TEFL Ogemaw Michigan

There are as many teaching styles, as there are teachers...every teacher has his/her own style. Whilst this is true, it is also true that there is a specific measurable range of actions or physical presence criteria that good teachers fall within. This article will cover only two of the teaching styles that can be encountered. teachers will usually use the following styles at different levels, which is what makes each teacher different and unique. The styles that this article will discuss will be: i) The teacher's physical presence ii) The teacher's voice The presence A teacher's presence plays a big part in the management of the environment surrounding the classroom. The teacher's presence is more than 'appearance'. It involves how they move around the classroom, how they stand, point and demonstrate. It's certain that teachers will take their own idiosyncratic behavior into the classroom, but here are some issues that should be considered. Proximity: How close should the teacher be to a student they are working with? This can be a difficult question and if the teacher is interested in giving students the best experience, it really doesn't have anything to do with the teachers 'idea' of what is correct. It boils down to understanding the student. The teacher should watch for reactions from students, to determine what proximity works best. As well as the proximity issue, teachers would need to determine how appropriate their interaction with the student is. e.g. would it be okay for the teacher to sit on the floor? Well, in some instances, for example, it may be very appropriate, there may be no furniture available. In most classes, though, sitting on the floor, would not be classified as 'good style' A teacher's style is also defined by their movement around the classroom. For example, standing at the front of the class, or to the side for the whole lesson, would come across as authoritative. It's generally accepted that a teacher that moves around the classroom is more successful. The type and amount of movement that takes place will depend on how the class reacts to proximity. i.e. do the students like the teacher close or maybe they think the teacher is cold if he is too far away. As the teacher needs to know what's going on with the students, the style of contact is important. The teacher needs to watch, listen as well as teach. So, contact will require the teacher to move around the classroom, being mindful of the proximity factor. Eye contact is necessary, as is listening and acting appropriately in a style that is beneficial for the students and is something the teacher will gain through experience. One of the other tools that sets a teachers style is: The voice The voice could arguably be called the most important of the teacher's tools. His/her style of voice needs to be audible and varied. Audibility is a balancing act. Some classrooms are so small that a loud voice could sound like a shout and in other situations the teacher can be difficult to hear. There needs to be a balance between 'volume' and audibility' and this is achieved through experience. The variety of the teacher's voice is important. Again, this is going to be accomplished through experience. teachers will have different styles to this requirement. For instance, some teachers may use a loud voice to get attention, whilst others may simply 'clap' their hands. It just boils down to experience and which is more comfortable for the teacher. teachers may actually have several different styles to be used in different scenarios. Why different styles. Well, teachers will at some time have different size classes, one on ones, more disruptive classes, motivated classes, etc. As the teachers voice is one of the most important tools they have, it stands to reason that they should look after it. Think of ways to conserve it, and don't strain it. The teacher's style will change over time, till; with enough experience they will have several comfortable styles for different class environments.