15 Best Teaching Strategies for the Classroom in 2025

You’ve probably had lessons that stick and ones that float right past. The difference often comes down to how we teach, not just what we teach. And, that’s where teaching strategies come in. 

Here are five real techniques that make a difference:

1. Formative assessment that shows you what’s working before it’s too late
2. Collaborative learning where students teach each other by talking it out
3. Active learning that gets everyone moving, questioning, creating
4. Differentiated instruction so nobody gets left behind
5. Project-based learning that turns lessons into something you can see and touch

This guide breaks down effective teaching strategies that teachers actually use and explains why they work. 

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Smart Teaching Strategies

Ever wonder why some classes just click? Behind the scenes, teachers use specific teaching strategies to help students stay focused, understand tough material, and actually remember what they learn. These methods are chosen with purpose, and they work.

Teaching strategies examples include:

• Collaborative Learning
• Summative Assessment
• Formative Assessment
• Active Learning Techniques
• Differentiated Instruction
• Personalized Learning
• Technology Integration

Collaborative Learning

Collaborative methods of teaching involve students working together to solve problems, discuss ideas, or build projects as a team. It encourages peer interaction, deeper thinking, and shared responsibility for learning.

Stats say it works: students in lecture-heavy classes are 1.5 times more likely to fail, while collaboration can boost course performance by half a letter grade. Engagement doubles when students exchange at least three comments, and test scores improve by 6% on average.

Examples:

• Think-pair-share exercises
• Group presentations
• Peer review sessions
• Collaborative research projects

Summative Assessment

Summative assessment is the kind you usually see at the end of a unit or course. It’s designed to check what you’ve learned after everything’s been taught. Think final exams, big papers, or capstone projects, the kind of work that wraps everything up.

It doesn’t shape how the class is taught day-to-day, but it does give a clear picture of what stuck and what didn’t. For teachers, it’s a way to see how well goals were met. For students, it’s a chance to show what they’ve got.

Examples:

• Final exams
• Research papers
• Big presentations
• End-of-unit tests
• Portfolio submissions

Formative Assessment

Formative assessment helps teachers understand how students are doing while they’re still learning, not after it’s all over. It’s more about adjusting the teaching in the moment than grading something final. Think of it as a real-time check-in that guides the next step.

According to a 2022 meta-analysis of 48 studies and over 116,000 students, formative assessment led to a +0.19 improvement in reading achievement. When paired with differentiated instruction, that number rose by another +0.13. The biggest gains came when students were actively involved in the process, not just the teachers.

Examples:

• Exit tickets at the end of class
• Peer feedback on drafts
• One-on-one check-ins
• Learning journals
• Quizzes used to adjust instruction, not grade performance

Active Learning Techniques

Active learning turns the classroom from passive listening to active doing. Instead of sitting through lectures, students engage with the material through discussion, problem-solving, and collaboration. 

The numbers back it up. Students in active classrooms have 13× more talk time and 16× more nonverbal engagement than in lecture-based settings. Participation hits 62.7%, compared to just 5% in traditional formats. Test scores are 54% higher, and failure rates are 1.5× lower.

This shift in teaching practices helps students think critically, stay involved, and retain what they learn.

Examples:

• Interactive polls and digital tools
• Small-group problem solving
• Real-time case studies
• Debates and role play
• Reflection activities in class

Differentiated Instruction

Some people learn best by seeing, others by doing, and some need to talk things out. Differentiated instruction takes that into account. It’s not one lesson fits all; it’s more like building a few different paths to get to the same goal. Teachers shift how they explain things, how they ask students to show what they’ve learned, or how fast they move through a lesson.

The point isn’t to make things easier. It’s to make learning actually work for more students, not just the ones who catch on fast.

Examples:

• Giving options: slideshow, video, or written response
• Using diagrams or real objects
• Mixing group work and solo tasks
• Matching reading to students’ comfort levels

Personalized Learning

Personalized learning is about letting students learn in ways that actually fit them at their own pace, with their interests in mind, and through teaching methods that make sense for how they think. It’s not just a trend. It’s reshaping how students connect with what they’re learning.

The impact is real: 76% of teachers say it improves both engagement and performance. Students in personalized settings score 30% higher on standardized tests. Motivation soars too. 75% feel engaged compared to just 30% in traditional classrooms. Schools see a 12% rise in attendance and 15% fewer dropouts.

Examples:

• Self-paced learning modules
• Learning contracts or goal-setting journals
• Choice boards for project topics
• Adaptive learning software
• One-on-one teacher-student check-ins

Technology Integration

When tech shows up in class and actually helps, not distracts, that’s technology integration done right. It’s not just using screens for the sake of it. It’s about finding tools that make lessons clearer, more interesting, or easier to keep up with. The right app or video can take something confusing and make it click.

It’s also a game-changer for staying organized. You know what’s due, where it is, and how to get help, all in one place. And when learning feels more interactive, it’s easier to stay in it.

Examples:

• Playing review games like Kahoot or Blooket
• Using Google Classroom to check assignments
• Practicing with apps like Duolingo
• Exploring science through virtual labs

Student-Centered Teaching Strategies 

Some teaching strategies are all about delivering information. Others pay closer attention to how students actually take it in, what gets them thinking, what keeps them curious, and what helps them stay involved. That’s where real learning tends to happen. Student-focused teaching techniques aim to make the classroom feel more real, more personal, and more connected to the way people actually learn.

