Number Ten - Be patient. Students tend to process difficult subjects slower than normal. It takes time.
Number Nine - Use visual aids. If you can present a topic or information to students with some kind of graphic organizer, it decreases the amount of time for information retention in half. An example of that could be a word web or thought organizer. It organizes the information in their brain and allows them to access the information in a certain pattern or with separators, kind of like a file cabinet.
Number Eight - Use voice inflection. The tone with which you use your voice can go a long way when talking about catching a student's attention. Make sure you are speaking loud with fluctuations in your voice pattern so as to minimize students catching a snooze.
Number Seven - Increase the amount of resources available to students. In the age of technology there is a WEALTH of knowledge available to anyone. Use the internet, use blogs, use primary resources from sites such as the Library of Congress to give students a first hand look at what happened at the time of the event. If you want a more general resource website, check this out. http://www.discoveryeducation.com/teachers/
Number Six - Allow time for digestion. Students who are studying a difficult subject need time to digest difficult information. Make sure you are using the 10:2 method (ten minutes of teaching to two minutes of reflection). This is good for activities that utilize think-pair-share or other cooperative learning review activities. Allow proper wait time while divulging information at the front of the classroom.
Number Five - Create a plan. Teachers often get stumped by questions their students ask. Make a list of possible questions students may ask and write down answers. This will give you legitimacy and make the intricacies of a hard subject a little less confusing.
Number Four - Diversify. Don't let your students just sit about in the classroom taking notes all day. Allow them to get up and move around. Set up stations describing different aspects of the topic for the day. Allow them to teach the material they learn at the stations to each other. Cooperative learning is key.
Number Three - Group-work. When working in groups make sure students are paired based on ability and gender. Students with high AND low order skills should be working in the same group. It is wise to split up groups between genders as well because homogenous groups tend to not focus as well.
Number Two - Modification and adaptation. Each student learns differently. It is extremely important that you cater to each individual student's needs. If you do not know how each of your students learns, make a tally of how many students you have in each of the different learning categories. If you do not know, here is a link to a test that will determine each student's learning needs. http://teachertools.londongt.org/?page=VAK
Number One - Inquiry learning. Let students learn the material by seeking out the answer themselves. True learning involves failure. The students will fail using this method, but it is your job as a professional educator to guide them on the correct path to succeed. Here is a website that will help you with inquiry learning for ANY discipline. http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/inquiry/index.html
I hope this helps anyone that is struggling to teach a difficult subject. Always remember to reflect on your lessons to see what you can change yourself to benefit your students. If you found this post helpful please share with your friends!
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