In everyone’s life comes the first day of work from where the official professional journey begins. The same goes for the fresher teachers too. Teaching is a very noble profession that many people want to pursue and practice. After filling out an application for a teaching job, clearing the interview process, and getting recruited to an educational institute comes the first day of teaching. As we know, the first impression is the last impression, every teacher wants to deliver the first lecture in the best way possible. To do so, following the right strategies is important. Let us discuss some effective tips that you can follow to teach effectively in the first academic class.
Preparing for the first teaching session: tips to follow
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Plan and prepare in advance
To conduct a valuable and effective first teaching class, you must plan and prepare well in advance. Without planning the classes look vague. The teaching and learning both become less systematic. To avoid this happening to you, you must think and plan for the class. Prepare a to-do list including the learning activities you want to conduct. Create a proper lesson plan. Stick to the plan of action you created. Teaching in the same order will help you to teach effectively, and make classes more meaningful and impactful for students.
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Use technology to teach
Listening to the teachers reading out the textbook material is difficult for students to understand and is boring too. To conduct an impressive first teaching session, using technology helps. By using online teaching apps and sites, teachers can access several audiovisual tools like educational videos, modules, demonstrations, picture cards, PowerPoint presentations, and more. With the help of visualization, students tend to understand the concepts better and quicker. Also, the class will become more interesting, engaging, and attractive for the students.
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Stay confident
To set an example in your teaching class, confidence is the key. Feeling nervous and anxious is common, but don’t let your anxiety overpower your teaching skills. Trust yourself, follow the plan of action you created and stay confident. Use the right verbal, and nonverbal communication skills to deliver quality education to students.
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Avoid a teacher-centered approach to teaching
A teacher-centered approach to teaching means coming to the class, explaining the topics, and making students simply sit as mere listeners. This way of teaching gives students no opportunity to speak up, share and ask. Because of this students feel bored, face understanding issues, and also may not be interested in your further lectures.
To prevent this from happening to you, avoid a teacher-centered approach to teaching. Try to achieve the objectives of education and make sure to involve students in the class as much as possible. Conduct different participatory activities such as group discussions, recitations, question-answer rounds, presentations, etc.
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Don’t forget to take students’ feedback
As this is your first teaching class, you don’t have any past experiences. How effective the class was, and what was inappropriate, to get knowledge about this, taking feedback from students is important. As a teacher, one wishes for the well-being of students and provides them with a quality education. To do so, taking feedback from students is necessary.
While explaining the topic to the students, keep asking students whether they are understanding well, or if they want the teacher to re-explain. Once done with aching a particular topic, end your session with the students ‘ feedback. Ask them how the teaching session went, did they like it, or what more they expect. By being appreciated, you will be motivated to continue the good work and the suggestions received will help you to improve and teach better.
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Be positive
Facing stress for anything new we start is common with all. But negative thoughts, overthinking, self-doubt, and unhealthy comparisons can affect your health, teaching abilities, and brain functioning. This must be avoided. To set an effective teaching example for your first class, make sure to stay positive and think constructively. With positivity in mind, you will be able to develop a positive and effective learning environment for students too.
Conclusion
After clearing a teaching interview, comes the first day of teaching. On this day, feeling stressed and pressured is common. However, by following the right strategies, this problem can be solved. By following the above-mentioned tips that are prepared in advance, using technology, staying confident, conducting participatory activities, taking students’ feedback, and staying positive, you can teach effectively to students in the first academic class.
