Ankita Pokharel
Teaching is a noble endeavor, albeit challenging that demands patience, persistence, and above all, acceptance. While qualifications are essential, there’s an intangible quality that goes beyond, making teaching a truly impactful attribute.
Structured disciplines, organizational skills, meticulous planning, and effective techniques are crucial in order to restore learning. There’s a continuous involvement of a teacher and a student individually and collaboratively that directly aids in building a fruitful environment for learning.
Creating a conducive environment for learning is the initial step in the process of learning where learners are motivated and can focus in the process. Seemingly straightforward, but this concept is not without its challenges.
While Initiating the learning process, it is important to proactively tackle the behavior of learners so that the they can focus on learning. The teacher should also ensure that every learner feels valued and motivated, and help in creating a supportive environment. The challenges while creating a conducive environment for the learners can be dealt by using the following strategies.
Using persistent routines to start strong is one of the strategies where the teacher instills in the learners a routine to start the class indirectly giving a message that the class has now begun. This can include asking general questions, giving a two-minute assignment, reviewing exit tickets from the previous lesson to link to the lesson, and encouraging them to highlight previous successes or using concrete examples to provide a clear message that they are expected to behave well and are trusted that they will accomplish the day’s assignment.
Getting Attention and Transition can maximize time by making transitions between activities efficient. Be it a group task or an individual one, it’s very important to get attention from the learners to ensure the flow of clear instruction. Checking on learners to have them explain the instructions back and giving them transits for each activity through signals can help build an automated environment in due time helping in better understanding.
Narrating the Positive makes good behavior visible. Describing specific positive behaviors that are noticed and acknowledging efforts strengthens the relationship between the learners and the teacher.
Using minimum intervention seeks to keep the relationship pleasant by advising students on appropriate or inappropriate actions. It’s best to use minimal interaction once the students have set a task to avoid any disruptions. This can involve correcting conduct in private by standing close to disruptive kids and speaking quietly, or it can involve utilizing a nonverbal intervention by standing near disruptive students and pointing out problems without naming them.
Creating a supportive environment is very important to make a child feel valued by ensuring their needs are met. This includes checking in areas that ensure everyone can see and hear while being treated equally. Here, it’s crucial to understand each child’s strengths and highlight them as encouragement. Seat placements with supportive peers can also aid in creating a supportive learning environment.
Building growth mindsets increases output and enables a child to surpass their preconceived boundaries. Reminding pupils that learning is a process and, that mistakes can help them learn can be a way for teachers to reassure their students that they can succeed. Easy phrases like “You are almost there” or “I’m confident that you can do better next time” can help students develop growth mindsets. However, this must ensure that the efforts are acknowledged promptly since acknowledging the work done today motivates future efforts by fostering a sense of security and self-worth, also develops a positive relationship and trust.
Teaching involves navigating a dynamic process with rapid decision-making based on changing situations. A successful beginning sets the stage for accomplishment. The mindset of “I can do it”, coupled with support and encouragement simplifies the management and creation of a learning-friendly environment.
