” The true aim of everyone who aspires to be a teacher should be not to impart his own opinions, but to kindle minds,” this is how F.W Robertson puts it.While according to Dwight D. Eisenhower, a good teacher has been defined as an individual who can understand those who are not very good at explaining, and explain to those who are not very good at understanding.Relating this to actual classroom teaching, a real teacher, does all his best to have a good classroom performance of his pupils or students, and in return, this quality performance can be attributed to her.One factor that helps in a quality performance of both the teacher & the pupils is the development of an effective teaching aid. Here are some suggested guidelines to the development and use of an effective teaching aid.
1. Analyze learners characteristics — identify your learners. Find out the specific entry characteristics- knowledge, skills and attitudes about the topics. You must know your pupils to select the appropriate teaching aid to meet the objectives. Even a superficial analysis of learner methods and media will do. For example, pupils with substandard reading skills may be reached more effective with non-print instructional materials. ( Hiraya Manawari).
2. Consider the objectives. Find out what kind of teaching aid will best carry out the objectives. The objective, the subject matter of the lesson and the teaching aids should be congruent. E.g Characterize the leading lady/man.
3. A practical step when developing a teaching aid is to identify or isolate the critically-needed teaching materials which teachers alone or the teachers and pupils together can produce out of the available local resources collage. Such materials are not commercially available and in most cases do not attract commercial-scale production. The production of inexpensive teaching aids frees the schools and teachers from over-dependence on commercial and profit-oriented suppliers or producers.
4. A survey and an inventory of the local raw materials and resources will spark in the teachers and pupils stock of ideas and thinking on forms and types of materials which they can create to help solve their instructional problems.
5. A great deal of research, reading, observation, listening and purposeful exposures to new ideas, information and types of teaching materials will generate much-needed motivation and creative ideas for the production of novel or new materials of instruction. Improvisation of old devices and the utilization of discarded materials are usually the result of imaginative thinking and resourcefulness.
6. Start with the simple and easy production techniques or procedures which all teachers need to develop, such as learning to draw letters, doing simple sketching, designing simple, layout of posters, diagrams and graphs, and making effective use of the chalkboard, bulletin board and flannel board. Such simple skills are fundamental and direction, involved in the more difficult production of displays, charts, dioramas, puppets, models, mock-ups and other materials.
There are no reasons why students will not be very good performers if the teacher will utilize effective teaching aids appropriate to the students level.
By: AURELIO V. COLANNAY
