Chai – Samosa Chronicles
18th, Nov 2022
Positive Classroom Is your classroom a positive one? Here are some ways to make sure your students love joining your class every day. When it comes to dealing with young minds , one of the most important things you can do for them involves setting the right tone in class. As teachers, we have always been advised for maintaining classroom behaviour and ways of dealing with the so-called trouble makers of the class. A student's motivation to learn is heavily influenced by his or her environment. You want your students to respect you—not fear you. Creating a positive classroom environment will yield far better results for your students and yourself as teachers. Clear communication Good communication between a teacher and his or her student is essential for positive learning. Your students need to understand what you want them to accomplish, but you also need to have an idea of what they expect from you. There should be an equal amount of communication between you and your students. The key to good communication in class is to be clear and direct. If there are issues, don’t avoid them and pretend they don’t exist. Address them head-on and make it clear why it’s an issue. Give the students a chance to communicate their inputs and teach them to be more specific with them. Listen to everyone’s ideas Each student is special in your class and they choose your subject for a reason. Encourage them to voice ideas. Even if the idea may need some work, it’s still important that everyone has his or her say. This will show that each member of your class is valuable and his or her input is just as important as a fellow batchmate. Arrange a specific session in your class for students to share their ideas. Encourage every child, especially the more quiet ones, by asking for input directly—that will help cement the fact that everyone’s input is important. Recognize their hard work Recognizing the individuals who work hard will encourage them to keep up the great work. It also instils the notion that hard work is acknowledged and appreciated, and encourages other students to strive for the same recognition. Appreciate them in public and general forums so they can boost up their morale. Remember that most of them were doing those work for the first time in their life, hence do not judge them based on your expectations and prior knowledge. Show your trust Being a teacher for 6 years now I realized that trust is an important key for teaching. As we step into our class and expect our students to trust us on what we speak and demonstrate, we have to realise that they expect the same from us. Building trust helps you to improve the final outcome of your class and makes them believe in this world. Remember that we are helping them learn lessons for life and not for the classroom itself. Trusting unknown people is what is required in their later phases of life. Have some fun Try making your class a more fun-filled experience for learning. It helps the students to be hooked in your class and makes the journey more interesting for them. Planning activities and thinking more about the topics to be taught can help you think about making the classroom fun for the young ones. Lead the way Leading the class is a very interesting point of creating a positive environment in class. Students always look up to us as role models. So whenever we provide them with a task try being a part of it and not just an onlooker. This will make the students feel that learning is happening together and gives them more opportunity to enact and react to the topics provided during the session.