Extracts from an article published in The Age, 20th April 2020
by Peter Adams, education consultant and a former teacher.
Great teachers bring to the classroom knowledge, skills, and a sense of wonder that their fortunate
students enjoy, profit from, and perhaps only years later recognise as golden.
These prized teachers are skilful planners of their lessons. They consider what knowledge and skills
students need to learn, and how to teach them – that is, both content and pedagogical knowledge.
The pedagogical knowledge is key, and possibly what is most at risk in an online world of home-
based schooling.
Skilled teachers consider in advance what knowledge students need to have in order to be able to learn new knowledge. '‘Transfer’' is probably the single most important neurological process influencing learning. We learn new content by way of what we already know.
Transfer has two dimensions. As we learn new material, we are understanding it in terms of what we know. Secondly, we then need to be able to transfer the new content we have learned to a novel situation where we then apply it.
Great teachers also link new content to content that is familiar to students: content from students’ own local contexts and life experiences. They reflect beforehand on the questions they will ask, to ensure students are learning as intended, and to reinforce what is being taught.
The mode of the teacher’s presentation, his or her intonation, non-verbal cues and direct eye
contact reinforce the messaging and engage students.
Great teachers use rehearsal techniques to reinforce knowledge. This assists students to embed new knowledge into their long-term memory. Great teaching uses the power of demonstration and example to underpin student understanding.
Overall, great teachers sequence their lessons. One powerful sequence is to firstly address students’ entry knowledge, confirming what they know already. That is necessary for what we want to teach next. Then there is teacher-led skilful instruction, explication and demonstration. Then students might be asked to recall the essence of what has been taught either in their own words or through responding to set tasks.
Feedback is imperative. Good practice makes sure students are never given homework or follow-up tasks that demand knowledge and skills that students may not have gained.