Getting Your Child Back-to-Learning Again!

Back-to-school season paves the way for new venture-new schools, new grade levels, and new teachers and friends, but getting your child back-to-learning again happens all the time and it consume us all-parents are constantly concerned whether their children are mastering their learning while children worries are not necessarily focused on school and learning as it is on other stuffs-like friends, fit-in, being cool and staying cool, etc.

Whether you are a teacher, a parent or a student getting ourselves into the learning routine should be an all-time thing!

However, back-to-school season is a time of reflection that encompasses excitements-looking forward to be with and see new friends, teachers and or entering a higher-grade level, anxiety-due to the uncertainties about what you going to experience and conquer, and anticipation-the feelings of possibilities that lies ahead to be bestowed.

For me, as I leap into a new-school-year I hope to continue to be resourceful not only to my children but also to my students I am entrusted to teach, inspire and guide as they navigate their world of learning.

So, as we all prepare for back-to-school again let me share my Ten Golden Rules of getting-back-to-learning again to help ease the butterflies and calm the jitters:

1.   Get organized- the new beginnings, the changes, and the challenges of the back-to-school requires organization. Being organized minimize chaos, last minutes rush, and stress. Getting organized play, a great part of being healthy. It leads to healthy and happier family, “a happy child is a happy family”.

2  . Get involved-as the new school year approaches emotions build up, so what can parents do to make the transition smooth for themselves and their children especially if a child is attending school/college for the first time or going to a new school? In a simple term. Get involved from the start to the finish. Get all the paperwork done, review the checklist to make sure all you need is known and plan how to accomplish it. Let your child get involved in the planning (this season my teenage boys are chipping in to help themselves-it the best way to get involved and learning how to be part of the planning).

3.   Stay Connected-being on the same page keep things into perspective between you and your child, but also between you and the school and other families with children in the same school. Establishing mutual understanding and share common goals help to build friendships, trusts, and help you become familiar with the school system.

4.   School manners and habits-be the best and in your best behavior! Managing schedules start from home and all the way to school. As summer starts winding away, gradually begin charging the schedule early-2 to 3 weeks before school resume through reminders about going to bed early and getting up early.

5.   Balanced expectations-anticipate unknown or unforeseen by being thoughtful and mindful of the anxiety the first-three weeks of starting school as a transition and an adjustment period! There are so much to catch up within those 2 to 3 weeks that it overwhelms both the students, teachers and parents.

6 .  Make “His” / “Her” Plate- pack nutritional and healthy balanced lunches and snacks. Preparing healthy meals and eating enjoyable foods has been a priority in my family and I encourage my boys to eat healthy to stay healthy. So, your child’s lunch should include fruits, vegetables, grains, proteins, and dairy which are the basic five food groups and required components of the National School Lunch Program.

7.   Empower, Inspire, and motivate- confidence rule the world! When kids feel confident and ready to learn they become good. When they are good they become good socially, builds emotional competency, they set goals. Make responsible decisions, communicate effectively, resolve conflict independently and more. Take about the future, about planning for high school and college, and about aiming to a high level of education and career.

8.   Make Home Comfortable and Learning Place-make it and keep it healthy- a healthy home supports healthy living and healthy learning. Eat well, sleep well, routine excise, manage and balance homework/school activities at home and home chores-students should learn to manage their rooms and set up a learning time and space in the house for study School and homework comes first before play. Your home should encourage learning.

9.   Keep it in Moderation-Overstimulation, multiple-extra-curricular activities overwhelm both children and parents. Let a child be a child first. Overdoing things or trying to live your dreams through your children often produces negative outcomes. In fact, pushing your child to do too much or get involved in too many activities can turn him or her off and cause emotional problems. On the learning part, show confidence in him or her. Let your child know you trust him or her ability to learn and succeed.

10. Brainstorm often-have a one-on-one session on how things are going and validate their feelings-their worries or fears they may encounter. Teach them failure is part of life and the possibilities of try, try and try again to get it right. Let them learn that quitters never win and winners never quit.

