To be an effective teacher, teach to every learning style (including auditory, visual, tactile, and kinesthetic or hand-on).
Some of us learn better when we hear things, others of us need to see things or actually get up and move and do things. Everybody has a style that works best for them. However, the best teaching will address every style.
A really good teaching technique to is say it (the information), show it in writing, show visuals of it, model it (for example demonstrating mapping an item or solving a problem), give opportunities for students to practice it in real life situations, and then check for understanding. The students will hear it, read it, say it, see pictures/visuals of it, write it, and practice it both on paper and in real life situations. For example, when teaching diameter, the student would solve for it on paper but would also actually find the diameter of objects in the home or classroom. For tactile opportunities, a young student might trace letters with finger paints but an older student might paint or make a visual representation of an atom.
Make connections between what is being taught and prior knowledge and future use.
Understanding requires that things are not presented in isolation. Learning will be increased when critical connections are made. For example, when teaching fractions, be sure to point out the concepts of division, sharing, etc. and how this relates to real life -like knowing how to cut a pizza in the right number of slices so they everyone gets an equal number. Better, yet, actually practice on a pizza (like showing the 1/2, 2/4, and 4/8 are equal amounts) and then eat it as a reward.
Teach in cycles.
Do not teach one thing, and then move on to another and on and on. Every time you teach something, constantly go back and review prior skills or knowledge. This may only take a minute. For example "remember ..." Being presented with information that is spaced out over time like this helps really plant it into long-term memory. This is learning theory that is research based.
Do not wear yourself out.
Focus most of your energy on good teaching techniques and the rest will follow. Even the best lesson plan may not be effective if it is not taught using good teaching techniques. Always have a good lesson plan in place, but you do not have to recreate the wheel. The internet is full of great lesson plans. I am including a couple of helpful links below in the resources section.