Teaching is a brilliant profession. Few other jobs are so engaging, fresh and lively. But at the same time, teaching can also be mind numbingly boring if you approach it in the wrong way. A class can be lively, energetic and enjoyable. Without expert skills however, it can quickly descend into chaos. So here are a few tips to get you thinking about your interpersonal skills and how you get upgrade your ability to teach - whether you have class tomorrow, or are only considering teaching as a career.



Expert Tip 1 - Learning Names

There are many different methods teachers use to try and learn names as quickly as possible. There are the simple options, such as printing out thumbnail pictures of each student and memorising the names to faces in your spare time (if you school has images of students), or another idea is write down a description of the pupil (colour hair, type of bag, whatever grabs you as individual) and a few facts that you collect during an icebreaker game. These funny facts will help tie the image of the student with their name. Its a lot easier to assume leadership when you 'know' your students. Being an expert at their names will give you a head start.

Expert Tip 2 - How to greet the class

Usually the outcome of a lesson is decided in the first few minutes. The way you greet a class sets the tone for the entire class period, and affects your student's mood. Some teachers like the class to 'get a bit of chat' out of their system. Others prefer letting the class sit themselves down and then making a dramatic entrance that grabs the attention of the students. I've found from experience that one of the best ways to start a class is to let the students come in as they arrive and try and have a little chat with each group as the remainder filters in. By the time the last student has passed through the door - the class can begin, and the fact you have already had a small talk with many of the students really helps convert them into silent and attentive pupils.

Expert Tip 3 - Teaching Styles

Teaching styles are wide and varied across different subject areas. The older and supposedly 'wiser' teachers like to impose their leadership by coaching younger staff into teaching as they do, but I advise you listen to the students and find out what THEY think is best for them.

There is the option of taking a comprehension approach which sees the students copying out text and answering pre-set questions out of the textbook. This is a low-effort and low-maintenance way of carrying out a lesson, and only requires the teacher to maintain the silence and interrupt every once in a while to go through the answers with the class.

You'll also find the 'engaged' approach, where the teacher talks through and answers questions in 'forum' style atmosphere, where the students have to constantly pay attention as questions are fired at them, and rarely do any work on their own except homework.

Another teaching style attempts to integrate as much teamwork as possible into the teaching plan - giving students the opportunity to work and solve problems together.

After teaching for 6 years, I've found that students find a combination of the latter two types the most effective. With an engaging and charismatic teacher, and small 'breaks' doing work in teams, they find they get the most out of the lesson. This teaching style also ensures students receive a strict curriculum due to the fact that most of knowledge comes straight from the teacher's mouth, rather than a half-relevant textbook.

When it comes to leadership and really being an expert at controlling and enjoying teaching, you'll do well to try and incorporate all three of these expert leadership tips into your inter-personal skills.