In conclusion, getting through the process of preparing your child for school, or prepare yourself as a first-time teacher or a returning to school teacher allows both to become ready for school. There are so many resources and ways both parents and children can utilize to stay healthy, make good choices during the coming school year. Check out the suggested books to read to beat Back-to-School blues:

Back to School with Pete the cat by James Dean

                        Kindergarten Rocks by Katie Davis

                        First Grade Jitter by Robert Quackenbush

                        Alvin Ho: Allergic to Girls, School, and Other Scary Things

                        by Lenore Look

                        Back to school, Mallory by Laurie B. Friedman

                        Smile by Raina Telgemeier

                        Mr. President Goes to School by Rick Walton

                        This School Year Will Be the Best! Kay Winters by Dutton,

and The Star Wars: Jedi Academy trilogy, by Jeffrey Brown.

Enjoy the reading and the learning/lessons you draw from the books!

What to Do When Learning is Not So Fun?

Returning to school from holiday breaks has its challenges.

DID YOU KNOW?

The average student loses up to 3 months of academic knowledge during the summer break alone per research studies! That means, they lose even more academic knowledge when you include the holiday breaks.

The school breaks learning skills loss is real. When students break from the daily learning routine and the structured learning environments it can have a tremendous setbacks effect on student learning.

When students are out of school and not actively involved in learning their brain loses the skills they have learned-the sluggish brain-sleep mode brain that won’t easily remember or retain the skills they were taught. 

And for the students with learning disabilities or naturally, struggles with learning they have even a “harder time” to adjust and cope fast enough to catch up with their peers. And so, they continue to fall behind and eventually lack the learning enthusiasm.

Here are some strategies to put the fun back into learning and help your student restart school with positive and enthusiastic attitude:

Parents Step-up

When parents’ setup into their children’s learning, good things happens-you optimize their learning, you build their self-confidence, you enhance performance, you reduce their stress and boost their learning focus.

Parents can help your child get back on track and stay there by giving your child the pleasure of your company. Children become excited and love it when their parents are involved in their learning world.

Support your child’s learning by being part of it, on top of it, and know what is going on in your child’s school-become your child’s home substitute teacher, guide, mentor, and pre-teach skills/subjects he or she need to master and closely monitor his/her progress.

Discover Your Child’s Interest and Nurture it

Much as parents would like and wish their children could do it all-i.e. to be smart not passive, to like the school but they do not dislike school, to love learning not hate learning, etc. children too have those moments-they have their own sets of interests, likes, and dislikes. Help your child to realize his/her interests, likes, and dislikes.

Learning doesn’t occur naturally or easily to others, nevertheless don’t force learning either-it may backfire, instead cultivate it strategically and develop the passion one step at a time; and in doing so you will help your child learn to his/her full potential-it will help both know how to improve his/her talents, abilities, creativity, and or find new one.

If you can afford them specialized programs that can expand your child’s horizon, instill knowledge, self-confidence, and improve his/her skills and nurture his/her interests go for it, e.g. if your child is interested in drama, there is a drama class that will cultivate his/her curiosity. 

Know When to Get Help

Early intervention matters and can make a tremendous difference!

If your child is having learning difficulties find out what resources needed to help the situation. Seek professional experts-from tutor who can intervene through various instructional strategies and programs proven to deliver results, improve skills, boost learning and performance, skills occupational therapists who can evaluate a child’s sensory and cognitive development, speech-language pathologists who can evaluate social communication and interpersonal skills, etc.

Therapists and teachers can also provide specific strategies to further facilitate your child’s learning interactions and involvements when needed.

Early intervention will turn your child into a right path quickly and easily rather than deny that the problem exists and delay to act in a timely manner, and by the time you decide to act the damage has been done making it hard to reverse the course!

Nurture Growth Mindset

According to Carol Dweck, a psychologist and an author of a book, Mindset: The New  Psychology of Success, a Mindset is a self-perception or self-theory that people hold about themselves. For example, believing that you are either smart or unsmart is a mindset, a mindset about your personal or professional life is like, “I am a good teacher” or “I am a bad parent”. People can be aware or unaware of their mindsets, and this per Carol Dweck theory can have a profound effect on learning achievement, skill acquisition, personal relationships, professional success, and many other aspects of life.

