One of the most effective ways to maintain a high level of teaching is to nail the planning. Planning lessons that are engaging and effective can sometimes take years to perfect. Administering pre-assessments and identifying learning goals for each of your students is time consuming, but necessary for proper planning. Once you know where your students are, you can identify where you want them to go and what they still need to learn. Backing into teaching in this way gives your teaching structure and form and also helps you to keep pace and increase your students' test scores.
It is tempting to bite off more than you can chew in terms of learning goals. One way to combat this is to identify one guiding question to focus on in one unit of study. This one question can be used in multiple ways with multiple texts or assignments. Whether your students are reading "Macbeth," "Pride and Prejudice" or any other piece of literature, the concepts of plot and theme will be thoroughly explained and assessed throughout the unit, keeping the question "How does plot affect theme?" as your focus. The concept of a guided question can be utilized in math, science and any other subject of study.
An effective teaching strategy is using small groups to differentiate instruction, help struggling learners and propel advanced students to a higher level. Rotating groups of students with similar skills and weaknesses allows you to hone in on specific areas without sacrificing more time to limited class periods. In addition to small groups, differentiating assignments and activities is another way to address unique student needs. Students do not need to work on the same activity to learn the same skills. Varying assignments based on students' weak areas promotes excellence in teaching.
Students who have teachers with high expectations often achieve more. High teacher expectations translates into higher learning goals. While teachers with higher expectations often have more complex learning goals for their students, the goals are attainable. These teachers have a reward system in place to help students reach the goals that they set for their students. It is important for teachers to maintain a sense of humor and a positive outlook. Students benefit from a teacher who is ready to face each day and its new challenges with great expectations for all of her students.