Using Guerrilla Tactics to Improve Teaching

guerrilla teaching

This Post Has 6 Comments

  1. Gerard

    I like the idea and for sure recognize the organisational issues mentioned.

    The question that I have is this: about what topic is the guerrilla teacher interacting about with the students?
    The reason for this question: I started reasding the article because of the titel where it says "improve teaching". My thought was that I, as a teacher, would be receiving a guerrilla teaching so I would be questioned and tought. However, the guerrilla teacher interacts with the students, so I am puzzeled.

    Curious about an answer.

    Kind regards,
    Gerard

    p.s. 1: some of my confusion may be because I am Dutch, so English is not my native language.

    P.s. 2: I'm teaching at Saxion University of Applied Sciences in Netherlands.

  2. Janice

    Hi Gerard,

    I can see three ways of this technique improving your teaching:

    1. It gives you an opportunity to see someone else interacting with your students in your classroom. They may have a different style or approach which you could try later. You may see your students in a different way – understand them a bit better, see how they react to things and other students and another teacher.
    2. Team teaching. I think this is a technique which is not used enough. Two teachers actively interacting with the class can help you to come up with more ideas and different ways of doing tasks. I have seen this used brilliantly in primary school classrooms and language classes (English as a Second or Foreign Language). Team teaching does not suit all teachers' personalities, but it is worth trying.
    3. The conversations you have with the other teacher afterwards can give you a chance to discuss the lesson – what you were doing, what the visiting teacher was doing, how you could do it differently or better. Also, you can build professional relationships so that you can discuss ideas for future lessons, share your own ideas, ask questions or just have conversations with a colleague.
    Good luck if you try this technique.

  3. Mankilik

    This gurellar teaching approach is quiet novel to me, however since it is anchored on coorparative/team teaching which is not new I will try this with my colleagues for the benefit of my students I am of the view that only colleagues who have knowledge of the content area can collaborate to make it more effective.

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