How to make Students Responsible for their Own Learning?

Let your students own their learning

Allowing children to take responsibility for their learning is the first step towards establishing a solid foundation for their education. We need to take more responsibility to actively encourage students to take adequate responsibility for what they learn and this essentially means, they on their own figure out what is worth reading and what needs to be learnt, rather than the teachers telling them that. While the teacher may have ten or more responsibility with matters related to the students, the students have just one; learning. The teacher sure cannot learn anything for the students, as much as they would love to, but rather any actions that will channel them to do so.

Taking responsibility for their own learning

It is time you actually think through these lines. For one, we know the schools actually hand out curriculum every year, but that’s not the learning we are talking about. The curriculum of the school is about the holistic idea of the things they should know and the basics of higher learning. But encouraging them to learn on their own and thus take responsibility means, to have them pick out books and ideas of interest that they like. And, how can you as a teacher or parent help? Here are some ways the Cambridge school in Hyderabad achieve this.

• Let them make the decision: Allow them to make the decision on how they think they will learn the best. Let them create their own opportunities to pursue their interest and find out the many means to put to practice, their skill set. To foster a creative expression of learning, bring in technology as the next medium of learning.

• Do minimal talking: Expecting all the students to respond the way is not the right approach. Thus, it is at best you as a teacher do very less talking and allow your child to effectively share their ideas with each other and communicate to all in the class. Allow them to construct meaning on their own and you don’t have to give them a nod to all what they speak. This way, they are more responsible and that their ideas and interests do matter.

• Goal setting: The next way is to ask them to set goals. Once they do, by the end of a period of days, allow them to reflect on their goals and how much they have reached. Let them define their goals for learning and make sure to provide constructive feedback. Create small blog spaces around the classroom or through computers and let them jot down what they feel. This way, the student will take more responsibility towards their goal and by all means, take measures to appropriately act on them. Since blogs are not forced and are purely based on their interest, you don’t need to give them the push.

• Focus on Learning: Focus on what the students learn. Always start with the why question and give them the route to discuss further and deeply. Using the right tech tools to help their learning will be an added advantage.

• Never control learning: This means, don’t plan out your class. If you do so, you are actually controlling their learning and directing it to a planned out lecture. Instead, you can plan out some thought provoking ideas and this will automatically lure the students to active participation in the class. This, way they will direct the class and you will merely provide feedback.

There are umpteen ways of bringing your child to actively participate in the class and allowing them to take ownership of their learning. Chart out the many ways of doing so. Our suggestion is to not, you as a teacher, channel their thoughts and what they learn, but allow them to take route to what they like and how they see and want teaching to be.

How to Assess Students’ Performance in Class?

Assessing a student’s performance in class need not always be in marks. Like they marks don’t determine your intelligence, they have no role to play in a student’s overall performance too. The key to this lies in understanding how you can assess them right; look for their classroom performance that includes their grade sheets and internal assessments or their assessment in terms of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ behavior? However, here are some of the ways through which it is done in top CBSE Schools in Hyderabad. The blog is an overview to the many key issues that are related to assessing the student’s learning.

Assessing student learning in classroom

There is no one way to do this. Assessment will vary bases on the grade they are in and the discipline too, extending over to departments and institutions. However, there are four parameters that contribute to successful grading. 

Charting out a neat grading criteria; 

Vocally explaining to the students the grading criteria; 

Giving them constructive feedback for improvement, and,

Efficiently managing time when having to grade huge load of students work. 

Following these four parameters will give you a head start to taking the right path of assessment. But how do these help?

Grading criteria 

One of the best ways to introduce the grading criteria to the students is to make it clear to them at the start of the course. Once the assessment standards are clear, it will enable the students to appropriately plan their syllabus, as to where they should concentrate much, thus enabling the students’ control of attention, to what to retain for further learning and what they can let go. Students are sensitive to grades and thus when you roll out a grade pattern for each assignment and test; they will channel their attention to what it is necessary. This also means it can have higher implication on their future academic necessities. 

Quick picks 

The next major step in the direction is to end the class by quickly asking them to list out they have learnt and the major concepts covered in the class. This way, you will see how effectively you have contributed to their learning and how much they have really understood. As we said, assessment is not always about the marks, but actually assessing what they have gained. The quick one minute questions like these will ensure they have the grasp of the core concept and are also a measure to keep them aware and focused in the class hours.

Do lecture them

Assessment does not come with them being prepared with your lectures alone. Of course, lectures are a necessary thing in the classroom, but the major part of their assessment through this comes from using technology driven measures in classroom. While we could say that the Earth revolves around the Sun, it could take a while for them to picture something like that. It will therefore become very useful if major teaching techniques are used to foster efficient learning. 

Grading and assessing are the two terms people often get confused with. Grading is the process of ranking on a scale of certain measure, while assessing is actually understanding how much they have picked from what you taught. Therefore, curriculum plans are a much-needed thing to rightly direct them to appropriate time management strategies they need to employ. 

Should you Spare the Rod and Spoil the Child?

As a teacher, you can always expect only a mixed bag of children. Some would probably be utmost silent, yet others will be manageable and then we have the really tough ones. However, handling difficult children can sometimes be a real cause of worry, especially if you are new to the teaching domain. Top 5 international schools in Hyderabad are a step ahead in tackling the situation. While it may be difficult to deal with them directly, it nevertheless is possible to tame them. They are often referred to as the habitual trouble makers and handling them can be a cake walk if you take this post seriously. Here are some ways you can keep them under control.

Who are these trouble makers?

We really have no qualms if have to face a difficult child in the class. Teachers are ever prepared to face the bag of mixed personalities that they get an idea of, each academic year. What could add to the worry is ignorance of how to manage them. Take a look at how you can actually bring them in terms with the rest of the kids in the class. 

Show your dislike right: No! This does not mean you show dislike towards them. Instead make your dislike for their behaviour loud and apparent. Warn them at once about their behaviour, but never go to ridiculing or insulting them among the other kids. Making their actions look bad will solve the purpose. 

Model the behaviour you expect: Put forward to the students the kind of behaviour you expect from them. Try to resonate that loud and clear to all of them. Make your classroom rules strict and tell them what an ideal and obedient student is like. Sure, he/she is not going to take it seriously. But the key is to emphasizing it often and making that particular child repeat the model behaviour and to ask if they fit into it. If they ‘yes’, then well, pick up from there and if they say ‘no’, ask them why and then proceed to explain where they err. 

Try to remain calm with them: You may sure lose the composure, but take a deep breath and approach them with a positive outlook. Be patient with them. You can never get them on track by punishing or shouting at them. They probably in the first place may not understand why they deserve the harmful treatment. Try to tell them what they are doing is wrong. Repeat this often. It will sure take a lot of time. 

Talk in private: If the students’ behaviour demands to be talked in private, do that. Talk to them in private and tell them how the act is embarrassing. This way, they will probably never repeat the trouble. 

The last resort: As the last resort, talk to their parents about it and tell them how their ward has been particularly troublesome. Put the statement in the most polite way. Sometimes the treatment meted out by parents will work better. 

Handling difficult children can indeed be tough, especially when you are in charge of the class. The bottom line however is to stay calm and patient. Never lose it and never use the terms ‘good’ and ‘bad’ to call the students. All of us have different personalities and once we accept that, we will see how this starts moulding from the formative years. Remember the treatment you as a teacher will met out will always be the foundation of the personality they will grow up to be.