TEACHING STRATEGIES AND CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION

Teaching strategies are the backbone of classroom instruction. They play an important role in classroom instruction. Without the use of strategy, a teacher is likened to walking in the dark groping. He cannot project the information he wants to impart and therefore he cannot connect with the learners or engage with them as if there is a barrier that blocks them. Strategies are of great help among students which enable them to participate, connect, and create excitement to the content of the lessons being delivered. If students are immersed to different forms of strategies, they become familiar with it and chances are, they can apply them independently when they learn a new material or a lesson. There are various teaching strategies used now in today’s classrooms. We can discuss a few of them. One is the so-called Differentiated Instruction. This strategy recognizes that every learner in the classroom is unique. We all know that they have different backgrounds, beliefs, and interests. It is not surprising therefore, that they have different ways in learning new material or lesson. Differentiated learning allows students to be given the opportunity to learn the content of the lesson in the way their brain interpret. Another is what we call the Project-Based Learning. From the term alone, this employs personal projects in which students can actively engage in real-world and meaningful way. This strategy can help students gain knowledge and skills in an extended span of time. Through project-based learning, students can showcase their projects to their classmates and even in the community so that it can benefit them with knowledge and skills in a real-world situation. Cooperative Learning is another teaching strategy that will engage more of the students by structuring them into small group format. Many students can benefit from this because it can build a social atmosphere and helps balance and support the strengths and weaknesses of the learners. Since it is true that students have different talents and abilities, combining these together can result to an amazing product that will develop self-steam and confidence among students. The Experiential learning is somewhat another strategy that will develop experiences of the learners. In a classroom, the students are asked to participate in reviewing their experiences and make some reflections on it. When they do this, they can be engaged in thoughtful thinking and be conceptualized and finally makes the students make conclusions as they try out their learning. Finally, the Inquiry-Based Learning allows students to follow methods and practices similar to scientists, explore things, and make conclusions with it. Unlike traditional classroom style of teachers presenting facts and knowledge, this will allow the students that by means of their inquisitive minds can draw results, conclusions, and recommendations. These are just but a few teaching strategies that are designed to engage students to engage and remain in access to learning. As educators, it is always our paramount concern deliver well-grounded knowledge, beneficial skills, and appreciate what the real-world they live in incapsulated with their inherent knowledge, skills and humble experiences to be wellrounded individuals.

-oOoTHE AUTHOR IS TEACHER III AT ANGELES CITY NATIONAL TRADE SCHOOL