Effective Teaching and Learning Strategies
The Learning System
As a system, the outcome depends on how the parts interact and how well each part acts separately.
Understanding Learning
Learning is an enduring change in behavior or the capacity to behave in a given fashion, resulting from practice or experience.
Common False Assumptions
- Students will automatically practice what they learn in life.
- Students will remember and use information from one class in another.
- Students will transfer principles learned in a classroom to other situations.
The Need for Transformation
To produce transformed learners, transformed teaching is required, and transformed teaching requires transformed teachers.
Qualities of a Good Teacher
- Relational: Spend time with students to build relationships.
- Joyful & Enthusiastic: Be pleasant and happy.
- Caring & Supportive: Create a supportive learning environment.
The Importance of Knowing Your Students
Understanding your students is a way to show concern and care.
Learning Styles Explained
Learning styles are the different preferences or characteristic ways in which each learner processes information.
Six Levels of Learning
- Recitation or Memory: Recalling information.
- Comprehension: Understanding the meaning of information.
- Application: Applying information in the way it was learned.
- Analysis: Looking for principles applicable in different situations.
- Synthesis: Constructing something new by combining information from different sources.
- Evaluation: Seeing how situations relate to each other, even if different.
The Role of the Holy Spirit in Teaching
- Understanding Content: Recognizing meaning and significance.
- Understanding Relevance: Helping students understand the relevance of God’s Word.
- Understanding Students & Their Lives: Knowing and understanding students’ lives.
- Guiding Students to Practice What They Learn: Asking questions and leading discussions.
- Writing Lesson Plans: Selecting appropriate activities.
Explanations of Learning Theories
- Behavioral: Explaining learning in terms of environmental events.
- Cognitive: Focusing on internal mental processes.
The Importance of Teaching in Scripture
Throughout the Scriptures, teaching is clearly established as important. Teaching was centered on the Law and living the Law, combined with the responsibility to obey. The purpose was to enable people to know God and His decrees and to live for Him and His Glory. Jesus and the apostles continued this pattern.
Key Elements of Learning
- Attention: Focusing on an idea or concept.
- Perception: The brain forming meaning.
- Encoding: Relating new information to prior knowledge.
- Storage: Accurately storing and retrieving information.
- Retrieval: Recalling past knowledge to understand new information.
Planning as a Teacher
Think of your class as a journey. Know your destination (objectives) and how you will travel (lesson plan).
Objectives and Values
Objective: A thing aimed at or sought; a goal.
Value: Helps teachers to be focused, know when the task is completed, and plan testing and evaluation.
Benefits for Students
- Knowing what is important and where to focus attention.
- Monitoring progress and evaluating comprehension.
- Decreasing fear of exams and evaluation.
Characteristics
- Receive: Content is selected and presented.
- Explore: Teacher and student explore content together.
- Reflect: Students think about the relevance of content in their lives.
- Decide: Students decide how to use the content.
- Evaluate: Teacher and students evaluate decisions.
Teaching and Learning Activities
- Teaching Activity: Helps students receive foundational material.
- Learning Activity: Provides opportunities for students to engage in exploration of meaning.
Importance of Organization in Classroom Management
Organization helps class time flow smoothly and prevents disruption and lack of attention.