A). INTRODUCTION
Teaching is an essential part of education. Its
special function is to impart knowledge, develop
understanding and skills. It is usually associated
with the imparting of 3 Rs- reading, writing,
arithmetic. The teachers play a vital role in
imparting knowledge to the learners.
“to know how to teach is the great art of teaching”
“you teach what you need to learn”
B) WHAT IS A TEACHING SKILL?
The
teaching skills are defined as a group of teaching
acts or behaviors intended to facilitate students
learning directly or indirectly.
C) WHY DO WE NEED TO HAVE SKILLS IN TEACHING?
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To ensure competency in teaching.
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To make the class interesting.
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To enable the teacher to develop confidence in
teaching.
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To avoid confusion
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To enable the teacher to understand individual
differences in learning.
D) STEPS OF TEACHING SKILLS USED IN DISCUSSION
METHOD
1. Analyzing the student group:
a)
Getting to know them
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Always begin with an ice breaker.
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Get students talking as soon as possible.
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Watch nonverbal behavior.
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Encourage the passive ones to contribute.
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Don’t allow eager behaviors to dominate.
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Find out each students level, position and
background soon as possible.
b)
Enthusiasm
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Consciously use your eyes and eyebrows to
communicate enthusiasm.
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Always keep a sparkle in your voice.
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Fight boredom of repetitive sessions by introducing
new anecdotes.
2. Discussion leading
a) BUILDING
Here are four ways to keep a class discussion going:
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BUILDING- build on incomplete answers by adding
comments and asking for agreement or disagreement.
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BOOSTING- support timid participants contributions,
boost their confidence and ask for extra comment.
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BLOCKING- interrupt dominant aggressive participants
by asking what others think.
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BANTERING- establish non threatening atmosphere by
engaging in friendly rapport without going
participants.
b) BRAINSTORMING
It
is a technique for obtaining idea from a group. Here
is how:
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ASK ----------- for /provoke ideas. If necessary
wait 45 seconds before giving own.
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RECORD----- write all ideas on a flip chart don’t
evaluate till the end.
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TRIGGER------ use B ing discussion leading
techniques to encourage participants to trigger
ideas.
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SUMMARIZE----- summarize and / or regroup ideas.
Help group to choose best.
c) SOCRATIC DIRECTION
In
order to encourage audience participation to prove to
a point, use Socratic direction.
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Know the answers you want.
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Open questioning technique.
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Paraphrase participant’s answers.
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Summarize contributions.
Add
your own points.
d) CLASS CONTROL
a) REGULATING-------interrupt long winded talkers
with questions.
b) FOCUSING---------keep the current topic in front
of the class
c) GUIDING------------ask reflective questions.
d) INTERPRETING-----interpret or paraphrase badly
throughout contributors.
e) SUMMARIZING----give overview and recall points
covered at every logical or convenient point.
e) TEACHING TEMPO
There are two factors which will govern the tempo of
your material coverage and discussion periods:
a) Students level of knowledge and general
intelligence.
Low=slow
High=fast
b) Your own teaching skill.
Snappy /authoritarian/directive=fast
Relaxed, informal, facilitative=slow
How to change tempo
a) Slower-use more cases, examples, anecdotes. Speak
slower. Ask open questions.
b) Faster- speak fast, use directive tone. Cut down
discussions. Ask closed questions.
f) METHODS FOR DEALING WITH STUDENT QUESTIONS OR
STATEMENTS.
a) STRAIGHT FORWARD-----answer the question.
b) OVERHEAD------------------ good question. What
are some of the other questions we should also
ask about----?
c) RELAY------------------------thanks for the
question. Have some of you met the same problem?
d) RICOCHET------------------- good point!
e) REVERSE---------------------when the question is
really a statement, hand the answer back to the
poser.
f) STATEMENT? --------------what point are we
discussing now?
g) STATEMENT! ---------------“I think we should come
back to this point later”.
g) QUESTIONING SKILLS
Closed questions-WHO CAN tell me on which date?
Open questions
a) “About” -how do you feel
about-------?
b) “Reflective” -you don’t feel comfortable
with------?
c) Hypothetical -what do you think would
happen if----?
d) Framing -help me to see how this
fits with------?
e) Silence -
---------------------------------------------?
f) Statements - you look as if you wanted to
say something.
h) LUBRICATORS
VERBAL
NONVERBAL
a) “I see”
Nodding
b) “Ah,
ah” Constant eye
contact
c) “That’s interesting” Leaning
forward
d)
“Really” Stepping
aside
e) “Go
on” Raising eyebrows
f)
“Tell me more about that” Frowning
3. questions and interruptions
Most participant questions are not questions. They are
request for the spotlight if it is one of those rare,
close d real questions-answer it succinctly. If not,
first;
REFLECT back to the questionnaire what you thought was
the question.
