Being a teacher is not an easy job and requires a lot of effort and patience. During all the hustle from school to home, sometimes, teachers lack in certain areas of effective teaching, which can create hindrance in the teaching-learning process. When we are discussing professional growth, we are talking about every part which is being hindrance and support in development. Let’s know what the areas of professional growth for teachers are.
Self-Contemplation
Sometimes, teachers stick to one type of teaching method and teaching technique and forget that every student, every class, demands a new strategy. For this, teachers need to do self-contemplation to be aware and recognize that they need a change. After detecting that, you need to bring change in your teaching pattern and in creating a positive classroom environment.
Then the second important thing is to check in what areas you need to change and note down your strengths and weaknesses. This could be identified by students’ feedback or conversation with you. This path towards improvement becomes more transparent and simplified when a teacher is willing to admit mistakes and put their students’ needs first.
Establish Effective Communication
We all know how important communication is, and we cannot deny the fact that ineffective communication between teacher-student, teacher-parents, or colleagues can lead to frustration, lack of interest, and enthusiasm. Especially if the teacher is not sending and receiving his/her message, then it creates the chances of misunderstanding and leads to a decrease in your professionalism.
So, it is essential to establish effective communication which guarantees the success of the student learning process, ameliorates teacher performance, and enhances the quality of teaching. To develop effective communication, you must acquire skills:
Active listening
Teachers need to be effective listeners to connect with and understand the students. When a student is sharing or discussing his/her thoughts or problems, try to give them an empathetic response which helps the student to understand that you respect them and their feelings. You can’t know your students’ strengths and weaknesses without effective listening.
Be Clear and Concise
For the topic which you are going to teach, you must be clear about what aspect of your lesson you want to inculcate in students or what’s primary purpose or goal is. Keep your tone simple and straightforward as it gets easy for students to understand.
Body-Language
It is a non-verbal language in which your facial expression, tone of voice, and gestures play an essential role in maintaining and developing effective communication. When you adopt positive body language, it conveys positive feelings such as trust and happiness. By adopting such behavior, you present your topic or ideas more clearly and make the classroom more engaging and exciting.
Positive Learning Environment
As a teacher, you must have a positive mindset before getting class started. A positive class environment helps in managing and increasing cooperation in the classroom. In addition, a positive conversation between teacher and student makes the class more engaging, making it an ideal learning environment. As a result, students are more disciplined and excited to learn.
Take Feedback
You should take feedback from students by asking them questions like,
- Does my teaching method require any change?
- Do you want any changes in the pattern of my teaching?
- Am I able to make you apprehend the topic easily?
Knowing your students’ opinions regarding your teaching process will help establish new skills and strategies.
Effective time management
Teachers must have this skill of time management. Without managing your time properly, you will be creating a burden for yourself only. Having effective time management skills can lessen your stress and keep you motivated throughout the day. Prioritizing your daily task on your planner a night before helps you get a better overview of the steps you need to take to complete your goals. This will make your day less hectic and more productive.
Stay updated with new technology
Every day you have to bring new ideas to make the learning process more effective. For this, teachers need to be updated about the latest techniques and technology, which can be helpful in class management. The use of technology can make your class a better place to study. Digital tools help to access several educational sources and expand learning opportunities for students. So, digital use of technology in your teaching not only makes your classroom more interesting but also helps in your professional growth.
Keep on learning
Teaching is a continuous learning process. Teachers who have a clear sense of improvement and progress should consider continuous learning a priority. When you learn more about different topics, you get numerous ideas and examples to teach students more effectively and make a successful learning environment. For this, you must participate in webinars and workshops. Therefore, throughout your teaching career, you will gain immense knowledge which will be beneficial to your students.
The Final Word
There are many platforms for teachers, such as Classplus, which offers digital infrastructure which will be beneficial for teachers not only in managing classroom and track performance but also in selling the courses allowing students across the globe to access your study courses. It helps to coach classes or institutions to expand in an online environment while offering unique features that lead to building a stronger digital infrastructure. Isn’t this a great deal to lock! Connect to us and talk to our experts at Classplus now.
