Essential teaching skills and how to improve them

Teaching is a noble profession that requires hard work, dedication, and empathy. It's essential to have the right skill set to be an effective teacher. Skills in teaching include subject mastery and the ability to impart knowledge. They create a positive environment for students and help them with their learning process. Good teachers also instil a lifelong passion for learning in students.  

This article explores the essential skills necessary for teachers to achieve their goals. It also offers tips on how you can improve your teaching skills. We'll cover the following: 

• What are teaching skills? 
• Skills to be a teacher 
• How to improve your teaching skills 
• How to list your teaching skills on a resume 
• Conclusion 
• FAQs 

What are teaching skills? 

Teaching skill is the knowledge, abilities, and qualities to engage students through their learning careers. They help you provide a positive learning environment for students based on their diverse needs and learning styles. You can achieve your goals as an educator and further your teaching career with these skills. 

Teaching skills combine hard (or technical) and soft skills. The two skill sets differ in how you gain and apply them in the classroom. Here's a quick look at both types: 

Hard or technical skills 

These skills are measurable and relate to the subject area you teach. You gain them through formal education, training, and experience in the field.  

Other important abilities in this category include technology skills. You can use technology to make teaching easier and more effective. It can also be fun for students to explore new styles of learning. For example, the Ministry of Education (MOE) encourages teachers to use adaptive learning systems. This helps you create lessons or pathways for students to suit their learning styles.  

Technical skills can improve your ability to use software tools. These tools can help you swiftly create lesson plans, grade assignments, and find teaching materials. This frees up time for you to have personalised interactions with your students. You can also understand and address their concerns better. 

Soft skills 

Soft skills help you connect with students and fellow teachers. They aren't specific to a subject matter or grade level. While you can develop them in school or through experience, soft skills are harder to measure. They include personal characteristics and attitudes, such as:

• empathy
• attention to detail
• communication
• organisation
• problem solving
• time management 

Skills to be a teacher 

Here are some important skills for teachers: 

Communication 

Communication skills are primary to this career. They enable you to convey information, complex ideas, and instructions to students in an easy-to-understand manner. They also allow you to build strong professional relationships with students, parents, and colleagues. Students may also find it easier to share their concerns with you. Written communication skills can help you create quality lesson plans and draft reports.  

Time management 

Managing time efficiently helps you complete tasks and meet personal and professional goals. Time management is essential when dealing with many responsibilities at the same time. It can help you manage multiple tasks, such as creating lesson plans, grading, attending meetings, and taking care of administrative duties. 

Organisation 

Organisation is a valuable skill for teachers. It helps you to manage your resources and complete tasks on time. It enables you to develop well-structured lesson plans that follow the curriculum. They also help you handle important daily activities while also paying personal attention to your students.  

Problem-solving 

Problem-solving helps you find creative solutions to issues that may arise in the classroom. For example, if students find a topic challenging, you can try innovative approaches to explain it. This can be real-life scenarios, visual aids, fun analogies, activities or group discussions. It also helps you guide students in developing problem-solving skills early on. 

Planning 

Planning helps you cover all curriculum topics within the quarter or semester. Lesson planning includes selecting the most appropriate teaching methods for each topic. Well-planned lessons allot enough time to address students' questions and concerns. 

Subject skills 

High-level classroom teaching skills include the knowledge of particular subjects. They depend on your area of focus, grade level, and expertise on the subject matter. Teachers often have a degree relevant to their chosen subject. Subject skills also include knowledge-sharing ability among students with varying understanding levels. 

If you want to be a mathematics teacher, for instance, you need to know about various topics in the field. Subjects might include algebra, calculus, geometry, statistics, and more. You should also know how to convey complex mathematical topics through simple techniques. These include visual aids, fun exercises, and analogies. This can help students with difficulty understanding numbers or appreciating the subject.  

Classroom management 

Classroom management skills ensure a conducive learning environment. Many employers look for teachers with this skill. Classroom management helps you to:

• Maximise learning during classes to ensure you cover all the necessary material.
• Address disruptions and undesirable classroom behaviour in a constructive way.
• Keep students engaged and interested in learning by using different teaching strategies.
• Create continuous opportunities for students to improve their academic performance and personal growth.
• Help students develop social and emotional skills early on in their lives.  

Special education skills 

If you choose to teach in special education, you often use a mix of soft, hard skills, and creative techniques. This helps you teach students with learning disabilities and other special needs. Developing patience, empathy, adaptability, and the ability to communicate is also critical. As a special education (SPED) teacher, you'll: 

• Prepare customised learning plans in collaboration with parents and community agencies.
• Work with professionals and teacher aides to improve your teaching methods and approaches.
• Make use of learning opportunities as part of continuous improvement.  

There are additional requirements if you're interested in being a SPED teacher. For example, if you have a local GCE A-Level or diploma qualification, you need a polytechnic diploma to be a SPED teacher. You can also consider an International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma or any relevant qualification.  

If you have international special education qualifications, you'll need to have a bachelor's or master's degree in special education. It's mandatory for you to have taught at a special education school before as well.  

How to improve your teaching skills 

It's important to develop your teaching skills as a teacher or an aspiring educator. You can refer to the Singapore Teaching Practice (STP) model. It outlines several teaching strategies for the best outcome. Here's a list of tips that you can follow:  

Reflect on your teaching 

Reflective teaching involves evaluating and improving your teaching methods and strategies. Assess how your teaching practices affect students' learning. If you want better results, look for innovative ways to connect with your students. For instance, if traditional teaching in science isn't effective, try a hands-on activity. Structure your teaching plans in a way that students are appreciative of what they learn.  

