According to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary, to be effective means to produce “a decided, decisive, or desired effect.” As a science teacher (or any teacher), our “desired effect” should be to engage our students in what they are learning, inspire them to learn more, and make them masters of that which they are learning. On a scale of 1 to 10, how effective are you? Are you a number 1, 2…9 but want to be a 10? You can follow these 7 steps to become an effective science (or any) teacher.
Step 1: Plan investigations, inquiry, or discovery activities for your students. This will increase their engagement and retainment of information. Try using a real world phenomenon! For example, instead of lecturing about phases of matter and the changes that can happen, why not let them investigate the fact that clouds have flat bottoms?
Step 2: Collaborate with teachers of the same subject. I used to think that I could do it better by myself. But after having a co-teacher for 9 years and a student-teacher for 2 years, I’ve realized this is not so. Two minds (or more) work better than one. It’s as simple as this…
You: “I’m going to teach ___ by ___.”
Co-worker: “I like that! What about adding ___.”
You: “That’s great! We could ___, too.”
Co-worker: “Great! I will do ___ and you can do ___.”
Conversation time = 10 minutes
Time saved in lesson prep = half of your planning period
Student engagement and observation from administrator = priceless
Step 3: Use Pinterest. Pinterest has become something that millions of us have learned to use and love. It is where we go to save the best of the best. So, why not go to it to find the best of the best? When it’s time to teach the next lesson, head over to Pinterest and start your search of an idea from there. Let’s suppose you need to teach about cell organelles. Head over to Pinterest, search cell organelles…
and Viola!
Step 5: When you need to give directions to your students, use presentations for directions. If you have ever created a printable for an activity or an assessment, you know it can take some time (and time is not something that we have a lot of). Try typing up directions on a powerpoint slide (or whatever you use for your presentations). Sometimes it can take seconds compared to hours.
Step 6: Let them help. If you have not already, face it! There are not enough hours in the day to do all of the things that we are required to do. Your students can help. Let them cut the task cards. Let them pass back papers. Let them make the presentation. Let them make the worksheet. Let them file the papers. Let them write the essential questions and the standards. Let them analyze the data. There is so much they can do and are willing to do if we allow them to do it.
Step 7: Make assessments easy to assess. Without going into too much detail, sometimes when it comes to the assessment department, we make things harder on ourselves. If you have a pile of papers to grade already, it would make more sense to give a multiple choice or true or false assessment than an essay. Assign something that you can grade quickly! Need to know what that “something” is? Check back soon for Assessment Made Easy.
In conclusion, are these 7 simple steps going to make you teacher of the year? Possibly! The bottom line is however, if we save time and energy, we can become a more effective teacher. What makes you an effective one?