Making your lessons interesting and varying your instruction are important parts of being a great teacher. Both of these will work even better if you know your audience. In the very beginning of the year, it will be difficult to get a clear idea of the skills and preferences of each of your students. As time goes by, however, you will come to learn about each one of them and will know what techniques and strategies to employ that work best for your class. Information about learning styles and multiple intelligences can help you to consider the different ways in which your students might be approaching learning. A good rule of thumb in the beginning is to employ a wide range of strategies and techniques to appeal to a broad range of abilities and interests. Finally, pay attention to your students and observe how they are responding to your teaching. Ask yourself the following questions: What's working? What's not working? When are my students the most engaged? Are my students connecting to me and to my teaching? Do my students ever seem bored? Why? When? What activities have they enjoyed the most? What activities have resulted in the best learning? What can I change or do to make my classroom a better learning environment?