What Does a Great Lesson Look Like to Your Students?

What may seem like a powerful lesson to a teacher may seem like a boring, confusing lesson to a student. In order to have a delivery that excites and speaks to your students, you have to be willing to change a few things. The following are the keys to delivering effective and memorable lessons in your classroom. They can be used to teach students in any grade, from pre-school all the way up to college.

• Explain and state the objectives.  Each lesson that you teach will have a focus, which is centered on what you want the students to learn by the end of your lesson. It’s very important to share this goal with your students in terms that they understand, so everyone knows where the lesson is headed. It’s also important to refer to the objective a few times throughout the lesson so the students stay focused on what the goal is. 

• Set the rules.  Prior to every lesson, the teacher should remind students how they should behave as they participate in the class. If students are interacting with laptops or other technology, they should be reminded about the proper ways of handling the equipment and the consequences if the rules aren’t followed. Reviewing these expectations with students is an important way to keep everyone on track. 

• Engage your students.  Don’t let your students daydream -- keep them interested in your lesson delivery. To get your students involved in your lessons, create interactive presentations, share appealing web content, and other resources that will grab and keep your students’ attention. When your students are engaged, they will be able to take your lessons to levels you didn’t even know were possible. 

• Give positive reinforcement.  To keep your students going down the path you want, it’s important to give them feedback on how they’re doing. Be obvious and specific with your praise, so that students are aware that you’re noticing their involvement. Further, giving positive feedback is a great way of informing students that they’re meeting (or surpassing) your expectations. 

• Use questioning to further push students.  To fully develop your students’ reasoning abilities and comprehension, pose questions to them about the subject matter. Ask them "why," "how," and "if" questions that test their understanding and absorption of the material. It is through this questioning that you will be able to determine if the lesson’s objectives were met.

By incorporating these elements into your lessons, you will be creating effective methods for your students.

Ways to Boost Student Participation

Some educators refer to it as classroom participation, while others call it active learning. Regardless of what you call it, educators are constantly searching for ways to increase participation in their classes. All teachers want to work in a classroom where all students are engaged and involved in every lesson. The ideas below will help any teacher increase student participation in his or her classroom.

• Assess Prior Knowledge – Before even teaching a concept, allow students to share what they already know (or think they may know) about a topic. You can help organize information shared by using a “K” (what I already know), “W” (what I want to know), “L” (what I want to learn) chart. Teachers that use KWL charts on a regular basis say they see increased participation because students aren’t being asked to discuss or share what they learned through a lesson. Students are only sharing what they want to learn about something or what they already know. Teachers are then able to tailor their lesson to the information the students are interested in and haven't learned, which will further boost participation.

• Make and Share Participation Goals – To help students work towards participating more in class, make them responsible for meeting goals. Work with each student and set a realistic objective for them based on their previous participation in your class. You can then use classroom management systems that allow students to track their involvement online. When students are able to easily see how much they are participating, they are more likely to step up their efforts if they are not meeting their goals. Students love interacting with online classroom management systems because it lets them see how they’re performing in class as they work.

• Give Your Students a Voice – For students to be comfortable sharing in your class, you need to make sure that you’ve created an environment that welcomes openness. Obviously, as the teacher, you will make most of the decisions; however, there are some things that can be left up to them. When students feel that their ideas and opinions matter, they’re more likely to pay attention and speak up in class. Take time at the beginning of each school year to create an environment in your classroom where students can feel comfortable participating. Teach them early on that you value their input.

By incorporating the above ideas into your classroom, you will see more active learning going on in your classroom.

Turn Students into Life-Long Learners

Educators wear many hats, but their main job is to engage their students so that they become life-long learners. As a teacher, there is nothing worse than presenting a lesson only to find your entire class starring back at you with the “huh?” look in their eyes. Once students reach this point, it’s often hard to turn them on to the subject matter that they didn’t grasp the first time around. In order to effectively reach them, educators need to find innovative methods for teaching students. There are many ways to achieve this, as discussed below. 

Increase Student Involvement

One of the most effective ways to increase student engagement is to get them involved in the lesson. Once students are able to interact and experiment with a subject matter, they are more likely to grasp it. Try one of the below activities to get your students involved with your lessons.

Introduce an eLearning System – It’s no surprise that students enjoy interacting with technology. Invite them to their enhance learning through the use of an eLearning system that helps you plan and deliver your lessons seamlessly. Interactive learning systems allow students to have real-time discussions with one another about the subject matter, as well as explore the Internet to learn more. Many teachers have seen students become increasingly engaged in class when using this technology because they can learn at their own pace. Students are also able to gear their study towards the type of learner they are.

Present Real World Problems – Often, students have difficulty understanding certain lessons because they aren’t able to apply them to real life situations. No matter what you’re teaching, you have to make the lesson come alive by finding a way to relate it to your students’ lives. Present the material in a way that will excite them. Once students are able to apply a concept to their lives, they are much more likely to connect with and value it.

Students as Teachers – Another great way to get your students involved in your lessons is to make them experts. Split your class up into groups and assign them a topic. Work with each group and give them the tools and resources that will help them become experts on that concept. Once students are comfortable with the subject matter, have them teach the class. Students will immediately be able to relate to one another and find this style interesting and fun.  

By increasing student engagement in the classroom, teachers can create life-long learners. When students are excited about a subject, the sky’s the limit.