Teaching techniques covered in this section:

• Game-based learning for motivation
• Real-world projects with a purpose
• Hands-on experiences that stick
• Lessons that reflect different cultures
• Subjects blended together for deeper understanding

Game-Based Learning 

Gamification means turning parts of the learning process into something that feels more like a game without losing the content. It taps into what makes games fun: challenge, competition, rewards, and progress. Students feel more motivated when learning comes with goals, levels, and even friendly competition.

Examples include:

• Earning badges or points for completing tasks
• Using classroom tools like Kahoot or Classcraft
• Turning review sessions into trivia competitions
• Creating classroom leaderboards for progress
• Designing mini-challenges based on lesson goals

Learning Through Projects 

Project-based learning is about solving real problems or creating something meaningful while learning. Instead of sitting through a lecture, students take on a task, research it, build solutions, and present what they’ve learned. It makes school feel less like school and more like something that matters.

Examples include:

• Creating a podcast about a social issue
• Designing a product for a class business
• Planning a science experiment with real data
• Building models to explain historical events
• Writing proposals for local community projects

Learning by Doing 

Experiential learning means students don’t just hear about something. They experience it. It’s about learning through direct action and reflection. Whether it’s through fieldwork, role-playing, or experiments, this technique helps students connect what they’re learning with how it plays out in real life.

Examples include:

• Field trips tied to the curriculum
• Classroom simulations like mock trials or markets
• Science labs or hands-on investigations
• Reflective journaling after activities
• Service-learning projects in the community

Culturally Responsive Learning

Culturally responsive learning starts with the idea that who students are matters. Their stories, values, and experiences deserve space in the classroom. When lessons include different voices and perspectives, students feel recognized. It’s not about checking a box. It’s about making sure what’s being taught connects with everyone sitting in the room.

Examples include:

• Including authors from different cultures in reading lists
• Discussing current events through multiple lenses
• Allowing students to share traditions and perspectives
• Celebrating cultural events within the school calendar
• Using inclusive visuals and classroom materials

Interdisciplinary Teaching

Interdisciplinary teaching breaks down the walls between subjects and helps students see how things actually connect. History isn’t just dates; it shows up in the books we read. Math doesn’t live in a vacuum; it helps explain science. When lessons blend together like this, students start thinking in bigger, more flexible ways. It feels less like jumping from class to class and more like learning how the world works.

Examples include:

• Studying climate change through science and politics
• Exploring historical periods through art and writing
• Using math to analyze trends in social studies
• Creating cross-topic projects that pull from multiple subjects
• Linking literature to scientific discoveries or ethics

Blended Learning

Blended learning mixes face-to-face classes with online work, so students get the best of both worlds. You still show up and connect with teachers and classmates, but you also have the freedom to work through lessons online, on your own time. It’s flexible, practical, and built for how people actually learn today. 

This model keeps growing. 83% of students say online learning is more convenient. 82% want at least some learning to stay online, and 2.79 million U.S. students are already earning degrees remotely. Even after the pandemic, 27% prefer blended learning, and 29% want it fully online.

This approach works best when lessons are thoughtfully split between classroom time and digital tools. Examples include video lectures followed by in-class discussions, online quizzes that prepare students for live labs, and flexible homework portals like Google Classroom or Canvas.

See also: 20 reasons why homework is good for students and how it supports long-term learning.

Student-Led Teaching

Student-led teaching flips the script. Instead of always taking notes or waiting for instructions, students step into the driver’s seat. They might lead a discussion, teach part of a lesson, or guide a group through a tricky concept. It’s less about memorizing and more about thinking things out loud, with others, in real time. 

When students take the lead, the energy in the room shifts. They feel more confident, more involved, and more connected to what they’re learning, because it’s now their responsibility, not just something handed to them.

Growth Mindset

A growth mindset is the idea that you’re not stuck with the skills you have, but can get better with effort, practice, and the right approach. It’s not just feel-good advice. It actually makes a difference in how students learn and how far they go.

In a global study, students who believed their abilities could grow scored 31 points higher in reading, 27 in science, and 23 in math than those who didn’t. In the U.S., students with a growth mindset scored 60 points higher in reading. That’s not a small jump. It shows up in confidence, too: students who think they can improve tend to feel better about school overall.

Examples of growth mindset practices:

• Reflective journals that focus on effort and progress
• Celebrating mistakes as learning moments
• Teacher comments that highlight strategies, not just results

Why Teaching Strategies Matter

The way something is taught can make or break how well it sticks. Teaching strategies are the tools that shape how students absorb information, stay engaged, and build skills that last. When used thoughtfully, these strategies turn learning into something students can connect with, not just memorize.

Here’s a quick look at what the right teaching techniques can actually do:

Final Takeaways

Every student learns differently, and the right teaching strategy can make a big difference in how lessons land. When classrooms use thoughtful techniques, students stay more engaged, understand the material better, and actually enjoy the learning process.

Here’s what to remember:

• Good teaching strategies are built around how students learn best
• Different methods work for different people—there’s no single right way
• Active, hands-on, and student-led approaches help learning stick
• Digital tools and blended formats make lessons more flexible
• Lessons feel more personal when they reflect students’ lives and interests

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