“If a child can’t learn the way we teach, maybe we should teach the way they learn!”
Every teacher has their own unique style of teaching. However, a good teacher is one who tries to evolve their techniques depending on the student’s requirements and grasping styles. And thus, the teaching styles in most cases keep changing with the change in learning styles, or perhaps with the social, cultural or technological developments.
And while each tends to have a different approach which is adjusted depending on the needs, here are a few broadly distinguished teaching styles. Let’s take a look into what is known as the primary strategies adopted by modern teachers:
- The Authority or Lecture Style
This is a teacher-centered model that entails lengthy lecture-based sessions or one-way presentations. These are often situated in an auditorium setting with a pre-decided topic being presented.
This setting is popular in higher education when there are a large group of students. However, the students are only supposed to sit back and take notes or absorb information making it a non-interactive session.
In the case of online teaching, this can be an easier option to adopt, however, the fact that it’s not interactive does make it a dull setting.
- The Demonstrator or Coach Style
This is a style of teaching wherein the peers are encouraged to do group work, have discussions, learn via experimentation and lab work, and peer-to-peer feedback. In such a case the students help one another learn while the teacher is a mere observer.
And while the style has gained a lot of popularity, some critics are against it for it removes the teacher from the position of authority.
- The Facilitator or Activity Style
In this method, the act of self-learning is encouraged in the classroom. Rather than giving the answers directly to them, it is encouraged to self-discover, have questions raised and then get answers for the same.
This helps develop problem-solving skills and a deeper understanding of the topic. However, the con here is that in this highly interactive class it might get a little difficult for the teacher to handle a large crowd.
In case of online classes too this can be a hassle, as in this case, there is also a loss of in-person connection. Hence it’s best that you choose an e-platform that offers you to easily schedule smaller batched classes and interact with students on a one-on-one basis too.
- The Delegator or Group Style
The delegator style teacher much like the authority style retains authority in the classroom. But unlike the former, in this case, it’s not plain lecture based but combines it with other teaching forms like multimedia presentations, demonstrations, lab activities, debates and more. Thus, adding a combination of discovery, making it an intriguing style.
- The Hybrid or Blended Style
This is a style where the teacher incorporates their personality and preferences into the subject. It’s an integrated approach of a teacher’s presence, with students’ interests and curriculum-appropriate methods.
This method helps the tutor to tailor their style depending upon the students and subject. Though, this is at the risk of a teacher trying to do too many things for all students. Hence, a teacher should be cautious not to spread themselves too thin.
Bottom line
No matter your style, make sure you do it with the utmost diligence and sincerity. Further, also make sure to see whether or not it is effective. Take timely feedback and work on the same.
Lastly, also make sure that the setting is ideal for your chosen style. And in case of online classes, be sure that the online teaching app that you choose has feasible features.
