The Importance of Knowing Your Students
To effectively choose teaching methods and help students learn, you must first know something about whom you are teaching. Your students will come from very different backgrounds and have various learning needs. We must get to know our students and have a good teacher-student relationship. We need to know where our kids are coming from, what they have experienced, what do they know, what do they need to learn? Are our students self-confident, shy, extraverts or introverts? Do they come from big families or are they the only child in the family? ALL of this information helps us know how to approach and deal with our students and hopefully their families as well. Your first step will be to find out more about your students. On the first day of class, hand out an Interest Inventory or questionnaire. Have parents/students fill out these and bring them back. Be sure to keep them where you can reference them often. You can list basic terminology you expect students to understand, and ask students to mark the words they do not understand or feel uncomfortable with. Ask your students if their attendance or participation in class and on assignments will be affected by their religion, disability, or any other unique situation. Leave an area for students to write down any special accommodations they may need for learning disabilities, work or family obligations, etc.
Knowledge about students will enable you to refine lectures, class discussions, comments, illustrations, and activities so that they are more effective learning experiences. References to student interests, backgrounds, knowledge, and even anxieties can make the class seem more personal and the material more accessible. Not all students will have the same background. By assessing students' comprehension levels of the subject, you can modify your own teaching to fit their needs. By customizing your course to students' needs, you can teach more efficiently and effectively. Here are a few points to help you reach your students:
Many students, regardless of their gender or cultural background, feel discouraged when they see inconsiderate behavior on the part of other students. It is essential to provide a friendly and respectful classroom.
Providing a welcoming environment is not as challenging as it may sound, this is the first level of Maslow's hierarchy of needs. In a classroom setting it is about realizing the ways that some students may be misjudged by peers and instructors, and how this affects them. This is the second tier of Maslow's, needing acceptance and esteem. Treating students with consideration and interest, and encouraging them to treat each other likewise, will improve the quality of life in the classroom. Education is the beginning of your students' lives. Now is the time to make your words and examples count.
To effectively choose teaching methods and help students learn, you must first know something about whom you are teaching. Your students will come from very different backgrounds and have various learning needs. We must get to know our students and have a good teacher-student relationship. We need to know where our kids are coming from, what they have experienced, what do they know, what do they need to learn? Are our students self-confident, shy, extraverts or introverts? Do they come from big families or are they the only child in the family? ALL of this information helps us know how to approach and deal with our students and hopefully their families as well. Your first step will be to find out more about your students. On the first day of class, hand out an Interest Inventory or questionnaire. Have parents/students fill out these and bring them back. Be sure to keep them where you can reference them often. You can list basic terminology you expect students to understand, and ask students to mark the words they do not understand or feel uncomfortable with. Ask your students if their attendance or participation in class and on assignments will be affected by their religion, disability, or any other unique situation. Leave an area for students to write down any special accommodations they may need for learning disabilities, work or family obligations, etc.
Knowledge about students will enable you to refine lectures, class discussions, comments, illustrations, and activities so that they are more effective learning experiences. References to student interests, backgrounds, knowledge, and even anxieties can make the class seem more personal and the material more accessible. Not all students will have the same background. By assessing students' comprehension levels of the subject, you can modify your own teaching to fit their needs. By customizing your course to students' needs, you can teach more efficiently and effectively. Here are a few points to help you reach your students:
- Create a psychologically safe environment for every learner. - Maslow's Hierarchy
- Determine each student's readiness for learning.
- Identify multiple access points to the curriculum to increase engagement and success.
- Develop and demonstrate greater emotional intelligence in the classroom
Many students, regardless of their gender or cultural background, feel discouraged when they see inconsiderate behavior on the part of other students. It is essential to provide a friendly and respectful classroom.
Providing a welcoming environment is not as challenging as it may sound, this is the first level of Maslow's hierarchy of needs. In a classroom setting it is about realizing the ways that some students may be misjudged by peers and instructors, and how this affects them. This is the second tier of Maslow's, needing acceptance and esteem. Treating students with consideration and interest, and encouraging them to treat each other likewise, will improve the quality of life in the classroom. Education is the beginning of your students' lives. Now is the time to make your words and examples count.
Below is an example of a "background inventory" that students will be proud to display
Extra:
The following websites provide a variety of styles for gaining insight about the student
http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/111011/chapters/Knowing-Our-Students-as-Learners.aspx
http://scholarworks.wmich.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1193&context=reading_horizons http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/getting-know-your-students
https://www.csun.edu/science/ref/management/student-questionnaire/student-questionnaires.html
http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/101007/chapters/Gathering-Information-About-Your-Students.aspx
http://www.weareteachers.com/community/blogs/weareteachersblog/blog-wat/2011/02/22/6-ways-to-get-your-students-reading---by-focusing-on-their-interests
The following websites provide a variety of styles for gaining insight about the student
http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/111011/chapters/Knowing-Our-Students-as-Learners.aspx
http://scholarworks.wmich.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1193&context=reading_horizons http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/getting-know-your-students
https://www.csun.edu/science/ref/management/student-questionnaire/student-questionnaires.html
http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/101007/chapters/Gathering-Information-About-Your-Students.aspx
http://www.weareteachers.com/community/blogs/weareteachersblog/blog-wat/2011/02/22/6-ways-to-get-your-students-reading---by-focusing-on-their-interests