Teachers bring different personalities that lead to individual teaching styles
- there is something intangible about teaching styles because they are inherently personal and cannot be easily copied
- teaching is about being yourself, expressing your personality, leveraging on your strengths, and can be about contributing a point of difference
- successful teaching is a matter of attitude and energy rather than a specific teaching style.
A positive attitude towards teaching and class interaction is a must
- passion and enthusiasm in your teaching is contagious to students. Teachers' passion is one of the main reasons students learn
- it is a privilege to be involved in teaching and let students put their trust in you
- excellent teaching is about exciting and empowering people, and requires focus and energy.
Successful teaching requires a level of physicality and involvement
- space in the classroom can be used creatively; move around and keep the students interested and engaged; use the peripatetic (dynamic) mode rather than being static
- active teaching is a performance, it is not just standing behind a lectern. But, of course, it is not just a performance.
Successful teaching requires a high level of organisation and preparation
- a successful course requires upfront investment and reflection afterwards. Lectures and courses require preparation and constant updating
- be clear with students about what is expected, what the criteria are, and how they will be assessed
- keep consistent themes in lectures and tutorials and tie these explicitly to course objectives and assessments.
"A teacher needs a virtual tool box like a good builder with different examples and different stories depending on circumstances." - Professor Pak Yoong.