What do you mean by teaching?

by Yuvi - February 21, 2021

What do you mean by teaching and what are the characteristics of an effective teacher?

Teacher-student interaction or student-student interaction. As a teacher what will you do for effective classroom management?

Introduction.

Teaching is a complex and challenging but rewarding and noble profession, and a teacher is commonly referred to as a maker of man since he is supposed to be a specialist in human behavior and one who draws out the best in his pupils.

Meaning of teaching –

Teaching is a systematic science wherein one passes on knowledge and also works on drawing out latent talents to produce certain learning outcomes. Teaching occurs wherever there is a willingness to learn. Eg. in family, in school, in society, or through self. etc.

Definitions of teaching –

“Teaching is a two-way interaction between the teacher and the taught.”

“Teaching is a series of interaction between the learner and the teacher with the explicit goal of changing the behavior of the learner.”

1. Brubacher –” Teaching is an arrangement and manipulation of a situation in which there are gaps and obstructions, which an individual will seek to overcome and from in which he will learn in the course of doing so.”

Edmund Amidon – “Teaching is defined as an interactive process, primarily involving classroom talk, which takes place between teacher and pupil and occurs during certain definable activities.”

T.F. Greens –” Teaching is a task of a teacher, which is performed for the development of a child.”

H.C. Morrison – “Teaching is an intimate contact between a more mature personality ans a less mature one which is designed to further the education of the latter.”

Interactions.

The school is a social system and is a human habitat for its human resources .

Teacher-Student Interaction – It may be –

• One-way – Teacher is the base and chain of reaction is only from teacher to student. Teacher is dictator and symbol of authority.
• Two –way – Teacher and students are both elements and there is exchange of information and positive interaction between both. Teacher may also gain new ideas, experiences from students. Teacher encourages students and acts as guide. Teacher must avoid favoritism. Develop feeling of affection for students. Students develop feeling of respect for the teacher.

Teacher-student interaction is at classroom, school, society level.

Student-student interaction.

Student-centric in nature. There is lot of activity and interactions between students. Eg. Learning by doing, cooperative and collaborative learning, projects, pair and group work, etc. Teacher is only facilitator or guide. Learning is more long-lasting. Clever student can be paired with the slow/average learner.

Teacher-student interaction is at classroom, school, and society level.

Characteristics of an effective teacher.

Teacher is the backbone of any progressive scheme of national education.

Teacher effectiveness and competence is generally assessed in terms of pupil behaviour. There are many different characteristics of an effective teacher but as per investigations there are certain commonly underlined characteristics that most effective teachers have –.

• Is helpful at school work, explains, lessons and assignments clearly and thoroughly and uses examples in teaching.
• Is cheerful, happy, good natured, has a sense of humour and can take a joke.
• Human, friendly, companionable, students feel he is “one of us”.
• Interested in and understands pupils.
• Makes work interesting, creates a desire to work, makes class-work a pleasure.
• Strict, has control of the class, commands respect.
• Impartial, shows no favouritism, has no pets.
• Is a facilitator, philosopher and guide.
• High moral character with fairness of mind.
• Has knowledge of child psychology so deals effectively with individual differences.
• Motivates students and develops interest.
• Never insults or hurts a child’s feelings.
• Equal opportunity giver.
• Has a sense of humour and aptitude for vicariousness.

Measures for effective classroom management.

In the class I would –.

• Follow a student-centered instructional approach where pupils are active learners.
• Apply effective models of teaching such as memory training, concept attainment, inquiry training, synectics, mastery learning, etc. to provoke HOTS (Higher-Order Thinking Skills).
• Implement educational psychology to determine and recognise the individual differences amongst my pupils so that I may accordingly modify the instructional program.
• Plan my lessons well in advance and think about how to make them more interesting so as to minimise or totally eliminate boredom.
• Never admonish children in front of the whole class but correct them in private.
• Positively motivate and praise pupils when the occasion so demands.
• Empathise with my students by maintaining a firm but friendly disposition in the class.
• Denounce corporal punishment and practice constructive discipline techniques.
• Follow Formative and Comprehensive evaluation and maintain records.
• Also write points such as taking attendance, cleanliness, pairing of students, group work, etc. or write from answer of developing thinking.

Conclusion.

Thus an effective teacher is friendly, fair, good-mannered, and impartial, interested in the pupils, understands them and is effective in her subject matter presentation.