TEACHING STRATEGIES
The following section outlines simple strategies to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of a learning environment. Most of the examples identified are specific to a physical education environment, but can be applied to any setting to promote safe, inclusive and enjoyable education for everyone.
Signal Strategies
Signals can prove to “increase teachers’ effectiveness in organizing their children in physical education, develop good listeners in children, maximize participation levels while minimizing behaviour problems and create good “flow” and smooth transitions from one segment to the next.” (Landy, 2003) Signals are ‘management tools’ that can be used to create effective and efficient environments for teachers and learners. These means of communication should be taught early in the school year and reinforced throughout. Teachers must be both patient and insistent so signals are responded to immediately by all children and so quality of movement is evident. Furthermore, a good strategy for teachers is to single out good listeners and praise them.
From the article, “Signals – The Management tools of Physical Education” by Joanne Landy, signals are divided into three important aspects: Organizational Signals, Formation Signals, and Warming-Up Signals. The proceeding section will discuss and provide examples of each aspect.
Organizational Signals: These signals can provide ways to effectively mobilize/demobilize children and develop their listening skills and spatial awareness.
Example:
“Quiet Signal” (hand signal – raise one hand overhead) This could be the children’s ‘stop, look and listen’ signal. They will learn to stop their movement and raise their own hands over their heads, and give the teacher their full attention. A “Go Signal” could also be created to engage/re-engage the children in their movement.
Formation Signals: These signals can effectively and efficiently organize children into location and position.
Example:
“Circle Up” (hand signal – hand raised overhand, circling in a clock wise or counter-clock wise direction) Children run in one direction, single file, around the play area.
Warming-Up Signals: These signals continue to reinforce listening skills, alertness and reaction, spatial and body awareness, and enhance fitness through quality enjoyable beneficial activity.
Example: “Shake” (shake your body) Children shake hands with five different people, then return to the space they were at and shake like a wet dog coming out of the water.
(Landy, 2003)
Figurative Language Strategies
This strategy can prove to “provide skill cues, focusing children’s attention on a particular aspect of a motor skill to be performed.” (Holt & Ratliffe, 2004)
Teachers make the assumption that the skill cue they provide will help the child respond quickly and more accurately than the child had previously responded. (Holt & Ratliffe, 2004) Using figurative language can catch children’s attention and help them learn skills more effectively.
Simile: A teacher might say in a gymnastics unit, “Jump like a frog”. The word ‘like’ draws the comparison between two unrelated items, a person who is to jump and a frog that jumps. At the same time, the similarities are explained through verbal expression using a topic, thus creating the simile.
Metonymy: A teacher might say, “return to your island” to represent space on the ground. Something very closely relates or stands to represent or suggest something else. In this instance, “island” replaces gathering place.
Synecdoche: A teacher might say, “She has great hands” meaning she is good at catching the ball. This strategy uses a term in which a part represents a whole.
Metaphor: A teacher might say, “Sally is on fire today” meaning she is playing basketball exceptionally well, not literally burning. A metaphor is the most often used figurative language and is a term that replaces and is described in terms of “is” or “was”.
(Holt & Ratliffe, 2004)
Guidance / Behaviour Strategies
While the preceding strategies will help create a positive climate and minimize behaviour problems, there will be inevitable occurrences of unacceptable behaviour. At these times, teachers will need to step in or intervene. The following intervention strategies will ensure that guidance is supportive, rather than punitive.
1. Gain a Child’s Attention in a Respectful Way
Apart from situations where physical danger is imminent, teachers should approach children individually, state their name, establish eye contact, and use a calm, controlled voice.
2. Use Proximity
In situations where children may be losing self-control, the closeness of an adult can often help them re-establish it. Simply moving close to a child or putting an arm on a child’s shoulder can serve as effective guidance and intervention. This is a particularly helpful strategy when dealing with biting, hitting, pinching, kicking, or thrashing.
3. Remind
To clarify and reinforce limits, simple reminders are helpful to young children. Because preschoolers have short memories and become distracted easily, teachers must be prepared to remind often. For example:
· “Remember, the bikes need to stay on the bike paths.”
· “Remember what happened yesterday when people were running/talking while I was demonstrating.”
4. Acknowledge Feelings Before Setting Limits
In order that children perceive the teacher’s guidance as supportive, it is important for them to know that their feelings are recognized and understood. When limits are preceded by an acknowledgement of feelings, children will be less likely to respond in a negative way. For example:
· “I know you’re really angry, but I cannot let you hurt Scott.”
· “It’s hard to wait for your turn, but the rule is that we line up for the slide.”
5. Offer Appropriate Choices
When clarifying expectations or reinforcing limits, teachers should offer children a simple choice. The choice should be posed in a non-threatening and non-punitive way. For example:
· “You can play safely with the hula-hoop, or you can go to the equipment room and put it away.”
· “Do you want to wait here for your turn, or do you want to find something else to do?”
6. Use Natural and Logical Consequences
A statement of natural consequences simply clarifies the inevitable or unavoidable outcome of a behaviour. For example:
· “When you forget to put the beanbags away, we will not be able to find them the next time we want to play.”
A statement of a logical consequence clarifies an teacher-arranged outcome of a behaviour. For example:
· “When you cannot remember the rules about playing with the racquets, you need to find something else to do.”
7. Offer Straightforward Explanations for Limits
When children understand the reasons or rationale for limits, they are more likely to comply and abide by them. Furthermore, teaching children the “why” of a limit helps them internalize and learn the rules of social living. For example:
· “When you put the equipment back in its spot, people can find it easily when they want it.”
· “The sand needs to stay down low so that it doesn’t get into people’s eyes.”
(Early Childhood Educators of BC et al, 1990)
Overall, there are a myriad of ways to enhance the organization and effectiveness of learning environments for children. Teachers should familiarize themselves with as many effective techniques as possible. From these strategies, teachers should utilize what they are comfortable with special regard to its effectiveness on the particular children they are educating.
References:
Early Childhood Educators & Provincial Childcare Facilities Licensing Board. (1990). Guidance and Discipline With Young Children. Victoria: Queen’s Printer for British Columbia.
Holt, Brent & Ratliffe, Tom. (2004) Teaching Elementary Education: Help Children Learn Skills by Using Figurative Language. Human Kinetics.
Landy, Joanne. (2003) Teaching Elementary Education: Signals – The Management Tools of Physical Education. Human Kinetics.