When you are aware of who you are and what makes you, you and or how you can be what you want to be, you are likely to be just that because you are open and willingly to see and seek what it takes to get where you want to get or be what you desire to be-you give yourself a room to grow!

For example, if I believe I can be a good teacher and nurture the traits and strategies of being a good teacher, surely, I will be a good teacher. And so, as a student! If a student set his/her mind to seek knowledge diligently, he/she is sure to achieve his/her desired learning goals.

So, “In a growth mindset, people believe that their most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work-brains and talent are just the starting point. This view creates a love of learning and a resilience that is essential for great accomplishment,” asserts Dweck.

 Students who embrace growth mindsets can believe that they can learn more or become smarter if they work hard and persevere-they may learn more, learn it quickly, and view challenges and failures as opportunities to improve their learning and skills. 

It is crucial therefore to nurture growth mindsets when teaching and supporting children in their learning journey-encourage learning, value education, bring learning home.

“There are many little ways to enlarge your child’s world. Love of books is the best of all”, said, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.

The biggest difference lies in our attitude towards learning-once you build that positive attitude towards learning, learning will take place, and most likely effective and successful learning.

Contrary to a growth mindset is fixed mindsets which we have to work against because “In a fixed mindset, people believe their basic qualities, like their intelligence or talent, are simply fixed traits. They spend their time documenting their intelligence or talent instead of developing them. They also believe that talent alone creates success without effort…students who have adopted a fixed mindset, believe that they are either “smart “or “dumb” and there is no way to change this, for example, they may learn less than they could or learn at a slower rate, while also shying away from challenges…fixed mindsets also tend to tell themselves they can’t or won’t be able to do it (I just can’t learn Algebra), or they make excuses  to rationalize the failure (I would have passed the test if I had had more time to study)”, suggested Dweck’s  findings.

Therefore, when we motivate, when we inspire, and when we lead by examples we nurture the growth mindset which is a tool to help children learn. Never stop learning, for every day there are new things to learn, and learning and or acquiring knowledge (education) has no limit.

What Courage Can do to Your State of Well-being!

Courage is perhaps the most used word when one intends to lift someone’s spirit; get someone out of these emotions such as despair, fear, anger, frustrations, and all the other negative traits! But what this seven letters word, C-O-U-R-A-G-E really mean? How do you seek it, find it, and keep it?

So, what is courage? The meaning of courage is best defined by the Cambridge English Dictionary as “the ability to control your fear in a dangerous or difficult situation…and is synonymous with brave…courage is to be brave and confident enough to do what you believe in”.

To some, courage comes naturally without putting much effort, to others it takes some time to gather the courage to act upon something!

Certainly, life isn’t designed to be free of challenges or without ups and downs, otherwise, it would have been too monotonous and therefore too boring, too exciting, and or too crazy!

Terry Fallis in his book, The High Road, wrote, “A life without challenge, a life without hardship, a life without purpose, seems pale and pointless. With challenges come perseverance and gumption. With hardship come resilience and resolve. With purpose come strength and understanding”.

Looking back on my life struggles and challenges, and there are many of them-whether drawn from my twenties when I was learning and searching for the world away from the world I grew up and eventually  got it and find myself in America; or in my thirties when I got into the parenthood club and real life started getting where it belongs; and then, I entered into my forties thinking I have seeing it all, I have done it all, I have been everywhere and gone nowhere; and no man, nobody, and nothing that would have moved my feet or give me a shiver when I put my thinking cap on and into it-I was courageous, I was brave! And I was determined!

 And now, what happened with the time? I’m here really! In my fifties wondering where the time went and where my life had been? Am I living backward instead of forward, otherwise who is in control of my life? 

As I analyze life challenges, hardships, or trials and how to overcome them or to try to make sense of it, I am reminded that life is really what you make of it!

You must choose not only how you desire to live your life and therefore how to navigate through it by all possible means you can bestow, but that doesn’t make it easy or guarantee safe landing-that everything is going to be alright!

