No matter if you are teaching in Timbuktu or Chicago, you will have to deal with students that are attentive, disruptive, well behaved, and some that might be better described as a bunch of monkeys. Is there a clear cut solution across the board that will work for every student? No! The solution that is available for all teachers everywhere is their ability to innovate and think creatively to help everyone learn.

It can be easy to forget that teaching and learning form part of an ongoing conversation, and not a monologue directed at students!

Whether we know our subject so well we forget to pause for feedback, or we’re so scared we won’t know the answer to a rogue question that we just ‘plough through’ and hope for the best – we can all make room to involve students more with these handy tips that have served me well so far.