The Skill of Explaining in Micro-Teaching – How to Apply?

There are 10 major skills of micro-teaching practiced in B.Ed. colleges or teacher training institutions. The skill of explaining is one of them. Without knowing about this you will not be able to apply it in your micro-teaching. This is a post explaining the importance of the skill of explaining in micro-teaching. You will also get an explanation for each component of this skill.

Explanation of Skill of Explaining Used in Micro-Teaching

Explaining is the most commonly used skill and is the enhance of interaction. Explaining can be defined as an activity to bring about an understanding in someone about a concept, principle, etc. It is an activity to fill up a gap in pupils’ understanding. In the classroom, an explanation is a set of interrelated statements made by the teacher related to a phenomenon, an idea, etc., in order to bring about or increase understanding in the pupils about it.

There are various techniques through which teachers can explain ideas, phenomena, etc.  These are question-answer technique, use of audio-visual aids or by making certain related statements around what the teacher explain. Sometimes the teacher may use all the techniques simultaneously to make his/her explanation more effective. To use each of the techniques requires a separate skill. The teacher will be concentrating on one of the techniques namely, the skill of explaining by using a set of related statements about a concept, phenomenon, etc.

Explanation and Application of Components of the Skill of Explaining:

The components are –

1. Initial Statement
2. Using explaining link
3. Brevity
4. Interpreting pupil’s cues, verbal, no-verbal
5. Use of illustration examples, analysis
6. Continuity
7. Fluency
8. Concluding statement

Each and every component of a particular micro-teaching skill has to be used in the micro lesson plan. So, it is mandatory to understand all of them properly. Without understanding the components of this skill i.e. skill of explaining you will not be able to properly apply it in your micro-plan. So here is the explanation for all components of the skill of explaining used in micro-teaching.

• Science Explaining Micro plan: Click Here
• Mathematics Explaining Micro Plan: Click Here

Initial Statement:

At the very beginning of giving an explanation about a concept or idea, idea, the teacher should establish rapport with his/her pupils. The initial statement, in addition, involves giving new ideas, concepts, etc. in simple words. This is essential to create mental readiness on the part of pupils for the forthcoming explanation.

Using explaining link:

This technique is used primarily to explain the links in statements with ‘so’, ‘therefore’, ‘because’, ‘due to’, ‘as a result of’, ‘in order to’ etc. this is essential to indicate explicitly the concept, event, action, purpose, condition, etc.

Brevity:

Here brevity involves compact written or spoken expression. While explaining, the teacher should use those statements which are clear, precise, and related to the topic. Irrelevant statements should be avoided as they distract the attention of the pupils. The concept or idea described ones, should not be repeated.

Interpreting pupil’s cues, verbal, no-verbal:

Verbal and non-verbal cues involve those activities that express the meaning of some concepts or ideas with words and without words respectively. These cues are essential to make learners actively involved in classroom interaction.

Hence, the teacher should interpret pupils’ verbal and non-verbal cues at the time of explaining in order to ensure better understanding on their part. Interpretation of these cues moreover is useful to transfer and achieved understanding of information about the event, object, phenomena, etc.

Use of illustration examples, analysis:

By using illustration, examples, and analysis the teacher can make the meanings of difficult and abstract concepts easier for the pupils. Illustrating is a process of making clear the concepts taught by linking them with something already known and understood by pupils. Examples are situations or objects in which principles, ideas, or concepts are being applied. To ensure clarity of teaching, the teacher should also analyze the concept, idea, etc into their constituent parts in such a manner that it should be easily comprehended by his/her pupils.

This technique simplifies a teacher’s work by providing conceptual clarity and reducing the meaningless word responses of the pupils. Experimental demonstration is an illustrative device. Similarly, examples can be verbal and non-verbal. For instance, analogies, storytelling etc are verbal examples, and pictures, diagrams, maps, models, etc. are non-verbal examples.

Continuity:

Continuity refers to the logical sequence of ideas being presented during explaining. Continuity, during explaining, can be maintained by establishing a logical sequential relationship between the previous idea and the new idea, a topic already taught, and the subject of explanation and also by ensuring proper sequence of time, place, or space.

Fluency:

Fluency during explaining occurs when a teacher maintains consistency in his/her speaking. A teacher must deliver complete sentences and using simple and appropriate vocabulary. He/she should avoid using vogue and redundant statements.

Concluding statement:

The concluding statement involves summing up the main points after the explanation. It is essential to consolidate what has been explained and give the pupils an overall picture of the explanation.