Teaching Skills

TEACHING SKILLS

                       Teaching is the art of blending knowledge, art , science and creativity. It constitutes a no of verbal and non verbal acts .The set of related behaviors or teaching acts aiming at specific objectives are performed with an intention to facilitate pupils learning can be called a teaching skill. A professional teacher should identify what all are the skill needed and should practice to master those skills.

Dr. Passi  1976 has described the following 13 skills  as follows

1.Writing instructional objectives

2.Introducing a lesson

3.Fluency in questioning

4.Probing questions

5.Explaining

6.Illustrating with examples

7.Stimulus variation

8.Reinforcement

9.Using black board

10.Achieving closure

11.Recognizing attending behavior

12.Increasing pupil participation

13.Non verbal cues

                 Although all skills are important and need practice, according to the convenience a student teacher can practice only a few selected skills during micro teaching phase.

                        The knowledge about the skill help the teacher trainee to identify their strength and weakness which will make them to be an expert in profession.

Skill of Reinforcement 

                      The talent to appreciate the learner as they need social approval for their behavior. Appreciation for correct answer will make them more eager to respond with correct answers. It will help them to increase their participation.

1.Both verbal and non verbal cues can be used .

2.Excellent, carry on , go ahead well etc verbal expression s

3. Verbal Reinforcement for example smiling , patting

4.Repeating and rephrasing the pupil answer

5.Using extra verbal cues like um um,aha etc to make them continue

6.Writing the answers that are given by student on blackboard

7.At the same time avoid negative reinforcement like staring

Skill  of illustrating with examples

1.Examples are always should be specifically relating to concept

2.It may be concrete. Everyday or first hand experiences 

3.It always gives the advantage of economy time and increases the pace of explanation

4.It may be positive or negative examples 

5.It can be connective which serves for better understanding

6./Examples always should be simple and relevant

           

Skill of Explanation

1.Teacher should be confident about the concept

2.Its important to research about the same

3.Keep eye contact on the students

4.Should be simple , clear and logical

5.Enhance with the use of visual aids 

6.pace and pauses

7.Personal experience may bring an explanation alive

Skill of using instructional aids

1.Help teacher to add a new and concrete dimensions

2.They are primary tools and help for content specific orientation

3.Teacher who needs creativity in the classroom can’t avoid their use

4.Examples for instructional aids

Types of instructional aids 

1.0Visual aids

1.1Audiomodel aids

1.2Audio visual aids

Skills related to evaluation

               Practice of teaching is not complete without some form of evaluation

1. Recognizing and assessing students

2. Objective specific evaluation

3. Diagnosing problems

4. Providing remedial measures

5. Encouraging self evaluation

Organizational skills

     1.Classroom discipline

     2.Use reinforcement 

     3.Self criticism

     4.Recognizing attention and lack of attention

     5.displaying confident while coping with multiple issue

Reference

Methodology of teaching science – Calicut University by K.Sivarajan