The Teaching Cycle in FE – What Is It?
Teaching Cycle
What is the teaching cycle? The teaching and training cycle is a continuous phase that a teacher in the FE sector or trainer performs. You will complete this process any time you participate in teaching, whether in an online classroom or a traditional classroom setting. The teaching cycle is important to teachers and trainers, as it is a continuous process and will give clarity to you and your learner, it also contributes to the roles and responsibilities that applies to teachers. There are 5 stages to this teaching cycle, so lets go through them each.
Identifying Needs
This would be the starting point of the process. You would find out what your own and your learner’s need are. Finding out your learners expectations are and what they want to get out of the programme. Establishing the learners learning styles or preferences when it comes to learning. You should also carry out any initial assessments on your learner, or diagnostic assessments to get a better feel for what they need.
Agreeing to specific and individual learning plans and needs. Finding out any special needs or requirements your learner may need. The initial assessment will likely be the source to find this out. For example, if the learner has any impairments, such as visual or hearing. You need to find this out and then assess what you need to do to next.
We also ensure that each student is capable of achieving the set goals, as well as making sure they progress in their learning. This starting point is all about the needs of your learner or you, helping them progress to the next stage. In addition to this making sure you give them as much help and guidance.
Planning Learning
The next stage of the cycle is planning learning. This is preparing schemes of work, as well as session plans. Creating materials to ensure you cover all the criteria and the requirements of that programme that needs covering.
Creating a lesson plan that will reach all students . The lesson plan has to be on time and thorough enough that expectations are met. When doing this you may want to to consider the course length and how many learners you have. You may want to create a lesson plan using different teaching methods and styles. This will take into account the learning styles of your own learners. However, Not all learners are going to learn the same way, so it might be worth changing it up. Also to consider any resources that might have to be used.
Facilitating Learning
This stage of the teaching cycle is about the delivery. As teacher you need to deliver a range of lessons. Which you need to deliver in a way that engages students and encourages them in each session. To motivate students. For them to be enthusiastic about the material as well. You also have to make sure that the learners are aware and understand the aims of the session. To also know the outcomes expected for when they leave the session.
You will need to deliver the lesson plan with the session material. Using various resources and activities. These could be worksheets or Q&As for example. As well as teaching methods that were designed in the planning learning stage. You may need to adapt the lesson to specific requirements.
Assessing Learning
As a teacher you may also be an assessor. But you will have to assess your learners. You are responsible for the continuous assessment and development of students. In order to ensure that students are involved and they understand the session. It’s important that you use a range of different assessment methods. Check if your learners have gained necessary skills and knowledge. In addition to understanding at all stages.
Two popular assessments are formative and summative. You can think about using informal and formal types of assessment. What does that mean? Formative and summative? Let’s have a look.
Formative is monitoring student learning. This provides ongoing feedback which will be used by you, to improve the teaching. As well as improving student learning. This helps students identify their strengths and weaknesses. To also know their target areas that need more work. This in turn helps you recognise where your learners are struggling.
Summative is to evaluate students learning. This would be at the end of a unit which you would compare it against a standard or benchmark. This could be an exam, a project or an essay of some sorts. This is to guide your efforts when considering next activities or courses. Where you go next and what needs more work.
Both of these are to provide the student and teacher a clear understanding of the progress and knowledge that is being made by the learner. Each assessment you use needs to be reliable and consistent. To enable you to provide help or make changes to improve student progress.
Evaluating Learning
This last stage is all about the evaluation of learning and progress and then making the changes. This is to get feedback from others. The reflect on your role and all the aspects that are involved with learning in order to make improvements and to change things.
All of these aspects should focus on the learner and internal quality assurance and standardisation of practice should take place throughout.