Sharing Good Practice
Unleashing your students ’ potential
By Rahima Jabeen
3 . Forging the bond of trust : It ’ s no secret that the kind of relationship a student has with the teacher influences the child ’ s attitude to a certain subject . In order to get across to the child in a way that would lead to a positive change , a teacher needs to be approachable and non-judgmental . Sometimes , even the most aggressive behavioral issues are just a cry for help . One-on-one counselling can make a huge difference .
4 . Encourage reading and writing : Get kids to read , read , and then read some more . Sadly , the passion for reading great literary works , poems and material that broadens perspectives is steadily being lost . Simultaneously , get them to write . Advise them to write journals , articles , blogs , and even random thoughts . In this world of chaos , teach children that writing can bring clarity and calm .
I
tutor a cute little 4 years old . Why ? He struggles with writing the English letters ( upper and lower case ), numbers and more recently the spellings of those numbers . Needless to say , the amount of homework he gets is not doable for him . So , I write lightly in his schoolbooks and he traces . There is no other choice ; otherwise he gets a negative comment . Consequently , I received a letter from his teacher , which essentially insisted I put an end to it and let him do it himself . This saddened me . Ironically , the tasks that I break down for him in little chunks , he does quite well . He has made progress , but at his own pace and using other methods that are not used in his classroom .
I couldn ’ t help myself . I responded to the teacher to remind her that each child is unique and progresses according to his / her individual capabilities , that the mark of an exceptional teacher is not merely to tend to the “ A Graders ” but to recognize the unique abilities in all the children and build upon them . If only she would assign homework that would actually make sense to the little guy … maybe then , school would not make him so unhappy .
How can we unleash our students ’ potential ?
1 . Accept that all children are not equal : There are at least eight multiple intelligences that we know of . Therefore , it ’ s not a stretch to assume that there has to be more than one way to teach concepts . Bloom ’ s Taxonomy can inspire tons of ideas on lesson delivery and creative assignments .
2 . Learning should be relatable : Undoubtedly , concepts taught with a deep connection to real life situations are the ones kids retain and analyze more . This includes hands on activities , lot ’ s of talking and discussions . A class in which there is movement and chatter ( conducive to the subject ) is one that is alive .
5 . Ditch the books : Every once in a while just let loose and talk about issues that matter , depending upon the age group of your students , of course . Talk about racism , global warming , gender bias , and war . Talk about everything under the sun and beyond . Have sessions of reflective conversation .
6 . The art of communication : Integral to success in the 21 st century workforce and healthy relationships , communication is an essential soft skill .
Just being an ordinary teacher is easy . It is being the force that turns life around for hopeless youngsters , that sets you apart and makes you a great teacher .
Rahima conducts teacher training and uses her blog , Young Islamic Minds , to assist parents with their children ’ s education . Her Facebook page , Unleashing The Teacher Within , is aimed at motivating educators . Rahima also has a makeup review blog , Yet More Makeup .
16 | Jan - Feb 2017 | | Class Time