6 Tips on How to Spice-up Your Students’ Learning Experience.
When tasting a meal for the first time, there are always chances of either liking or disliking it. Why? Because it is human nature. It is possible to have expectations and nobody likes what it looks like when their expectations aren’t met.
Just like our daily meals, learning never truly stops. But to make it ‘tasty’, learning needs to be spiced up as often as possible.
This is relevant, especially in schools. Learners have different attitudes and values that they attach to their education. This could be because of the experiences shared by the people who had a similar education but didn’t see the point of it all. But for effective learning to occur, we need to be on the same page as our learners!
I’m going to share with you tips that I have tried and tested when trying to breathe life into my students’ learning experience.
Make school a ‘home away from home’;
Our students come from different families and different walks of life. Many have lost hope and are psychologically tortured because of conditions in their homes. This is why teachers and learning facilitators need to create a conducive place to allow their learners to find peace, love, and encouragement. This helps them develop a sense of possibility and therefore ready to learn.
Be a friend to your learners
We can make more impact if our learners can see us as friends that they can confide in and depend on.
Take time out of class, play some games with them, enjoy music together, or tell stories. This will break the ice. Soon enough, they will freely share with you their challenges. This allows you, as a teacher, to know what to prepare, how to present, and when to deliver the lessons.
Show them the reason for learning
As a teacher, always help your learners see why they are learning particular content, how useful it is to them, and how it can be related to the real world. This is bound to grab your learners’ attention and encourage them to open their minds up to the possibilities.
Live by example
If there is any change that you would ever wish to see or have, it must always start with you as an individual and the rest may come in later. Therefore, as a teacher, it’s your responsibility to live by example and help pave the way for your learners. Most people in this world are what they are because of the teachers that molded them.
Would you mind if your learners followed in your footsteps? If yes, well and good! But if the answer is a resounding ‘No’, you might want to check yourself.
Engage the learners
Always remember that learners aren’t “empty vessels”. They have knowledge of so many things. So when preparing for any lesson, involve them. They have great ideas that would probably take you aback. Engage them when working on their learning materials. This makes learning even more exciting for them.
Listen to their opinions
Create times when they are allowed to talk and your role is to listen to their views. In fact, encourage them to always speak up to build their confidence. Additionally, try not to impose sanctions on your learners. Discuss with them when deciding upon consequences for bad behavior in and out of class.
This article was written by Phiona Mukisa, one of our 2020–21 TFU Fellows. She is a Kampala International University graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in Education. She is currently an English teacher at Mitimito Primary School in Eastern Ugandan. Phiona loves to play, read, pray, and make crafts with her students. The smiles, fun, laughter, and learning gives her great joy and motivates her.
