This document discusses effective teaching techniques observed in classroom teachers. It notes that teachers establish relationships by pacing around the classroom and mingling with students to maintain close proximity. They engage and motivate students by nodding, gesturing, capturing ideas, conducting learning, and reinforcing the type of responses sought. Reinforcement of learning occurs through non-verbal cues, animation, inviting participation, praise, and modeling thinking poses. Lessons end with the teacher giving specific tasks, monitoring completion, retaining attention through praise and discussion until dismissing students in an orderly manner.

1. International Professional Development Course
Madrid Bilingual Teachers
The Development of Teaching Competences:
• School Teaching Practicum
• Preparation for School Practicum
• Lesson Planning for Content Teaching
• English Language Skills (Professional)
• Language Development
Stephen Corcoran
Francisco Gutierrez
Kathy Reina
Simon James
David Smith
Autumn 2015

2. • Space and gaze
• Calms down and settles – students ‘unbunch’
• Desk can be barrier – go into main body of
classroom
• Paces forward
• Takes eyes where she wants them to go (and
their minds)
• Hands palm up – open to their ideas
• Smile and appreciates their response

3. Establishing Relationships
• Paces up and down – at no point is distance too
great
• Mingles in
• Inclination towards child who offered answer
• Reaches in with approval
• If wrong answer, turns slightly and offers it back
• Relaxed, arms – shows comfortable with
children and subject
• Taking command, conducting and taking it
forward

4. Engaging and Motivating
• Nodding
• Taps his head / mimics thinking
• Physically captures ideas with ‘pinching’ action
• Moves momentarily into their ideas and minds
• Conducts their learning, emphasising points
(jabs / baton movement of his hands)
• Looking intently, for next response that he can
latch onto and emphasise
• Holds hand out to reinforce the kind of response
he’s looking for

5. Reinforcing Learning
• Non-verbal cues maintain her presence even
though fixed at front of class
• Animated, moving frequently
• Inviting pupils to become involved – smiling,
questioning, nodding ferociously
• Praising – bodily and verbally
• Hands – hold attention
• Thinking pose – looks how she wants children to
behave
• Intonation – flat=proclaiming, rising=join me

6. Ending the lesson
• Gives specific jobs to do
• Carefully monitors - they’re doing job
correctly
• High profile / strong presence
• Praise and talks them through the process
• Outstretched hands – retains attention of
pupils, without making eye contact
• Voice is flat – even though irritated
• Invited to leave, in orderly and reasonable
manner, conducted.