Teaching Styles

With all teaching styles variety is the key to keeping the lesson interesting

Command

• Instructor takes control of the group and sets boundaries and is the center of attention, providing direction and feedback.
• The instructor explains, demonstrates, executes pratice and evaluates
• Works well with children since setting safety boundaries and controlling the group is important
• Examples
• Have students ski down one at a time and give feedback
• Tell students to follow you in a line staying in your tracks

Task

• Similar to command style but allows student to do task on their own
• Instructor provides the focus or task and sets up practice boundaries
• With children boundaries are very important, set clear starting and stopping points
• Examples
• Ski down to the blue sign and practice you wedge turns all the way
• Ski down to the orange sign, counting to give during every time

Reciprocal

• Instructor pairs students so they can learn from each other
• The partners assume the roles of observer, corrector, and/or reinforcer
• The instructor should give the observer a specfic movement or outcome to observe
• It is important that the teacher does not pair off with a student. It is the job of the teacher to teach the whole group and not just one of the partners.
• Works best with school-age children or teens
• Requires specific boundaries, shouldn't be used on more difficult terrain
• Use this style as a change of pace for children, but not too often as pairing can become tedious
• Takes focus off the instructor and frees them up to work with individuals
• Pair up students of a similar speed, set a stopping point and give the pair a task. Remind pairs to change roles.
• Follow up with relevant questioning to help anchor learning
• Works well to enhance understanding and practice skills in a new and different way

Guided discovery

• Process-centered teaching
• Instructor leads group through a series of activities in order to help them discover something
• There is only one right answer, all actives should help lead to the answer.  Instructors do not tell the answer. If class time runs out the instructor should give the answer to the student.
• Questions, clues, or outcomes (tasks) arranged in a sequence designed to lead the student to the answer.  Each step must be based on the previous step.
• If used exclusively it can become tedious and cause frustration

Problem-solving

• Process-centered teaching
• The teacher poses problems for the students to solve. The student is expected to seek out answers/outcomes on his/her own as s/he works within the framework of the problem set forth by the teacher. There can be several acceptable answers/outcomes to one problem as long as they meet the requirements of the problem stated.
• You need time to for students to explore the problem and possible answers
• Takes great skill to accomplish
• Best used with older children and adults
• Make sure children have enough background and experience to focus on solving the problem