10 Key Steps To Great Teaching

Teaching presents a fascinating prospect for qualified beauticians and hairdressers. It enables

them to share their passion with others and demonstrate their creative skills, as well as

providing another level in career development. At Waverley, the main aim when designing our

teaching programme was to simplify the process of learning to teach, and these ten steps have

been extremely effective in doing that.

Knowing your own mind helps you explore your motivations for wanting to teach and develop a

teaching philosophy. It also helps you develop your confidence for teaching and provide the

foundations for an effective and rewarding teaching career.

Knowledge of how adults learn is one of the most crucial steps in the teaching process. Learning from key theorists about the principles of adult learning will help you understand their mindset and how to develop lessons that helps them learn.

Knowing your learners will enable you to understand the needs of your learners and introduce you to the topic of initial and diagnostic assessment. Understanding the different characteristics of adult learners will help direct your teaching efforts on many fronts.

Supporting your learners is guaranteed to gain you respect and credibility among students. It's

important to understand the challenges faced by those with learning difficulties, in particular

dyslexia, in order to enable you to deliver education that caters for them. You must also learn how to equip your learners with study skills, thus enhancing their chances of achieving their educational goals.

Understanding best teaching practice will ensure that your teaching efforts are guided by expert recommendations for modern day adult education. This will also give you an insight into the key attributes of effective teachers and trainers.

Like many things, successful teaching is down to planning and organisation. It's important to learn the various methods of planning your teaching, such as curriculum development, schemes of work, class plans and how to start a class with a new group. Understand modern teaching aids and resources too, including digital and online resources.

Knowing how to deliver your lesson confidently is important too. You also need to learn how to

motivate and build rapport with your students.

Knowing how to manage behaviours in the classroom will provide for a much smoother teaching and learning environment. Learn how to provide and maintain a positive learning environment for learners and teacher alike.

Another important aspect to learn as a teacher is how to plan, prepare and conduct assessments. You will also need to know how to provide feedback to your learners enabling

them to work towards continuous development and improvement.

Continually evaluating your teaching programme is essential for your own development, as you

can then make improvements when necessary. You could say that the evaluation stage is one of

continuous professional development and can be used to perfect your teaching practice. Never underestimate your potential to become a teacher. Every aspect of the teaching process

can be learned; the key is to recognise this and be willing to equip yourself with the necessary

skills to become a great teacher.