From my experiences, what makes life challenges more challenging isn’t lack of courage per se to face the challenges but rather the forces that accompany you and the challenges you are facing. Those external factors that you have no control of. And the worse of all, they come from fellow human beings…man destroy lives…the biggest enemy of man is a man!!!

However, I will not fear man for he is not my creator!  I will always choose courage to get me through, to overcome my life challenges as possibly can. That is right! You heard it right! But, easy saying than doing, nevertheless, for the sake of my psychological well-being I will always choose courage in place of fear!

The fear only remains or resurface when everyone becomes an expert on how you should or should not live your life, how you should or should not handle and tackle your own challenges. Thus, people’s intentions (good and bad) may add more pressure to you -some may scare you more, and some will confuse you greatly, yet others will doubt and criticize you for not acting on their suggestions or pieces of advice, and on timely manner (as they may detect time too!) …so much so that they sometimes forget that it’s still your life, not theirs, and they know nothing about it so far! We all need time to reflect, to digest all that has been thrown on our lives before we could move and or act.

The most famous and revered former South Africa first black president Nelson Mandela, who also became one of the remarkable heroes of the 20^thcentury after fought for his country’s freedom from apartheid regime and endured 27 years of brutal imprisonment yet negotiated and lead his country to a peaceful end of institutionalized racism and truth reconciliation, said these words about courage, “I learned that courage was not the absence of fear but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers the fear”.

As you can see, courage does not eliminate fear but it inspires you to be aware and or raise your consciousness to help yourself make decisions and then take actions.

As always, every one of us has certain ways of reacting and responding to our own life challenges and hardships-some are quick to react and others are slow, some are too cautious and yet others are risk takers and daredevils.

In all accounts, the key to ease and manage life challenges and hardships is first to accept them as they come and realize you are not alone because you don’t own all the problems in the world; and to remember that those who have failed greatly, have come to achieve great success. Why? Because they were willing to take that leap of courage and believed on their abilities, talents, creativities, and their dreams.

Rather than just seeing your failures as an obstacle that could define you, you should make a choice to fight back, to trust what you were left with-your knowledge, your talents, and your creativity to keep you going, to help you turn things around.

Taking a leap of courage begins with believing in yourself, and believing that there still goodness in the world that comes in  different forms and levels -there are ways out there, and there are someone good people out there that will guide honestly and help you sincerely to navigate your world, to make your dreams come true; to find optimal, logic, solutions to your daily challenges you might be facing; to make choices, changes, and continue fighting a good fight.

Roger Crawford asserted that “Being challenged in life is inevitable, being defeated is optional”.

 And, “It always seems impossible until it is done”, Nelson Mandela.

Growing up in Kilimanjaro region in Tanzania, I am always reminded of the stories my grandfathers used to tell me, the Chagga folklore which still sleeping in my memories.

I am a Chagga by ethnicity. So, the WaChagga (plural) are the ethnic people of Kilimanjaro where the tallest, free-standing and a permanent snow-capped mountain in the world (5,895 m –19, 341 ft) is found.

Mt. Kilimanjaro facts are as fascinating and mysterious as its name and will share just a few facts-it’s one of the world’s most iconic peaks: Kibo, Mawenzi, and Shira-Kibo being the highest peak.

There so many Chagga stories about Mt. Kilimanjaro and its three peaks, however, today I will only relate courage with one fact about the Mt. Kilimanjaro-its name and the determination to climb it. This is where I first started learning about courage and the art of building courage.

I learned from early years of age not to give up easily, and so you won’t be surprised to learn that I have climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro twice, which defied my grandfather’s and the

WaChagga legends center on what they believed then as their ‘Ruwa’ and their Mt. Kilimanjaro as their highest power and assistance.

WaChagas believed on ‘Ruwa’ as a liberator and provider of sustenance; and so, as their Mountain which provides rich volcanic soils that support agricultural crops such as coffee, banana, maize, beans, and varieties of fruits, and the biggest of all, tourism revenues. So, from time immemorial the Mountain represents a powerful life source for the WaChagga who lives in the foothills of the Mountain.

