The thing about teenagers is that they need lots of attention, motivation and care. They need these three things especially more in the area of their academics considering how their angst, their short attention spans and other problems often interplay to make learning difficult. It is therefore the function of teachers to find ways of motivating and caring for students since they are the ones directly-involved in the learning processes of these young ones. The question then is- how can teachers effectively do this? Read on to find out.
DEMAND FOR THE BEST AND ENCOURAGE EVERY EFFORT: Every good teacher expects the highest level of excellence from [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][their] students. However, in reality not every student is bright enough. That’s just the nature of the classroom! Therefore, it is the responsibility of teachers to put this in mind while assessing their students. While teachers are supposed to set high standards/expectations from your students, they must also find ways of appreciating the efforts of every single student towards meeting said expectation. It is not advisable to talk down on any student’s poor performance much less make them seem stupid to the rest of the mates.
MAKE THE CLASSROOM EXCITING: Teenagers are lively people. They surely do hate boredom with passion! Boring them to tears isn’t by any means the best way to inspire them. Therefore, inasmuch as some subjects (including Physics if I may say) can be naturally boring, any good teacher will always find a way to make classroom sessions fun. It is the function of teachers to spread excitement like a virus. Bear in mind that the popular teachers are usually the ones who find ingenious ways to keep their students excited in the classroom.
USE RELATABLE EXAMPLES IN YOUR ILLUSTRATIONS: Teenagers like things they can easily relate; no time for abstractions please! As a matter of fact, they wouldn’t even mind if you use them as examples for what you’re trying to explain; so long as it doesn’t represent them in bad light. Moreover, it is good to also use short stories to further explain the topics. And of course I believe every good teacher would know better than to teach teenagers as though s/he is teaching grownups.
HAVE REWARD SYSTEM THAT IS MORE THAN THE TRADITIONAL SCORE GIVING: The typical way teachers reward students’ performance is to score them. But the truth is that this reward system is outdated inasmuch as it’s still somehow relevant. How then can teachers reward students; you maybe asking. Well you can set up a prize (with an actual gift) which only the most outstanding student gets to have. Teenagers tend to bring out their A Games when there is a prize for the taking. Just try this method and be convinced.
TAKE THEM ON FIELD TRIPS: There is no need overemphasizing the importance of excursions. It is unarguably one of the best ways to expose students to the things they would normally not see in the classroom. Interestingly, every student likes going on excursions too. So make it very special, please!
TRACK YOUR STUDENTS’S PROGRESS/IMPROVEMENTS: Difficult subjects can often feel like a never-ending uphill battle for students. And it is the function of teachers to constantly remind students about how far they’ve come and the good times ahead. Set achievable short-term goals for them with special emphasis on improvement. Also use self-evaluation forms to compare each student’s performance(s) throughout the year, or revisit mastered concepts that they once struggled with to refresh their confidence.
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