MICRO TEACHING

 MICRO-TEACHING

Micro-teaching is a training and faculty development technique for teachers. It involves recording training sessions and getting those reviewed by another faculty for constructive feedback about what worked and further improvements in the teaching approach. 

 SKILL OF STIMULUS VARIATION

Stimulus variation in teaching is a key skill that helps students stay attentive and motivated in class. The skill involves teachers conducting different attention-grabbing action patterns that sustain the interest and attention of students. It’s a way of improving children’s learning ability by making them more attentive and responsive. 

Developing the skill of stimulus variation in micro-teaching sessions allows teachers to prepare well for their classes and keep learners on track. A skilled teacher can smartly integrate stimuli variations during their class and create an efficient learning environment.



DIFFERENT COMPONENTS OF SKILL OF STIMULUS VARIATION

As mentioned above, the skill of stimulus variation in micro-teaching involves using different methods and techniques to make a class more interactive and exciting. The skill of stimulus variation includes purposeful actions that draw students’ attention to an ongoing lecture. The variation in different stimuli helps in generating interest among learners and aims at improving their academic achievements.

There are multiple stimuli involved in creating a healthy learning environment. Some of the critical skills of stimulus variation are mentioned below:

Purposeful Movement: A planned and purposeful movement in class is one of the essential skills of stimulus variation. The motion to the chalkboard to explain a particular point or draw diagrams or a predetermined set of hand movements to describe an event are examples of stimulus variation in micro-teaching. Such actions help students better understand the academic concepts and improve their contribution. However, a teacher must avoid unnecessary or unwanted movements as that might distract students.

Gestures: This component includes making body movements to communicate certain meaningful and important ideas to students. 

Variation In Speech: Another important skill of stimulus variation in teaching is voice modulation to reach out to students effectively. Speaking in the same monotonous pitch can bring down the energy of a class and, consequently, drop attention levels. However, when you introduce certain specific speech variations, the class can become more attentive and focused. An example of such skill of stimulus variation can be a sudden raising of the voice to get students’ attention or modulating voice while reading a prose or a poem to help students realize the underlying emotions. The key aspect here is to be energetic and speak confidently. The throw of the voice should be loud and clear but not too loud to shock students.

Taking Deliberate Pauses: This is a continuation of the previous skill of stimulus variation in teaching and learning. While teaching, you should deliberately pause to grab students’ attention. By pausing, you also fuel their desire to listen more. The key here is not to talk fast or lose breath. Also, note that “pausing” doesn’t imply that you should “stop talking”. By pausing, you’re aiming to generate more curiosity in your class about what’s coming.

Interaction Style: One of the most important components of stimulus variation in teaching and learning is the interaction style between students (the whole class) and the teacher. There are also constant interactions between students and between an individual student and the teacher. It’s important to bring variations in each of these interactions to maintain energy and an upbeat learning environment in class. 

 These are some of the critical components of the skill of stimulus variation. Consistently integrating these components in your class will help you create a more interactive learning environment.

Through the lesson of unbalanced force, blanced force, external force and internal force I tried to improve my skill of stimulus variation and was successful in that .