Since WaChagga traditionally lives on the foot-slopes of Mt. Kilimanjaro I wanted to climb it, to reach the top! The stories then were that anyone who attempted to conquer Mt. Kilimanjaro will die because the god of the mountain will get angry! So, why one would take a risk to make the god of the mountain angry and in turn to die when you can see the mountain from the window of your bedroom? Back then, it was a taboo drawn from the meaning of its name, ‘difficult to conquer’, that no one should attempt to climb it!

WaChagga contended that Mt. Kilimanjaro’s name means, ‘difficulty to conquer’. It must be that those attempted to go to the top of the mountain then and never came back could be that they didn’t have all the gears and clothes that are necessary today to protect themselves as they ascend the Mountain and neither did they knew about high-altitude sicknesses nor the physical fitness to be aware of when you plan to climb the Mountain.

Anyway, fast-track the story, undeterred by my grandfather’s stories about Mt. Kilimanjaro, I attempted to climb the mountain anyway, and surely, I failed to reach the top! It was my first time ever to have experienced such physical toucher-the hours of hiking and climbing the Kilimanjaro terrain passing through almost every kind of ecological system and vegetational zones to trek to the top was not only tiring but unbearable physical pain at times.

I remember crying and being left behind so many times-hiked from cultivated zone at the foothills of Mt. Kilimanjaro where banana and coffee plantations are found, then turned into rainforest zone, with the  evergreen tangled tree branches roots waiting for you to greet them as you struggle to hold onto the branches, stem/trunk to find where your next footstep will land; then the  heather and Moorland zone as the land opens into this vast land with countless species of plants that covered the horizon as I could with my eyes-there were plenty of wildflowers that were attractive-the colors, the texture, even their unique scents, which helped to ease the tiredness and pain I was enduring, at least for a short while; and then, we trekked into the  alpine desert zone-here the wind intensified and the land gets rocky and there is sandy too so looking where you were coming from and where you were heading as the winds accompanied you was a challenge by itself; and finally an Arctic summit, an experience of real cold, deep into low winter temperatures. So, from rainy, hot, windy, sandy,  and to a serious cold, you will experience it all. 

 They say climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro is like traveling from the tropical equator to the north pole, just like life itself-a path of adventure, with mountains to conquer, caves to explore, secrets to keep, and a lifetime of experiences that only you, you can discover it as you live it through!

Due to physical exhaustion and the high-altitude sickness I could not climb to the top instead, I was descended immediately to serve my life and therefore my attempt to conquer Mt. Kilimanjaro failed. Though the stories from my grandfather still lingered in my mind and wondered whether there was any truth to their beliefs about the Mt. Kilimanjaro, I still wanted to show and prove to them that it can be conquered. That the 'Ruwa' of the mountain had never gotten angry at them. Maybe people have gotten angry at the mountain they were so scared to conquer, as it will swallow them if they attempt!

And so, I set myself for a second attempt the following year, and this time, sure enough, I nailed it! I reached the summit of Africa! I reached the Uhuru peak (the Freedom Peak), the highest summit on Kibo’s crater rim! Nearly every climber who has summited Uhuru peak has recorded his or name and or thoughts about the accomplishment in a book stored in a wooden box at the top.

You see, the courage to try again even though it was not guaranteed that I would have made it the second time taught me a lesson about persistence, perseverance, and determination!

When you want to set yourself for something, sometimes just gather the courage and go for it. Don’t think about what might be going wrong, rather think about what could go right.

After all, you would have never known if you would have made it or not if you won’t try, and try, and try again!

They say, “…and until you spread your wings, you will have no idea how far you can fly”.

Thus, if I had my mindset fixed that I could not reach the Mountain top, I could not have made my second attempt. But because I made a choice-tuned my mind that I am going to try again to conquer it and fight my way up till I make it; I did it and made it to the summit.

So, what I learned from my experience of climbing the tallest, free-standing Mountain in the world twice is that challenging yourself whenever you are challenged build resilience, persistence, and determination-refuse the status quo...

“The first step towards getting somewhere is to decide that you are not going to stay where you are”.

And perhaps as Viktor Frankly put it, “When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves”.

 So, keep looking forward as there always will be an option to move you to a right direction.

