Teaching is an art form. Teachers always think about what works best for each student. They can learn about different ways students learn and adapt their teaching styles accordingly. Teaching methods and teaching strategies are two terms that describe the different approaches to teaching.
Methods and strategies are two different terms. However, both are important to make a class full. A method is a process, a procedure, or a way something is done or implemented. On the other hand, a strategy is a goal, a set of actions, or plans to achieve one aim. For example, if you were planning to study for your exams, then your strategy would be to read all books related to the topic, while your method would be to follow the timetable provided by the university.
Teaching and learning are considered the opposite sides of a coin. There is quite a difference between teaching methods and teaching strategies. Teachers should always try to understand their students’ needs and provide them with the best possible learning environment. There are many different ways of teaching and learning, and each has advantages and disadvantages.
What is Teaching Method?
The teaching method is the particular way in which something is taught or the skills or strategies that are used to teach. Different teachers may use different teaching methods, depending on their teaching philosophy.
For example, a teacher who believes in the importance of individualized student learning might create an innovative approach to teaching students about geography, while a more traditional teacher might memorize facts and focus on standardized testing.
As another example, a child’s piano teacher might give her student the freedom to choose music that she would like to learn how to play by listening to her play it rather than reading notation from a piece of paper. This teacher may be using the method of encouraging open exploration over rote memorization of facts and figures.
The teaching method is also used to describe the way in which teachers teach. For example, a teacher might be labeled as relatively conservative rather than progressive because of the way she teaches. Many times this is reflected in the use of teaching strategies.
A teacher who uses well-established teaching strategies such as lectures does not necessarily think that the learning process will be more effective than those who do not. In fact, for many students, lecturing is even counter-productive because it can result in a student pulling away from engaging with his or her teacher and becoming disengaged from the material at hand.
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Importance
Teaching methods are as important in the classroom as any other part of the teacher-to-student relationship. One of the best ways that teachers can give students a well-rounded education is by using teaching strategies that teach how to learn rather than simply teaching the material itself.
For example, students who are given strategies and goals to help them improve their own learning will be more likely to want to learn new material and will be more engaged in the classroom.
Another way that teaching methods can help us learn new material is by giving us a framework for understanding it. For example, one of our best tools for learning about new events or situations in context we use as a starting point for understanding new concepts. It is much more useful to have a context for a new term or concept that we are learning rather than to have no context at all.
What are Teaching Strategies?
A teaching strategy can be described as a set of methods that are used to help us learn new material. Generally speaking, teaching strategies can be broken into two types: active and passive.
An active teaching strategy is a more hands-on method of introducing new information to the student. For example, a teacher might draw a picture on the board that illustrates how an animal eats its food. The teacher may then show the students videos of animals eating their food in order to help them learn more about how this process works.
Passive strategies are those that fulfill similar purposes as active ones but are instead used to teach the students on their own through reading or listening rather than by doing. For example, a student might read a story in class that uses the term “savannah” to describe the grassland and then later have a vocabulary quiz on the content of that story.
Importance
Teaching strategies are important in the classroom as they help us learn new material. One of the best ways that teachers can give students a well-rounded education is by using teaching strategies that teach how to learn rather than simply teaching the material itself.
Teaching Strategies are also important because they allow us to engage with new material in a way that suits our individual learning styles and personalities. For example, some people are more visual learners who like to see and hear things explained in order to understand them better. Other people may be more auditory learners who prefer to listen and talk about new material as a way of understanding it.
Teaching strategies allow us to engage with new material in a way that suits our individual learning styles and personalities. For example, some people are more visual learners who like to see and hear things explained in order to understand them better. Other people may be more auditory learners who prefer to listen and talk about new material as a way of understanding it.
In some cases, students may require teaching strategies that combine both the visual and the auditory in order for them to relate the new material with something they already know. The point is that we each have our own unique style of learning, which is why it can be so important for a teacher to use effective teaching techniques when it comes to designing lessons.
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Differences Between Teaching Methods and Teaching Strategies
| TEACHING METHODS | TEACHING STRATEGIES | |
| 1. | Teaching Method is a selection of methods used by the teacher to teach the subject material and is clear. | Teaching Strategies are a collection of different methods that are all in use by the teacher to teach the subject material, and these may vary from lesson to lesson. |
| 2. | Teaching Method can be defined as “a teaching technique that has been used by teachers for many years under the same structure.” | Teaching Strategies can be defined as “a method or a set of methods used by a teacher to teach the subject matter,” |
| 3. | Teaching Method is a term that demonstrates whether the teacher follows certain rules to teach or not. | Teaching Strategies are a term that demonstrates in what way the teacher differs from other teachers in the same field. |
| 4. | Teaching Method is a new method of teaching, which makes the students learn easier and faster but does not require any change in curriculum. | Teaching Strategies are an old method of teaching that requires some changes in curriculum as well as the motivation of students and teachers. |
| 5. | Teaching Method is the primary concern of a teacher. | Teaching Strategies are secondary concerns of a teacher. |
Final Thoughts
As a teacher, you must first reflect upon your teaching practices. Observe in other teachers to understand what works well and doesn’t. You should then practice different methods and strategies using students to see if they are effective. Once you’ve identified the best methods and strategies, you should use your observation of the effectiveness of different approaches. This will help to develop new ones that are even more effective. Finally, sharing your findings with other teachers will allow them to benefit from your experience.
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The Difference Between ‘Teaching Strategy’ And ‘Teaching Methods’ FAQs
A1. It is important to use different teaching strategies and methods because using different approaches increases the flexibility of thinking in students, and it helps them shift to learning new things easily.
A2. Teachers must use more than one teaching method because multiple approaches help students to understand the concept as per their ability to understand.
A3. The most effective teaching method is the mixed method, i.e., student-centered and teacher-centered methods. It balances the needs and wants of both teachers and students.
A4. Broadly categorized as four, the main types of teaching methods are teacher-centered methods, student-centered methods, content-focused methods, and participative methods.
A5. The importance of teaching strategies is that it leads students toward learning goals and helps them in learning.
