Every teacher has a distinctive style that will hopefully engage students in the learning process and help them develop critical thinking skills. As traditional teaching styles are adapted to meet the needs of varied students, consider these five main classroom strategies:
- Authority, or lecture style, is teacher-centered and may be appropriate for certain topics and settings. However, little or no interaction with the teacher may limit learning effectiveness.
- Demonstrator, or coach style, allows teachers show key concepts with the use of lectures, visuals, media, and exhibits. This approach may be difficult to implement in larger classrooms.
- Facilitator, or activity style, promotes self-learning and develops critical thinking skills, such as training students to ask questions and obtain skills to find answers.
- Delegator, or group style, provides opportunities for guided discovery and problem-based learning. The teacher serves as an observer role with students working toward a common goal.
- Hybrid, or blended style, offers an integrated approach to coordinate the personality of the teacher with the interests and needs of students.
Most important, is the engagement of students in the learning process along with a teaching style to address the needs of diverse students.
For additional information on teaching styles, click here.
Teaching Suggestions
- Ask students to describe learning environments that were most effective for them.
- Conduct a personal assessment to determine the teaching style that might best fit your situation.
Discussion Questions
- What are potential benefits and concerns for various teaching styles in your class setting?
- How do the various teaching styles best fit your personality and your students?
Melissa Hart
Focus on Personal Finance, 7e 