-Dr Aseem Saxena, Faculty of Commerce & Management, Indore

It is the biggest challenge to know the new students during pandemic and that too through online and offline classes. Understanding students is very important to teaching.  In order to plan how to teach your students or ways to present a subject in an interesting manner a teacher needs to know what motivates the students, what background the students are brining to the classroom, as well as the students interests.  

Students are also impacted by their culture, neighborhood, and peers.  Knowing a little of this background helps the teacher understand students and in turn can answer question, such as: ‘How can I help this student to learn better?’  Or ‘What in the students’ life can I relate this topic so that it becomes interesting?’  Anyone can stand up and teach a class about any topic, but understanding the students completes a teacher.

The role of a teacher in a young student’s life goes beyond just education. They’re a leader, a role model, a coach, an advisor and a facilitator of positive growth. With students spending most of their waking hours at school, it’s up to teachers to create a positive and inspiring environment where children can do their best work. 

Authoritative: As a teacher you can always remain authoritative by using students’ names in a class while maintaining a positive association with them. Calling on students with their names often will show that you are paying attention to them, but it will also to hold them accountable for their participation and behavior.

Balance: keep detailed knowledge about the students and get a better balance with the track of student’s progress and of what they are like individually. Note that if the students are falling behind, approach them and try to find out about their work habits if any particular obstacles are standing in their way. Take note of students who may be struggling with course material, as well as those who are excelling and may need extra challenges

Chat:  In order to know your students a teacher should at least use five to seven minutes in chatting with them. Try to start a casual conversation with them and make them comfortable and ready to learn the new topics of the day.  Ask about their extracurricular activities, favorite movies and music, or other topics that do not involve schoolwork. Getting to know your students’ interests will give you insight into their personalities and provide the opportunity for future conversations.

Discussions: Discussion and debate play an important role and is also excellent teaching tool, and a wonderful way to get to know your students. Start a class discussion on a key topic being covered in your course by posing specific questions asking for your students’ opinions

Express:  A good teacher is a person who talks with each and every student about their well-being. Develop a connection with your students by regularly asking them how the things are going on and always show an interest in their well-being. If any of your students is upset, try to speak to them one-on-one and ask questions to figure out what negative thing is going on in his life. Regardless of how the students answer, continue asking them about their lives to demonstrate that you really love and care for your student.

Feedback: For any assignments and projects try to meet each student and discuss about their work done. Make sure to tell the student what they did well as well as what they need to work on so that their project can be impressive. Encourage the student to let you know what they enjoyed and found difficult about their assignments or projects.

The great end of education is to discipline rather than to furnish the mind; to train it to the use of its own powers rather than to fill it with the accumulation of others. Learners must be taught how to think….not what to think…

More articles by Dr Aseem Saxena:

Remembering 100 years of Non-Cooperation Movement

Parent-teacher partnership need of today’s school education