Effective Learning in the Classroom

Teachers need to be wary about adopting new methods with the ideological zeal of religious converts. While new strategies and techniques may prove valuable and help produce excitement in the classroom; there is a danger in becoming emotionally over-charged and expecting almost utopian results from the latest methods. Just about any time a new method of educational instruction comes along, those at the forefront of the innova-tion promote their new method with all the zeal of the founder of a new religion. Though the excitement and charisma associated with the promoters of new teaching methods may be attractive a

and infectious, teachers need to keep a perspective and remem-ber that there are no magic bullets or panaceas that will solve all problems and turn every student into a overnight success (Maley, 1983).

Having said this, there are still reasons to adopt new teaching techniques and strategies, though the teacher must develop good independent evaluative judgment in order to deter-mine what to accept and

. . .
needs to assume the role of overseer or supervisor, and, where necessary, be able to step in and perform duties such as providing feedback (Ruane, 1986). Effective teachers who promote learning success in students may need to re-evaluate all their own teaching methods as well as new teaching methods and produce their own hybrid techniques and strategies using the best of the old and the new techniques. This type of approach has been used successfully in communica-tive language teaching, and might well be studied and applied more widely. An example of this approach is the linking of conceptual and communicative models with both creative language use and internalization of structures and vocabulary. Situa-tional teaching and information exchange tasks are used to teach the concepts and meaning, while functional teaching and role playing teach the actual functional or communicative part (Littlewood, 1985). Teachers can use a wide variety of techniques for gaining student Success and achievement. Internal and external conflicts commonly experienced by children can be turned into learning opportunities in the language arts, social studies, and science. Students can learn to function better in their own personal lives by learning les
. . .

Some common words found in the essay are:
, Schmidt Friedman, Education Foundation, Anthology Series, Ireland January, Portland April, language teaching, Univ Illinois, et al, Singapore April, References Dunn, Wash DC, teaching methods, students learn, student success achievement, teacher created, strategies techniques, elementary school, effective teaching, role teacher, dunn et al, communicative language teaching, yinger et al, effective teachers,
Approximate Word count = 1442
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page)

More Essays on Effective Learning in the Classroom