Good Teaching Practice How to do it successfully

Principles of Learning and Teaching Students learn best when: 1. The learning environment is supportive and productive 2. The learning environment promotes independence, interdependence and self motivation 3. Students’ needs, backgrounds, perspectives and interests are reflected in the learning program 4. Students are challenged and supported to develop deep levels of thinking and application 5. Assessment practices are an integral part of teaching and learning 6. Learning connects strongly with communities and practice beyond the classroom.

The Teaching/Learning Environment The Classroom Environment is Conducive to Learning The classroom is well organized, visibly inviting, and stimulating. The students are fully attentive to and engaged in the lesson. All students demonstrate an understanding and awareness of the classroom expectations. Students remain focused during the transition between activities. Students use time, space, and materials efficiently. All students experience fairness and equity.

‘High-quality learning depends on high-quality teaching. The transformation that is being sought in Victorian schools ultimately depends on good teachers.’

Good teachers have a sense of purpose. You know what your students expect, and you make plans to meet those expectations setting clear learning goals. The Teaching/Learning Process You have expectations about what happens in your classroom, based on the goals you're trying to achieve. If you want to prepare your students for employment, you expect punctuality and good attendance. If you teach a VCE class, you spend time explaining the format of the test and helping students to improve their test-taking skills. If you want to prepare your students for life, you expect manners, respect, politeness.

A successful lesson is a dialogue. “If you have a question or are struggling with something, then you are not the only one.” Encourage questions, both vocally and by example. One of the most important skills a teacher can have is the ability to answer questions well. When explaining difficult material, I look for signs that the class is having trouble understanding me, and pause frequently to ask for questions. When questions are patiently and openly treated as a natural part of a lesson or discussion session, students soon gain confidence and join the dialogue. The teacher asks higher order thinking questions and allows appropriate "wait time" after the question is posed. The teacher asks questions that cause students to synthesize, analyse, and evaluate information.

Good teachers had good role models. Think back again to your three best teachers. Think also of the worst teacher you ever had. We learn to teach gradually, and absorb ideas and practices from a variety of sources. We are not always aware of the influences on our teaching, good and bad; reflecting on the different models of teaching we've acquired, and looking at how we acquired them, makes us better able to adapt and change to suit new challenges. You are your students’ role model.

Good teachers have expectations of success for all students.  Did I do everything that I could in this class, this time, to meet the needs of all my students, assuming that complete success was possible?  The teacher displays high academic and behavioural expectations for every student in the classroom. As long as you can answer in the affirmative, you're creating a climate for success. Show a commitment to every students’ success

Good teachers adapt and change to meet student needs. We teach so that students will learn, and when learning doesn't happen, we need to be willing to devise new strategies, think in new ways, and generally do anything possible to revive the learning process. It's wonderful to have a good methodology, but it's better to have students engaged in good learning. The instructional process taps and builds upon the students' prior experience, knowledge and learning. The teacher intentionally makes connections between the content and students' lives.

The teacher communicates to all students their progress. The teacher uses the full instruction time available. The teacher structures and paces the content appropriately. The teacher differentiates instruction to meet varied student needs. Students participate in lessons that address their learning styles. The teacher walks around the classroom to make sure students are on task, to answer questions and to make sure the work is correctly done.

Good teachers are passionate Motivation is a fundamental problem in virtually all high school mathematics classes. The enthusiasm of the teacher must be infectious enough to transmit to the students, and moreover students must be taught to think for themselves. It's about not only motivating students to learn, but teaching them how to learn, and doing so in a manner that is relevant, meaningful, and memorable. It's about caring for your craft, having a passion for it, and conveying that passion to everyone, most importantly to your students.

Good teachers are reflective. Failing to observe what happens in our classes on a daily basis disconnects us from the teaching and learning process, because it's impossible to create connectivity if you've disconnected yourself. The teacher thinks about and reflects on their classes, their students, their methods, and their materials. The teacher undertakes sustained, purposeful professional growth in their own knowledge, understanding and skills in mathematics, and in the teaching and learning of mathematics. The teacher is involved in professional development processes that include collegial interaction, professional reading and active exploration of new teaching ideas, practices and resources in the classroom.

The teacher is flexible, experimenting, and having the confidence to react and adjust to changing circumstances. Good teachers enjoy their work and their students. The teacher is an excellent entertainer having a good sense of humour in order to provide a more relaxed atmosphere. ‘At the end of the day, good teaching is about having fun, experiencing pleasure and intrinsic rewards... like locking eyes with a student in the back row and seeing the synapses and neurons connecting, thoughts being formed, the person becoming better, and a smile cracking across a face as learning all of a sudden happens. Good teachers practice their craft not for the money or because they have to, but because they truly enjoy it and because they want to.’

Summary The commitment to excellence in achievement for all students in schools in Victoria stems from core beliefs about learning and teaching that are grounded in modern educational research. These beliefs are: All students can learn Recent research confirms that almost all students can engage in higher order learning given the right conditions, and that all students can make progress with sufficient time and support. Schools and particularly teachers make a difference Research has consistently demonstrated the capacity of good schools and good teaching to make a positive difference to student outcomes. If students are assisted to work hard and make an effort they improve A student’s ability is one factor in achievement; however, the amount of effort a student makes has even more to do with their success at school. An assessment culture in classrooms and schools is a critical factor in student achievement This involves students, teachers and parents in planning how learning will occur, monitoring progress and, importantly, explaining how progress can be assured for all. Failure is not an option for students, teachers or schools With its challenging targets for education and training over the next two years, the Victorian Government is firmly stating that all students must succeed at school. From Office of Learning & Teaching Closing the Loop: Curriculum, Pedagogy, Assessment & Reporting

The primary purpose of assessment is to improve student performance Good assessment is based on a vision of the kinds of learning we most value for students and how they might best achieve these. It sets out to measure what matters most. Assessment should be based on an understanding of how students learn Assessment is most effective when it reflects the fact that learning is a complex process that is multidimensional, integrated and revealed in student performance over time. Assessment should be an integral component of course design and not something to add afterwards The teaching and learning elements of each program should be designed in full knowledge of the sorts of assessment students will undertake, and vice versa, so that students can demonstrate what they have learned and see the results of their efforts. Good assessment requires clarity of purpose, goals, standards and criteria Assessment works best when it is based on clear statements of purpose and goals for the course, the standards which students are expected to achieve, and the criteria against which to measure success. Assessment criteria in particular need to be understandable and explicit so students know what is expected of them from each assessment they encounter. Staff, students, parents and the community should all be able to see why assessment is being used, and the reasons for choosing each individual form of assessment in its particular context. Good assessment requires a variety of measures and is ongoing rather than episodic It is generally the case that a single assessment instrument will not tell all that needs to be to known about student achievement and how it can be improved. Teachers, therefore, need to be familiar with a variety of assessment tools so we can match them closely to the type of information we seek. Also, learning is best fostered when assessment involves a series of linked activities overtime. Assessment methods used should be valid, reliable and consistent Assessment instruments and processes should be chosen which directly measure what they are intended to measure. They should include the possibility of moderation between teachers where practical and appropriate to enhance objectivity and contribute to shared understanding of the judgments that are made. Assessment for improved performance involves feedback and reflection All assessment methods should allow students to receive feedback on their learning and performance so assessment serves as a developmental activity aimed at improving student learning. Assessment should also provide students and staff with opportunities to reflect on both their practice and their learning overall.