https://www.internationalteachersplus.com/post/international-teaching-jobs-private-schools-in-dubai

I am a teacher for three years now. Every school year my main struggle is how to engage my learners in my discussion leaving them a curios mind. It is so hard to deal with different types of students, there is this present physically and absent mentally, there is also the know-it-all kind of student.

Teaching ain’t easy but it can be enjoyable.

The problem is how do I survive inside the classroom when I don’t have any humour bone. It doesn’t mean I am serious all the time but I am basically not a joker. After teaching for one year, I kinda get the idea on how to engage them in a lively classroom.

GRAB THEIR ATTENTION

Attention seekers. It is not hard to grab those kind of students but the problem is actually the serious looking one or those who have their own world to think of. According to Mary Poppins, “In Every Job That Must Be Done There Is An Element Of Fun.” I am trying to find my Element of Fun.

It got me thinking, How to grab their attention? Children now a days are too focus on the digital side at the same time they like the idea of a REWARD SYSTEM. Be thought provoking, so to grab their attention is to play a game in an educational manner. Since they are too inclined digitally then I found an app or websites that is collaborative.

To mention some, Kahoot, Quizlet, and Flicker.

GET THEM TO THINK

Use open input questions giving the learner time to think what they already know and what they are unsure for. Teens or even a small child has a curious mind, if we can only explore the insides of their brains I know there’s a lot to unbox in those tiny cells.

It is a crucial stage for a teacher, if a teacher is bookish then it is hard to open up a student’s mind. They cannot wander and they cannot think.
For me this is a challenge and I only have one thing in my mind in terms of this.

A debate inside a classroom can actually help them grow and help them brainstorm with their peers.

ONLY TELL THEM WHAT THEY NEED TO KNOW

CURIOSITY KILLS A CAT. We can always her that phrase anywhere and everywhere. In the previous stage as teachers we need to let them think but at the same time we need to give them the lesson that they deserve.

Teaching is what you call a two way communication. A students learns from a teacher but upon teaching the teacher learns from a student too. Most of our mistake is to give them all the detail as detailed as we can. Which is what we actually called spoon feeding, as teachers we are facilitators so we only tell them the things and information that they only need to know in accordance of their performance level.

You can’t teach a Grade 1 student Calculus except of course if she/he is a genius.

KNOWLEDGE CHECK

Asking questions in the middle of a discussion is good. This keep the students on tract and you can actually identify the student that has been listening to your discussions and those who are just physically present but mentally absent.

TELL STORIES

Who likes a boring class like history? No one right? As a teacher we also need to check on how we can get their likes in terms of jokes. For me, telling stories is effective since you can mix a serious and a humorous environment.

As a teachers we also need to learn on how to control the class.

USE FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT

Assessments will never be deducted to a lesson plan within a day. It is a must for teachers since this will also guide us on where they got a hard time in a certain subject.

All of us knows the important of assessment right?

DELIVER RESPONSIVE E-LEARNING

MILLENNIALS : 11 Letters and 1 Word. This word best describes the 21st century students. Laptops and digital things are everywhere and cellphones or iPad’s are the first things that they can actually think of. As a teacher, either you are into technology or not we need to adopt into their interests and needs.

E-LEARNING now a days are actually in demand. Most schools are already into 1:1 iPad Program because it actually help them become globally competitive. We need to deliver responsive E-learning in our small little ways.