What is Interactive Teaching?

Interactive Teaching is very diverse. However, it is generally about instructing your students in a way that they are actively involved in their learning process. When students are involved in their learning, students tend to be more engaged, perform better, and are truly interested in the material.

There are different ways to create a strong involvement whether it be in person or virtually. This could include

•  student to student interaction
• teacher to student interaction
• hands-on exercises
• engaging multimedia

Now, with interactive teaching, there also comes interactive learning which is a more hands-on approach that supports students with becoming stronger critical thinkers and problem solvers inside and outside of the classroom. Click here to learn more about interactive learning!

Benefits to Interactive Teaching

Rather than having only individual students answer question after question in a more lecture format, why not make it more interactive and enriching? Trust me when I say it will make you a better teacher and your students happier! Even research has shown that implementing an interactive teaching style leads to engagement and an increase in retaining knowledge. When you take on an interactive teaching approach as frequently as possible, you will notice the endless benefits that every teacher desires:

• promote student retention and learning of the materials/activities and concepts
• enable instructors to assess how the class is learning (informal and formal assessments)
• foster overall engagement, participation, and accountability
• provide students with the skills to gain and maintain critical thinking and more

The Struggle Bus…

I know I have been on it. Who else can relate? If you answered yes, then it is time to FINALLY shine and bring some LIFE into your teaching styles! If you are ready to get your students engaged, then keep on reading.

Here are some effective interactive teaching styles to engage all of your students throughout the school year:

1. Think-Pair-Share

This is a collaborative teaching strategy proposed by Frank Lyman. It was designed to help students form ideas that they can discuss and share with a partner or in a small group setting. This strategy works best when used before introducing a concept.

Think- First, you want to propose a question, concept, or problem that students can think about individually. This is important because it gives each student time to put their thoughts together and build their own voice.

Pair- Then proceed by pairing partners or a small group of students together.

Share- Give each pair a decent amount of time to share their ideas or conclusions on the topic/concept. This allows each individual to share their personal thoughts about the subject. It is essential for students to share their own voice since this allows students to see different perspectives, outlooks, differences, and similarities in certain concepts. You can then take it a step further and allow the various groups/partners to share their thoughts. This builds confidence in students since they were able to discuss their ideas ahead of time.

2. Brainstorming

Brainstorming is a way to solve problems or generate answers and ideas within a group discussion. It is by far a great way for students to get creative and in a sense teach one another. Brainstorming allows students to also gain and maintain their social skills and team-building skills. There are various ways to go about brainstorming and can be introduced at different times throughout the school year. Some of my favorite ways to see my students brainstorm include:

• team-idea mapping
• appropriate online interactions (newsletters, forums, google meets, zoom, google forms, etc,)
• structured and unstructured

3. Hands-on Demonstrations

When I think about hands-on teaching, the famous Benjamin Franklin quote always comes to mind…

“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn. “

See, it is all about involvement- simply including your students in the learning process always leads to MAGICAL outcomes. When learning is active and enriching, students are more engaged! Hands-on classroom activities, experiences, and games that align with the learning standards and objectives make it quicker and even easier for students to retain educational information.

4. Use of Audio, Visuals, and Videos

As we continue to transition into a more digital world-yes even in the classroom, it makes sense as to why we must implement various types of technology and media in our online and in-person classrooms.

Videos increase student engagement like no other. I have noticed a major boost in retaining information and success due to the implementation of multimedia. Additionally, videos have created a more engaging sensory experience for my students versus the typically printed materials.

Media also serves as a great way to break down those complex topics. With the use of videos and visuals, complex topics can be seen in a step by step process which is ideal for math and science concepts.

Lastly, proficiency in digital communication and literacy tends to increase which is vital with 21st-century skills. This also serves well with students that are second language learners or have special needs since they are exposed to visuals, repetition, and much more!

5. Exit Slips

So why incorporate exit slips? Well, exit slips are a fantastic way for all students to demonstrate their thinking process or express recent information they learned in a lesson. Exit slips are also a quick way to check for understanding and can be done before recess or any other activity/special. Doing it right before a special or recess encourages students to actively participate so they can get to their next task.

For teachers, exit slips provide an informal measure and assessment of how well students are digesting a specific lesson.

6. Storytelling

Storytelling is such a special and unique way for students to engage and understand the various cultures, ideas, and perspectives. Utilizing storytelling in your teaching teaches students all about life, themselves, and providse a sense of the world in a magical way.

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Here are some more ways you can have students participate in interactive learning and learn all about it. Check out Boon-Dah to see what they have to offer.