This post is inspired by a Coursera Mooc entitled, “University Teaching 101” by John Hopkins University. You can register for future courses here. The original seven principles of best practices in education were developed by Arthur W. Chickering and Zelda F. Gamson, you can find further information about the principles and the work of Chickering and Gamson here.
I would like to look at each of the seven principles in detail, each blog post will deal with one principle and how we can modify the principles for our classrooms. These principles are universal and I believe they can be used in all classrooms from pre-school to university and even in the foreign language classroom.
1. Student-Faculty Contact.
Student motivation is the key to learning. In every lesson we see the tell-tale signs of lack of motivation in our classrooms. Heads down, minimum effort, glazed eyes, and an atmosphere of lethargy. How can we stop this? How can we create enthusiasm and zest in our students? One answer can be found in student-teacher contact. Getting to know our students and their hopes and dreams and taking an interest in their lives is an important role for any teacher, but it is a role that is often neglected in the EFL environment. There are many reasons for this, obviously the language problem is an issue, as is the lack of time teachers spend with their students. But as with most problems there are always solutions. Spend time with your students, this can involve playing sports with them or making crafts with them. Find the time to interact with your students on a personal level, you will find their motivation and involvement in your classes will increase.
Here are some other ways we can increase our contact with our students:
I believe we can certainly increase our student contact and by doing so increase the level of motivation and involvement in our students. What do you think? Post a comment below, or send me an email, [email protected]. I look forward to hearing from you.
Next blog: Cooperation.
I would like to look at each of the seven principles in detail, each blog post will deal with one principle and how we can modify the principles for our classrooms. These principles are universal and I believe they can be used in all classrooms from pre-school to university and even in the foreign language classroom.
1. Student-Faculty Contact.
Student motivation is the key to learning. In every lesson we see the tell-tale signs of lack of motivation in our classrooms. Heads down, minimum effort, glazed eyes, and an atmosphere of lethargy. How can we stop this? How can we create enthusiasm and zest in our students? One answer can be found in student-teacher contact. Getting to know our students and their hopes and dreams and taking an interest in their lives is an important role for any teacher, but it is a role that is often neglected in the EFL environment. There are many reasons for this, obviously the language problem is an issue, as is the lack of time teachers spend with their students. But as with most problems there are always solutions. Spend time with your students, this can involve playing sports with them or making crafts with them. Find the time to interact with your students on a personal level, you will find their motivation and involvement in your classes will increase.
Here are some other ways we can increase our contact with our students:
- Talk with students on a personal level.
- Take an interest in their goals.
- Let them into your world.
- Take an interest in their learning.
- Hold regular feedback sessions with students.
- Student Development
- Follow their passions.
I believe we can certainly increase our student contact and by doing so increase the level of motivation and involvement in our students. What do you think? Post a comment below, or send me an email, [email protected]. I look forward to hearing from you.
Next blog: Cooperation.