Teaching Essentials

This is the teaching essentials index of the Second Principle website. It is devoted to imperative expertise and knowledge every 21st century teacher should know, or know how to do. The topical index below indicates discussions important to teaching excellence at any level of education.

If you are a professional educator and have suggestions for additions to this area, I would love to hear from you. Contact Leslie

There is no recipe to be a great teacher, that’s what is unique about them.

Robert J. Sternberg

The current contents consists of the following information and discussions.

• A dozen important brain-based concepts  – 

A concise discussion on 12 important concepts from educational neuroscience (aka. brain-based education). This discussion comes directly from classroom teachers’ assessments of the most importance concepts inherent in trying to apply educational neuroscience to classroom settings. It also includes discussions on what needs to change in order to make them happen.

• Beyond Bloom’s  – An update of Bloom’s Taxonomy –

An overview of what has changes have taken place in Bloom’s taxonomy from 1950’s original work to the revised version developed by Anderson/Krathwohl in 2000-2001.

• Five Basic Types of Questions – 

And overview of the types of questions teachers should know how to use with examples.

• Making Instructional Decisions – What teaching methods should I use – Teacher-centered; Interactive; Individualized; or Experiential?

Diversify your teaching methods repertoire – this is a precise listing of a variety of teaching methods and models

• Models of Teaching –

A comprehensive listing of a vast array of teaching models with comments, explanations and links. As well as a subdirectory of a series of pages that offer discussions on four specific models of teaching.

• • Madeline Hunter lesson plan model 

  • The Flipped Classroom model

  • Selection, Detection, Connection – Self-directed teaching model 

  • Constructivism – What is it?

• Personalizing Learning

How exactly does a teacher attempt to personalize learning experiences for each student? This is the beginning step that illustrates  how individual students or small groups of students can be charted through the curriculum  benchmarks with either acceleration or enrichment, or with remediation. An essential first step.

• Teaching Today’s Students – Things that distinguish this generation of learners

• What are Essential Questions?

Related blog posts

The Importance of Exceptional Teachers – They are “keepers of the future“