February 9, 2023

How To Correct Common Teaching Errors

At Carlton Training, we often receive enquiries about teaching errors and how to correct them. Correcting common teaching errors is necessary for creating an effective learning environment and ensuring students’ success, so our teaching experts have written a thorough guide on how to correct these errors so you can avoid them.

The Role Of A Teacher 

Teachers play an important role in their student’s lives, helping them learn about specific subjects and how to think critically and solve problems while continuing to learn by staying up-to-date with new teaching methods and technologies that can improve their lessons.

The role involves much more than just giving out homework and teaching lessons. It’s about creating a place where students feel safe to ask questions, make mistakes, and learn new things, so avoiding common mistakes is needed to ensure effective teaching.

Get Your Timing Right

Effective teaching relies on good timing, like a good comedy show or play. If your time management isn’t up to scratch, your lesson can quickly go off track, which is why thorough preparation and planning are important.

Making sure your lessons begin and end on time is essential, and it often turns out this is more challenging than it sounds! It’s not just a case of starting the lesson and then keeping an eye on the clock; a good lesson depends on plenty of preparation beforehand and a small amount of effort. Make sure you have prepared and planned your lesson well in advance, which means making a clear and detailed plan of all the activities you’ll include in your lesson, allocating an appropriate amount of time for each activity, which could also have some set-up time or student debriefing.

Teacher Talking Time (TTT)

Excessive Teacher Talking Time (TTT)  is a mistake that harms the effectiveness and efficiency of lessons. It’s common even among experienced teachers to fall into this trap. While lectures are an important teaching method, balancing your methods is essential, as relying too heavily on them can lead to disengagement. To prevent this, incorporate various interactive activities that encourage student involvement, keep learners engaged and promote a deeper understanding of the material.

Keeping Students Interested 

Another common mistake is not keeping students engaged in your lesson. To fix this, you need to choose teaching methods that interest students and encourage them to actively participate in what is going on by introducing a variety of tasks and activities during lessons to maintain engagement and involvement. Remember, active participation increases the likelihood of students absorbing the knowledge and skills you want to teach them.

Avoid Overloading Students

In today’s world, we’re constantly surrounded by information from emails, advertisements, social media updates, and more. This constant information overload can make it seem like we can handle large amounts of information all at once. However, when it comes to learning, you and your students can only process and retain a limited amount of information effectively at any given time. 

It’s essential to structure your lessons, teach information in small pieces throughout your course, and ensure that regular breaks are included, as studies have shown that learning is more effective when delivered in short bursts.

Handling Technology With Confidence

From digital projectors and tablets to video streaming and interactive boards, advancements in modern technology can enhance our teaching methods and the learning experience. However, a common mistake occurs when your lesson relies on technology, and it doesn’t work as you expected during a lesson, leading to disruption. 

It’s important to prepare before your class, which means not only familiarising yourself with the basics of technology but also understanding how to adjust settings, log in and out, and troubleshoot common issues. By acquiring these skills, you can confidently manage technical difficulties, keeping your students focused on the lesson rather than the technology itself. Avoid calling for IT support mid-lesson by being proactive and prepared, ensuring a smooth and uninterrupted learning experience for your students.

Discover Your Teaching Potential with Carlton Training Courses

At Carlton Training, we offer various teaching courses designed to enhance your teaching skills and knowledge at every career stage. Whether you’re considering becoming a teacher or wanting to develop your skills, our courses provide practical solutions to common teaching challenges.

Book one of our courses online or contact our knowledgeable team for advice on the best course to advance your teaching career.

Tags: teacher,Teacher Training,teaching,tips,trainer,trainers,training,training the trainers,



Back to Blog