We all can, therefore, agree that taking a leap of courage can pave a way to a beautiful ending and beyond our beliefs.

 Thus, “Difficult roads often leads to beautiful destinations”.

Gather your courage and take it with you wherever you go, wherever it takes you, and act upon it as it deemed to be fit.

What Students Really Want From Teachers!

Robert John Meehan once said, “Each child has a different learning style and pace. Each child is unique, not only capable of learning but also capable of succeeding”.

Each child is a unique individual, with special intellectual, social, emotional and physical abilities as well as curiosity and creativity waiting to be bestowed.

Reflecting on my many years I have spent in the field of education particularly in early childhood education, I have come to appreciate the uniqueness, the differences and the experiences children bring into the classrooms-some have leveled the field of teaching, some challenged our existence, yet some have taught us many lessons that we could not teach them.

In all accounts, children are our teachers for we may not teach them enough as we may learn from them and a lot about ourselves! Nevertheless, when teachers express their love, their interests, and their involvement in each student’s development and meaningful learning, they make it possible for “all students” and the “whole student” to grow and learn.

And so, in talking to some students from various backgrounds-local, national, and international students, here are what students really want from their teachers!!!

1.Respect and Understanding

“The deepest hunger of the human heart is to be understood, for understanding implicitly affirms, validates, recognizes and appreciates the intrinsic worth of another”. ~ Stephen Covey

Apparently, respect and understanding are paramount of all! Many students feel that teachers don’t respect and understand them enough to value them-i.e. whether they exist in the classrooms, let alone their learning needs! 

One student said that he finished a grade level without being singled out to speak in one classroom, not even answered a question, as he never got picked when he raised his hand as others!

“Seek first to understand…then to be understood”.

Like teachers, students need to be respected. As we teach children to respect adults we owe children respect too, no matter how young the children may be! 

Teachers show respect to a student when he/she interact with a student in a positive manner that leads the student to enjoy being with the teacher and take interests in the teacher’s teachings.

Another concern that was revealed among many students is the yelling (get out of my classroom now…) and name calling (you are damn and lazy, you will never make it to college…). It's neither cool nor okay for teachers to lose their temper in the classroom!  

                                                                 

When a teacher yells at a student for any reason it can have a serious effect on student’s social-emotional development. Teachers will always remain the ones to create the emotional climate for learning.

It is the teacher’s role to save the face and preserve students’ dignity. Teachers should instead emphasize mutual respect and understanding, encourage teamwork, cooperation, independence and group harmony; and to assist students in developing self-discipline, sensitivity in their interactions with each other; and recognize that children come from all sizes, colors, shapes, and cultural backgrounds, and that no one-size fits all when it comes to teaching and learning.

2. Be Responsive and Accommodative

Even though their attitudes may be stronger than your intentions, try to be fair to all children-the weak, the meek, and the runny-nosed; don’t forget the bullies and the smart guys they too need sympathy and guidance!

Students want teachers to be fair in their practice-to respond and accommodate each student, to treat each student fairly, to judge them for who they are, and how they perceive you, yet teach them effectively!

Whether you chose teaching or teaching chose you, the number one requirement of the teachers is your strength to respond and accommodate all children’s needs. Don’t like and favor the five assertive children and dislike or ignore the fifteen passives, low self-esteem, and or lack of confidence students; accommodate them as well!

Students feel that teachers focus more and pay more attention to the smart and well-connected children. They are the ones who are given every opportunity, from answering questions in the classrooms, to, to be the first one to be picked or listed for every event in their classrooms and or in school in general!

Children thrive well in an environment that values them and their existence, respond to their needs and accommodate their interests in the process of learning.

3. Be Attentive and Active Listener

Before you judge think before you speak listen!

Students also complained that teachers are quick to blame and rush into conclusions before they know the real situation behind the student’s behavior. Either student feel that they are not given chance to tell their side of the story because the teacher already made up their mind about that student no matter the circumstances!

Some students get away with many misbehaviors while others are reprimanded all the times and on very minor misbehaviors because teachers seized not to be attentive and active listeners.

Some students received undivided attention from teachers and others don’t.

