Topic 3: Best Practices, Do’s and Don’ts
Best Practices, Do’s and Don’ts
Do’s
Have a clear view of your objectives and purpose.
Have a positive attitude and a sense of humour. Be tolerant to the cultural, gender, religious, ethnic or other challenges.
Be patient. Remember that the specific target group of students may face different kinds of problems. Moreover, they may face extra difficulties due to pronunciation, accent and grammar difficulties in Greek language.
Adapt to student needs. Classrooms are like an ever-evolving dynamic organism.
Welcome change in the classroom – Change ignites the brain with excitement and adventure. Change your classroom to keep your students on their toes. Simple changes like rearranging desks and routines can breathe new life in the middle of a long year.
Teach holistically. It’s crucial that educators (and the educational model) take the whole person into account. You can have the funniest and most innovative lesson on Greek language, but if your student has just been told his parents are getting a divorce, you will not reach him.
Master your subject – In addition to the methodology of “teaching”, you need to master the area of Greek Language teaching. Learn, learn, and never stop learning. Successful educators stay curious.
Don’ts
Try not to overpass tensions and uncomfortable situations, comments or behaviors. Try and address any frustration or fears that arise within a lesson and not let students leave with these.
Avoid teaching too much in one day. This is an easy mistake to make because it’s intertwined with another rule for new teachers: Have high expectations.
Don’t teach a lesson without a student activity. Interaction is vital for learning and keeping the students attentive.
Avoid making tests too hard. This will make them less enthusiastic about learning from you.
Avoid contentious terms – make a point of discussing them in a safe way including why people find them offensive.
