Teaching Technology subjects can come with great risk to staff and students alike. When I work with trainee 'prac' teachers, there are some simple, core tips I give them to practise that can build a solid foundation for any practical lesson and minimise much of this risk:
- Practise what you preach. Know your content and know what your about to teach. You only need to be one lesson ahead! Always make a project before you make them with the students. You'll make the same mistakes first and can avoid the heartbreak of doing it in front of the class.
- Calm entry, calm start. If you herd the students straight into your room with no order, chaos will prevail. Line them up outside the room, give your instructions and then guide them into the room. It sets the tone for the lesson.
- Mark the roll early. It also helps settle the students and set the tone for the next step. It makes you look much more organised than if you mark the roll as they run out the door or not at all.
- Clear, concise instruction. A calm start will allow you to get you message across easily. I often like to the list the tasks/order of the lesson on the black/white/SMART board and ask students to refer back to it when they ask 'What do I do now?'.
- It's OK to use music during practical work. Make sure you have solid rules in place. Mine include 'no repeat workday' and 'once a song starts, it MUST play through'. Students also know of they music stops, they need to stop and listen for instructions.
- Give good demonstrations. You need to make sure every student can see what your up to, otherwise you'll be doing your demo's one-on-one for the rest of the lesson. Use your surrounds. I like to spread my students in a horseshoe, back against the workbenches so that no one is crowded and no one is behind me like this:
- Be consistent. Set your rules and expectations for behaviour, safety and procedure, be them negotiated or dictated. Follow through on them. Cut to the chase and speak with parents early to cut off misbehaviour.
- Finish on a high. Praise the good, productive work that has happened. Sum up the key points, the 'one thing' that they need to remember for next lesson. Give yourself plenty of time to pack away and clean up.
- Set up a routine. Train your students so they know that every lesson they line up, enter calmly, the roll is marked, a demonstration happens then work begins. Our students respond well to routine.
I can tell when I haven't followed these myself, it can often lead to a crap lesson. Falling back on these basics always make life easier. No one likes to work harder than they should!
What are your 'back to basics' suggestions for those new to Technology teaching?