Some students have their voices heard, yet others are given deaf ears and blind eyes. A student may not speak in the classrooms but it is the teacher’s responsibility to talk to the student and to listen even to the unspoken voices from some student.

Many students asserted that they would like their teachers to talk to them, to ask them questions and not be disappointed with them when they fail to give the correct answers; ask them to share their comments, opinions, and suggestions…their participation and contribution in the classrooms matter! 

No stupid question is stupid enough to hurt someone, and anyone who asks a question is because they want to know! If a student did not answer the question it’s not because he is a dum-dum, sometimes he rather answers that question in private…one-on-one!

The best thing teachers can do to help children express themselves freely is to acknowledge and validate their presence and feelings.

A pupil feels validated when teachers care enough to listen. The simple act of active listening and showing that you care about their presence and feelings, help students develop self-esteem and confidence which are the important factors in the student’s mental and emotional well-being.

Validating a student’s presence and feelings help him/her get a sense of reality…He is upset and you are aware of it! You acknowledge it, “I see, and hear you! You want a turn or didn’t give a correct answer, we will work this through together, let’s try something else, etc.

When teacher offer unconditional support, in addition, reassurance, alternatives, and or more useful ways of looking at the situation, it can transform a negative feeling to a positive feeling; a nonresponsive student to a responsive student; from withdrawn student to an engaging student; and a struggling with learning student to a thriving in learning student.

4. Give and Teach True Freedom

Since children have different learning needs, interests, styles, and pace, helping them learn comfortably and without fear of their teachers’ responses or that of their peers is what students want! Freedom of learning according to individual student’s needs and abilities. That means individualized learning and individualized instructional delivery.

Individualized learning, or individualized instruction, is a method of teaching in which content, instructional technology, and pace of learning are based upon the abilities and interests of each learner.

More projects-based learning and student-initiated learning activities, where students focus on their own learning interests while they discover their talents and abilities, and allowing them to advance at their own pace.

Though it may seem that meeting the needs of individual student conflicts with meeting the needs of the group, it is the teachers’ obligation to provide both needs successfully whenever possible.

There can be no true freedom of learning if the learning process does not encompass the needs of the whole child.

5. Encourage and Motivate

“Tell me and I’ll forget. Show me and I may remember. Involve me and I learn”. ~ Benjamin Franklin

Students acknowledge that taking the ownership and oversee their learning is their number one requirement as learners. However, while most of the students may do schoolwork and homework without a lot of follow-ups, others need a lot of follow-ups!

Thus, while Josh is a go-getter and always active and excited about learning, Alex is a lay-back and passive learner who needs the motivation to beat his zone of proximal development.

Some students raised their hands all the time, and have something to say about in almost every subject, others don’t raise their hands and or say anything at all the times and in every subject- they don’t believe in themselves and or have fallen into not trusting their teachers! They need encouragement to find their way and motivation to unlock their learning potential.

Students want to hear that they can do it, teachers believe in them and the effort they are trying so hard to put into their learning is valued and acknowledged positively; help them to discover their purpose-nurture their curiosity, creativity and their unique abilities to learn they possess.

Encourage them to speak out and share their ideas, beliefs, and opinions even if they are not popular or correct, for you will never know what student know or don’t know unless you encourage them and give them chances and choices to participate in discussions. Give positive feedback, encourage student’s efforts and recognize his or her limitations too, and praise when the goals and expectations are met!  

It is teacher’s responsibility to not only appreciate the vulnerability of children and their dependence on their teachers in facilitating their learning, but also, they are defenseless…demonstrate caring and kindness while sharing responsibilities to ease the student’s anxiety, stress, and or strong emotions related to lack of encouragement and motivation in their learning process.

6. No One-Size Fits All: Recognize and Appreciate Diversity

We are not the same…We are different individuals with different needs and interests…Do not compare, nor force learning…Rather, engage, motivate, and teamwork…Together we can walk miles and pass milestones.

Teachers should diversify their teachings and strategized their instructional delivery and be culturally sensitive and responsive teacher who recognize the importance of including student’s cultural references in all aspects of learning.

In addition, to recognize that children are best understood and supported in the context of family, culture, community, and society.