Whether you are delivering a lecture, facilitating a case discussion, or teaching in a small group, effective classroom teaching follows the same basic structure: Set, Body, and Closure. This simple framework helps learners understand where they are going, engage with the most important concepts, and leave with clear take-home messages. Regardless of the length or format of your session, organizing your teaching around these three components can improve learner engagement and retention.

Set: Prepare Learners to Learn

The first few minutes establish the purpose and relevance of the session. A strong introduction captures learners' attention, outlines the learning objectives, connects to their prior knowledge, and explains why the topic matters in clinical practice.

Consider:

• Begin with a patient case, clinical question, or problem.
• Clearly state the learning objectives.
• Explain the relevance to future patient care.
• Activate learners' prior knowledge with a question or brief discussion.

Body: Promote Active Learning

The body of the session is where learners develop new knowledge and apply it to clinical practice. Rather than presenting large amounts of information, focus on the key concepts learners need to understand and provide opportunities for them to think, discuss, and apply what they are learning. Don't conflate active learning with 'activity'.  Active learning can involve engagement with you, as the instructor, with other students, or with the material.  It's opposite is typically called passive learning - where the student sits and listens. Resources for using active learning in the classroom

Effective teaching strategies include:

• Use clinical cases to illustrate key concepts.
• Explain your clinical reasoning, not just the correct answer.
• Ask questions that promote application rather than memorization.
• Incorporate brief interactive activities such as polling, think-pair-share, or small-group discussion.
• Emphasize the "need to know" concepts that students will use in clinical settings.

Closure: Reinforce the Key Messages

The final few minutes are an opportunity to consolidate learning and help students remember the most important points. A purposeful conclusion improves retention and helps learners connect the session to future learning and clinical practice.

Consider:

• Summarize the three or four key take-home messages.
• Revisit the opening case or clinical question.
• Invite learners to identify one concept they will apply in practice.
• Allow time for questions and clarify any remaining uncertainties.

Principles of Effective Classroom Teaching

Regardless of the teaching format, effective sessions share several common characteristics:

• Align your teaching with the session learning objectives.
• Focus on concepts rather than trying to cover everything.
• Make learning clinically relevant by using authentic patient examples.
• Engage learners actively throughout the session.
• Explain your clinical reasoning to help students learn how physicians think.
• Reinforce the key messages before learners leave the classroom.

Remember, learners are unlikely to remember every fact from your session—but they will remember the key concepts, clinical reasoning, and practical insights that help them make sense of future patient encounters.

Additional resources for teaching in the classroom:

4 Steps for Effective Presentation Design