Classroom Strategies for Effective Teaching

Learn about the importance of motivational teaching and differentiated instruction in the classroom

Get an understanding of

-> types of teaching strategies

-> classification of these strategies with examples

Following are the main categories of teaching strategies :

-> Strategies for developing thinking skills

-> Strategies for organising thinking visually

-> Strategies that help students develop social skills

-> Strategies that help students communicate thinking with technology

This lecture includes:

-> Course Content

-> Meaning of the term, "Classroom Teaching Strategies"

-> Some effective teaching strategies

-> Importance of using these strategies in the classroom

List of Classroom Management Strategies - Downloadable Resource

Learn about important classroom teaching strategies which help students in developing their thinking skills.

Following are some strategies which promote flexible thinking and teach students the importance of shifting their approaches to different tasks:

-> KWL

-> Brainstorming

-> Thinker/ Thinking keys

-> Round Robin

-> Hot Potato Game

-> SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats)

-> RAFT ( Role, Audience, Format, Topic)

Learn about KWL Chart in detail while doing a theme in Kindergarten.

Here the theme is - Farm Animals

Learn how to motivate your student to create journals which helps in developing thinking skills, creative & writing skills.

Student Journal Title - Healthy Food

                                       - Hygiene

Get an understanding of an important classroom teaching strategy - Self Assessment

Learn to create rubrics as a learning tool in students self assessment.

Students in Grade 1 love to play this Beach Game in Numeracy learning station. The educator has already explained the working of an analog clock ( Hour & minute hand ) and how to read analog time to the whole class. She has explained the difference between Analog & Digital time.

Children then move to the learning station to play this interesting game in rotation, since the class strength could be more than 12.

While playing it, their knowledge of hour and minute hand and analog clock is enhanced. They at the same time, are able to read time in digital format, for ex. 11:00

Students in Kindergarten and primary grades play this fun game with their peers & enhance their understanding of analog and digital time.

This game helps in learning about the nine planets in the solar system.

Children learn about action verbs in a playful way while playing Bingo Game. I have also included a spinning wheel in this game just to make the game more interesting.

This game helps in building the english vocabulary as children enjoy writing new words with their friends.

The educator has to keep in mind the level of that particular grade. For example, students in Grade 1 can write words consisting of 6-10 letters, like apple, piano, laptop, classroom etc etc.

The game board can also be modified accordingly.

They love playing  this game. For them, throwing a dice on the Hopscotch board & then thinking about a word is more playful than just writing new words in their notebooks.

The educator can make 4 such learning stations in the Literacy class with 4 students in each station. Students can practise writing more words at home too. Its very easy to make a hopscotch board.

Unit Of Inquiry : Animals

The educator discusses about the different types of animals in the class. She/he creates this worksheet for assessing children's learning.

Children have a great time playing Bingo Game & at the same they are learning about the different types of animals.

Get an understanding of various classroom strategies- Graphic Organisers used to plan hands-on activities & create worksheets for pre-primary & primary grades for subjects

-> Unit of Inquiry ( UOI)

-> Literacy

-> Numeracy

-> Arts & Craft

-> Music , Dramatic Play

-> Environmental Science

Learn to use a graphic organiser - " Pizza Diagram" to create a worksheet for

                                                                        UOI - " Famous People around the world"

Learn to use graphic organiser - spider web to create a worksheet for a kindergarten class.

The educator makes a graphic organiser which is in the form of a wheel. The worksheet is for teaching  concept-addition to Grade 1 students. Children enjoy throwing the rajma seeds and then observing where two seeds land on the worksheet.

Learn about a graphic organiser - Concentric Circles for planning an activity for concept - vowels in the classroom.

Learn how this graphic organiser can be used to develop literacy skills when children write magic e words related to a vowel in the concentric circles.

Also get an understanding of creating a worksheet for unit of inquiry - "Our amazing Body".

Learn to use a graphic organiser - "Diamond" to create worksheets for pre primary & primary grade.

Its time to take a break for a while and do simple breathing and relaxation exercises for a peaceful, happy mind and keep ourselves healthy.

Pranayama is the yogic practice of focusing on breath. In Sanskrit, prana means "vital life force" , and yama means to gain control.

Deep Breathing Exercises

Among the simplest, most-effective relaxation techniques for kids is mindful breathing. Teaching children to take slow, deep breaths helps to calm them physically and mentally. It also forces children to stop and think about how they are feeling right now, so they can take a step back from overwhelming emotions.

Same breathing and movement exercises can be done in the classroom with your students.

Learn to use Venn Diagram as a teaching strategy in planning for hands-on activities for

-> Unit of Inquiry : Different places around the world & types of houses they build

                                : Homes reflect personal identity & local culture

-> Numeracy        : Concept of  Time - A.M. & P.M.

Learn to use Placemat Strategy for planning hands-on activities for

-> Unit of Inquiry ( Parts of a plant & their function)

                              ( Communication in Emergency situations)

                              ( Difference between a home & house)

-> Literacy           ( Picture Reading )

When students get bored with class work and need a break from sitting down for so long, you can do this playful song in your classroom. This will make them relaxed and cheerful.

Of course after doing this movement song children will be little playful and move around in the classroom, but it takes only few minutes for them to settle down again. You can ask them to do breathing exercises while sitting on their chairs and repeat the same exercise for about 5 - 6 times.

Get an understanding of using a graphic organiser - Y chart in the classroom.

Get an understanding of a graphic organiser, " T Chart" and its sections

Learn to use flow chart strategy to plan activities for

-> Unit of Inquiry ( Means of Communication)

Get an understanding of a classroom strategy - " Bubble Map"

The educator makes a graphic organiser in the form of a home.

UOI : Matter & Materials

The students write what they have learned during the unit on the worksheet & also add their reflection on their learning.

The educator creates a Venn Diagram for Grade 1

UOI : Matter & Materials

After the discussion in the class about matter, three states of matter & their characteristics, students write about the three states in the three sections of the Venn Diagram. They also write what is common between the three states.

Learning stations are used as a tool in differentiated learning in the classrooms. The educator creates meaningful learning stations for activities in groups for the students, to do independent work.

These stations are set up for the students to do a particular task in different subjects like Literacy, Numeracy, Unit of Inquiry, Music & Physical Education etc. Literacy learning station can be set up using teaching resources like Picture reading cards, Sequence Story cards, opposite flash cards, bingo game worksheets etc.

For setting up Numeracy station resources like timer, dice, Spin the wheel, Weighing scale, beads, seeds, manipulative etc. can be used in the classroom