Customise based on students 

A good teacher aims to empower and help students realise their full potential. When teaching, it's important to address students' varying learning styles, abilities, and interests. Use different methods to teach and engage your students. A flexible teaching style enhances communication and classroom management skills. 

Practise your lesson plans 

A lesson plan is a guide to effective teaching. It has several parts, including objectives, lesson materials, procedures, assessments, and a reflection. Practising lesson plans beforehand helps ensure adequate time allocation for each topic. It enables you to adjust, remove, or replace an activity that's not working. Planning lessons can also help you improve your communication and planning skills.  

The STP model highlights the need to adapt teaching methods. This is to cater to students with different learning abilities.  

Use tools 

An online or physical planner can improve your organisation and time management skills. You can organise your schedule, list your daily and weekly tasks, and set goals with a planner. You can also keep track of your progress. 

An audio recorder is another helpful tool. Use a recording device, mobile app, or software to record your teaching sessions. It can help you identify areas for improvement, especially in communication. 

Expand your knowledge 

Courses and certifications can improve your teaching skills. Continuous learning allows you to update and expand your knowledge. It can develop your soft skills like communication, problem-solving, and critical thinking. 

The Ministry of Education (MOE) offers several programmes. These include collaborations with institutes like the Academy of Singapore Teachers. Expanding your knowledge is a continuous learning process and includes:

• Professional development programme: The programme offers scholarships and sponsorships for upskilling. It aims to improve your teaching techniques in different educational specialisations.
• Teachers' work attachment programme: This programme helps you learn techniques for making lessons fun and engaging.
• Management and Leadership in Schools programme and Leaders in Education programme: These are special programmes for high-potential educational officers. They help them prepare for leadership and mentoring roles.  

You can choose from different career tracks based on your areas of interest. You can select from the ones below:

• Teaching Track: This track provides professional development opportunities to improve teaching skills and strategies.
• School Leadership Track: This track is suitable for teachers who want to transition to leadership roles. It helps contribute to devising school policies, managing resources, and ensuring quality education.
• Senior Specialist Track: This track focuses on gaining knowledge and upskilling. Teachers can upskill in specific areas relevant to their specialisation.  

How to list your teaching skills on a resume 

Showcase your teaching skills to gain a competitive edge in your application. The teaching skills list follows the education and work experience sections in a traditional resume. You may also find it at the side in a more modern resumé format. 

In any resume, it's crucial to keep the skills section brief and easy to read. Create a bullet list or list your skills in order of relevance to the job. You can also include technical skills in your resume's education section if you've completed courses or certifications. 

Template for a resume skills section 

Here's how you can format the skills for a teacher resume section: 

Template 1 

Key skills 

Skill one 

Skill two 

Skill three 

Skill four 

Skill five 

Template 2 

Key skills: Skill one, Skill two, Skill three, Skill four, Skill five 

Example of a teaching skills section on a resume 

Here's how the skills section might look: 

Key skills 

Subject mastery 

Lesson planning 

Classroom management 

Leadership skills 

Microsoft Office 

Google Classroom 

Conclusion 

Top teaching skills include subject knowledge, communication, time management, organisation, problem-solving, planning, and classroom management. Special education skills are also valuable. These teaching skills enable you to enhance student learning. They can also help you achieve your goals for professional development. 

If you want to become a teacher or advance your teaching career, it's important to review your skill set. Determine the skills you need and take steps to develop them. You can take courses outlined by the MOE and practise lesson plans. Consider applying reflective teaching to track your progress. You may use tools such as planners and audio recorders. 

FAQs 

Here are answers to common questions about teaching skills: 

1. What qualifications are necessary for me to teach in Singapore?  
   ⁠The requirements for being a teacher in Singapore vary. If you hold an O-level, apply for a Teacher Training Sponsorship to teach students art, music, and languages. If you have a polytechnic diploma or are an A-holder, you can take the 2-year Diploma Education Programme. This can help you to teach in primary schools. If you have a university degree, you can teach after you get a Postgraduate Diploma in Education certificate. 
   ⁠
   ⁠The MOE also provides provisions such as a Scheme for Relief Educators and a Flexi-adjunct Teaching Scheme. This works well if you're interested in teaching on a short-term basis. 
2. What is the role of communication in effective teaching? 
   ⁠An effective teacher has strong communication skills. These enable you to share ideas and knowledge. Communication skills also help you connect with students and develop a learning environment. 
3. Why is classroom management critical in teaching? 
   ⁠Effective classroom management enables you to address issues in the classroom. This helps to minimise learning disruptions and impart quality education in the classroom.  
4. What are the important professional skills for a teacher?
   ⁠Some of the most important skills for teachers include:
   ⁠- classroom management
   - ⁠communication
   - ⁠problem solving
   - ⁠planning
   - ⁠organisation
   - ⁠critical thinking
   - ⁠collaboration 
5. How do special education skills differ from general teaching skills? 
   ⁠Special education teachers develop and put education plans in place for students with different learning styles and needs. Often, this hard skill isn't necessary for general teaching. But it's a critical skill for special education practitioners. These teachers must also be adaptable, empathetic, and patient. 
   ⁠There are certificates that help primary and secondary school teachers to work with students with special needs. For example, the National Institute of Education (NIE) provides a Certificate in Special Needs Support for teachers with a Diploma in Education, a Postgraduate Diploma in Education, or their equivalent.