I have been away from the walls of academic institutions for a while and also do not have any children to put me on my toes in knowing what is being taught or not in school. My life, however, is the epitome of grass or grace, a path from roughness to a point of excellence. Let's take a look at what makes students successful as a priority.
Right from the elementary stage, willingness is largely borne from the desire of a child to lead and standout among his colleagues. The willingness of a child to succeed is often guided by parents and guardians. My mom usually told me they had their roles to play, but I succeeded because I was willing and determined to. For some students, they have an abundance of resources yet fail woefully. Of recent, students excel largely because it is a prerequisite and not necessarily because of an excitement or interest to learn. While I grew up, I had very limited resources and failed severally in my academics, but when my parents realized I had a willingness to learn, they contracted a teacher to take me on extra classes, and this was what made the difference. Perhaps going the extra mile still makes much of the difference today.
You cannot compare the output of a child who is in a class of tens to another in a class of hundreds or near it. It is expected that teachers go beyond dictating what they teach to get to know their students, especially on a personal basis, and help them adjust and catch up with the rest of the class. Having a one-on-one teacher-student relationship often helps to identify gaps and bridge the weaknesses and strengths of students. Unfortunately, Nigerian schools, especially the public institutions, are largely overcrowded, and a lagging student may not even be identified as one that is struggling to catch up.
Sampling through many schools around, most teachers are graduates who found no better job opportunities and had to settle for teaching. Giving them an alternative, the teachers may preferably opt for non-school environment jobs, except probably the teachers have an exceptional fondness for children or teaching. While realizing this state, most teachers remain grossly underpaid and end up killing the little flame of passion that was mustered. Students, particularly children, are neuroplastic and sensitive, and they could easily flow with passionate and excited teachers, further aiding their retention. The dull teacher would likely negatively impact the enthusiasm to learn for the students.
Parents, especially mothers who find time to go through books and assignments of their kids when they return from school, show exemption in training their kids academically. These invaluable contributions are vital as augmentations to what the teachers would have taught in school. Having such complementary efforts remains pivotal to the overall performance of students in their academics.
The home and an enabling environment are equally important, as children with psychological trauma such as resulting from broken homes and low self-esteem are likely to perform below average often because of distracting mental tortures.
Thank you for reading. I would love to have your comments and contributions.