A Teacher's Constant Quandary: How to Improve the Ability of Students to Learn by Martin-John

A Teacher's Constant Quandary: How to Improve the Ability of Students to Learn by Martin-John - January 2015 Scholarship Essay

“How shall I get my students to learn”? That is a question that all teachers seemingly wonder about. As a student in high school, I encountered a spectrum of students of different academic capabilities. I sat in classes encountered students who were gifted, as well as students who struggled and needed extra attention from teachers. One advice that I would give to teachers is that they should adapt to the students and meet the student at whatever they are at academically. A good teacher is one who is able to adapt to the needs of the student. Learning is fifty-fifty in the sense that the student must take responsibility and be committed to learning. However the teacher must also do his/her part to ensure that the students are being given the proper resources and attention that will ultimately contribute to his/her success in terms of being able to know, understand, and retain the material.

In terms of a classroom setting, in which students who are both excelling and under performing, the teacher should make the lesson challenging enough for the class and student to bring out his/her potential, but should also give individualized attention to students who may be struggling with the lesson. Additionally another way to adapt to the student is to spend time with them perhaps after school or during lunch. With technology, teachers can also stay in touch with the students while the student is at home doing homework, through email or video chat. In that sense the teacher will be seemingly be there guiding the students even as they do their lessons at home. This task of monitoring students closely can ensure that no student is falling behind in terms of assignments, and that each student is moving forward on the learning journey.

Another way teachers can adapt to their students is by knowing the learning styles of each of their students and then tailoring their lesson plans accordingly. For instance, some students prefer to learn in groups while others prefer to learn individually on their own. Others prefer to be instructed by the teacher. The teacher should allow students to learn according to what is comfortable for them. However, the students should also learn in other various ways as well to avoid becoming one dimensional learners. In that sense each student is able to learn according to each personal liking, yet all are able to become learners able to learn in different ways.
In conclusion, if a teacher is able to use the resources in a way that adapts to and brings out the potential of the student, the student will be more committed to learning.

Now with technology, there are so many different ways a teacher can adapt to the needs of individuals in class. They can lecture i the traditional format and engage the class in active participation, or they can have the students perform interactive activities and games on their tablets. They can stay and interact with the students after school or during lunch to reinforce the topics and lessons from class, and they can even interact with students through the computer in the evening as students do their assignments, thus having an online mentor at home helping them with their assignments. With the variety of teaching techniques, styles, and resources available, teachers can adapt to each student thus ensuring that each student is able to maximize his / her learning, thus preparing them to succeed at the next level.