Help Your Students Retain Information

If your science students seem to grasp the concepts that you teach them, but then do poorly on quizzes and tests, maybe you weren't right about the level of understanding that the children possess. Effective teaching consists of introducing material in a clear and concise manner and then implementing hand on activities to assist with reinforcing the information that has been presented.

Avoid Relying Upon Lectures And Notes

Even if you lecture a few days a week and request that your students take notes, the material may be forgotten as more and more information is presented at a later date. You can slow down the instructional part of your class by presenting information over the course of several days. In addition, purchase or borrow some books that cover effective teaching methods.

By reviewing the personal accounts of other teachers, you may be inspired to try a creative approach when teaching your class or you may discover that the teaching methods that you have been using are outdated and downright dull. It doesn't mean that you are a bad teacher if you realize that things have not been working out according to plan. It just means that you need to make a change in how things are handled in the classroom.

Add Experiments And Classwork To Your Itinerary

Chemical reactions or exploring different outcomes when an experiment is conducted can be interesting to your students. What types of visual aids have you used in the past? Have you relied heavily on textbooks or instructional videos? Being able to witness firsthand what will occur in a specific situation can be very educational. These 'hands on' sessions will also help the students retain information.

If a specific experiment is conducted and the students were surprised by the results, they will likely remember the outcome and will be able to recall this information during quizzes and tests. Besides individual or group experiments, use some of the class time to break your students into duos. Allow the pairs to review their notes with one another or complete worksheets that you have handed out.

By sitting down with other students and discussing the work that has been assigned, each student will gain insight from the person who they have been paired with. At the end of the class, collect the worksheets and grade them. The following day, rehash the information by going over each question and answer that is printed on the sheets.