Student teachers arrive at school with theoretical coursework knowledge of a variety of teaching strategies but lack the practical experience of how and when to use which. Master teachers naturally make use of various teaching strategies, often unconsciously making decisions about what is best in a particular learning experience. Encourage your student teacher to observe your lessons and those of other teachers to explore a variety of practices.

• Explain to the student teacher why teachers use particular strategies.
• Outline teaching strategies that you use and explain the benefits for particular lessons.
• Discuss the need to experiment with different teaching strategies. (Outline, however, the necessary stages of a lesson: the invitation, engaging with the new content, summary then integration.) Emphasise reflection as critical in determining useful teaching strategies.