Or
DEFLECT it as follows-
a) Group: how do the rest of the group feel?
b) Ricochet: to one participant-“you are an expert
on this?
c) Reverse: back to questioner:-“you have obviously
done something on this. What’s your view?
4. dealing with difficult participants
a) THE HECKLER: probably insecure, gets satisfaction
from needling, aggressive and argumentative.
a. What to do: never get upset, find merit, express
agreement, move on, wait for a mis statement fact
and throw it out to the group for correction.
b) THE TALKER/KNOW ALL-an eager behavior, a show off,
well informed and anxious to show it.
a. What to do- sit till he/she takes a breath,
thanks, refocus and move on. Ask him or her with a
tough question.
c) THE GRIPER-feels hard done by probably have a pet
“peeve”, will use you as scape goat.
a. What to do- get him/her to be specific, show
that the purpose of your presentation is to be
positive and constructive, use peer pressure?
d) THE WHISPERS- don’t understand what’s going on
clarifying & translating.
a. What to do-stop talking, wait for them, to look
up and nonverbally ask for their permission to
continue.
e) THE SILENT ONE-timid, insecure, shy, bored,
indifferent
a. What to do: timid- ask easy question. Boost her
ego in discussing the answer. Refer by name by
giving examples. Bolster confidence.
b. Bored- ask tough questions. Refer to by name
someone who surely knows that, use as helper in
exercises.
5. using one’s voice
a) Projection: speak louder than usual.
b) Articulation: don’t swallow words.
c) Modulation: vary tone and pitch.
d) Pronunciation: watch tonic accents.
e) Enunciation: over emphasize.
f) Repetition: repeat key phrases with different
vocal emphasis.
g) Speed: use delivery speed to manipulate the
audience!
6. listening
Whenever a participant interrupts or responds
emotionally during the class, he/she is probably
overstating his or her feelings in order to justify
the outburst. In every such case use active listening.
Never attempt to counter, argue, defend or take sides.
E. WHO, WHOM, WHY, WHERE, WHAT, HOW AND WHEN OF
TEACHING
To
play this role completely, a teacher is expected to
understand the significance of the following:
1. Who is to teach
The teacher is to teach and must understand herself/
himself thoroughly- his/ her strengths and weakness,
strive to present a reasonably good model before the
students.
2.Whom to teach
The student is to be taught. Therefore, a teacher
should understand the abilities, aptitudes,
attitudes, manners, temperaments and accordingly
cater to the individual differences of students.
3.Why to teach
The teacher should always keep in view that the aim
of education is to develop harmonious personalities,
who are culturally refined, emotionally stable,
ethically sound, morally upright, physically strong,
socially efficient and spiritually enlightened.
4.Where to teach
The teacher ought not to visualize the school to be
merely a place of importing information, but a place
where students of tomorrow are trained to take their
place as enlightened citizens in the society and
contribute to professional development.
5.What to teach
The teacher must have mastery over the subject
he/she teaches.
6.How to teach
The teacher must use new teaching –learning
technology to make teaching effective and
inspirational.
7.When to teach
Appropriate steps need to be taken by the teacher to
develop motivation of the student in the entire
work.
F. CONCLUSION
Despite the huge value of the skills of teaching to
the future of nursing there is still little
opportunity to develop vital skills within the
curricular constraints at many nursing schools.
However, without basic training in teaching skills at
undergraduate level, it cannot realistically be
expected that, students without a natural flair will
spontaneously be able to show the necessary skills,
attitudes, and practices required of a competent
teacher.
G. REFERENCES
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Davis Barbara (1993).Tools for Teaching San
Francisco: Jossey-Basslt. Pg No. 159-167.
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Patry Jean (1992) Effective and Responsible Teaching
the New Synthesis, USA: Jossey Bass Publishers.pg.no.
422-425.
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Brookfield Stephen D (1995).The Skillful Teacher on
Technique, Trust and Responsiveness in the
Classroom. 1st Edition USA: Jossey Bass
Publishers.Pg.No.38-42.