Teaching Strategies, Skills and Style

Teaching strategies or methods refer to the way in which a teacher presents material to achieve objectives. Such strategies may include, for example, teacher exposition, pair work, oracy, role play, design and build, investigation, experimentation, field work, reading, watching, using video or audio material, simulation, debate etc.

Teaching skills refer to the ability each teacher has to use different strategies effectively. A teacher can employ a computer program, for example, only if s/he has some level of I.C.T. competence. Conversely, a teacher cannot use a strategy if s/he does not have the ability to control a class effectively.

Teaching style is a combination of the strategies used by a teacher and the teaching skills at his/her disposal. It is influenced by the teacher’s own personality, attitude, background, training and personal qualities and results in a unique approach in the classroom.

Preferred Styles

We aim to ensure that every teacher is aware of his/her own preferred teaching style. We strive to produce schemes of work that offer variety of approaches throughout the course of a school year.

We are committed, through induction, mutual lesson observation and other staff development activities, to the promotion and advancement of teaching skills so that teachers and learning support assistants feel confident in the use of a variety of teaching strategies. Such strategies may increasingly involve the use of I.C.T.

We believe in providing learning resources that allow a variety of approaches to teaching and learning. This involves the acquisition of a wide range of books and other types of resources in our faculty area, the Library, I.C.T. rooms and so on.

We aim to develop learning skills in pupils so that they can respond positively to any teaching strategy they meet. This involves a concerted approach from all teachers and LSAs in exposing pupils to a variety of stimuli. It further involves a commitment to progression and continuity, not just in terms of curriculum content but also in terms of skills’ development. Pupils should leave the school as skilful learners, able to use a range of learning strategies. We believe that, although the PSE programme has a strong part to play in the development of cross-curricular skills, all subject teachers have responsibility for developing them.

As a school we aspire to keep in touch with research and development findings in teaching and learning. The R.E. Department subscribes to various publications – The British Journal of Religious Education; R.E. Today; and Resource.

We recognise and value the uniqueness of every teacher and every learner and aspire to provide teaching which challenges every pupil. We believe that differentiation can, in part, be achieved through the use of a variety of teaching and learning strategies. We seek to accommodate the often differing learning needs of boys and girls and pupils with particular special educational needs, including those deemed ‘very able’ or ‘gifted.’

Monitoring and Evaluation

The headteacher is responsible for monitoring and evaluating the teaching and learning policy, aided by the SMT and Heads of Departments. Lesson observations using a common, recognised framework will be used to monitor and evaluate the quality and range of teaching and learning strategies employed throughout the school. Weekly book checks will provide additional information. Schemes of work will be dated and reviewed annually.