If there is one fundamental about successful teaching that all teachers must adhere to is this simple maxim, “There is no teaching if there is no learning.” This maxim shows that teaching and learning are simply two sides of the same coin and one cannot exist without the other.

If only teachers remember this simple yet powerful maxim, no teacher will simply rush through lessons with the goal of “covering” the syllabus for the academic year. The maxim means that the teacher must always pause to check if the learning that the teacher hopes to have taken place among the students, has actually taken place.  It means that the teacher would be making continuous assessment of the learning that is taking place. The teacher does not even wait till the end of the lesson  to check for learning. Assessment is done as regularly as the teacher’s heartbeat during the lesson. At every stage of the lesson the teaches assess if the students are still “with” the lesson and does not proceed any further until what needs to be learned first, is learned. This may seem commonsensical but alas in the factory-like assembly line system that most schools adopt, common sense is often sacrificed for speed and administrative efficiency.

The maxim also calls for teachers to take even greater care in the preparation of their lessons. They would have to be clear about the objectives that they have set out for the lesson because the assessment of the learning that has taken place is dependent on these objectives. Key to the planning of the lessons would be knowing where the assessment of the learning is to be done and also the awareness of how the assessment is to be done.

In the planning of the lesson, the teacher also takes into account the prior knowledge that the student has, to make the learning a naturally smooth process rather than an intellectually and emotionally jarring experience. The teacher would ensure that the learning is constructed and properly scaffolded so the transition from one learning stage to another is not only smooth but also naturally progressive cognitively.

In the planning also, all learning and teaching aids used must also be geared towards making learning as easy as possible. These teaching aids may be traditional ones or more modern ones like the use of ICT tools. Teaching aids, including all teaching technologies, are never to be used for their own sake. They are to be used only if it helps in a smooth learning process.

In the effort to ensure a smooth progression of the lesson, the teacher must also anticipate potential problems that students are likely to face during the course of the lesson. This may include problems with understanding concepts or confusion in the mental operation of routine tasks or skills. This will make the teaching and learning experience a more pleasant intellectually and be an even emotionally stimulating one for both teachers and students.

The goal in every classroom is for the learning experience to be as intellectually and emotionally liberating as possible. By upholding the maxim, “There is no teaching if there is no learning,” teachers will avoid the common pitfalls of poor teaching. Most of all, students will know that their teachers really care about their learning and the former will make that extra effort to be successful in their learning.

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