Tip:What Makes an Effective Teacher?

According to a handbook from the University of Iowa, effective teachers use the following strategies:

Clarity
--They communicate clearly about course objectives, content and testing, making sure to:

• provide a rationale for learning particular material
• adapt instruction to their student's level of knowledge and skill
  

Review
--They review prerequisite knowledge as the foundation for new knowledge.

Planning
--They are familiar with current research and:   

• develop outlines for each class
• begin with information about their students' preparation and skills
• prepare for contingencies and "opportune moments" for teaching

Feedback
--They ask questions requiring students to reflect, evaluate, connect ideas while:

• providing clear and specific responses to student comments
• following a correct response to a question with another question

Transfer of Learning
--They provide adequate opportunity for mastery of tasks by:

• making sure that principles are understood before asking students to apply them
• offering a wide variety of examples

Evaluation
--They solicit formal and informal responses from students during the semester and:   

• use this information to improve their courses as they are being taught
• also invite observation and suggestions from colleagues
  
  

--The complete list will soon be available at http://www.uiowa.edu/~centeach/

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