0.2 A summary of principles

Aspects of good teaching

There is plenty of theory out there and you should know it. Great teaching, however, is not about theory, but practice. Theoryshould inform what you do, but more than anything else it should be integrated so that it is natural. Teachers Without Borders has turnedtheory into advice (teacher-to-teacher), and we have summarized it below, simply and clearly:

Focus on the students, not you. You are not an expert in charge of giving students the "pill" of knowledge. It does not work that way. Inplanning your lessons, think of what they will do - how they will discover and use information - not how you will perform.

Focus on who your students are. As the saying goes, "It's who you know." The word "education" comes from the Latin word educare meaning "to grow and to rear." That is what you are doing. The teachers and parents who know their children best are themost effective. There is a big difference between just knowing about a child, and truly knowing him. The difference is the gap between mediocrity and excellence. Your classroom, your assignments, and yournature should give rise to the conditions that make knowing children a priority.

Make it safe. Education is not about challenging the core of who one is, but challenging ideas. No one can think when s/he is frightened.Your classroom and environment must be free of intimidation. (As TWB has stressed before, if you ever strike a child, you shall be removed from thiscourse of study.) Many times, intimidation comes from a remark that destroys a child's willingness to learn. Never embarrass a child in public.

Show, Don't Tell. There are many dimensions to this. Good writing, for instance, describes a crisp fall day by providing images ofcrimson and yellow leaves, the warm smell of bread baking, the crunch of snow under one's feet. Telling is "top down." Showing is "bottom up." That's thetheme here. In terms of teaching, show students where they are going, what they need to accomplish. Then show them how to get there. Provide examples.Model it. Use it. Make it clear and real what it is they need to know in order to get there. Are you teaching physics? Then show them the principle at work;show them the dynamics; get them to figure out "how and why," compare the figures with the reality. Show it.

Break it down, but don't break it apart. Great teachers make the unfamiliar - familiar again. Sometimes a concept is overwhelming. Ifthat is the case, start with the foundation and work your way up. People need to understand the story - where it starts, where it is headed, and what it willlook like in the end. It is important, then, to make things clear enough in small chunks, so that people can put together the pieces of the puzzle.Curriculum and teaching need a beginning, a middle, and an end. Get students engaged, direct them towards understanding, and show them how the lessonsare valuable.