Effective
Teaching Strategies
The Western
Center for Drug-Free Schools
"The Role
Playing Process:
- Make
sure the students define a situation that is relevant and important to
them--for example, a situation in which they may be offered a drug. Get
details such as the setting and number and types of people involved.
- Set
the stage by arranging furniture, indicating where 'doors' might be
located.
- Prepare
the audience by giving them specific questions to be prepared to answer
at the conclusion of the role play. Examples:
(a) Would this work in
real life?
(b) How would you have
handled the situation?
- There
are numerous ways to select participants. Discuss ideas.
- Begin
the role play, stopping it if it is unrealistic, going nowhere, or has
accomplished its purpose.
- Ask
questions of the participants and audience.
- Reenact
the role play, if necessary, using a variation of the situation, new
participants, feedback provided to improve a skill. . .
Suggested situations:
refusing a drug offer, encouraging a friend to stop smoking, talking to a
teacher about an assignment, requesting help from a parent, stopping a drunk
friend from driving."
"Socratic
Instruction:
Note that one of the
most effective strategies for teaching about alcohol and other drugs is
Socratic instruction (questioning). Socratic questioning fosters critical
thinking, evaluation, and knowledge application in students and should be used
as frequently as possible in assignments and class discussions.
- Allow
'wait time' for thinking. Give students time to consider the question and
their response before requesting them to answer.
- Avoid
yes-no questions. They lead nowhere and do not promote thinking nor
discussion.
- Be
sure students have the needed background and resources to respond to the
questions posed. It is unfair and detrimental to their progress to not
accept their levels of knowledge and experience.
- Open-ended
and closed questions are useful. Open-ended questions promote critical
thinking, while closed questions can focus attention.
- Include
clarifying questions, demands and statements. They are as valid as
questions are. Students may need guidance as they sift through possible
answers.
Use
questions from all levels of thinking. Help students to develop higher levels
of critical thinking as well as the typical knowledge and comprehension
levels."
"Small Group
and Cooperative Learning:
- Establish
heterogeneous groups.
- Establish
group size.
- Designate
group work areas.
- Designate
specific responsibilities to group members.
- Provide
clear directions, time constraints, rules, procedures.
- Provide
necessary materials.
- Establish
leader selection process.
- Minimize
exchanges of information between groups.
- Watch
for conflict.
- Encourage
and praise group support."
