they are active, and creatively engaged in discovering. In a sense, they only ever learn what they realise, not what is told to them. This section examines exactly how we can help create structures and stepping stones towards their own learning. Constructivist teaching leads not just to higher grades and greater retention of information, but also to higher levels of student enjoyment.
The background principles for this training come from the work of Edward DeBono, Geoff Petty, Reuven Feuerstein, Phil Beadle, Richard Bandler and John Grinder; as well as from over 25 years teaching experience on a wide variety of courses and levels.
Summary: A really useful Training that gives practical guidance on what works and how to apply it; Particularly useful for new or part-time teachers - or others who simply want to refresh their provision!
